A Caffeinated Clock

When I was growing up, I always had a hard time falling asleep. I would lie there and my brain would just spin out with thoughts, and it would never calm down.

It happened so often that I would make fun words out of the digital numbers on my clock. Or I would have favorite times because of the number sequence. Here are a few examples and my reasons.

Now that I’m older and know myself better, I realize it was probably because I drank soda every night, or as they call it in the Midwest, “pop.” (I grew up in Cleveland. When I moved to SF I had to kick the “pop” habit, which was easy because I wasn’t drinking soda much anymore anyway. They’ll make fun of you here for saying “pop.”)

Caffeine just really screws me up. If I have any amount of caffeine after noon, I will not fall asleep that night. I’ll lie there with my eyes closed and will get to the edge of rest and sleep, but I don’t think I ever really go into a deep sleep on nights like that.

I do drink one cup of coffee every morning, a latte, thanks to my handy latte maker (thank you, Dani!). But I absolutely cannot have more than that.

If I had known this as a kiddo, I would have skipped the Coke!

Did you ever have a hard time falling asleep? Do you have any clock-words to share with me?

San Francisco at Night
Watercolor, 12×16 inches

Original and prints available, message if interested!