Night Shift

Hi @eth

@You're awake 😏

Yep @Faith-and-Hope you too!

Awake again at 3 a.m. Not even a little bit sleepy Slept 4 hours. How about you?

I am @Former-Member How are you travelling tonight?

My daughter just woke me up - by text ! - because she had a stomach cramp that she could have just dealt with without disturbing me, unless it got much worse. It's probably just a passing wind cramp or something. Told her off - by text back again - even though she's just down the hall, and she came back again several times, just wanting to chat for company, I think.

She's turning 18 soon, so it was inconsiderate and inappropriate, and I'm cross with her. I didn't sleep well last night, and I often have disturbed sleep because my husband doesn't sleep well. While he is now away for three weeks, I was hoping to get some decent sleep. Grrrr !!

Here's the thing -

We are all under pressure from his MI behaviour, so for that reason my heart melts towards my daughter, I now that I am awake anyway, I have the compassion for her to stay up and chat with her, or even get her to come and snooze with me here for the rest of the night. The trouble is, she has to commit to respecting normal social boundaries and not lean on hubby's MI as an excuse to not grow up. The illness has been here, and growing, for the last 4 - 5 years, so as the youngest, and at her age, it has affected her most. I think it has delayed her emotionally. It has certainly exaggerated and exacerbated health issues she has suffered across that time. I have to think of her future welfare and be firm about boundaries with her, but it's hard because I feel for her.

I logged in a bit on Night Shift last night, just for company, but didn't feel up to chatting.

Thanks for your listening ear tonight.

I saw the psychologist yesterday. I am not struggling with anxiety, but he repeated that my husband is headed for a health break-down, so I do have cause for worry. I am choosing to keep my mind off it, because there is nothing I can do to try to prevent it than I have already done, and I don't want to let an anxiety disorder get a grip on me.

There are so many possible "what if's" that could overwhelm me if I start down that road.

It's so complicated.

Feel for you @Faith-and-Hope. Maybe a warm milk would help you both back to sleep. And while you're having it you could tell your daughter about respecting your needs and not to text you in the middle of the night. One of the things they say with 'sleep hygeine' is not to have electronics including phones in your bedroom at night. Then it wouldn't wake you up. Do you have to get up early in the morning or can you have a lie in?

Glad to hear you are getting some support for yourself and with what hubby is going through.

I keep my phone and iPad in the room with me, but tucked away in a drawer, so I can hear a text if I need to. It should only be used for good reason, but I can also set an alarm on my phone if I have been awake during the night and then might sleep past morning commitments.

Because we have 20-somethings, they will text if they are not coming home for some reason, and someone else can let the dog out and set the house alarm. My youngest daughter has also dislocated both knees before, and used the phone to text us for help. She also has been suffering massive menstrual cramps, and bad headaches, and IBS cramps. We have a big house, so the technology comes in handy, but this time she was abusing it. A lot of her issues are stress related, but she needs to step up with the stress management skills she has been taught, and practice some young-adult self discipline. Otherwise I believe she can get a bit stuck at a younger age maturity level.

Now I'm hungry too ! I'm gonna make a cup of tea. I'll be back 😏

I'm going to try and get some more sleep @Faith-and-Hope @Former-Member Catch up with you another time. Hope you get more sleep too.

I can have a lie-in if this daughter doesn't go to school today, but she has missed so much school that I have to try to get her there if possible. She would prefer to stay home and avoid having to face all the catch-up work. Again. It's her last year tho, so we just have to keep persevering thru it ... got to get her graduated high school, especially as we don't know what is going to happen to hubby, or when, or what picking up the pieces is going to involve.

I am praying he lands gently, with no real long-term damage 🙁