Nothing gets solved at three in the morningCalm

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Nothing gets solved at three in the morning

A short book about lying awake working through problems at the hour your mind is worst at it

18 chapters12,654 wordsAbout 58 minFirst edition

What's inside

·Before you startThis is a short book and you can read it in two or three sittings, preferably in daylight. It's about one habit. You wake in the small hours, and within a…2 min
1Seven minutes past threeIt's seven minutes past three on a Wednesday morning. You know this because you looked at the clock. You woke a few minutes ago for no clear reason. It…4 min
2Why the mind clocks onIf you lie awake working through problems, you may have concluded that you're a worrier, or that you can't cope, or that your life is more of a mess than…2 min
3"Waking at three means something's wrong"Before we get to the thinking, it's worth looking at the waking itself, because many people add a layer of alarm at this point. You surface at three and…3 min
4"It's quiet, so I can think"It seems obvious that a silent house in the middle of the night is a good place to think. There are no interruptions and nobody wants anything. You have…3 min
5"It really is that bad"The strongest objection to everything in the last chapter comes at about a quarter to four, from inside your own head. It says that the rhythm of your…3 min
6"At least I'm getting something done"The night shift feels like work. It takes effort and concentration, and it leaves you tired. So it's natural to assume that something has been…3 min
7"Once I've worked it out, I'll sleep"This is the promise that keeps you at it. The thinking feels like the obstacle between you and sleep. If you can just settle the question of the roof…2 min
8"I'll just make myself stop"Once you've seen that the thinking is the problem, the natural next move is to try to stop thinking. You lie there and order your mind to be quiet. "Stop…3 min
9"What time is it?"At some point in most night shifts, you look at the clock. Often it's the first thing you do. It seems a harmless thing to do. I think it's one of the…3 min
10What the night shift costsThe costs have come up one at a time. Here they are together. Much of this chapter is my own reckoning, apart from the places where I name a study. Sleep.…3 min
11"But the problems are real"They are. I said so in chapter 2, and nothing since has changed it. The roof leaks, your mother needs looking after, and work is uncertain. A book that…3 min
12The handoverThe practical part of this book has two halves. This chapter is the evening half. It takes about ten minutes, and it does more than anything else here to…4 min
13When you wake anywayThe handover will make wakings less loaded. It won't stop them, since waking in the night is normal, as chapter 3 said. So you need to know what to do at…4 min
14The decisionThis chapter asks you to decide something. It comes late because at the start it would have sounded like "just stop worrying at night", which you've told…3 min
15Babies, grief and nights that need a doctorThe method is simple. Some situations aren't, and I should be plain about them. When the night really does require you. Sometimes there's a baby, a sick…4 min
16Seven minutes past three againHere's a scene from some months later. It's an example of how things might go, and I'm not promising it. You wake in the dark. You don't know what time it…2 min
·NotesThis book gives general information. It isn't medical advice, and it's no substitute for a doctor who knows your situation. NHS guidance is quoted as I…6 min

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