I realise not everyone in the world is waiting with bated breath to find out how each of my nights goes, but I’m still going to share because I have nowhere else to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS! Here is my Zeo graph from last night:
12am to 8am
That’s 8 hours of sleep with only 6 awakenings (which might as well be zero because I only remember being awake twice briefly from nightmares). I think it is the best graph I have ever had since starting to wear the Zeo 4 years ago. This was with NO DRUGS except Melatonin!! And, this morning, I feel better than I have in so long.
I want to remember this because it was odd: I didn’t sleep for 4 nights; I stopped my supplements except probiotics, fish oil and magnesium before bed; I walked fewer steps (as in, only 500-900 steps every day this week. I know, that’s horrifically sedentary); I took 1/2 of a Unisom and slept 8 hours and felt okay; I took 1/2 of a Unisom again, slept 8 hours and, yesterday, felt absolutely horrible. I kept saying, “Why do I feel so much worse today after I got two nights’ sleep??” It was the drug. Drugs just don’t agree with me. So, although I am very grateful to have Unisom, there is no way I can take it regularly.
Last night I dared to go to bed with no sleep aids except 1mg of Melatonin and, lo and behold, 8 hours of sleep with regular sleep cycles and a graph that looks like normal people’s graphs! I am convinced that, if I could sleep like that for 6 months, I wouldn’t be sick anymore. GRATITUDE GRATITUDE GRATITUDE!
Other things I want to remember that could have contributed to good sleep: I took an epsom salt bath and did very easy stretches; I put tiger balm on my neck before bed; I wore the Wisp cpap mask instead of the nasal pillows; I ate a larger dinner than usual (rice and veg), but earlier in the evening (5ish); I cuddled with my honey…
Also, I’m sure you want to see how I spent the first few hours today in bed, “gathering my strength”:
leg warmers
Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart 
Whooohooo!!!! I was put on amitryptyline to help with the headaches and sleep pattern at night, My gosh, while I slept it left me so much more zapped than my usual zapped self and my doc pulled me off it. Since then using my meditation,, yoga etc with no drugs im much happier, yes its difficult to get to sleep but I manager and I do sleep between waking to pee but I rarely remember waking, its my husband who tells me of my waking hours! Wishing you another great night tonight!
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I was a hair away from taking amitryptaline, but the folks on Phoenix Rising warned me against it if I have gut motility/constipation issues, which I do. I’ve spent almost 2 years fighting the need to take sleep drugs, but I know I need help now. Hopefully just once in a while. I hope you’re sleeping soundly right now as I type this!
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Yay!
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🙂
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Fish oil taken too late in the afternoon or evening gives me insomnia, same with some of my other supplements. You may need to adjust what time of day you take supplements/vitamins etc. I also take Melatonin to sleep. mine is 3mg. There’s also some stuff called Alteril, which is all natural which combines melatonin and chamomile and some other herbs that work together to help with sleep and that works well also, but it’s $20. Melatonin is about $3-$5 so I buy that now. Congratulations on a “normal” night of sleep! Oh one more thing, Melatonin works better on an empty stomach.
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No way, fish oil? I thought it was so innocuous. I usually take it around 5 or 6pm. I’ll take it with breakfast from now on.
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Thanks for the tips!
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My bated breath has abated some for now. Hope it lasts.
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Hi, I was looking for Lyme people who’ve thought about fecal transplant therapy. Thanks for your great blog. Wishing you well! I am a huge fan of new knowledge about the human microbiome – all the colonies of microbes we co-live with and how to treat them/us properly! TRANSPLANT:
Very good article:
http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2013/05/29/why-diy-fecal-transplants-are-a-thing-and-the-fda-is-only-part-of-the-reason/
Found a good grid charting methods being used currently, so far and where… now need to find it again..
Another link: http://www.microbiomejournal.com/content/1/1/3
Also good article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/fecal-transplant-crackdown-fda-regulate-infection-stool-treatment_n_3353345.html
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It’s fascinating, isn’t it? Thank you for the comment and the links ~ I will definitely read them!
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Yes! Today I am reading up on the Vagus Nerve and Yoga. for mood etc.. Glad I found your blog.
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Let me know if you find anything interesting! The fact that I kept having “vasovagal” syncope before I came down with ME/CFS, plus twinges in my bowels trigger twinges in my heart/lungs… And with the heart rate issues I have and digestion problems… It’s all too strange. There’s something up with that nerve!
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