In Utah I live in a very quiet suburb - up away from the regular noise of the city. In Istanbul, while I don't live in the center of the city, I live in a busy area, and in the path of the airport (notice the plane above flying over my apartment. So I'm always either getting used to sleeping through the noise of Istanbul or the quiet of home. It usually just takes me a day or two to adjust (thanks to doing this back and forth thing a lot of the last 6 years, between home, Rio, Delhi and now Istanbul.)
I used to rely on earplugs in the city, or when the weather is warm a fan or air conditioner, but now I can almost even sleep through the planes and call to prayer in Istanbul even when I'm sleeping with the window open. I can't decide whether it is proof our bodies can and do adapt to the lives we choose to live or if I'm just lucky. Note: when I say I can sleep through things, that only happens after I fall asleep, insomnia and I hang out a little too often for my liking.
What about you - do you find it hard to adjust to a different sleeping environment? What strategies do you use to make the adjustment easier?
Do you have favorite music you listen to when you are trying to sleep? My favorite is the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice (the Keira Knightly version.) Including this amazing piece by Jean-Yves Thibaudet: Dawn. Pin It
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14 comments:
Give me a fan and I'm good to go! I hit the pillow and fall asleep in under a minute. It still amazes my husband.
Enjoy your time home!
Yay!! when do you want to go? Friday or Saturday?
Some of the best sleeps I get happen when thunder explodes and rain falls rhythmically outside my window.
I'm trying to get used to sleeping through noise at the moment too. I have a feeling those youth hostels I'll be staying in won't be super quite?! Hahahahah.
I listen to the radio when I go to bed. The classic rock station. No relaxing tunes for me. LOL.
Great catch of that plane. I wouldn't want to live that close to an air path.
I remember being 20 and falling asleep in a nightclub once while I was waiting for my friends to finish dancing and romancing-no I didn't drink too much but the bouncer that came along said "you can't sleep here". Oh.
Glad to hear you're back in Utah for a bit. Hope you have some fun downtime.
If I am really tired, I can sleep anywhere, but nothing feels as good as sleeping at home. Glad you're back in the right time zone. Hope you will have some time to just "be."
Not to hard to sleep through just about anything except my husbands snoring some days it drives me crazy though it is usually when he stops snoring that I can't sleep because I think something is wrong. Big away from him or alone in the house I set the timer on the tv or radio so I have sound till I am fast sleep. Insommonia is my companion the last couple if years as well. If only I could get up and do something productive. But noooo I just keep trying to fall asleep.
just found your blog and only want to let you know for now that I loved Istanbul,
went two weeks ago for a very first visit
greetings from brussels
ani
i definitely have trouble adjusting to new sleeping environments. i need more than just a few days to for my body to adjust.
I'm totally guilty of falling asleep to the sound of the TV in my bedroom. When Gabe's home, I leave the TV off, but when I'm alone it feels eerily dark and quiet. Yeah, I'm a scaredy cat :)
Love that photo you caught, and happy to hear you've adjusted to the time change!
Oh and Hunger Games...enjoy. I loved it. Obviously the books are amazing and tough to beat, but it was a good few hours in the theatre! :)
Hi Jamie,
I have to have white noise, usually a fan will do.
If it is not enough, I'll put ear plugs in as well.
I do struggle with getting to sleep sometimes,
If I read a boring 'something' it usually helps.
Glad you're back in the States safe and sound.
glad you are back home safe & sound. It does take me a bit to get readjusted once I've been away but not too long. It just has to be totally quiet and cold - I like the snuggle up in the covers. :)
I'm always amazed by how we can adapt to a new normal! So glad you're home and getting settled!
I don't often have to make the kind of adjustments you make, but when we fly across country to see my daughter (a three time zone change), it takes me a day or two to get my equilibrium. I find it's easier going west than coming back east.
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