Sleep amnesia

photo by Greg Lincoln

by Greg Lincoln

There is a very brief moment in time that occurs between the moments when you come out of unconsciousness from sleep and full wakefulness. During this time between sleep and full consciousness your eyes are still closed and to those who may be observing, it looks like you are still in dreamland.

It has happened to us and I know that others have experienced this before.

How do we know? Here’s an example.

To make a long story short, we read an article where a person experienced and remembered waking up but weren’t yet fully awake and they were cognitive, they could think thoughts. And everything was great, all the bad and negative things were forgotten for that time being and they were enjoying the happiness.

Then they woke up and all the harsh realities of life came rushing back.

The article wasn’t about this at all, it was about something completely different, but this was thrown in as part of the story.

During these moments, everything that is unpleasant or sad or painful is forgotten. It is like those things do not exist in that brief moment, it is something like a happy zone, but natural.

It is almost like having amnesia, but you are still not full awake. This makes this time almost like a perfect world.

And it does not happen all the time because there are times when you are jolted out of deep sleep by things such as your alarm clock for instance.

Is it a built-in mechanism in the way our brains and minds work that give us respite from the world’s problems, our problems, including our grief? I would like to think so. During this time all grief is forgotten, even if it is just for a moment.

Is there a scientific term for this? Naam, maybe.

Maybe this is strange and how could we even talk about it. It seems so weird. But grief makes you do and think things that you normally would not do or think.

During times in the aftermath of a passing of loved one, there may be awkward moments when no one knows anything to say or to do or they have not heard yet.

One thing to do is to have an advocate stand in your stead, to fill that gap and be the bridge from you to the outside world. A trusted friend who can use the right words to let others know on your behalf. A pastor, a pastor’s wife, your supervisor, or your boss are some options.

If you think about it, you may already know who your advocates are, your friends closer than a brother, those who stick by you in the rough times as well as the smooth.

Each week we relive and rehash and ruminate and contemplate, struggling with our thoughts and keeping our composure. We continue to miss our beloved, we talk to her, we talk to the Lord in prayer, we plead and we cry neverendingly. What do we plead for? For a thread of hope which is only as strong as our trust.

Quyana to family for the gifts of Eskimo Food and for sharing. We appreciate your continued support and thank you for the prayers, hugs, and for thinking of us.