Give Us This Day Our Daily Thread December 1st through December 31st 2025

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm giving the like to be awake part of me a treat tonight.

It's now 1.30 am ish so the treat part for me is staying awake, watching some Youtube videos, scrolling for interesting news items and being here on Websleuths.

Maybe read some of my Guardian music newsletters I'm behind on.

Right now I feel awake and not at all sleepy.

Anyway I've taken the day off from my group meeting tomorrow.
There are less of us the last couple of weeks.

This is the beginning of a week by myself

I haven't had a week like this in around eight years

 

[nhmemorymaker]

A short little video about the end of postal letter delivery in Denmark after 400 years of service.
I can see that happening in my country too before too long.


Final deliveries: Denmark ending postal service after 400 years

2 minute 30 second video

Well.... I find this rather sad....
A couple friends and I have started sending hand written notes and letters.
But we do complain that it really does strain the hands!!
How DID all those Victorian letter writers do it?

 

[Gators North]

One of the many great things about retirement is not having to wake to an alarm clock.

Unless you have a bunch of cats! Thankfully, they pretty much sleep through the night, but when dawn comes, they’re walking all over me looking for breakfast.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I'm a night owl, plus I have insomnia.

I don't like to miss out on learning something new, so if I could be awake 24 hours a day and could function ok I would be happy to live like that.

I sometimes (quite often) manage to fall asleep around 5am and sleep til 10am.
That would be an ok sleep for me.

But often I only get maybe three or four hours which leaves me staggering around like a zombie all day.

One thing I never do that I used to do is lie awake struggling to sleep.
I get up and do what I feel like, have a cup of tea, read, get on WS, whatever.

So the not being able to sleep doesn't frustrate me anymore

I just cannot imagine having insomnia... it just sounds so debilitating .... but you seem to manage it beautifully! But I also cannot imagine getting by on so few hours of sleep. wow

 

[Dotta]

I'm giving the like to be awake part of me a treat tonight.

It's now 1.30 am ish so the treat part for me is staying awake, watching some Youtube videos, scrolling for interesting news items and being here on Websleuths.

Maybe read some of my Guardian music newsletters I'm behind on.

Right now I feel awake and not at all sleepy.

Anyway I've taken the day off from my group meeting tomorrow.
There are less of us the last couple of weeks.

This is the beginning of a week by myself

I haven't had a week like this in around eight years

The "blue light" of technological devices steals your sleep.
(It inhibits the secretion of melatonin which makes it difficult to fall asleep).
Also,
emotions generated by crime cases read at night do the same.

JMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Not surprising...
You live in Australia

Yes but when I say I avoid the sun I mean I really avoid it.

The most I do is walk across the road to the club.

I was walking a fair bit but even with covering up I got heatstroke even when it wasn't a heatwave so for now
I'm just doing my exercises indoors.

I do use my stepper bike and do aerobics.

If I'm ever outside I am completely covered up with long sleeved clothes and a hat.
When I cut the grass I try to do it in the hour before the sun goes down.

The sun does not like me.

I got sunstroke once from standing outside hanging out clothes for 10 minutes.
I can't go outside without being totally covered up from head to toe.

I nearly fell through the floor when the doctor said my vitamin D levels were excellent

 

[Gators North]

I also avoid the sun, although the warmth feels so good. The sun doesn’t like me either. I’m very fair-skinned and I burn in about 15 minutes. I’ve never had a decent tan in my entire life. It’s always been burn and peel.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

You know what.
Once upon a time I didn't think this way, but I have come to love my insomnia

It feels nice to be awake when others are sleeping.
It's like being a bit of a rebel.

It's like it's the one time I feel truly free and can be myself.

 

[Dotta]

You know what.
Once upon a time I didn't think this way, but I have come to love my insomnia

It feels nice to be awake when others are sleeping.
It's like being a bit of a rebel.

It's like it's the one time I feel truly free and can be myself.

Your mind feels that way.
But does your body feel the same?
That is the

OK
I'm jumping out of my "teacher's mode"
hahahaha
I have holidays!!!

