When You Fall Asleep at Different Speeds
This is a story for someone whose day hasn’t ended, even after the lights are off and they’re in bed.
Scenes
- I’m the only one still in the day — Even after the lights are off and we’re in bed, my thoughts keep going. The person beside me has fallen asleep, and I even quiet the sound of my tossing and turning.
- I even feel sorry that I can’t sleep — I can’t talk to the person beside me because they need to sleep. But the quieter I stay, the more awake my body feels.
- Behind the words, “Are you still awake?” — One person asks softly, and the other says they’re fine. After that, the movement beneath the blanket grows even quieter.
- Falling asleep at different speeds doesn’t mean you care differently — Someone who closes out the day through their body and someone who needs to sort through their thoughts before resting will fall asleep in different ways. Being rushed only wakes more thoughts.
- Talk about your pace before turning out the light — Try saying just one thing: “I have a hard time falling asleep right away.” Rather than keeping the conversation going, notice that you simply take different amounts of time to fall asleep.
- If you keep getting stuck in the same place before sleep — Some nights can’t be brought into sync with just one conversation. You can start by looking again at who spoke first and when your two paces began to fall out of step.
Stories by Cheongun
- Cheongun
- When I step out after washing and stand before the mirror, the comparisons in my family come back to me.
- After the meeting, the plans and the spur-of-the-moment ideas clash again.
- When we get home from work, the first thing we talk about at the door is caring for our parents.
- As we left the exam room, Mom asked first.
- We put off the decision again while doing the dishes
- I set aside money for my younger sibling from my first paycheck
- It’s hard to tell my parents I’m getting counseling.
- I gave them flowers, but they didn’t say thank you