It seems that I am a hopeless insomniac. It's something I've dealt with for many years, but I think it's really catching up to me. I've tried lots of things: special teas, aromatherapy, warm baths, relaxation, reading dull books, Tylenol PM, watching TV, listening to soft music, you name it. What I've discovered that works the best lately is NyQuil. I've had to take quite a lot of it these last few months because I've been sick a lot. Being sick is the pits, but the trade-off has been that I think I may have slept more than I have in years. That's been GREAT! So, my sister-in-law suggested that since it's likely the alcohol in the NyQuil that's helping me sleep, why not try making a hot toddy every night at bedtime and see if that doesn't do the trick. That way, if I'm not sick and don't need all the medication that's in the NyQuil, I can still get the same effect. That sounded completely logical, so I got online and found several recipes for how to make hot toddies. Pretty simple: hot tea, lemon juice, honey, and a shot of whiskey, rum or brandy.
My next step was procuring some alcohol. Those that know me well know I HATE alcohol. I wouldn't label myself a teetotaller, but I just can't stand the taste of the stuff. Rex teases that he never has to worry about me becoming an alcoholic. Boy, that's a fact. I don't mind the NyQuil at all--they must do something really amazing to whatever kind of alcohol they put in there. So, Rex and I head over to Majestic one Saturday afternoon, and I think we're both cringing at the thought of going in there. Rex was hesitant to take Nathan in, but I gave him a hard time--the child is only 19 months old! It's not like it's going to leave an indelible impression. So I walk up to the guy at the front counter and explain my situation: making hot toddies, hate alcohol, need something mild that I can tolerate. He first looks at me like I have two heads, but then leads me over to a bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey. He tells me that this is the stuff for me, and that once I get all the other ingredients in the hot toddy, I shouldn't even taste the alcohol. I'm a little skeptical, but hopeful at the same time. It's not cheap, but for me it's like buying medicine, so I fork out the almost $30.00 and I'm on my way with my newly acquired bottle of whiskey in a brown paper bag. I feel like a wino.
So, we get Nathan in bed that night, and I'm ready to brew my concoction. I got it all ready and went for a sip. Well, let me tell you that either that guy at the liquor store didn't know what he was talking about, or he and the other lady in there had a good laugh when I walked out the door because that stuff is NASTY!!!!! Nothing I tried could cover up that taste. It tastes like rubbing alcohol with a burn. Not that I have ever guzzled rubbing alchol before, but the aftertaste from this stuff is much like the smell of strong rubbing alcohol. But I choked it down, hoping that a nice deep sleep would follow. The great thing about NyQuil is that you only have to down one of those little bitty medicine cups full. With a hot toddy, you gotta drink an ENTIRE CUP.
I crawled in bed, laid my head gently on the pillow and was ready to sink into dreamland. So how did it turn out? Would you believe that I was WIDE AWAKE for HOURS!!!!! That stupid, disgusting drink didn't help me one single bit. I tried it again several more nights (yes, I'm a sucker), and got the same result. I was hoping that maybe there were other circumstances involved that were interfering with things, but all my attempts were futile. I finally decided I just couldn't take the nastiness anymore, so it's up in the cabinet, waiting for me to find someone to pawn it off on.
So last night, I decided to see if this new medication I'm taking might do the trick. It says it causes drowsiness, so I thought, what the heck? Well, after a horrible night of almost no sleep, I'll be back on the NyQuil tonight. My old stand-by. Shoulda just stayed with it in the first place. It's never done me wrong. Maybe I'll write a love song about cherry NyQuil. Just kidding :)
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