Feeling Grouchy? This May Help You To Find Out Why.

Jules Heartly | March 2024

On a recent morning, after a spring shower that later became steady rain, I walked purposely down the street.  There were still some small puddles and next to the sidewalks there were even some muddy spaces at times I had to skip or jump over.  The humid breeze prevailed, making me adjust my jacket to keep my body warm.  A closed umbrella on hand made it harder for me to wag the book bag I was carrying on my way to the library.  I stopped to adjust the uncomfortable load.  

“ What is wrong with you woman!”  A loud male voice came from behind. 

I looked at the guy in his early forties, approaching me with anger and tiredness all written with big letters on his face.  

“I am sorry. What?”  “ Are you talking to me?”

“Like there are other people around.  Yes!  To you! Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

I was so caught off guard, I didn’t even think of replying.  I let him go ahead of me as I wondered what the Heck was happening ?

I turned around to see if there were any witnesses to the weirdness of what just had taken place, but to my dismay, there was no one. 

I continued strolling.  There were some Daffodils showing off in people’s gardens.  They sun bathed my heart with their bright yellow flowers.  Ahead of me I saw a woman walking a small dog, and approaching her was a teenager with a mid-size dog.  

“Get the hell out of my way!  Your dog may attack mine!”  The woman said before even the dogs with happy wagging tails approached each other. 

“My dog is friendly,” The teenage boy said, forcing a smile. 

“Friendly or not, I want you both out of my way, “ the woman on the sweatpants barked. 

When I  got to them, she was already all fired up complaining.  She looked at me like wanting to run the situation by me so I would join her madness.  The hackneyed woman didn’t get my opinion, but it made me wonder. 

Two crazy people in one single short morning stride? What were the odds? 

As the teenager crossed the road away from her, he shouted.  “What? you didn’t get sex last night?”

And Yes, it has been known how the lack of sex could put some humans temporarily out of their good mood, but some clues told me these behaviors were beyond that.  

A half an hour later, I joined  a couple of friends for coffee and muffins. Our weekly meetup. And that is when the light bulb went off.  One of my friends had been up most of the night unable to rest well and we all knew it right away even before he told us the story.   He was quiet, crankier, and overall uneasy.

“I should’ve guessed!” I said out loud.  My friends not knowing what I was referring to had that quizzing eyes look. 

“The angry attitude displayed by a few people during this morning’s walk on my way here was probably a consequence of lack of sleep!”  I said in a Eureka moment. 

And it was all confirmed after my research when I got home.Sleep deprivation may cause all kinds of disorders and definitely affect your mental abilities and emotional state. You may feel more impatient or prone to mood swings, among many other side effects like impulsive behavior, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, immune system issues, paranoia and even suicidal thoughts. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.  Which, when you think about it, comes down to a lot!  To a scary number!  

And some people may be exposed to this deprivation due to other health related issues, but some others (and I had been among this last group) have chosen to go that way in lieu of “productivity” or the strong desire to “accomplish more” during a 24-hour period.   Besides the 10 hours work routine, there are so many other pending items we append to the endless to-do-list, or want-to-do things, which we get totally convinced we could do if we just stay up a few hours more. 

And on top of that, there is the Netflix binging and who knows what other distraction besides social media. All on the way to the much needed restful sleep.

And NO, I am not talking about the once in a while kind of thing.  I am referring to the daily staying up late and getting up very early. We pushed ourselves constantly, aimlessly to get where we think we are heading by doing so. 

Only to find out months or years later, that we are still doing so, and there are other things occupying the places of the ones we did accomplish (and could’ve waited) and in the meantime, we are now sleep deprived.  Moody, tired. And unable to sleep even if we now wanted to. 

Yes, it happened to me recently.  When the time came to fix up my sleep pattern and schedule… it got worse.  I couldn’t sleep.  Nor could I work on the items I wanted to.  I was too beat up by the lack of it.  I was on a catch-22.  

It took many strategies, many teas, many days of trying.. A few sleeping pills.  A few late long walks and extra supplements to finally one day be able to sleep again.  Like a normal person would do. 

I remembered the feeling of finally achieving that moment,  As the day waned, I lastly felt the world slipping into the hush of the night.   The sensation of falling asleep emerging like a gentle tide pulling me into its embrace.  With each breath,  my body succumbing to the call of slumber, easing into a state of peaceful surrender.

As the mind began  to quiet and thoughts drifted like leaves upon a tranquil stream, the body entered a phase of profound rest.  My muscles, weary from the day’s exertions, loosened their grip, releasing tension and embracing relaxation.  My bones, once burdened by the weight of the world, found solace in the stillness of the night, as if cradled by the hands of time itself.

Within the intricate web of veins and arteries, the rhythm of life slowed to a steady cadence, like the gentle pulse of the earth beneath one’s feet. The heart, a tireless sentinel, beat  with a steady assurance, carrying the promise of renewal with each throb.

As the night continued to unfold its velvety embrace, I surrendered to its gentle allure. In the tender arms of sleep, I found not only rest for my body but solace for my soul. 

The next morning, I woke up anew! My eyelids lifted like petals of a rose, unveiling a world refreshed.  A sense of calm permeating my whole self.  My heart light. My head clear. 

All things seemed doable, possible.  As if the night’s sweet respite had washed away any doubts and all fears. 

And I realized how mistaken I had been all that time.  If I just had allowed myself to prioritized my sleep over all the other things.. Perhaps most likely, I would have happily creatively checked out so many more items of my list, but more than anything, I would have been kinder to my loved ones, and specially to myself and to my body.  I would have prevented it from going through all the saga sleep deprivation put us amid.   

Today, I invite each one of you, my readers, to take a moment to evaluate your sleep pattern and decide to give each day PRIORITY to a RESTFUL night’s sleep.   You will be happier you did it and everybody around you will appreciate it too! 

I bet you have sleepless stories to share.  And even better tips on how you solve them for good.  Send me a note.  Write a comment.

Thank you for reading my blog.   My invitation to also  read my novel In the Shadows Of Gunshots available online on Barnes & Noble and on Amazon 

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