Sleep tripping

I was sleep deprived for over 36 hours when i got onto a train from Jolarpettai junction. I was returning to Chennai from Yelagiri. I had gone there for a solitary trip amidst the mountains. So after a full day of trekking and roaming around, I was tired and craving to hit the bed

The train came one hour late and people started rushing in as it reached the platform. I had a ticket for a general compartment. It was full and crowded. Which meant I had to stand for three hours. The very thought of standing up for so long and that too in such a rush for such a long duration was a big turn off. The fatigue and deprivation of sleep added to the discomort. Eventually, one of the co-passengers sat on the floor. I was too tired to stand so i followed.

Now i'm sitting on a newspaper sheet inside the train, besides the door. I start feeling drowsy. Sleep was starting to take its toll over me. I made it a point not to give in because a mere 3 hours would not suffice. I knew I would end up with a headache, had i given in to insufficient sleep. I wanted to remain awake so that i could have all the sleep at a stretch after reaching home.


Gradually, I started to feel my eyes getting heavy. It was similar to sitting in a boring lecture. I would widen my eyes occasionally, a tried and tested method of driving away sleep, atleast temporarily. Eventually, I found myself on the border of sleep and conscience. I'm not sure if i crossed the border but i was sure i didn't for more than a few seconds; an experience i had come close to many times but this was a first time and unique.


The experience was intoxicating. I had started to dream with my eyes open. People who were talking around seemed to be talking famous dialogues. A person on my left was talking to a person on my right. There were a lot of questions and answers passing between the two. I suddenly turned to the person on my left. He was quiet and by his body language i knew he had been for a long time. This was only getting worse. I was hallucinating. It was as though i was on an intoxicant, a drug.

Now the borderline of my conscience was moving further. I knew a strong nerve impulse could only do the trick. My tired mind could not gather the strenth for now. Rather I did not want to move out of my comfort zone. I could feel myself getting irate and restless. I wish I could explain some more of my experiences more clearly. Unfortunatley I don't remember much.

The fact that baffled me the most was that when the body requires more rest, how could the mind get all the more restless. Shouldn't it be pacified? What happens when we sleep? Does bloodflow to the head reduce? A million questions come to my mind. If any of you know, please let me know. Now you may ask why i posted this on my blog? Just a strange experience. Thought I'd let you know.