counting sheep and other things

Last night I lay in bed unable to fall asleep.  I contemplate why.

Around midnight, I say good-night to Jay and Hallie Berry and turn off my lights.  At one pm I am still wide-awake.  I play some solitaire thinking the numbness of the game will lull me to sleep.  It doesn't.  Finally, around 1:30, I  take a long lasting Ambien, which always works within 15 minutes.  Not tonight.  Too many thoughts zooming around.  Not good thoughts, worrisome ones.  Almost all routed in money.

As I am rustling around, I decide there are four elements that contribute to a good night’s sleep, aside from mental state.

Number One:  A Good Mattress

I have that covered.  In May 2009, I bought a Shiffman Reviens Lyons Queen Firm Mattress and box spring from Bloomingdales.  It was an expensive investment, and one I’ve never regretted.  I love my bed.

Number Two:  Good Sheets

My sheets are all white with a high thread count.  Some have a hint of color on the borders, but little else.  I feel clean and crisp in them.

Number Three:  Temperature

Years ago I had the radiators removed from my bedroom.  I live on the second floor in a building heated by a steam boiler in the basement.  In winter, my room is 40 degrees warmer than outside.  So, if like tonight, the outside temperature is 35 degrees, my room is 75.   I need to turn on my window air conditioner (the fan above my bed doesn’t lower the temperature enough) and opening the window lets in too much road traffic.  I set my AC to 68. But, this leads me to

Number Four:  Sound

I can sleep through people talking.  Light doesn’t bother me.  A steady rain is comforting.  Howling winds (though rare) are nice. But a rumbling air conditioner that springs to life with a loud roar every five to ten minutes is not.  I feel like I’m at the Daytona raceway and the cars are revving up. They race around the track for ten minutes, then stop to refuel for a short break and then roar up again.  The laps they do are endless.

 I finally fall asleep after three.  I can’t compromise on temperature.  So how do I ignore the late Dale Earnhardt and his friends who insist on visiting me every time the temperature climbs higher than 30?