ASSUME THE POSITION

Credit: TBWA, Paris

How many times have you slept through an entire night and never changed sleeping positions? This is a problem after back surgery and is why I am having such a hard time maintaining a deep sleep. You see, when you have active dreams you actually do physically react by, well, moving in your bed. Simple. Right? I'm no scientist but I can attest to the fact that my brain is constantly 'on' when I am sleeping....in a subconscious sort of way. It will not let me move in reaction to any dream/stimulus or in an effort to get my body into a more comfortable position. I usually fall asleep on my back. That's been my normal position all my life. More often than not I wake up on my right side, hugging a pillow. I get there without knowing when, how or why. It just happens. However, now as I 'sleep' I am fighting myself to not react normally in my 'sleep'. This constant fighting is what is keeping my real sleep to a minimum...and it's damn frustrating! You might be saying, "Why don't you just turn over on your side?" Folks, you can't just do that...the low back is not sturdy enough yet to support that type of involuntary turning without a great deal of pain (I've tried). Next time you toss around in your bed try to make a mental note of how many limbs and muscles you are using to make the moves. The low back muscles are highly involved...mine are too darn sore and weak yet to be of any help. Sounds like a minor whine to you...but I had to post so that other back surgery patients know this is normal. This non-movement during sleep also happened after last years fusion. I have re-read my daily notes from that time and did not notate when I was able to finally sleep on my side...but it did eventually happen. I was sleeping/turning/moving/running away from monsters right up until this years surgery November 17th. Sweet dreams.