Friday, November 18, 2005

Sleep Workshop - Week 6

It's over. Last night was the last workshop. While I know it was helpful in certain aspects, in others it was simply not the environment for me.

In the end, it comes down to practice and consistency. Keeping these things on the top of my priority list will help. The things I have to work on are: keeping a regular sleep time and wake up time. This means every day, seven days a week. No matter if I'm taking a day off, it's the weekend or it's vacation. My body needs to know when it's going to go to sleep and when it's going to wake up. If my sleep efficiency is less than 90%, I must stay up 15 minutes longer. Next, I need to keep up with my sleep hygiene - less caffeine (and none after 3pm), give myself a specific time to worry (but not at bedtime), take an hour to relax before bed (practice breathing and relaxation exercises). Finally, change my thinking - I can get by on little sleep, one bad night won't be the worst thing to happen, be kind to myself.

After a follow-up visit with my sleep specialist 2 weeks ago, I have decided to go with her suggestion to get this oral appliance that will help to keep my airway open when I sleep. This is going to be expensive ($1800). Unfortunately it's not covered by my insurance so it looks like I'll be working the tax pool again this year... Oh well, not the worst thing to happen. And hey - it could be the combination (appliance and sleep hygiene) that finally helps me get the restorative sleep I need.

Guess what? I'm hopeful.

3 comments:

Yvette said...

Good for you for sticking with it, Stef. I'm sure you learned more than you think you did. As with any therapy, it's important to remember that it's work. Things won't happen on their own. Yeah, it will hard not to sleep in, it will be hard not to have naps, but if it's all worth it in the end and you can go back to having healthy sleeping patterns, then that's the price you have to pay. And buying the oral thingy has been recommended to you by an expert, so she's obviously confident it will help you. I know the price tag hurts, but sometimes it's just better to accept that this is who you are, this is how you're made and you need this thing. I'm still working on my own acceptance, which is a tough road, but I think I'm qualified to preach. Reading this, I don't know if I'm put my point across well, but hopefully you'll know what I mean!

Unknown said...

Thanks, bestestclosestfriendseehowcloseweare

Yvette said...

Isn't it "fun" that we can support each other in our various therapies? Psychos that we are.