January
17, 1991. Cold London. I sit up all night and watch the Gulf war unfold. An
unknown channel called CNN had two
reporters doing it live from Baghdad -Peter Arnett and Bernard Shaw. That’s how
CNN became famous overnight. I stayed up all night and every night to watch the
news. I think that’s how I lost it. Sure,
there was some trauma on the personal front and I never slept again. Dizzy and
dazzle… it is a very personal thing.
On
this very day, I lost my sleep permanently. I don’t know how to describe it. I
am sure there are many who suffer the same disease. It drains you out.
Everything you want to do goes for a toss. Cannot work, cannot play, cannot
concentrate. Especially if you are recovering from a personal tragedy that you
have just gone through as I did. So even as I stayed up night after night after
night unable to sleep I was wondering how to kill my time. There is only so
much TV that you can watch or so much books you can read. And the radio blared
KLF 3am! I couldn’t appreciate the irony.
I
read so much that I am not even able to retain. I learned about night crawlers.
I would go to Manek Chowk in my hometown and dawdle around and eat something.
They all stayed up till 5am and went home. I had nowhere to go. I still cannot
sleep but I discovered something I could do.
Every
morning I started writing. The cuckoos of 1999 hijack, 2002 and 26/11 made me
so furious that I decided I had to write. I had to create something … a brand
name to describe them. Thus was created MediaCrooks. I am sure there are a lot
of people who suffer the disease I do. They cannot sleep. And because I could
not sleep I wrote articles through the night and posted them early morning. I
tried my best to make a virtue of my illness and sleeplessness. I have no idea
how others deal with this problem.
So
if God cursed me with Insomnia, I made something good come out of it. I have
not slept in a long long time. This is just a short note to others who suffer
the same problem and nothing more. I know what it means to go through a life
without sleep. Maybe it will finally come. God took my sleep but he kept me
awake enough to learn and dream. I think there has to be a reason. Sunrise doesn’t
last all morning, neither does night time. That’s one great blessing to count.
Blessing in disguise!!
ReplyDeleteYoga helped me tremendously, till I started to funk again.. But some breathing exercises kept me alert and energetic by day and at peace at night. Got at east four hours till this year. Again bottom dropping out. Will I go back to Yoga? Hope I do. I can understand how it is there. But you have put it to giid use. I tweet, catch up on mail, movies and do all my office work at nights..
ReplyDeleteDo you like the movie... Nightcrawler?
ReplyDeleteLucky you, I feel Sir. Bloody hell, I get sleep at 9.00 PM itself. Too much of sleep. I dont know how to get rid of it. I am suffering from reverse disease - Too much of sleep.
ReplyDeleteI read your writing and always want to know more .. Love your thoughts ....
ReplyDeleteNothing is permanent and change is the only Constant and I am so happy for that blessing..
I read your writing and always want to know more .. Love your thoughts ....
ReplyDeleteNothing is permanent and change is the only Constant and I am so happy for that blessing..
Come to think of it,I,too suffered Insomnia,but a bit of controlling my diet(essentially sugar,fried stuff n starch-stuff that I loved)swimming n exercise got me over it.Luckily my BP n sugar already were in check n now I do knock off by 2200 n up by 0400 n can not avoid a catnap during the day.
ReplyDeleteYou woke a lot if people up from very deep slumber...including me.
ReplyDeleteRAVI SAHEB! GOD GAVE YOU WHAT U CALL A DISEASE AND THE GOOD SENSE TO CONVERT IT TO GOOD USE! NOT OLY TO U BUT ALL OF US YOUR ADMIRERS AS WELL. GOD BE WITH U FOR EVER. THIS IS THE GOOD WISH FROM UR ELDER BROTHER. JAI HIND! VANDE MATARAM!
ReplyDeletewhen all of us slept and woke up in the morning fervently hoping to see a 5am blog,the creator of the blog had problem in sleeping.It is destiny that you should write'ARRIVAL'suggest go to Guruvaur kerala do a process called bhajan for three weeks.
