Journaling exercise…

Are you a night owl or a morning person or something in between? Do you know when this habit began in your life? Do you think people’s sleep patterns are really a part of who they are (like hair color) or can be changed with circumstances?

I used to be a night owl AND a morning person. Eventually I became a night owl who could not get up in the mornings. I grew to have terrible sleep issues, and would lay awake for hours before falling asleep, only to wake feeling completely unrested.

I have also suffered from chronic aches and pains, better and worse at different points in my life. I’m still pretty young and know it’s not the norm to feel the way I have so much of my life. My mother was diagnosed with fibro myalgia a few years ago, and I realized that many of my symptoms echoed hers, only to a much lesser extent. After reading, I discovered that not only is FM very difficult to diagnose in the worst of circumstances, but it is MUCH more diffcult to diagnose in the early onset, or in mild/moderate cases. I believe I may fall into one these categories. My current doctor is not averse to experimenting to find a solution, so when I began to have severe pain in one hand that did not respond to any of her typical tests, she suggested we try sleep therapy again. I had tried this medication prior, only it was after dd2y was born and my sleep was far from regular, given I was nursing a young baby who had me up frequently during the night. Now that we were getting a full night’s sleep, it was time to try the meds again. (Along with other recommended activities, such as a regular sleep schedule, low/no caffeine intake, stretching, etc.)

The difference was amazing! I can honestly say that if I do not take my meds, I wake up feeling much less rested, and my body aches – specifically my feet pain like you wouldn’t believe as soon as they touch the floor! No that I am getting a better sleep cycle, I am able to drift off more quickly as well. Since my life became much more physically active I have been able to reduce the dose, get to sleep more easily still and wake up feeling better than I used to. I’m still not where I’d like to be, and still find it hard to kick my ‘night owl’ habits of yesteryear… however, it is improved.

I do believe that sleep patterns are affected by circumstances. For instance ~ Stress is a huge factor in the quality and amount of sleep I receive. Imagine a stress-free life! How rested I could be!