Sleep Experiment UpdateFor several weeks now I have been committed to getting to bed by 9:30 at the latest, and waking up relatively early, which happens naturally when I get to bed early. Since I fall asleep within minutes of getting into bed, I have been getting a good amount of sleep and feeling good.
Last night I decided to test out what it would be like to stay up just a bit later. We had been invited out to an event which started at 8 p.m., very close to our place. We got there right on time and stayed until about 9:55, got home at 10:15, and then
it took me about 45 minutes to wind down enough to sleep.It was really interesting. I could feel how my body had produced adrenaline or cortisol or whatever it needed to keep me awake and interacting in the very loud place with all new-to-me people except for two. I could not sleep the way I normally do, and when I woke up this morning I felt HUNGOVER!The event itself was sort of hilariously socially stressful - our couple friends had mass text-invited us to go to a bowling alley with them and others. Turns out, we had been "accidentally" invited to a birthday party for a guy we did not know, and everyone else there was part of a group of friends our friends knew, but we did not know. Add to that that I don't drink beer or soda, won't eat pizza, fried crap or cake, and that I didn't bowl because I did not want to risk hurting my right shoulder, and there was not much for me to do.
I was bored, but I figured it was pretty rude to
look bored, so I'd try to strike up conversations with the people I had just met.
I am an extrovert, which means I have no problem talking to new people, but that does not mean I am immune to having my feelings hurt. In fact, since I LOOOVE to connect with people SOO MUCH, if they are not warmly welcoming of my friendly overtures, I can feel a little bad. And everyone there was pretty shy, alas. And a bit cliquish, although I guess that might happen naturally to a group of shy friends with no ill intentions on anyone's part.
I know, I know, introverts out there, it is hard on you, too when I am so pushy! I get it! Both my parents are extreme introverts, as is my husband, and they have all let me know IN ABUNDANCE how overwhelming I can be to them. (Early memory example- I was at my cousin's house at about the age of two, and she is my same age. I was chatting away nonsense at her non-stop, and then she up and punched me in the face! I was hurt, had a black eye, but my Mom said "You deserved it, you talk too much!" Obviously not very nice of her, but she has told me over and over how overwhelming I was to her, so I guess it was a vent for that.)
BUT I was there and I also wanted to have a good time. So I did my best to respect boundaries while maintaining a running conversation, which was kind of hilarious as everyone kept having to run to bowl once a slow conversation was getting started!
All in all, it was a lot of work! People warmed up decently enough but it never got past small talk which is also exhausting in a way. I am sure it would have been even less awkward if I participated in more of the things everyone was doing, like bowling, drinking and cake eating, but whatchya gonna do? Health comes first
Anyway, this concludes my experiment. I. Need. My. Sleep. No. Exceptions. Unless rare or emergency situations come up, this is a non-negotiable thing.
but cards were in the right price range and made both the sender and recipients happy -I hope!
