I have had sleep problems, to some degree, all my life. I can't sleep very well anywhere apart from my own bed, and sometimes I can't sleep brilliantly there. I was a poor sleeper when I was very young, and can be today. It is like my body is tired but my mind isn't. Perhaps I ought to read a 600-page book on accountancy or a three-hour DVD of a cricket match. I suppose the best cure for insomnia is to sleep it off. I always seem to sleep better on a soft mattress. For some reason, I never get a good nights sleep on a firm one. I can sleep, but I never feel refreshed the day after, and always seem to feel rough.
I went through a phase of behaviour, which began during the late summer of 1990, and ended in the spring of 1991. During this time, I got up at 5am and went for a walk. If I can coldly analyse it now, as an adult, I think, apart from the insomnia, I also did it to see what people's reactions would be and also to shock other people! Perhaps, as well as the insomnia, I was going through a phase of rebellion, or curiosity to see what happened at that time in the outside world. Nowadays, I struggle to get up on a morning, and wish I could stay in bed! NT's express rebellion by dying their hair green or red. Others listen to subversive types of music, some take drugs. Mine was getting up at 5am whilst at school!
After quietly getting up, every time I did this, I walked through the garages, onto Carlton Road, then I in to the newsagents on Carlton Road, said hello, bought something (What I can't remember). Following on from this, I walked on Wakefield Road until I reached the park. I walked across there until I got to Rotherham Road and then I travelled up Rotherham Road. Sometimes I waved at the motorists to shock them! Then I walked onto Richard Road, said hello to the milkman and went back in and to bed.
I followed this routine on Wednesday 29th August 1990, Thursday 30th August 1990, Friday 31st August 1990 and Saturday 1st September 1990. A guy who would later marry my cousin saw me on the Friday morning as he was driving to work at a colliery at Rotherham, saw me, and he was shocked as he thought I had run away from home. He told my mum and she was angry, but she didn't tell my dad. On the last date, I saw someone in my year at Secondary School doing his paper round. He asked what I was doing up at that time and if I had run away from home. I said I hadn't, but I just fancied a walk.
I then did this on Tuesday 2nd October 1990 and Wednesday 3rd October 1990. Still I did this again, on the morning of Tuesday 23rd October 1990.
