Picking My Poison

So yeah, the noises are keeping me awake at night.  I'm not talking about the voices inside my head, though they do take a turn now and again.  I would be referring to all of the sounds this old house makes.  The radiators make a popping noise as they heat up and cool down.  Sometimes it's sporadic and sometimes it's an incessant tapping noise.  The windows rattle in the wind.  And when it's a particularly strong gust, even the blinds will lightly smack the frame.  Foxes trip the motion activated lights in the backyard and they shine quite brightly on the wall outside our bedroom window.  And the yipping sounds those red-haired devils make - good grief.      

All of these things conspire to keep me awake at night when J isn't home.  I've tried sleeping with my fingers in my ears, but it's hard to doze off when you're in such an uncomfortable position.  Putting a pillow over my head doesn't help, either.  I keep telling myself that we're perfectly safe. It's not as if we live in an unsavory part of town, with an active criminal element.  My rational mind tells me there is no reason to be afraid, but every little bump or light in the night rattles me.

With J in Texas all week, I decided to be proactive and get some OTC sleeping pills at the local Boots, the UK version of Walgreens.  I perused the aisles, but couldn't find it amongst the vitamins and aspirin.  I tromp over to ask the folks behind the pharmacy counter where it is located and I am surprised to find it back there.  Seriously?  I wonder how many folks have successfully overdosed on a measly 8 OTC sleeping pills?  But wait, it gets better.  I asked for the smallest boxes of the two different brands of OTC sleeping pills so I could see which one works best for me.  I was quickly told no, that I could only purchase one.  

So let me get this straight?  I can buy all of the beer, wine AND hard liquor at the grocery store that I can load into my shopping cart.  I can purchase a variety of glues and paints right there on the shelves of the local DIY store.  It's also possible to get all sorts of toxic cleaning agents at both of these places.  I can use any of these methods to knock myself out for the night, killing all sorts of brain cells in the process, but I can't buy something which will let me safely get to sleep at night with no ill side-effects?

Sounds like I need to rethink the method of relaxation I'm using in order to get a full night's rest, huh?