4:15 a.m.

Night time shenanigans with the cats.

I arrived in Israel at 10:40 p.m. on a rainy Sunday night. By 12:30am my uncle was driving me through the empty Tel Aviv streets that I barely remember having been exhausted after a 20 hour flight with two connections and no sleep.  I was exhausted but there was food on the table and much to talk about. I was in bed by 2 am and asleep soon after.

My eyes were wide awake at 4:15 am. I couldn’t understand why but I figured it must be jet lag. This jet lag kept me wide awake until 8:00 am when I passed out and slept till 5:00 pm.

Next day I slept just fine, I went to bed at 4:30 am after drinking all night with my buddies and woke up at 11:00 am with a massive hangover.

Out in Tel Aviv

By night I was exhausted, especially after a few drinks with friends. I was up and online until about 2:00 am when I passed out cold. Or so I thought. 4:15, I’m awake as a rooster at sunrise. I’m up again tossing and turning until nearly eight and then I have to go to another town so no sleep for me that night either.

That next day, after two hours of sleep, a two hour train journey to center of the country, 3 hour bike ride, a huge dinner and playing for a couple hours with little kids I thought my jet lag would be over and I would be asleep all through the night. This time I’m in bed at 11. And I’m up at 4:15. Until 7:00 I am wide awake and only then do I manage to fall asleep.

This is one rough jet lag I think to myself.

That day I am driven up to the Green zone inside of West Bank not far from Hebron where I spend the evening with family. I take a nap during the day for 10 minutes and the rest of the time we eat, drink and talk until almost 2 am again. I am confident I will fall asleep. There are no cars near us, no busy streets. We are out alone, in the middle of the forest. Jet lag should be gone by now, my fifth day in Israel. I fall asleep.

And wake at 4:15. And stay up until seven. This is out of control! But now I’m told my cousin with brain trauma also wakes up at 4:00 am and wanders about the house. “Well, I guess that’s family ties!” I joked. But later that night I learn my grandmother, living 40 km south also can’t sleep for a couple hours every night, and also wakes up at 4:15. And as we talk, my aunt chimes in saying that that’s normal, because she also wakes up at 4:15 every night, and so does my uncle.

Four people in one family. One of them from United States. Who has no problem sleeping every, until this trip to Israel.

Something fishy is going on… Do you have issues with this too? Please leave a comment.