I wish I could predict. I would love to have a regular time but I have a hummingbird sleep pattern. I am plagued with restless legs and knee pain, so I never know if I will sleep once I go to bed. I take Requip but I still get breakthrough cramps. Last night, I went to bed at eight and slept till seven. Tonight I went to bed at ten, slept about an hour then woke up with knee pain. I had forgotten to take my tylenol before I went to bed. I hope to be back to sleep by two. It will be nice if I sleep till seven. Besides that, I make a couple of bathroom trips nightly.

My sleep patterns got really messed up when I took call as an acute dialysis nurse. It was not uncommon to get called out between midnight and two several nights a week. Quite often, after finishing a late treatment, I’d lock myself in my unit and sleep a couple of hours before I had to start the day shift. If I were lucky, I’d work part of the day shift before going home to get an afternoon nap.

I still crave sleep.

Cartoon from “All Nurses”