Day 282 - A Quick Little Nap, then Maybe Another

There's been something new going on with my sleep that hasn't happened before and I'm wondering if I'm noticing it because I'm not going to work. Most mornings I get up at a reasonable hour after about eight hours of sleep. Although I've dealt with some pretty nasty sleep disturbances in the past, lately I have been pretty much sleeping through the night (once I get to sleep) but haven't gotten to the point where I wake up refreshed. What has been happening over the past couple of weeks is that I get up, eat my breakfast and take my meds, but then I need to go back to sleep for at least an hour or so. When I was heading out to work in the morning I always felt like I needed to go back to bed, but I couldn't because I needed to get to the office. I started my day later than everyone else because there was no way I could get myself together and out the door by nine. But being home on medical leave and not working, allows me to really listen to what my body needs and it's clear to me I need more than a full night's sleep. 

 

There is a difference between this need for sleep and a crash. Yesterday was a crash. It was a sick feeling on top of the exhaustion and I slept for hours. I was no good to myself or anyone else all day. I've had bad days over the past month, but only a few super crash days like yesterday since I started my leave. I am trying to stay on a loose schedule so my body finds its rhythm. I think it helps me to get a better night's sleep and my day feels better when it has at least just a little bit of structure. This extra morning sleep, plus a short nap in the afternoon, is really helping to give better quality to the rest of my day. I feel a little more clear and I can take on a task or two without immediately feeling depleted, and then continue to rest as much as I can throughout the remainder of my day.

 

Lots of days I sit around feeling miserable - exhausted, no energy - but not sleepy. Now instead of fighting that fogged-out lousy feeling, I am putting myself back to bed each day after breakfast  - just like a little kid going down for a nap. I crawl in, pull the covers over me, close my eyes and drift off into the sleep my body so clearly needs. I have only been experimenting with this intentional sleep just over the past week or so, but I think I may be onto something. It does seem to help with the fog and sick feeling that has been part of most of my days. It worked really well for me this morning.  I didn't feel all that well when I got up so I did the breakfast thing and popped right back into bed. I slept for almost another hour and then got myself up and dressed to meet family for brunch. I felt pretty good during the visit and when I got home, I rested for a while before continuing my day. I'm not sure how much of a difference this sleep strategy will make in my over-all well-being, but anything that moves me in a positive direction is worth trying.