Sunday, February 03, 2008

Insomnia's my middle name

Dinner conversation tonight: what do you watch at 2:00am when you can't sleep? My husband picks movies. It doesn't matter where in the movie or whether he's seen it. He just likes the pace and feel of a movie to get him sleepy.
I can't do this. I have to watch a movie from the beginning, even if I've seen it.
Our two guests, not married, both admit to watching infomercials. Neither cook yet both are mesmerized by cooking gadgets-blenders, processors, coffee-makers, knives. At some point I learned how to tune out commercials (much like Sunday sermons) so this isn't for me either.
I watch old sitcoms-I need a narrative, something cheerful, something short. I wish there was a channel that always had an old sitcom on at 2:00. Maybe Sports Night or Frasier or The Larry Sanders Show.

What do you watch at 2:00 am?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I get insomnia, I pick up whatever book is beside my bed and read. Right now, it's Neil Gaiman's the Anansi boys. Though I'd only just started it when insomnia struck and half way through chapter 2 I began to wonder if it was wise for someone who is afraid of spiders be reading a book about a spider god at 3AM.

Anonymous said...

I used to watch the History Channel or PBS; however, I found that I became interested in what ever these channels were showing - Modern Marvels making chocolate candy or some Jane Austin novel. However, I finally found the thing to watch that would get me back to sleep quickly - C-Span. You can count on viewing some government hearing where some witness drowns on reading some really boring report on some really boring subject. Now if that doesn't work, then I recommend Unisom and scotch. A sure fire sleep causer.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I can't turn the light back on and read since it wakes my husband up. I do read a little in the other room after the sitcom. I have that book on tape but haven't gotten to it.
CSPAN makes me too angry-when I see the dolts in Washington I'm in despair. So it's Dick Van Dyke for me.

Sophie Littlefield said...

QVC...the late night hosts make me feel so *loved* :)

Christa M. Miller said...

Movies for me too! Preferably old horror movies - 1950s sci-fi (the kind MST3K used to kill on), Hammer films.

A few months ago I was up at 2am with my congested baby, and I got to partake in about five hours' worth of these gems, including the beginning of a Hitchcock marathon. It made the sleepiness well worth it. ;)

pattinase (abbott) said...

Christa-Do you need to see it from the beginning?

Christa M. Miller said...

Preferably, but not necessarily. Not at that hour of the morning, anyway. %)

Anonymous said...

Avoid C-SPAN2 on weekends if you want to go to sleep...there's at least a 50/50 chance that someone on BookTV will be actually interesting.

I usually check out Comedy Central if I can't sleep at 2a...or currently in my decadent state will look at On Demand stuff (including IN TREATMENT and BREAKING BAD), or even consider one of the many dvds I have at the ready...

pattinase (abbott) said...

My main goal in licking insomnia through TV is to find something soothing, familiar, short. Better three sitcoms than one movie because I can bail at any half hour. I am forced to watch movies in their entirety, not good for getting a decent night's sleep.