Thursday, November 29, 2012

Not-So-Sleeping Beauty

To sleep perchance to dream...

Oh to sleep at all!




I have been fortunate in life not to have sleeping disorders,  But as I age, I am finding it harder and harder to sleep.  The stress of work this fall, coupled with my dad's death, has resulted in me not sleeping almost at all.

So, dear friends -  I am looking for help!

What folks remedies/methods do you use to stay asleep?  I go to sleep fine, I just wake up and then am wide awake for the rest of the night!

All help gratefully appreciated!!!!!!!

I want to look like this again soon:


On a completely different and more shallow note, I thought I would show you something in my wardrobe that you have not seen before and which I truly love: my Aquatalia currant-coloured patent winter boots!!!  These are two years old, still in fabulous shape and are one of the great loves of my wardrobe!


Me getting ready to go out the door this morning.  And some close-ups:




Aren't they nifty?  They have a great tread and are so lovely!  I get many compliments on them, especially from men, which is odd as they heel is so short.  I have 3 pairs of aquatalia boots and they are all wonderful and sooo comfy!

Soo - have an awesome Thursday and stay safe out there!!!

28 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that you are not sleeping well.
    I dont have trouble sleeping,but one thing helps me sleep really good. When i do sport(kickboxing,pilates and TRX) and i am totally powered out afterwards,i sleep like a baby.
    How about trying some yoga or pilates?

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    1. Thanks Ina! i hadn't done yoga for awhile and did some last night and then took a gravol (!) and slept like a baby! 7 hours straight! However, taking the gravol is no solution really, but yoga sure is. I have never done pilates - which do you prefer?

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    2. I def.prefer pilates,because it really shaped my core.

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  2. I'm not the greatest sleeper, I wake up too early, but I never have trouble falling asleep. Sorry you are not sleeping well. I really agree with Ina that exercise is a big help. I have never done yoga or pilates, but for me running was a big stress reliever and I slept so well when I was running (angry knee doesn't want me to run any more!). Any kind of exercise should help with sleep, though.

    Sometimes when I can't sleep it's because I'm thinking of all the things I have to do. When that's the case, keeping a notebook by the bed and writing it all down helps me sleep. If I can't sleep because I'm thinking about bad things, it helps to have a good book or a movie recorded on the DVR that I can distract myself with. Sometimes you just have to embrace being awake and make the best of it. I'll do laundry or dishes etc.

    Those boots are great!

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  3. Oh WMM I'm so sorry, you must be exhausted! I have definitely struggled with this too. Even on a good night I am awake for at least an hour at some point, which I actually don't mind anymore. When I was having a real hard time I used a notebook and pencil like cate, that helped the racing thoughts calm down. I take magnesium before I go to bed and another one when I am up around 1 or 2 am. That seems to really help.
    Exercise helps as Ina suggested, have you tried the Classical Stretch videos? Not everyone likes them but if I don't do it several times a week I have trouble sleeping again. I just bought some new ones and I could send you a dvd from my last set to try out! Let me know!
    Another thing, are you eating enough? Sometimes I cut back on calories and my sleep really suffers, I just can't do that anymore. If you haven't eaten enough during the day try having plain yogurt with some almonds before bed (no sugar!)

    We've got to get you back on track!

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    1. Thanks Dani - I am going to try to see if I can order the classical stretch - will let you know if I have trouble. I thik I am eating enough - but you are right - no sugar before bed!!!!

      I know - I have to be ready in case George shows up!

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  4. ZZZZ PLEASE WMM, glad you found a way to get through the night. Always a poor sleeper but some things that make it better personally. Dimming lights, ending computer/ work, telly, phone-email, movies at least 40 minutes before bed. Staying out of my head - keeping pad and pen at bedside for the niggling lists, along with a boring paper book and a booklight. Showers (or baths) with lavender (even the J&J baby bath). Progressive muscle relaxation, toes to neck, visualising a peaceful favourite place. Taking melatonin and vitamin D correctly, especially in winter (this takes some reading). And the ones I know help for me but am not good at, especially NOT this time of year, eliminating caffeine, wine and sticking strictly to the same bedtime.

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    1. With Dani on the magnesium and well, plus B6 or for some people calcium, easier to find a good routine than melatonin. If you do the google will find lots of sleep info around "M&M" including recent big studies in Italy and Scandanavia - where they must have a tough body clock job.

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    2. Dani where do you get the classical stretch videos?

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    3. Anon you can buy them direct from the website:
      http://www.classicalstretch.com/videos.htm

      They are currently having a 20% off sale, they rarely have sales so it's a good time to buy. If you buy 3 they ship for free, I highly recommend, it keeps me in shape without going to the hideous gym and some of the videos are only 25 minutes long.

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    4. Thanks GF - good ideas - my dr said melatonin was really only good for falling asleep - that i am good aat - it is the staying asleep... ah lavender...

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  5. Exercise! But I can't do it before bed or it keeps me up. Exercise in the morning though and I sleep like a baby. Also, not having a gigantic doodle in bed with me helps too... but I don't get that luxury very much :)

    I looooove those boots!

