Classic Rant #1,174 (March 28, 2014): Sleepless In New York

I am a light sleeper, always was, always have been, and I still am after nearly 57 years on this planet.

My mother has said that even as a baby, I wasn't much of a sleeper. I wouldn't sleep in the house, only when I was in the stroller outside, and since I was "Larry the Menace," my mother did everything she could to get me to sleep, including putting my stroller on the fire escape with me in it.

Yes, back in those days, you could do that with no worries at all.

Anyway, I am my mother's son, and she is a very light sleeper, too, as was her mother, my grandmother.

Some people can just sleep away the day, others need maybe four or five hours and they are ready to go.

My father is one of the all-time sleepers, as was his father, my grandfather. My father can sleep a whole day away if you let him.

As for me, on Thursday night, I was bushed. I fell asleep at 8 p.m.

But I woke up around midnight, found that my son was sleeping on the couch, put him to sleep, and here I am, around 1 a.m. in the morning, and I am typing this Rant.

Yes, tonight I can't go back to sleep.

My allergies are kicking in, which isn't helping. I feel all congested and restless because of it.

No, I know the idea has come into your head that I have sleep apnea. A few years ago, I was tested for this, and no, I don't have it.

I always had a solid five hour or so hour sleep each and every night, never woke up in the middle, and felt pretty rested up until about 19 years ago, when due to some financial problems I had--divorce, naturally--I took a job as an adult newspaper deliverer.

I had to be up before midnight to deliver the papers, and with my other full-time job that I had, I had little time for sleep.

There were days that I was literally up for more than 24 hours straight.

Anyway, I used to go to bed at 7:30, woke up at about 11:40, took a shower, and left for the depot.

I would get home, and when my son came into this world, I would feed him his bottle at about 3:30 a.m., watch "Gomer Pyle USMC" with him while I was feeding him--which was on the local ABC outlet here at about 4 a.m. back then--and put him back to bed. He was a good sleeper, way better than me, and rarely gave me a problem.

Then I would try to sleep for at least an hour or so, and then I would go to work.

This lasted for nearly a year, but let me tell you, it screwed up my sleeping forever.

I still haven't gotten over it fully, even though it is so many years ago.

Anyway, you try to have a good night sleep, because my sleep is fouled up for good tonight.

I am using this Rant as almost some type of sleep therapy.

Maybe when I am done with it, I can actually make myself go to sleep.

The typing is making me kind of tired, and maybe the night is not lost.

So good night to you, and I will speak to you again on Monday, hopefully more rested than I am right now.

Followup: It took me a while, but I did fall back asleep, and ended up oversleeping, so I got in maybe an extra 90 minutes of sleep time. I am bushed as I am typing this, but at least I did get back to sleep. Maybe I will have better luck tonight ...