Monday, October 18, 2010

To Sleep, Perchance

My sleep has been seriously disrupted. This is NOT what I expected from my children's older childhood/tween years.

My daughter suffers from....high metabolism? Combined with a bit of anxiety? With a dash of the common sleep problems associated with adolescence? We've determined that she has to exercise, heartily, every day. Otherwise, she has trouble going to sleep and then decides it is best to come wake me up to tell me this fact.

I met several parents at a sporting event recently who told me they give their children melatonin. But isn't that a hormone? We're not giving her melatonin.

So last night, after Daddy had been in charge all day, she comes in at 1:30 a.m. (ok, it was this morning) to tell us she can't sleep. I asked if she had had caffeine...and Daddy said, no, just a Vitamin Water.


Sigh.

We had baby and toddler nieces here this weekend. Their parents are very good with them and I really didn't hear them at all. But there was the one night that toddler fell out of her bed. I have to say, I was impressed with myself for hearing the thump and racing to her aide...until her mom showed up, from two flights of stairs, 2 seconds later! Remember the sonic hearing of the new mom? Yeah, my sis-in-law's like, BIONIC.

Between poor sweet niece's fall and worry about the fact that my boss was sick and I was thus in charge of a huge musical extravaganza at work, no sleep.

I'm not a great sleeper anyway. My friend Lynn, with whom I've shared a room at various conferences and getaways, is always making me jealous. Her small black-haired head flops down on a pillow at some point in the evening and NEVER. MOVES. AGAIN.


I do know that exercise helps me. And I'm back on supplements and am taking yoga back up for relaxation. What helps YOU sleep?

3 comments:

Jimmy said...

I'd say, my schedule, but yours is just as bad if not worse than mine.

Remlerville said...

We menopausal women rely on bioidentical hormones for sleep, with a little help from melatonin every now and then. I recommend it. But get the good stuff from your local compounding pharmacy or natural foods store. The stuff from CVS doesn't cut it. As for Julia, ask your doctor if melatonin is all right for her. Isn't she on the cusp of adolescence? If so, she might be experiencing some hormonal imbalances and experiencing a melatonin shortage. Can't hurt to ask. Might help. If push comes to shove, there's always Benadryl!

Lynn said...

And to think, I don't exercise and drink a shit load of caffeine. Love you.