The Nap

This post is not the post it was supposed to be. When I sat down to write, my intentions were to tackle the causal factors that occur in the genesis of acute inflammation in encephalomyelitis disseminata… Oh, who am I kidding?! It was actually going to be about the challenges faced when changing bed sheets… But, as it happens, that exciting topic has been put on hold due to the occurrence of a somewhat unforeseen afternoon nap.

Many people in my position, i.e. living with a chronic condition that causes chronic pain, chronic fatigue and general chronic chronicity, love to extol the virtues of having a nap in the afternoon. For some people, taking a nap is the only way that they can make it through the day. Indeed, naps are known for holding several health benefits from lowering blood pressure to improving memory. However, I seem to fall into the wrong camp whereby a nap will induce severe grogginess, turning me into an incomprehensible mess. I think the scientific term is ‘sleep inertia.’ Yeah, that sounds about right – overwhelming lethargy takes over at the slightest sign of rest. I never even feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep let alone a quick daytime nap – mind you, that’s not terribly surprising given the un-refreshable nature of MS fatigue.

So, why did this happen? How did I find myself snuggled up in bed instead of productively typing away? One word – Exhaustion. And, I don’t use the word lightly. I’m always exhausted to a certain extent, how can I not be with all these kids to look after and a job to go to and a stupid boring illness that leaves me in a torturous and unending cycle of tiredness? It so happens that on this particular occasion I can, without question, blame my job. After a horribly hectic shift at work on Friday I have found myself in an unrecoverable state of Exhaustion this weekend. My head aches, my eyes ache, my mood aches. Everything aches and I’m a wreck. So, when I sat down on my bed yesterday to write about the process of changing a duvet cover I couldn’t resist the lure of my snuggly, wuggly bed and before I knew it I was in a deep sleep in the middle of the day. Twenty-four hours later, I’m again sitting on my bed with my laptop in front of me and using every ounce of willpower that I possess. To resist. The urge. To sleep.

Coming Soon: Duvet Day