"And I Thought I was Crazy!"

"AND I THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY!"
QUIRKS, IDIOSYNCRASIES, AND MESHUGAAS
Judy Reiser
New York: Katalin Media, 2001
170 pages, paperback, $12.95
ISBN: 0-9707619-0-2

Reviewed by Lynne Lamberg

"The opening of my pillowcase has to be to my right when I'm lying on my back."
--Writer/producer, female, 33

"When I was in college and lived in the dorm, I wanted to have all my valuables nearby when I was sleeping. So, before going to bed, I'd put my wallet, my watch, my keys and any change in my shoes. It seemed reasonable at the time except, now, seventeen years later, I still do it."
--Owner, marketing sales promotion company, male, 38.

"Before I go to bed, I have to lift up the receiver of the telephone to make sure that I get a dial tone."
--Office manager for orthodontist, female, 52

These are some of the dozens of personal quirks Judy Reiser includes in this book. Along with sleep, she also surveys mealtime behavior, grooming habits, athletes' "good luck" superstitions, and other aspects of daily life. In making her selection, she drew on reports from hundreds of volunteers.

These habits provide an amusing reminder of both the variety of human experience and the comfort obtained from such rituals. They give adults a sense of control, and perhaps the same feeling of security a favorite blanket or cuddly toy provides to a toddler.

Many people check to see that doors are locked, have a light bedtime snack, take a warm bath, read for pleasure, and follow other routines to help separate day and night. Falling asleep then becomes the next item on their list. Unless, of course, you also need to line up your shoes or make sure they point in different directions, fluff your pillow five times, or stack the coins from your pocket on your dresser.

If you suffer from insomnia, consciously employing sleep rituals may help you sleep better. If you're troubled by poor sleep and troubled dreams in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon Sept. 11, for example, you now may find sleep rituals useful, even if you've never paid much attention to them before. One caution: some habits that previously fostered sleep, such as watching late-night news or reading the newspaper at bedtime, now may thwart it. You may need more time to wind down in the evening with relaxing activities that distract you from the day's events.

The best rituals, sleep experts say, are those that you can do at home or when traveling. Most sleep rituals are delightfully idiosyncratic. As this book abundantly illustrates, whatever weirdness you dream up, you'll likely find someone else's habits even stranger.