I had some fun time last night. I watched some TV, read a few pages of a book I couldn't quite get into, returned a few emails I missed, worked on a bead project, played a few hands of online solitaire and paged through three or four magazines. I tried to get back to sleep every half hour or so, but I just wasn't sleepy. I have been like this for the past four nights and it is getting to be tiresome. But I am trying to make the best of a not so good situation so I am finding things to do to pass the wide awake time I am spending each night. It is nice and quiet and because I am so awake I feel like my head is clearer and my creative juices are flowing. As much as I am making the best of things, I don't want to turn into a night owl.
My body clock does not like traveling time zones. I've been home for four days now and I still have not gotten back to my regular sleep pattern. Last night it was well after two before my eyes finally closed. I've been sleeping through the night, but I still need my eight hours so it makes a pretty good dent in my morning. I take Melatonin, which is supposed to help stimulate sleep. So, in doing some research I discovered that melatonin levels in the blood begin to rise sharply at around 9 pm and you begin to feel less alert and sleep starts to seem like a very good idea. Melatonin levels in the blood are elevated all through the night. Early in the morning the levels drop again and there is barely a trace of melatonin in the body once the day gets on its way. Good to know.
My body clock does not like traveling time zones. I've been home for four days now and I still have not gotten back to my regular sleep pattern. Last night it was well after two before my eyes finally closed. I've been sleeping through the night, but I still need my eight hours so it makes a pretty good dent in my morning. I take Melatonin, which is supposed to help stimulate sleep. So, in doing some research I discovered that melatonin levels in the blood begin to rise sharply at around 9 pm and you begin to feel less alert and sleep starts to seem like a very good idea. Melatonin levels in the blood are elevated all through the night. Early in the morning the levels drop again and there is barely a trace of melatonin in the body once the day gets on its way. Good to know.
So, here's my strategy, instead of taking my melatonin tonight before I head off to bed, I am going to take it at nine o'clock when my body should start producing it anyway. If my natural levels are low, my typical dose should give me the boost I need. I just don't want to spend another night prowling around the house praying for sleep to come. This whole week has been off. I've had to do some work appointments, my family had some things that needed my attention so my whole routine was off. Tomorrow is the first day this week I have absolutely nothing to do and I am going to do nothing. My wacky sleep schedule this week has got to get fixed. So, as usual, I have a plan, so lets just see how it works.
Thanks for that info. Melatonin doesn't help me sleep. I could stay up all night because I start feeling better around 9pm. I will try melatonin at 9.
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