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    1. I think I may have to rejig and try to exercise in the am - but my only time would be 5:30 am sigh...

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  6. Hi WMM, I can't be of much help here as I usually sleep very well. Of course, I have had bouts in the past of lying awake - I think I just tend to get up and read or something. I hope that you find a remedy. Perhaps you just need more time to process all that has happened recently.
    As for the boots, they are, indeed, fab!

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    1. Thanks Patricia - you may be right about the processing...

      thanks - I love my boots! :-)

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  7. I just go with the flow. Sleep is sleep, so if I can't get to sleep in bed, I get up and read, bundled up on couch with pillows and blanket, and find self waking up at normal time in living room. Too old for arbitrary rules. And I think someone has recently posted about sleep patterns, apparently some of us have prehistoric roots that cause a "two-sleep" pattern, you fall asleep, wake up a few hours later, toss and turn and do a few chores, like bank the fire, then get another 4 hours or so. This is about to be considered normal by the Scientific Establishment. See? If you wait long enough, there'll be a study showing Hot Fudge Sauce is good for the complexion. (as in Sleeper.

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    1. WFF, too true that more we stress about it worse it can get and scientific studies to support any good/ bad for you thing. Think issue is WMM wakes up from "first" but doesn't get/ go back to "second" spell.

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    2. Fred! You made me laugh out loud! Okay - I will bank the fire next time! I will think of space 2001 and giggle!

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  8. Oh WMM, I am so sorry to hear that you are so exhausted! If it makes you feel any better, you are not alone in your sleepless nights. Like you, I have no trouble at all falling asleep, but then I wake up in the wee hours of the morning and cannot get back to sleep. Yesterday I woke up at 1 am, stayed up until 5:30am, then took a cat nap until just after 6am. I had a total of 4.5 hours of sleep...no fun at all, I tell you! I do well with 6 hours, but much less than that, and I am dragging all day.

    On another note, I love your boots! Very sassy and the color is gorgeous! Did you see your blue sparkly t-straps made it into the new Holiday catalog? I scanned the pic especially for you! :)

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    1. I did see that!!! Love those shoes - can't wait till they ship - the zebras came today - they were SO wide. So DH not giving me those for christmas!!

      I did have a weird thing this am - found my dressy christmas blouse in the collection section of new arrivals this a.m. - put it in cart to check out and an hour later, it was out of my cart and off the site!!

      I called my VPS and she is sleuthing - she said several things did that this morning! I thought "Well I am truly losing my mind!" I think I will have to get your # and we can skype in the middle of the night! :-)

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    2. Oh I'm so sorry to hear about the Zebra shoes! What is he going to get you now???

      Did the blouse come back on the website yet? I'd like to see it.

      I think it would be an excellent idea to Skype in the middle of the night. :)

      Btw, speaking of exercise, at one time several years ago when I would have trouble getting back to sleep. I would tell myself (while lying in bed)...ok, so go ahead and get up to go do your work out. Then I would imagine myself putting on my workout clothes, socks, sneakers, etc, and by the time I was done thinking about it all, I was too tired to get up and ended up falling back to sleep. I guess you could consider that another way that exercise can be helpful. ;)

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    3. FFM! You made me laugh out loud about imagining about your workouts! I just posted on the blouse and the zebra shoes! well you know me - I found a fantastic coat down town which is now going under the tree. WOn't be able to share it till boxing day as I can't find what it looks like online!!!

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  9. That's the worst, when you can't sleep. What I have found is intense exercise late in the day or eating too close to bedtime, especially if you have chocolate/dessert, are no good for restful sleep. And I hate to report this, but it seems to me whenever I have wine or alcohol with dinner, I don't sleep well. I may fall asleep quickly after having a drink but I tend to wake up during the night. ;(

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    1. I think you are right. I am going to lay off the wine (though it is a small amount - 1/2 glass) and see if it makes a difference

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  10. I love the unexpected color and texture of the boots. I bought my first pair of Aquatalia last winter and they are amazing, I will definitely look to that brand in the future.

    It's unfortunate you are having sleep issues. Please be careful because drugs whether gravol, alcohol or others may help you get to sleep but they disrupt your sleep function so although you may be unconscious you will not get the restful sleep you seek. What you feel when you wake may help determine the cause. Do you need to use the bathroom, are you occupied with worried or busy thoughts, do you have unsettling dreams, are you uncomfortable - cold/hot/sore in bed? If you can identify the what, it may help you determine how to counteract it.

    I used to have unsettling dreams and worried thoughts, mostly related to my husband's illness. I started keeping a gratitude journal and that helped me focus on the good things in life and put my mind more at ease.

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  11. Sorry to agree with everyone else, but alcohol and sugar can be the culprits. I know it is not fair, is it. They help you fall asleep, but then, because they are dehydrating, you will wake up. I also find that red wine, because of the tannic acid is worse than white. Sorry to have MIA - work has been overwhelming. But- I have enjoyed reading your posts! I love the jacket. It is unique and flattering- just what you will reach for over and over again.

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Kindness is a virtue...