Ear Worms and the 80% Theory…..

Some nights seem much longer than others. You know the ones….when you can't seem to shut down and fall asleep. Last night was one of those for me.

10:30 pm….I stop reading, turn out the light, turn on my side and snuggle into my pillow.

10:45 pm….I start to hear Darius Rucker's gravelly voice singing "Rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel, ohhhhhhhhh, mama rock me." I like that song.

11:15 pm….I used to like that song….but that short chorus seems to be on re-wind. I have an ear worm rattling around in my brain. I turn over, get re-settled.

12:30 am….I must have dozed for awhile, but now I'm singing along in my head again. Why did I like that song?

Listening to NPR recently I heard half of a story about sleep studies.  The woman in charge of the research said that adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But if you can't sleep, resting with your eyes closed gives about 80% of the benefits of a full night's real sleep. So….I will relax with my eyes closed….deep breathing…..quiet my mind.

1:45 am….I am going to stop looking at the clock and I swear I am going to stop singing that damn song.

2:30 am….80% must be better than nothing.

3:10 am….who invented the term "ear worm" and why can't I get this one out of my ear? Why that particular chorus?

6:30 am….I wake up. So I did get a few hours of regular sleep, and a few hours of resting at hopefully 80%.

Not sure how confident I am about that theory.

Yawn.