A week's sleep!

Having suffered from insomnia ever since my doctor made me come off HRT six years ago, I found myself wondering just how much sleep I do get on those broken nights when I toss and turn for hours, so I have decided to keep a sleep diary for a week.

Last night, Mr G went to bed at his usual time, just after 10 pm. For most of his life, he got up at 5-ish for an early start in the building trade and he still does. For most of mine, I went to bed around 11.30, read till 12 and got up at 8 for a 10 am start in the magazine business. I still keep roughly to that timescale, too.

Last night, I went to bed around 11.30 but was still awake at 1 am. One of the reasons was that Flad hadn't come in and I was worried about him and missed our usual evening snuggle session, with him spread over my lap with one paw on my chest and his golden eyes gazing into my murky green ones. But Mr G thinks he has found a rat's nest somewhere and is staking it out. The greedy thing ate his dinner the other day, went out, caught and ate a young rat, whiskers, claws, tail and all, then came in and asked for another dinner! (Is he trying to tell us we don't feed him enough?)

Another thing keeping me awake was that I had eaten a large helping of Sainsbury's wonderfully named and extremely fartiferous Rumbledethumps, a glorious mix of cabbage, potato and onion, the Scottish version of the English Bubble and Squeak! Eventually, I drifted off and woke around 6.30 when the bin men came, then slept again till 8.

Sleep score - 6 1/2 hours. Energy-level - not exactly bouncing like a spring lamb; rather tired. Don't think the gym will see me today (haven't been since Thursday last week!). But the great news is that Flad is back and tucked up in Mr G's bed.