Wowza, life is interesting! This month has been crazy.

I'm applying to nursing school and dealing with all of the paperwork and craziness that comes along with that.  . Wendy and I are both working on finishing up degree programs this semester. (Wendy will be getting her BA and I'm finishing up my AA.) We're long-distance planning a 90th birthday party for Wendy's grandmother, the sweetest tiny woman to ever live south of the Mason Dixon line. We're both a bit overloaded.

Ozzy has been...pleasant.  Okay, that's a bold faced lie.  Ozzy has been an absolute challenge lately.

Naps:  I know that part of it is the struggle we've been having with keeping him to a consistent schedule. Ozzy is trying to phase out one of his daily naps. The remaining nap has been all over the place. If the kid sleeps for more than 10 minutes (like in the car in between activities), he thinks that's all the nap he needs for the day, and is therefore impossible after 4:00 in the afternoon.  Or he'll decide he wants to take another nap at 6 o'clock at night, which means he's up until 10:30.  When you tie those things together...well, it's had to get schedules to sync up. We haven't found a solution yet.  I've been getting up at 5:30 every morning to get a couple of hours of studying in, but we're still working to find a solution for Wendy. We'll get there.  We have 12 weeks left of the semester.

Nursing: We've also been working on finding a more suitable nursing schedule for us. He has started to just "help himself" by reaching into my shirt and whipping things out for himself. If I'm not wearing a high neck shirt, it's a downright baby buffet.  As much as I hate to admit it, I'm starting to feel...a bit resentful. And since breastfeeding is a relationship, we both need to be happy. So, we're working on it. We nurse at naps and at bedtime, guaranteed. And if it's not one of those times, he needs to ask nicely for it. (For my non-verbal toddler that means signing for milk or hungry). We've only had about two major tantrums about the new arrangement. So, I'll call that a minor success.

Combine Ozzy's battles with everything else that is going on and life has been rough.

We lost our best friend on January 15. Riley, our 10 year old boxer, died from a very quick fight with Cancer. We noticed he was struggling over the holidays and took him into the vet when we came home from Missouri.  An exam and an x-ray found a large tumor in his lungs. The vet estimated he had two weeks to live. We brought him home and we made the seven days after that appointment the best days we could. He ate fast food, slept whenever he wanted, got tons of extra cuddles. His discomfort began to get more and more obvious.  The day that we decided we would take him in to help him pass, we got ready and took him to the car.  As soon as the car pulled out of the driveway, Riley laid down and died. The car was his happiest place, so it was suiting that he died there.  He will be sorely missed and there will never be another dog like him.  I know that everyone says that, but Riley truly was special. Everyone who ever met him loved him.

Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson

 
I've told you all about my problems with sleep. It has always been a huge difficulty in my life and I’ve tried method after method. In the past, I have used a combination of melatonin and guided meditation. I have generally stuck with one meditation series, and I’ve relied on them heavily. But I have found that I’ve started to get to attuned to the phrasings and voices, and I’m not able to stay as present while listening to the recordings. So, I’ve been searching for a few new mp3’s to throw into the rotation.




I gave the Deep Sleep guided meditation by Andrew Johnson a try the other night and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Johnson has a smooth voice with a Scottish accent. The background music is non-distracting and soft. The meditation is easy to listen to and very soothing. The phrasing works well to help you become grounded, then relaxed, and then drift into sleep. I found that I was able to relax completely and fall pretty easily into a solid night of sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling alert and relaxed. I’m going to continue using the meditation for a few weeks and I’ll update you at that point as to whether or not it seems to have a cumulative effect, but with just the experience I had on one night it was worth my time.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Chasing Sleep

Sleep has always been a challenge for me. Most nights, I’m lucky to fall asleep before midnight. Nighttime is the most difficult time for me to slow my mind and body down. And, of course, after a few nights of difficulty, it starts to impact my daytime hours. I end up irritable and can’t focus on anything.
I've tried all of the sleep hygiene guidelines. I have tried over the counter medications and natural remedies. My attempt to use prescription sleep medications can only be described as comical, but could have ended in disaster. Every night I took them, I did something ridiculous and was completely unaware of it. I cooked an entire meal, but didn't clean the kitchen. I registered for college classes and applied for financial aid. It’s called somnambulist activities. It’s actually the very first side effect listed on the Patient Information sheet. Scary, right? As someone who has experienced it first hand, let me assure you, it’s freaking terrifying! I’m so lucky that I didn't do anything dangerous like driving.


With my vast experience with sleep aids, I certainly didn't have many expectations of success when I was offered a review sample of immortalsleep Deep-Sleep Formula. The packages arrived and I checked out the ingredients.


Ingrendients: L-theanine, rehmannia root, poria, polygala, grassleaf sweetflag, biota seed, licorice roto, platcodon, condonopsis, asparagus root, schizandra, angelica root, scrophularia root, zizyphus seed, salvia root, and ophiopogon root

I used my Google Fu and to research the ingredients. It seems they are all commonly used in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) and there weren't any significant concerns. (Obviously, I am not a licensed professional and you should consult your own medical professional before trying new supplements)

I've taken the supplement for three nights now. I've been taking it about a half hour before I lay down. Now I won’t say that it has helped me fall asleep, because I am still laying in bed for up to 45 minutes before I manage to drift off. BUT in the past three nights, I have had the most refreshing sleep I have had in years. Generally, I take at least one nap a day, but with imortalsleep, I have not taken a single nap. I feel much more relaxed during the time that I am falling asleep. My anxiety is significantly reduced. My mind just seems generally calmer.

I've done a bit of a scientific testing process with this. I slept one night on the sofa (because I tend to relocate there if I’m having a difficult time sleeping), one night in our bed alone, and one night in bed with Wendy. The location has had no impact on the quality of my sleep.

Overall, I think that if I didn't have the sleep issues I have, immortalsleep would be the perfect remedy to help with occasional insomia. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.