Happy Christmas to all of you!

I'm throwing myself into preparations

 

[TootsieFootsie]

But we do complain that it really does strain the hands!!

It's like something that used to be easy, manually writing, has now become less natural and it does strain your hand.

I think it's just that we're no longer using those muscles in our hands that hold the pen.
Like we're losing that skill.

I remember noticing it when I had to fill out a form that was pages long and it became frustrating.
I wished I could just do it online because my hand was feeling like it wanted to stop.

 

[Skigh]

You know what.
Once upon a time I didn't think this way, but I have come to love my insomnia

It feels nice to be awake when others are sleeping.
It's like being a bit of a rebel.

It's like it's the one time I feel truly free and can be myself.

Be yourself and ignore anyone trying to preach at you !

 

[Mo Thuairim]

You know what.
Once upon a time I didn't think this way, but I have come to love my insomnia

It feels nice to be awake when others are sleeping.
It's like being a bit of a rebel.

It's like it's the one time I feel truly free and can be myself.

I struggled with insomnia for years. It became really stressful because I was always exhausted for work in the morning after lying awake half the night worrying about not being asleep yet. I found a few 'fixes' that have worked for me -- but as soon as I no longer have to get up for work early in the morning, I'm going to embrace my true night owl nature again! There is something very liberating about being awake when everyone else is asleep. If you don't have an early start, why not? Everyone's circadian rhythm is different.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes I did use to hate struggling to sleep, and kept looking at the time, watching the hours go by and you're still awake,

I can actually sleep ok if I'm not expected to be somewhere.

 

[Dotta]

There is something very liberating about being awake when everyone else is asleep. If you don't have an early start, why not? Everyone's circadian rhythm is different.

Unfortunately,
this kind of lifestyle brings health risks:
"night owls" are more prone to depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
compared to "larks" (morning types)
Poor sleep quality,
common in "night owls" strongly correlates with depressive symptoms.

Cutting oneself off sunlight and people is never healthy IMO.

JMO

Other risks in the link:

Night owls may be more prone to heart disease and diabetes, study finds

Research shows early birds more sensitive to insulin levels and burn more fat at rest and during exercise

www.theguardian.com

Quote from above

"What You Can Do (Mitigation)

Adjust Gradually:
Slowly shift bedtime and wake-up times earlier.

Light Exposure:
Maximize bright light exposure in the morning and minimize it at night.

Consistent Routine:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule even on weekends.

Healthy Habits:
Focus on a balanced diet, regular exercise, and good sleep hygiene (avoiding screens before bed)."

Oh, by the way,
It has nothing to do with "preaching"
(which I found hilarious )
but taking health into consideration.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Unfortunately,
this kind of lifestyle brings health risks:
"night owls" are more prone to depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
compared to "larks" (morning types)
Poor sleep quality,
common in "night owls" strongly correlates with depressive symptoms.

Cutting oneself off sunlight and people is never healthy IMO.

JMO

Other risks in the link:

Night owls may be more prone to heart disease and diabetes, study finds

Research shows early birds more sensitive to insulin levels and burn more fat at rest and during exercise

www.theguardian.com

Quote from above

"What You Can Do (Mitigation)

Adjust Gradually:
Slowly shift bedtime and wake-up times earlier.

Light Exposure:
Maximize bright light exposure in the morning and minimize it at night.

Consistent Routine:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule even on weekends.

Healthy Habits:
Focus on a balanced diet, regular exercise, and good sleep hygiene (avoiding screens before bed)."

Oh, by the way,
It has nothing to do with "preaching"
(which I found hilarious )
but taking health into consideration.

I find though that going against your natural tendencies (if you're a bit of a night owl) can cause a lot more stress and anxiety. When I used to work a late morning to evening shift, it was perfect for me. 9-5 is brutal for some people! It goes the other way too for early birds who have to work late shifts. I'm used to early starts and an earlier bedtime now and it's fine -- I can usually get a solid eight hours these days -- but I do sometimes miss my late nights! My partner works night shifts often so I guess he's doomed lol. We don't always have a choice.