ReplyDeleteRavi Sir please give this a try http://svyasa.edu.in/vyasa-hub/arogyadhama/
ReplyDeleteDear Ravinar, with regard to poll for Selecting worst journalist for the year 2016, Sagarika Ghose was missed from the list.Kindly add her too.
ReplyDeletemedia crooks was a single largest social media war for modi.
ReplyDeleteindia can never repay for your brave efforts because india has changed with modi ji.
now they will for the first time know what is good governance.
thanks to you ji.
god will be with you because we all will pray for your well being and please continue your blogs after a good rest.
Every thing happens for a reason .. So it is said In your case it is for stripping the MSM of their lies, bigotry and Hippocracy. Pl continue the service in the interest of the Nation
ReplyDeleteWell, someone's disorder is other order.. You made use of your disorder pretty well.. 👍🏽
ReplyDeleteShould have called yourself Midnight Crook? But whatever the name,you rock!
ReplyDeleteRavi, if my guess is correct, you could be undergoing Rahu Dasha which lasts for 18 years. Consulting a good astrologer can be beneficial. Have honey.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is 'Sorry'! Don't know what else o say or do!
ReplyDeleteDon't want to say anything... You gave words to our thoughts... Or you made it possible 2014 for us, thank you...
ReplyDeleteGod bless you...
I am not there quite yet but I must say you have given me a huge consolation because I was constantly worried that if, and when I become complete insomniac I will lose my mind. Your sharp mind and sharp blog give me a great relief. My sister was just like you and I know it will not be long before family history catches up with me. I pray for your health.
ReplyDeleteHey, I've had chronic insomnia and found pranic healing to help. You can also try Rooibos tea and 4-7-8 breathing in vajrasana. Please ask me if you need more info. There is also a meetup formed to discuss insomnia in Chennai:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.meetup.com/Chennai-Sleep-Improvement-Group
This is the positive attitude to convert adversity into a positive. You converted the lemon of sleeplessness into a lemonade!
ReplyDeleteThe intense sensitiveness, extra ordinary intelligence, divine bug of not moving an inch untill it is addressed like Gandhi in a South Africa platform, triggers catalytic effect. So, you have started an arduous journey awakening whole nation to reach their potential. Intill you will start establishing main stream, representative, nationalist, satya mev jayte fully achieved India insomnia may persist for the good of nation and subsidize when the process would start for the good of nation.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your personal loss; Yet,if one's loss of sleep could serve as a wake up call to the concerned among the rest, it is a Service. And a very noble one at that!
ReplyDeleted
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to note that almost all media websites have removed the option of "comments" on the published articles and now reduced it to choice of emoticons (voting buttons). I believe it has something to do with ever increasing anti Pappu population or is that more news is getting spread through the comments than the actual article itself
ReplyDeleteShould not tribe of Ravinar increase?, Should not family of 1000 years warriors increase? Should not proliferation of presstitutes and pimps nip in bud? How many of them are sacrificing their sleep and comforts for the awakening of nation? Then who is stopping the spread of sacrifice and obstructing a selfless service stealthily on RAVINAR'S blog?
ReplyDeleteRaviji, ur sleep deprivation must not affect your health, at least I pray for that. I love to think that the David has outgrew the MSM Goliath by many folds. On the day when Media traders in MSM are ashamed to walk on street, the whole credit must be rendered to YOU.
ReplyDeletei share your pain
ReplyDeleteonly Ishvara can give back sleep
Sleep ....and loosing it what it means no one knows then day and night doesn't happen clock is just a ticking thing ...nothing matters to you ...just stare at death to approach you faster nothing in between matters ...dont know how u manage to be productive it becomes tough to manage yourself
ReplyDeleteLike many you are very precious for our country's well being. And so would earnestly like to share my experience with you. I had a similar condition ...couldnt figure out the reason but i JUST couldn't sleep. Amongst many things i did - I did Mahamrityunjaya japa...complete wala...it goes like this "Om Haun Juu Saha. Oh Bhoor Boowaswaha........ (& end with) Om Saha Bhuwa On saha Juu Haun Om. Please try....REgards
ReplyDelete