Posted by had enough on October 07, 2005 at 15:30:14:

In Reply to: My new girlfriend has insomnia posted by walkingshark on October 06, 2005 at 19:13:28:

I love that you want to try to find ways to help her. In addition to that, find ways to get help TOGETHER, so you don't find yourself overwhelmed. I say this as someone who just had my partner leave me, mostly because he couldn't put up with my insomnia and the effects of it. In fact, jody's response could have been written by him. For years, he acted patient, caring and understanding. He put up with my rigid bedtime rituals, gave me back massages, slept in another room, and forgave me for the irratibility. 2 months ago I would have told you all how understanding and helpful he was. And then out of the blue he wanted out. He never had admited to me or to himself that my challenges scared /annoyed him. Maybe if he had done so earlier, we could have intervened in a way to make him more comfortable with my needs.

So make sure you are being honest with yourself and with your girlfriend about what you can handle. listen to her, be understanding, but set limits. I think my fiance would have been much less wounded by my problem if I hadn't perseverated on it so much. There's not much many of us can do about our bedtime needs, but we can lessen the pain on our loved ones by limiting how much we talk about it during the day.

Follow Ups:

Copyright ©1995-2005 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved