We’ve had an interesting change in the weather recently. With temperatures reaching in the low teens and clear skies, it’s been nice to see a lot of the snow piles starting to dwindle down and melt away. This means that warmer times are ahead and I may soon be able to start spending more time outdoors, including riding my bike and playing with the boys in our back yard. However, changes in weather bring about changes in one’s physiology, which isn’t always a good thing. People rarely consider this change in physiology since we’ve become accustomed to living in controlled environment where if it’s cold outside, we turn on the heat and if it’s hot, we turn on the air conditioning.
But outside weather involves a number of different things, including but not limited to air pressure and overall temperature, which can affect different people in different ways, regardless of what artificially controlled environments they may live in. For me, this includes an aching in the majority of my joints as well as the unfortunate inability to sleep properly. I’ve also noted a few micro-cracks in the foundation of my house, where light trickles of water have made their way in. makes me wonder what may be happening behind the walls that are insulated and dry-walled.
Changes in season and weather occur in the same way every year, yet we always act surprised and grateful when it arrives. For example, during the intense heat of summer, many will long for the cool temperatures and lighter skies that accompany winter. But once the freezing temperatures of winter, longer nights and not least of all, shovelling, make their appearance, most people can’t wait for the warmer seasons to come. It’s an endless cycle of always wanting what one doesn’t have, which is on par with humanity and how we tend to operate. For me, I prefer the in-between seasons; spring and autumn, where the temperatures still allow you to be outside and enjoy life without either freezing or dehydrating.
Being inside my home during this transition into a new season is a catch-22. Most of my daily activities take place in my basement, where I have my workout space, my shower and my home office. The problem is that once the sun is up, the temperature is warm enough that the main floor doesn’t require the heat to kick in. This means that all the cold from below ground level still seeps through the basement walls, making the basement colder than it would usually be. The result is hoodies and space heaters while my family is enjoying the temperate comfort of the upstairs. It’s kind of weird.
The main floor suffers the same kind of issue overnight, where it’s still cold enough for the furnace to kick in and belch out heat but warm enough that I feel like I’m hard-boiling my eggs while I’m trying to sleep. It’s unhappy balance but one I can happily live with, on my way to the oncoming spring. Honestly, I don’t know how much of my recent lack of sleep is a result of the recent changes in weather or something else. As you may be aware and as I’ve written about before, failure to get an adequate amount of sleep overnight can lead to a host of issues such as affecting blood sugars, blood pressure and cognitive abilities throughout the day.
I’ve tried a few different things, including dipping into some melatonin. I’ve only tried melatonin a couple of times, since I don’t relish the thought of sleeping so deeply or soundly that I may sleep through one of my children needing me during the night or light forbid, someone breaks into my home. But my last attempt with melatonin yielded no results, with my waking after only about four of five hours in the same fashion as though I hadn’t even taken it. My good ol’ friend, whiskey, hasn’t even helped. Somehow, I always wind up waking, unable to fall back asleep, after only four or five hours of sleep, if I get that much.
A lot of things can affect one’s ability to sleep, including things like stress or having something on one’s mind. Although I’d like to think I know myself well enough to recognize if this may be the case, I honestly don’t. One’s subconscious can fool one quite easily. I recognize that eventually, I may need to consult a health professional. this can be a slippery slope, especially if said professional decides to prescribe something to “help you sleep.” using prescribed sleep aids can lead to permanently needing those aids and preventing you from being able to sleep properly on your own. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m on enough prescriptions without throwing something to sleep in the mix. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 