Gosh I’m tired. Have you ever went to bed, dropped off to sleep and then been rudely awakened by the phone ringing? You jump up, thinking you’ve been in a deep slumber for hours, only to look at the clock and realise it’s been for a matter of minutes. It’s a disconcerting, disorienting experience. Well, it happened to me last night. Not once, but twice. Now that’s beyond rude, that’s downright barbaric.
The calls were work related but on both occasions I was in the land of Nod. After the first one was concluded, I grumpily returned to bed, muttering to Fionnuala about how much I hated being on call and the sooner I published my first New York Times Bestseller the better. I was wide awake so read for a while until my eyelids began to droop once more. I set down my book and drifted off to Sleepyville again.
DRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGG!!!
The phone again. This time I was slightly less irritable to the unfortunate soul on the other end of the line. I listened carefully, took some notes and asked the relevant questions. Content the matter could wait until morning, I trudged once more up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire. As I slipped beneath the covers again, I silently prayed there would be more nocturnal disturbances.
Thankfully, on this occasion, my prayer was answered. I woke up this morning, considerably fresher than before. Fionnuala confirmed I slept soundly, making scurrilous allegations that I woke her up with my snoring. Utterly unfounded, I might add. I may have been breathing a tad heavily due to my levels of exhaustion, but snoring? Now that’s a bridge too far.
I spent the morning busting myself with phone calls, scene visits and collating and reviewing documentation. I was bright and focused, as opposed to the crankasaurus who answered the phone not 12 hours before. I sheepishly conceded I had been less than friendly with the first caller. As opposed to being rudely awakened I was also rude once awake. I felt more than a little guilty as a result.
Consistency is something I am always working to maintain in respect of my temperament and behaviour. It’s all part of becoming a better human being, the ability to remain on an even keel whatever external factors I am facing. I can always do better and last night was a perfect example of that. Yes, I was tired, but that’s no excuse for my impersonation of Oscar the Grouch.
The person on the other end of the phone wasn’t particularly helpful or co-operative. They were contacting me to pass on a problem as opposed to helping me resolve it. Again, this doesn’t excuse my tetchy response. It was unprofessional and unnecessary on my part. I’m not perfect, far from it, but at least I’m aware of my shortcomings and working towards eradicating them.
When were you last rudely awakened?
Have you been abrupt with someone recently and regretted your behaviour?
When were you last accused of snoring?
Black Thoughts 
I’m mother of 8 months old baby. So for past 8 months I have been waking up rudely every
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Time!!!
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I feel your pain 😞
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I snore sometimes even with my CPAP. My partner snores… so irritating! The worst nighttime calls are wrong numbers. My anxious mind usually comes wide awake sure there is another catastrophe. Yes, I’ve not been rude, but “short” with telemarketers.
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Glad to meet you, fellow CPAP user! I’ve been on CPAP for more than a year, and from the beginning of treatment it reduced the severity of my OSA from moderate (22 AHI/hr) to mild (anywhere from close to zero to the top of the mild range). I’ve noticed that congestion, or a head position that narrows my airway, will cause a snore that can wake me. I still don’t sleep well because of chronic pain, but the CPAP has done away with the fatigue problem.
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Oh I’m so glad it helps your fatigue. I am less tired but always tired or tire easily. I’ve used one for ten plus years now. The chronic pain… Ug. Me too.
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There’s nothing more unnerving that a phone call in the dead of night. We always think the worst.
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Sleep is more important than food. Growling occurs if unjustifiably awaken. You get the idea 🙂
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Remind me never to wake you up lol
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Every morning this week at 4:30 a,m, a fellow with a suped up truck announces the fact he owns said truck by making a racket that could wake the dead. I am not impressed AT ALL. However, this morning he must have slept in or spent the night elsewhere, for which I am exceedingly grateful. I can promise you I would have been less than polite had I been able to have a word with this would-be Mario Andretti. Ugh!
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How unneighbourly of him tut tut
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Right? So inconsiderate – but we were all young once so I do try to remember what that’s like….
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My cat is my only bed partner and he has not said a word about my snoring😁 I am learning that being rude is too easy and reconciling for my rudeness is very difficult.
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Can’t help you, I would be majorly grumpy if woken from my sleep!
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Most of us world agree 😊
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I’ve never been told I snore, however, I know that I occasionally drool ☹️
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Yes, the joy of waking up attached to a damp pillow 😂
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😂 😂
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I’m a mom, so every day…
What gets me is that my kids call my patient voice a rude or angry tone.
I just can’t win.
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You’re sooooooo misunderstood.
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*sigh* Even online.
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Unfortunately, snoring does not indicate sound sleep. Snoring is a symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a disorder that causes poor oxygenation, which harms the heart, kidneys, and other organs. OSA can be treated, which helps reverse the damage that the body has suffered from having low levels of oxygen during sleep. Anyone who snores and complains of tiring easily or of persistent fatigue should report these danger signs to a physician, who will arrange for sleep testing to determine the severity of the disorder, and then will prescribe appropriate treatment.
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Thank you for the medical explanation 😊
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I am a light sleeper. So pretty much every night something wakes me.
The wind
Dogs barking
Neighbors partying
Snoring
The heater turns on and off throughout the night
The phone
No wonder I am tired all day.
I think I am a little envious of people who can sleep in a car or fall asleep with the television on.
The worst is when I am sleeping really good and my husband asks ”are you awake?” I am now.
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Husbands pah. We are useless 😂
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I learned a new word. (pah)
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Every day is a learning day 😉
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My little brother snores 😂.
He’s usually the person I’m the most abrupt to, but I’m working on that lol!
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Siblings will always bicker. But they love each other really.
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I don’t get accused of snoring because my husband moved to the basement. He swears he sleeps better down there. I’m like cool then I don’t wake up to your snoring! And we mess up his bed night mine. Bahahaha!
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A husband who lives in the basement. Every woman’s dream 😂
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They accuse me of snoring but I’m innocent 😂.
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Of course you are 😉
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I admit I’m a horrible snore bear. I also get woken up when I’m on call and when it’s 3am I’ll admit I’m not the nicest person because I love sleeping and I have a hard time falling back asleep.
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Snap Snap and Triple Snap 😊
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I set my phone to Do Not Disturb after 10pm. THere are a few exclusions (daughter, sister, best friend) but they also KNOW not to call unless it is a bona fide emergency.
Last night the cat knocked a glass jarred candle into the tub – not only woke me up, but I forgot about it until I was naked and getting ready to shower. Naked and glass do not play well.
Umm, I sniped at my pharmacist recently, and immediately apologized. They know what’s going on, so they were pretty nice about it.
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Unfortunately I had to take the call. That’s why they pays me the big bucks 😉
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