The 5:22 am brainwave

Well they say that when the portion of the brain devoted to hearing is no longer in use, the dispensable brain cells reallocate their attention. I can confidently say that my brain, in the last couple of days, has devoted these neglected cells to finding a comfortable sleep solution. And at 5:22 am, it did me proud.

It started when I realised Jase was also awake, just prior to this. Thank goodness because, feeling a bit frustrated at another sleepless night, I wanted a sympathy hug! But I hesitated, trying to work out whether the pain of leaning my head on his side would be worth it. I decided to give it a go … my cheek touched his side and his arm came around and supported the back of my head. My ear lay in between, in the abyss. Result? No pain.

Hmm … well that was just fantastic, but the poor guy wasn’t going to go for that night after night! So my brain started working overtime (technically the graveyard shift) at finding a solution that would give my ear the same little niche … without producing a polar opposite (ie sleep-deprived husband).

Meet: Squidgy™ Travel Pillow. Sometimes known as a Travel Buddy. Will now forever be known as my CI Buddy.

Yes, at 5:22 am in a new inspired moment of madness, I stumbled down the hallway to the storage cupboard and pulled out the pillow that served me well on a 15-hour direct flight to LA a couple of years ago. This time, it wasn’t going to go around my neck though. This time, I was going to lay it flat on my pillow and put my ear (either ear!) into the crevice.

Ahh bliss.

For me, it works. Simple as that. Being able to sleep on my side again is wonderful. Both sides of the head are firmly supported and the ear sits inside, not pressing against anything. I guess it might depend on the shape of one’s head or the length of one’s stitches, but these pillows do come in different sizes – so, if you’re shopping around, there’s hope!

Pretty sure they’re widely available around the globe (try the luggage stores), but mine comes from here:

http://www.annabeltrends.com.au/squidgy™_travel_pillow

I’m only up because I’m keeping to regular breakfast times, for insulin purposes. But now that I’m done? It’s back to bed for me.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.