And who my friend with chronic pain isn't? It's been 12 years since I last slept in a bed, but instead just a chair and a throw is all I call bed these days, but just a couple weeks ago I switched the way I slept - and who knows maybe it might help you.
For over 4 years I would kick back in my recliner in the living room and the TV so whenever I'd wake up, I could take more medications and eventaully go back to sleep. Then a couple weeks ago it dawned on me that we had a guest room that was sitting empty. Well now I've got a recliner moved in there complete with TV, Ethernet and a small fridge. While I can't say I got to bed anymore, I can say I go to bedroom and that's almost as good.
People like us get use to sleeping in 1 - 3 hour batches, and that's all we'll ever probably ever get again, but except for every 6 or 7 days when we're just dog tired, we get use to sleeping in short nap style instead. Look how much luckier we are than most when we're awake at 2 in the morning. Thanks to a digital TV recorder we watch something we recorded earlier, while we get our medication and something cold to drink out of the icebox. For the vast majority who live on this planet earth, they're not near as lucky, so I try to never forget it. Just the fact that we can share ideas with each other with a little computer upon our laps is an idea that's as science fiction to many on this earth as Star Trek is to us. You know, we're darn lucky. So when I'm bouncing off the walls alone in the middle of the night, I remind myself I've got a loving wife asleep in a room next door, while I'm still comfy in my room even though pain has once again invaded my little world. While I know how bad it can get, trust me, for those who don't enjoy our typcal stadard of living, worse really can get a whole lot worse. It's only a zip code that defines the difference, and for some odd reason I got lucky this time - and probably so did you. Take care, and enjoy the night skies with me. Bob.