Navel gazing

Touching your face while sleeping

by

In bed one morning — many, many years ago now — a partner asked me if I knew that I often have my hand touching some part of my face while sleeping.

I think of this often, in fact almost every time I wake up and discover I’m doing it. The two most common scenarios are: 1) one or two fingers on my cheek or 2) my thumb and forefinger like a horseshoe around my chin.

I hadn’t realized I do that, so naturally, I did some research on it. And I find one of the reasons very interesting.

The research says:

There is a recognized correlation between sleeping with your hands touching your face and the behaviors established in the womb. This sleeping position is considered a form of self-soothing that mimics the comfort, warmth, and security experienced during fetal development.

The Womb Connection (Fetal Development)
  • Early Development: Touch is the first sense to develop, with receptors forming around 8 weeks of gestation.
  • Self-Soothing Behaviors: Ultrasound scans indicate that as early as the second trimester, babies frequently touch their faces and suck their thumbs for comfort.
  • Space Limitations: In the third trimester, limited space causes many babies to rest with their arms flexed near their faces.
  • Long-term Imprint: These early movements and positions establish a “map” of the body and create a “memory” of comfort that continues after birth.
Why Adults Sleep with Hands on the Face
  • Self-Soothing and Security: This posture, sometimes called “T-Rex arms,” acts as a subconscious way to calm the nervous system.
  • Comfort: Touching the face can trigger the release of neurotransmitters that create a sense of safety, similar to being in the womb.
  • Sensory Regulation: It can be used to manage sensory input or reduce anxiety.
Types of “Womb” Sleeping Positions
  • Fetal Position: Sleeping on the side with knees drawn up often mimics the protective, warm posture of the womb.
  • “Dinosaur Hands” (T-Rex): Elbows bent with hands tucked under the chin or on the chest, often to feel secure.
  • Face Touching: Resting hands on the forehead, cheeks, or covering the mouth for comfort, often to reduce anxiety.

Incrudulous

by

I’ve had some serious crud for a week now, so it was finally time to see the doc, where I wore a mask for the first time in forever:

and where I got tested for COVID, FLU, & RSV, which fortunately came back:

Got an inhalant with some steroids in it and a nasal spray to try and kick this thing to the curb.

It’s National Coming Out Day

by
Everyone in their own time. I took 35 years to get up the courage to do it.

Three 50-word stories about the emotional toll of living in the closet for 35 years.

Keeping up appearances In the interest of me To come out—or check out
I’m married to a woman, but I am a terrified, closeted gay man trying to keep up the charade. So, I “ogle” at “big tits” and traveling as a trainer for work, I make sure I refer to “my wife” at least once while introducing myself. It’s kind of exhausting. I was a young Republican because I believed I was a self-made man—before I learned about privilege. But mostly I identified as such to distance myself from “the gays.” Voting against their interests, I couldn’t possibly be one, right? I’m still embarrassed and haunted by this. I’m so sorry. Riding home from my $100K job, to my $250K home, in my $40K car, I wonder: “Is there any way to plunge this ‘ultimate driving machine‘ into that ravine and ensure I won’t live with an ‘intended to die’ for the rest of my life?” It’s unbearable living like this.

Judgy-Judgerson to a whole new level

by

Spent some time today during my upper-body workout at Planet Fitness reflecting on how I became such a rule-follower and resisting the very strong urge I have to police the rule-breakers, telling myself, “You don’t work here,” “This has nothing to do with you,” and “Finish your own workout and get out of here.”

Background

Planet Fitness has a rule stating:

There was a guy there tonight in flip flops — who happened to be hot, which made it extra challenging for me not to keep looking at him — doing free weights and the multi-station workout machines.

Here are all the thoughts I had over the course of the 45 minutes I was there:

“I wonder why no front-desk workers have told him that he can’t be working out in those because it’s a safety hazard.”

“Why hasn’t that digital sign on the monitors throughout the gym come up to that slide that says, “Flip flops are great at the beach. But they are a hazard at the gym. And not allowed.”

“That guy would never just happen to walk by the monitors at a time when that one slide was showing anyway, much less be looking at it — or care.”

Once when he walked right by me, I thought hard: “Don’t do it. Don’t say anything. Man, he’s hot.”

“I wonder if I alerted the front desk people to him, if they would actually approach him.”

“I wonder if I did alert the front desk to the situation, and they didn’t approach the guy, and then the guy dropped a weight on his foot and sued Planet Fitness…”

Bless my absolute mess.