Thursday, April 30, 2009

Dreaming with Lunesta

I have ADHD. Which sucks sometimes. Especially when it comes to trying to fall asleep when your mind won't shut its freakin' hole. But add to that the fact that I actually have a related sleep disorder, too. It's called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Basically, my body's internal clock is off by several hours. What that means is that my mind and body want to sleep around midnight or later and then wake up around 10 or 11 a.m. I also sleep "backwards." Most people fall asleep quickly at night, sleep deeply, and then spend the early morning hours slowly waking up. I'm the opposite. So for example, if I try to go to bed around 10 p.m. I will toss and turn for hours and slowly fall asleep after a long time (if at all!). Then I do my deepest sleeping and dreaming in the morning, just before having to get up for work. You know that feeling of abruptly being woken from a very deep dream sleep? You know how sort of shocking that feels to your system and how groggy you feel and very irritable? That's how I feel every morning if my body doesn't get to sleep until its preferred time.

HOWEVER, for the last oh, 6 months or so, I've been taking Lunesta. Oh Lunesta, how I do love thee. It has been a miracle for me. I take it and in 30 minutes I'm out like Seacrest. I sleep really well and wake up like a semi-normal person the next morning. The interesting thing, though, is that I have the most bizarre, detailed dreams that feel supremely real.

So, submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society (does anyone else remember that?), I give you my latest Lunesta dreams...

I frequently dream that I am back in high school and that I've forgotten my locker combination (and also its location) and that I've not been going to class and I suddenly am in class having to take a big test, not knowing the material whatsoever. I had that dream but this time my classes were quite interesting. I went to Math class wherein, for some reason, we were reading and being tested on children's books. I can't remember any of the book titles. Then there was English class, being taught by a German woman but we were studying Spanish. She liked to make class fun by passing out multiple bottles of pink nail polish for the girls to paint their nails in class. Don't worry about the boys. There were none in this class, apparently. The instructor also made madeleines on some sort of panini maker thing during class for us to eat.

Suddenly there was a tornado. No warning. Just that the building was picked up and then hurled back to the earth. Immediately my classroom became one of those college stadium-type lecture halls where the chairs are affixed and in descending rows like a theatre. Folks were rushing around helping the wounded. I helped pull some people out of where they were stuck between the seats. Also, curiously, I helped some pit bulls in danger of falling (?) out of the seats. Then I went and found my brother, who was on the other side of the school. We had a happy and relieved reunion and then I began to rap.

Then I was magically on the beach in L.A. It was crazy crowded and instead of sunning themselves on the sand, folks were all perched atop multiple tiny stilted buildings, sort of like lifeguard towers. My mom was there and we started talking to a guy with a Scottish accent. He was wearing an Irish football club shirt, though. Mom was all, "Are you from Ireland?" and I was all, "MOM! Can't you hear his accent? He's Scottish!" and then he and I had a good laugh at my mom's expense with high fives all around for good measure.

The End.


Por fin, I would like to say that Lunesta has been a God-send. Now, if I can just get rid of that damn green glowing butterfly that hovers around my night table...







Vote for Me at Humor Blogs!

17 comments:

Shawn said...

They should make a Lunesta commercial out of this dream. Making very careful to include the "and then I began to rap" scene.

Jeff Tompkins said...

I've always thought those Lunesta commercials would be better if they were more like other medication commercials, with the long list of disclaimers including: "Discontinue use and contact your doctor immediately if you start seeing fluorescent butterflies."

Hairball T. Hairball said...

Glad to hear that your sleep meds are working for you!

One time, I dreamed that Oprah invited me to her house for dinner. Sadly, there was no rapping or pit bulls in the dream. *grins*

Heather Cherry said...

I agree with both of you!

Heather Cherry said...

Hairball: ALL dreams should include rapping and pit bulls. I mean, srsly.

obladi oblada said...

Well..you know it is just a dream when a SCOT is wearing an IRISH football shirt..a srsly crazy dream at that.

Just when I think we cant possibly have anything else in common...I have the same school dreams...Im panicking because I havent been to class in possibly weeks or months, like I suddenly remembered Im in it. The school is usually huge and Im lost too. Lol on the "seacreast out" remark....

sparringK9 said...

i took ambien
but there werent no butterfly
a bull got in my bed
and things did go awry

he kicked my head so hard
i quickly fell asleep
the bull he laid awake
and counted all the sheep

when i woke up my bottom hurt
there was a noise in my ears
my bed was full of babies
most of them was steers

Heather Cherry said...

O/O: LOL, that is SUCH a scary dream isn't it? I wonder what it all means?

K9: I prefer iambic pentameter. (Don't tell Troll.)

moi said...

I'm SO glad Lunesta works for you! Sleep disorders of any kind suck the big one. I suffer bouts of insomnia – not a constant thing, but when it hits every couple months or so, I literally want to kill myself. Doc won't prescribe me anything because it's so occasional/situational, but I always nick a few of my friend's Ambien when I travel – a half a pill does me just fine. Miracle, indeed.

Margo said...

I've got the ADD with the sleep issues too. I'm much better recently... I'll email you and tell you about it soon. That is great you have found something that works for you - sleep is so important. I love loopy dreams... LOVE THEM :)

Heather Cherry said...

Moy: That's awesome. I know a lot of folks for whom an Ambien or a half every now and then works perfectly.

Margo: Yeah, email me! We need to commiserate. Methinks I will make the dreams thing a regular on ye olde blogge.

brookeamanda said...

I only take 3mg of melatonin about two or three times a week and that stuff gives me really messed up dreams so I can't imagine what Lunesta would do to me!

Heather Cherry said...

The dreams can get pretty bizarre! I wish Melatonin worked for me.

Green Glowing Butterfly said...

My bad.

Nan-Nan said...

I KNOW he was SCOTTISH for heaven's sake! I was just trying to make polite conversation. That is what we Southerners do, y'all. Witty banter and all that. Well, it worked now didn't it?! Momma knows best, even in your dreams.
And RAP?!?!?! Are you KIDDING me? I would rather listen to CHER, BABS and STEVIE NI-ii-ii-icks (say it like the sheep she sounds like!) all at the same time. Rap rhymes with crap, but no one ever puts that in a song, now do they???

obladi oblada said...

Nan Nan: You said the "B" word, I feel ill. Meow.

Heather Cherry said...

Butterfly: Whatever, dude. You knew what you were doing.

Mom: I'll note that in my log.

O/O: Meow indeed.