GO mbeannaí Dia daoibh a chairde, and I hope you all have had a good night's sleep. Tá mé i mo chodladh means I am asleep in that strange "I am in my thingedness" that Irish does. Tá mé i mo shuí - I am sitting or tá mé i mo chonaí - I am living, etc. There has long been the idea that everyone should have eight hours' shut-eye every night. Chance would be a fine thing! There is so much that keeps the Bluffer awake at night and it's not just the future of an tuiseal ginideach - the genitive case.
A long time ago, it was páistí - children who kept the Bluffer from his beauty sleep and I can hear the nods of agreement as many of you will remember the ear-piercing caoineadh crying at anti-social hours. Luckily for them, under-1s can get ASBOs! Apparently, problem sleep is a modern-age plague, During particularly stressful phases, like scrúdaithe - exams or after trauma or grief, as well as factors like physical illness and pain, it's normal for sleep to suffer, and insomnia can become a chronic problem for some. If we could master a good sleep routine, we'd be níos folláine - healthier, níos sona - happier, níos suaimhní - calmer, níos géarchúisí - sharper and
generally-all-round-better versions of our usual groggy, yawning, puffy-eyed selves. And that is without taking piollairi suain - sleeping pills! The average punter lies on his/her tocht mattress for 3,000 hours a year if he/she gets eight hours sleep so get a good one and a proper piliúr pillow although most of us at some stage or another lie in bed worrying about the day's events or things that might happen in the future. That insecurity is made worse sa dorchadas - in the dark, but there's a reason we switch lights off at bedtime. Sleeping in darkness is crucial for the body's production of the hormone melatonin, which plays an important part in the sleep-wake cycle.
Plus, too much light can make it hard for the brain to wind down, and can prevent us from achieving good quality sleep, and wake us up too early.
Just remember, the bogey man isn't going to come for you and the púca isn't underneath your bed. I think. Another new-fangled obstacle to a good night's sleep is gadgets. The ríomhaire glúine - laptop and gutháin chliste smartphone sit by the Bluffer's bedside just in case the United Nations need to contact him for an secret but urgent mission. That's why the Bluffer watches what he eats and drinks roimh an mheán
oíche - before midnight. No pastie suppers that would make the Bluffer's body doesn't work overtime to ensure it's digested and while a night-cap might be traditional for some, too much alcohol can lead to poor, erratic sleep so that is why the bottles of whiskey and brandy he got for Christmas remain on the shelf. Instead of swirling a Hennessey round a huge glass at night, the Bluffer goes for a decaf or fruit tea instead. Warm, milky drinks can be soothing and sleep-inducing, too. I know it ain't rock and roll but ...