My mind sometimes likes to devise legal problems for me to tussle with in my sleep. The problems never have anything to do with what is currently going on in the law mines, but I am convinced that it is vitally important that I solve the problem immediately. I usually sleep quite soundly, but nights when I am still on the clock are memorable.
When Your Mind Will Not Let You Sleep
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
https://youtu.be/OWQWAwsDd4A?si=r41geGk9cLzoFKgu
I learned in college to feed a difficult math or engineering problem into my subconscious before going to sleep, and most often I’d wake up having solved it overnight. (And thought that was so cool… I made a habit of it. )
Think the trick to falling asleep with a problem on your mind, is to expect that sleep will solve the problem, that will solve both problems.
Since I began exercising regularly at the end of 2022, insomnia has been a rare occurrence. But when it does occur, David WS’s tactic of cogitating on some arcane problem at Neutrons ‘R Us often helps sleep to come. And of course, reading my Bible or praying my Rosary at 2 am is a wonderful soporific.
BTW, I pray the Rosary counterclockwise, apparently. I never thought about what direction I cycle through the Rosary beads.
Counterclockwise.
Rosary in my right hand, bead between my thumb and forefinger.
I guess it would be clockwise if my hand is facing palm-down. But it usually faces palm-in (hand vertical).
Now, I can sleep.
Counterclockwise. But, then, I am just a rough convert from the theological outback.
just to be clear… if your holding the rosary in your right hand, and your hand is going counterclockwise, with the rosary going clockwise..
you’re saying the rosary clockwise(?)
I wish what keeps me up at night was wondering what direction to pray the Rosary…which reminds me that I should have gone to Confession today. I will try to do so this evening.
Yes, the solution to the problem is, go and flush the toilet & observe which way the water disappears – maybe, send the problem with the water 🙂
I always have a fan on to provide white noise. My Bride envies my ability to fall asleep, usually, in minutes. She always recalls her dreams and I rarely can recall mine.
@ Don Beckett 🫡
😂
I put problems into God’s hands. I am so relieved that I want to get up and work.
[…] Analysis, Punditry, News, and Anecdotes:When Your Mind Will Not Let You Sleep – Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The American Catholic Why It’s Urgent that the US Secures […]
What?!?
The instruction booklet said counter clockwise! 😐 unless someone flipped the image
Maybe you’re supposed to pray the rosary clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere… or is it the other way around? 🙂
The most wonderful thing about the rosary is that there is always more.
assembly of the mighty and they have not placed You in their sight (Ps 85:14).
I am numbered among those who go down into the pit;
I have become as a man without help, free among the dead (Ps 87:5–6a).
You are my most holy Father
my King and my God (cf. Ps 43:5a).
Come to my help
Lord, God of my salvation (Ps 37:23).
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Lord, come to my help in the night.
I was trying to post the Psalm of St Francis but I’m struggling to paste it here
It’s a beautiful meditation on the Lords Passion using David’s Psalms.
Maybe another time, I Hope.
O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried in the day and night before Thee.
Ps. 87: 3. Let my prayer come in before Thee; incline Thy ear to my petition.
Ps. 68: 19. Attend to my soul and deliver it: save me because of my enemies.
Ps. 21: 10 For Thou art He that hast drawn me out of the womb; my hope from the breasts of my mother;
Ps. 21: 11. I was cast upon Thee from the womb. From my mother’s womb Thou art my God;
Ps. 21: 12 Depart not from me.
Ps. 68: 20. Thou knowest my reproach and my confusion and my shame.
Ps. 68: 21. In Thy sight are all they that afflict me: my heart hath expected reproach and misery.
And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none, and for one that would comfort me and I found none.
Ps. 85: 14. O God, the wicked are risen up against me and the assembly of the mighty have sought my soul; and they have not set Thee before their eyes.
Ps. 87: 5. I am counted among them that go down to the pit; I am become as a man without help,
Ps. 87: 6. free among the dead.
Thou art my Father, most holy, my king and my God.
Ps. 37: 23. Attend unto my help, O Lord God of my salvation
There. 🙂
This was part of my 2 to 3am holy hour this morning from St Michael’s Lent via Exodus 90 team.
I will send a link.
My hope is that it will help others who have a difficult time getting rest at the middle of the night
Peace.
https://www.liturgies.net/saints/francis/passion.htm