Slept like a BABY!

Yawn...steeeetttch. Good morning world!

Funny thing happened on my way to this morning!

I slept.

Not so amazing you say?

Ah. But you see, I have lived with the nightmares and insomnia now for....(doing the math...) 2010 minus 1992 = 18 years. Well, plus or minus a few months but whose counting :).

It has been 18 years plus the 10 years in a violent marriage since I have slept well.

So, yes. This really IS pretty amazing, isn't it! :0

No, this is not the first night that I have slept well...but it is a morning that deserves mentioning because it has happened more than once and in a regular type of pattern so I'm pretty sure that I'm onto something here.

As one who has experienced trauma and then the resulting and related nightmares and insomnia - sleep was pretty much a no-no.

I went the route of the prescriptions and pills. They didnt work either - although I was drowsy, sleepy and lethargic most of my awake time. So I guess that was something :).

I hated going to sleep. It wasn't intentional. It wasn't a sudden thing. It was insiduous, like a lion stalking it's prey. I crept up on me. First during my marriage years, I couldn't understand why I couldn't sleep and wondered what was different. (hello! well, I guess I figured that one out!)

Then once my husband was out of my life I didn't sleep. I didn't know at the time what it was but in hindsight I recognize the hypervigelance mode that had kicked in. More foggy days; lots and lots of late night television.

Over the years as I was misdiagnosed, insomnia was my constant companion. I was afraid to go to sleep so television was my best friend. When I got a computer in 2000 we were one happy little family - 24/7.

What is different?

Plenty.

But the most recent change was a conversation I had with a young mother about how I would feel sleepy but wanted to stay up later because I thought since I wasn't sleeping this would help me to sleep.

But, she says in her young mother wisdom "when a baby naps in the afternoon, it sleeps better and fusses less in the evening. You know, that idea that sleep begets sleep".

She continued with such natural common sense...and I concluded from this conversation that I had throughout my experience with trauma, developed 1. an avoidance of sleep that is common to us with this dastardly PTSD stuff and 2. I was unwittingly interfering with my body's natural sleep cycle.

So that night instead of fighting the tiredness and heavy eyes as I struggled to make it to the late night news and have a visit with David Letterman :)...

I went to bed WHEN I started feeling tired and my eyes felt heavy.

My mind wanted to resist. I wanted to avoid sleep and the potential nightmares (that no longer visit near so often, but still my mind shouted DON'T GO TO SLEEP!)

And I slept.

All night.

Like a baby.

Sweet dreams?

Sleep is one of those things that can affect our ability to live our lives to the fullest. Sometimes stress can get in the way of getting a good nights sleep, but - it is possible to learn the skills to calm our minds and slip into that quiet place where we are able to rejuvenate and heal our bodies and minds so that we are prepared and equipped to feel refreshed and rested the next day. This article does a terrific job of explaining how sleep is truly a necessity v. a luxery when it comes to our daily performance...

Sometimes the lack of sleep can affect us in ways we might not always be aware of. For example, not getting enough sleep can aggaravate the daily stress we experience, leave us feeling heavy and tired, make us prone to weight gain among other things.

For those of us who have suffered from insomnia resulting from that "busy brain" that just wont cooperate and calm down, read on - there are some terrific tips on dealing with stress and anxiety!

If your dragging during the week and using the weekends to "make up for lost sleep" this article poses some very helpful tips and talks about taking "power naps" to rejuvenate during the day.... 20 things everyone needs to know from a London source, The Independent I found a brief writing by James B Maas about sleeping that I wanted to share.

HOW TO SLEEP

BY JAMES B MAAS

Treating sleep as a necessity rather than a luxury is the secret to being a peak performer. When you don't get proper sleep, you experience increased stress, feelings of lethargy, weight gain, reduced immunity and lowered productivity and memory. How do you know if you are getting proper sleep? Answer the following questions:

* Do I need an alarm clock to wake up at the right time?

* Do I often fall asleep in meetings, after heavy meals or when watching TV?

* Do I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings?

* Do I feel tired during the day? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's likely you need more sleep.

THE GOLDEN RULES OF SLEEP

1. Get proper sleep

Identify the amount of sleep you need to be fully alert all day and get that amount every night. For most adults, it's eight hours. For teenagers, it's nine.

2. Establish a regular sleep schedule

Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning - including weekends.

3. Get continuous sleep

For sleep to be rejuvenating, you should get your required amount of sleep in one continuous block. Any nicotine or caffeine after 2pm or alcohol within three hours of bedtime will disrupt your sleep.

4. Make up for lost sleep

For every two hours awake, you add one hour of debt to your sleep debt account. It takes eight hours of sleep to restore 16 hours of waking activity. You cannot make up for large sleep losses during the week by sleeping in at the weekend. Try taking a 20-minute power nap at midday.

SLEEP STRATEGIES

1. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark and cool

Sleep on a mattress with individual pocketed coils that reduce motion transfer, or a foam mattress designed to support your back properly.

2. Reduce stress

Even if you are sleep-deprived, anxiety can delay sleep onset. Try relaxation exercises. Write down your concerns before you go to bed - your worries then won't interfere with your sleep. Don't watch TV within two hours of bedtime. Take a warm bath before bed. Reading for pleasure before turning off the lights will ease you into sleep.

James B Maas, PhD, is a Stephen H Weiss Presidential Fellow, Professor and past Chairman of Psychology at Cornell University. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's Outstanding Educator Award and the author of Power Sleep.

What are some things that you have done to make sure you are able to get that good nights sleep?