Et Tu Nosferatu?

You don’t know what it’s like…wondering if you’ve been bitten. I often check my body for marks while showering. What other explanation could there be for my chronic lack of sleep other than vampirism? After trying chamomile teas, sleeping pills, melatonin, evening cocktails and the like, I’m still up for hours every evening. Sleep is elusive even when I’m exhausted.

Whether I’m Nosferatu, Lady Dracula or one of the Originals, I resolve that I will rest in 2022. What choice do I have? I’m exhausted and distracted during the day and that’s the perfect recipe for disaster. In preparation for the new year, I’ve devised a sleep aspiration and coined it three P’s. Plan. Playlist. Practice. I wrote a song about it. Wanna hear it? Here it goes! Just kidding. I haven't written a song. But I have put together a guide…a strategy of sorts. We will prioritize rest. Get into it.

For those of us who are on the go, it seems we have to plan for rest. Essential workers, entrepreneurs and moms have one thing in common. They need to sleep. We’re always on the go, never stopping to smell the proverbial roses. To master our lives, we’re going to have to put sleep on the schedule.

How will I do it? Power down. Unplug. Log out. Set healthy boundaries. After what will be referred to as the “ditching” hour, I will no longer be taking your calls, texts or emails. I won’t have my face on the book.. no gram instantly or otherwise. The only tick not will come from my clock and my watch will come off. I’ll listen to the sounds of the Amazon, drink Sleepytime tea, or wind down with yoga. Whatever it takes, I’ll get the sleep I deserve.

Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart is credited with saying “When I am…completely myself, entirely alone…or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how these ideas come I know not, nor can I force them.” Music and sleep are a winning combination. Thus, I’ll work on my 2022 sleep Playlist. With sleep and creativity in mind, I’ll string together a continuous vibe from greats like: Jill Scott, India Irie, Black Violin, John Legend, H.E.R and more. Committed to this resolution, there’s no way I can lose.

“You talkin’ bout practice? Practice?!!” When Allen Iverson asked this question in 2002, many people were afraid to answer. What those around him should've answered was “Yes!” Without question, he was good. Still, he needed to practice. It wasn’t only about him…it was to make those around him better. I wonder if he gets it now but I digress. My point was that we need to practice and prepare to rest.

In order to relinquish those bad habits, we need to practice taking care of and prioritizing ourselves. No need to wait for “Auld Lang Syne”. Start today. Practice creating a space that prepares you for sleep. Practice finding a place to be silent. Practice winding down, meditating, listening to music or whatever works for YOU. And by you, I mean ME.

Obviously, I’m not a vampire but I find myself living a version of a vampire life. I’m up all night. Then, dozing off during the day. During a time when I’m supposed to be my most creative, I’m drawing a blank. When I need to be bright and lively, I’m running out of energy. Do I need a smoothie blended with the blood of a human? No! It's a regular sleep cycle for me.

Plan. Playlist. Practice: A resolution I can get behind. Sleep will be my priority in the coming year. What about you?