The Trouble with being a Light Sleeper

My, how I envy those people who could sleep through a nuclear holocaust if they felt so inclined. Not only do they sleep through maddening night disturbances, but the vast majority of them actually snore, in a blatant mockery of my distressing insomnia.

I had cause to reflect on this notion last night, for the hostel in which I am staying, in Philadelphia PA, at present, decided to place me in a 24-bed dorm, right next to the door. Now don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have a bed in this busy city, yet I can't help but feel the situation is slightly unfair.

I retired last night at the reasonably late hour of midnight, giving plenty of time for everyone to be settled in my room. Indeed, some girls had already gone to bed and were fast asleep. Thirty minutes later, two girls decided this was a fine hour to check in, and that it was highly necessary to wander in and out of the room at least 15 times, throwing light on my bed and generally keeping me awake. I attempted to fall asleep with the aid of my discman, but alas, to no avail.

Once they'd finally decided to settle down, some considerate soul outside decided it would be really clever to revv a motorbike on the street outside our room for about ten minutes, just to see how loud he could get it. To his humiliation, I'm sure, his engine actually sounded like a pile of junk, which would've been funny, had it not been pushing 1.30am.
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It was not always like this. When I was younger I could sleep no problem, so long as there was a night-light on. Now, I am much more of a fussy sleeper. It has to be pitch-black and deadly silent, for the slightest noise will wake me up. I had an interlude from this rigid pattern whilst I was in Australia - I could well have slept through a nuclear holocaust then and I would never have known it. However, that seems to be the only exception.

So, in conclusion, I'm a very fussy sleeper, and there's probably no changing it. So you can turn that light off and shut up, thank you very much.