Galley: 1) the kitchen of a boat. Sally: 1) a venture off the beaten path, 2) a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position, 3) a witty remark.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Searching for Sleep II

Alright. So I wasn't really expecting to sleep great my first night into this sleep tips experiment (remember that Red Bull?), but I guess I was hoping. Just a little. But no go.

So, here is my first report:
Day One: Caffeine after noon (bad). No alcohol three hours before bed (good). Calming Herbal Tea and Cherry Juice in the evening (good). No liquids in the hour before bed (good).
Result: I still had to pee in the middle of the night, and I didn't sleep well. Woke up at least five times.

Day Two: No caffeine after noon (good). Alcohol in the three hours before bed (bad). Calming Herbal Tea and Cherry Juice in the evening (good). Liquids in the hour before bed (bad). No screen time in the hour before bed (good).

(Screen time? Did I not mention that? Right. In the hour before bed, I'm not supposed to be in front of the laptop screen. Apparently "electronics emit a blue hue that mimics daylight [and] it stops your body from producing the sleep hormone melatonin." (Shape Magazine Jan 2012). Also, the contents of the screen can be "stimulating." I hadn't thought of my blog exactly that way before, but it is flattering.)

Result: Our cat climbed all over my head all night and I didn't sleep worth beans. Might be the cherry juice.

Day Three: I did everything right!! (except I had about ten minutes of incorrect screen time... but I'm not going to count ten minutes).
Result: I slept okay. Not so good, and not so bad... BUT I did have to pee. I always have to pee. I'm not sure that eliminating liquids in the hour before bed will help, but I'll keep trying.

Day Four: This is it. I'm going to pull it off. Even the no screen time thing. And my wonderful husband stopped at the store to replenish my tart cherry juice supply. In case you're wondering, the glasses of tart cherry juice have that sleep hormone in them. Melatonin. And according to one British study, folks who drink it morning and evening sleep longer and more deeply. Raise a glass!

I'm going to bed.




4 comments:

  1. Its the darn winter. Make a fire and have a cup of tea.

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  2. liv4outdoors... no no! Tea is part of the problem! Sort of. You must have missed Searching for Sleep I where I discuss my earlier tea drinking habits.

    So... I am drinking one cup of tea at night, and we have a little fire every night in the winter!

    I do love fires and tea...

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  3. Try the sleeping time tea; herbal. It works! :)

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  4. I have the Yogi "Bedtime" tea. Almost at one week of drinking it! :-)

    ReplyDelete

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