Guest Blogger: Insomnia poem by Sandra Kanowitz

INSOMNIA Restless and thrashing All over our bed, Compelled to move, To turn, to rock, To wiggle and jiggle My arms and legs....

INSOMNIA

Restless and thrashing
All over our bed,
Compelled to move,
To turn, to rock,
To wiggle and jiggle
My arms and legs.
I stretch and flex,
Then roll and romp,
A horizontal fast dance,
Through half the night.

The other half sleeps.

I’m snoring and slurping,
Wheezing and waltzing,
Through dreams and spells
Of abated breathing, then
Gasping to regain air.

Then the pain starts,
The aching and burning,
Then  incessant fidgeting,
Legs creeping and crawling,
Sweating, then shivering,
Flinging off the hot cover,
Frantically pulling it back over.

Now hunger hits,
My thirst mounts,
In a swift escape,
I’m up and roaming,
Snarfing down snacks,
Quenching my thirst,
Popping more pills,
Massaging myself.
Rhythmically rocking.

Desperation deepens
To end the energy of
 Perpetual motion.

My best work I do
Between midnight and two,
Until the pills take hold
And I finally fold.

It’s a nightly ritual,
Sometimes even spiritual,
Once I clear my head
And go back to bed,
Like a quiet little mouse,
Not to bother my spouse
In his solitairy slumber.

Ah, I fondly remember
When we slept together
In peaceful surrender.

A note about our blogger: I am from Littleton (Denver area) Colorado, and have had WED for about 30 years, that I can recall, but remember having severe "growing pains" in my legs as a child. I take a "cocktail" of Sinemet (Rx), 400 mg Magnesium, 2000 iu Vit D, 600 mg Calcium at bedtime with Sleepytime Tea. Sometimes I take methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant) and Naproxen (anti-inflammatory), plus I am on Cymbalta and Wellbutrin (both dopamine enhancers) in AM, which I believe helps as well. In spite of all those remedies, I still suffer with it in varying degrees nightly. I can't seem to figure out whether exercise helps or worsens it. Alcohol definitely worsens it to the point I have become a tea totaler, decaffeinated only after dinner.

The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation is the leading organization for science-based education and patient services for people suffering from restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is also the only organization with a dedicated research grant program to advance promising research leading to new treatments and a cure. Our goals are simple: increase awareness of RLS, improve treatments, and, through research, find a cure.

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