Sometimes when you can't ever seem to get it.......and then, when you do, it is that much sweeter.
I'm talking about sleep, ya'll.
My last post was about sleep, Shakespeare, and stress. That sleep (or lack thereof) plays such a prominent role in my life is no surprise to me. I struggle to get consistent rest, chalk up a sleep deficit easily, and know deeply that lack of good sleep makes my days so much harder. The last week spent overnight-ing with Mom five of the last seven nights only added to the deficit already in place. This sleep thing of mine has been going on for years, sometimes worse, occasionally better. I'm learning that the causes are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; multiple and therefore as we say in medical lingo, multi-factorial.
I've been watching Oprah lately; she's had numerous guests on the show discussing disordered sleep, particularly for women in their 40's and beyond. Hormonal (thyroid, estrogen, progesterone) issues are obvious causes for restless nights. Some gurus of sleep issues in the "mature woman" tout the magic of "bio-identical" hormones for those of us in peri-menopause, menopause and beyond; formulas individually mixed at a compounding pharmacy. For many women, these trans dermal formulas have worked wonders. I'm still skeptical though, having been indoctrinated in the "western medicine" model complete with FDA warnings about any sort of estrogen replacement when our own supply dwindles. A scare with a funky breast biopsy in 2004 has me spooked. So, for me, estrogens in any form will not likely find a place in my repertoire for healthy sleep.
Hormones (or lack thereof) are but one piece of the puzzle. I believe that other pieces include genetics, how we handle stress (saving it up to be dealt with at night is my pattern), medications, and ignoring the rules of "sleep hygiene" (using the bed only for its two intended purposes). I tend to make the bed my home office (look at me right now, writing this post from my bed!). I also watch TV from the bed, talk on the phone from the bed (work and non-work calls), read and answer emails from the bed, and eat meals in bed. Is it any wonder the BED is not what the BED was meant to be in my life?
I digress....
Last night I had one of the best nights in recent memory. Like a stone dropped in a deep well, I was sleepy (rather than tired) when I turned out the light at 10 PM. I slept until 8:30 AM and never awakened once during those hours. Amazing. Every once in a blue moon, I lasso the prize.
Sleep is one of my most favorite activities inthe world and I am grateful every day that I a good sleeper, especially since so manhy people in my life are not good sleepers - my partner, my sister, my mother, my grandmother and of course my aunt.
ReplyDeleteI always say that I am just a better person when I sleep and it is reinforced with each good night's sleep I get.
Rest Well!
I'm so jealous (but happy for you) for the 10pm-8:30am sleep!!! Like you - I'm not a good sleeper....but adding in a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old (Kelan's not a sleeper either) - there's no sleep for me - even if I was getting that good night.... I see no sleep in the near future for me (much less this weekend with two sick kids... but I digress)....my point is that I went to a sleep specialist....she said that "your bed is for sex and sleep ONLY". No TV, no computer, no phones, no reading for long periods of time (I was only allowed 10 min TOPS - but I have obviously ignored that "rule" - especially with the Twilight book series....again I digress).... all the other things folks tend to do in bed are stimulants. I needed to retrain the way my body responded to bed. When I got in, I felt sleepy. If I have all these other things I can do in bed...well, then bed isn't a place to sleep. =)
ReplyDeleteOf course spending the night with Bama isn't going to allow for sleep either. I'm so sorry. Sleep is the best thing for us....we should all get more.
I have been a pretty good sleeper (knock wood!) but my husband has trouble with interrupted sleep. My boss, who's about five years older than I am, has terrible trouble sleeping - she's got all kinds of trouble going on that IMHO are stress-related.
ReplyDeleteBut so far - I think I'm doing OK. We'll see how things develop with hormonal changes.
And Kate, I'm so glad you got a good night's sleep. I wish you many more. It is a wonderful feeling, isn't it?
I have not consistently had a good night's sleep for 15 years. By the time I realized I was in perimenopause, not that I would have been able to get hormones because of the research at that time, I was on the doorstep of menopause. I have been watching Oprah, too, and wonder if I should revisit the issue, which probably means I'd need to seek out a gyn specialist. After reading your post, I climbed into bed with my laptop, something that never occurred to me. I use my bed for sleep, sex, and reading a few pages before I turn out the light, and I still rarely get more than a few hours sleep at a time.
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