Natural Remedies for Deeper Sleep

Natural Remedies for Deeper Sleep

Would totally love to try that Sleep Tonight supplement, as that's been my problem much of the time, high nighttime cortisol (or was in the past, been a couple of years since I got it checked) no fun.

Stress Eating and Magic Mushrooms?

Ah, it must be that time of year again. The last 3 months of the year, when I find myself getting a bit frantic. The sunshine is slipping away (ok, so we had a heat wave here in California last week, but still!) the days are getting shorter...the holidays are quickly approaching, which is tough when you're broke and can't do much about it. History shows that this time of year can be a frantic struggle for me to hang onto my sanity. I start losing hope, depression begins to creep in, and I want to be well, YESTERDAY.

This year, time has slipped by so fast that I'm half dazed when I try and accept that it's nearly halfway through October...but I feel the crisis creeping in, in the form of a scarcely controllable urge to stuff my face! What's more, I hardly even care. I'm SO anxious so much of the time, and it manifests itself as an urge to eat. Which yes, I can recognize, which seems like a good thing, but I think it might be making me even more anxious!

I suppose a big factor is the kitty. As I mentioned before, my fur-kid of 15 years has developed Chronic Renal Failure. It's been quite a fight to get her stable (not sure if we're truly even there yet) the last month or so. I've had to do lots of research, since I couldn't afford any more multiple trips to the vet, but I found myself in good hands, as apparently, many cats live well with this disease for years, and there is a wealth of information on the Internet about how to manage it. By pure grace I've been blessed to be clear-headed enough to mostly digest it well, though I've still had to re-read it multiple times, I am truly grateful that the fog mercifully lifted enough for me to take advantage of that.

I haven't been sleeping well, and I suppose that's a first sign; when I start waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep, it's a sure sign of extreme stress. I've had to give her pills, hand/force feed her food, stick needles in her to hydrate her...She is the closest thing to a child I have, and hard as it's been, I had no choice, and fortunately, I still have a little bit of that part of me that takes charge in an emergency. Actually, I'd been feeling gracefully calm and relaxed (finally!) before she got sick...so maybe my adrenals had begun to replenish themselves. But it's been exhausting. To be feeling sick and exhausted and know you have to hand feed your cat wet food, despite her razor sharp teeth and lack of cooperation...Or steel yourself to stick a sharp needle through her skin, and keep her from wiggling away as water leaks from it under her skin? Yikes. Ha, as I write this I begin to realize why I have been feeling SO stressed and exhausted. But the reward is, there she is, happily napping away on her meditation pillow, if not as healthy-looking as before, pretty close enough.

I guess the gaining the extra pounds back won't be the end of the world, especially since it's not like I'm dating at the moment. I've given up on the gym as well. (My shoulder's still recovering from giving in to the temptation to vent my frustration on the arm cycle, and the last time I was going to go, by a fluke, checking out an erroneous theory, I found out I had a fever...didn't want any infection being driven towards my heart, I have enough problems already!)

So anyways, what's this about Magic Mushrooms? Well, no worries, they're not hallucinogenic. They are magic because they are said to restore the balance between the Th1 and Th2 parts of the immune system... Ganoderma Lucidum, aka Reishi Mushrooms...Crazy, frantic girl that I am, I've begun taking some tea, and the results were nearly immediate. Within hours glands in different parts of my body were swelling and tender...This is a good thing, I believe, because as my doctor and many articles have explained, my immune system, if it were normal, would have fought off the Enteroviral infections I have. So if I'm getting all sore-throaty, swollen glandy, that means it's making it work properly, no? I sure hope so...

Incidentally, it also seems to have a very subtle, relaxing effect on me, much like Ashwagandha...Not quite enough to ease my binge-inducing anxiety, but it's definitely taken an edge off...More on those later...

Now, my mission is SLEEP. I'll let you know if it's successful...

Energy after Epivir Discontinuation...

A couple of weeks ago I ran out of Epivir. I made sure to taper off, as I knew I was running out and more wouldn't be available quickly. As I did, my energy, which has been wanting all year long, seemed to bounce back. Around the same time, I re-started a once daily 1/2 dose of Tramadol, which I'd previously used with success to get me going past the aches, stiffness, and sluggishness of an FM/CFS morning. I also began a supplement called Tre-en-en, as well as Methylcobalamin (an readily absorbable version of Vitamin B-12). I wasn't sure which of these was having the effect, or if it was simply the absence of the Epivir, but I now suspect the energy and stamina may be due in large part to the B-12. (I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian of 10 years, and I've had a borderline anemic Iron level for quite awhile.)
Whatever it is, am I am infinitely grateful for the energy. The list of things that need to be done is endless and it gives me so much joy to accomplish so much, even if they are mainly little things, like phone calls, errands, and tidying up around the house. Accomplishment is a heady reward.

I am happy to report that my sleep is improving as well. I regularly fall asleep no later than 2:30am, and sometimes as early as 1:30am, a huge difference from my former 4-6am bedtime. Which means I'm waking up earlier too. I'm not exactly leaping out of bed, but I find myself going as soon as I get up much of the time, and able to keep it up for a bit...

Not sure if I had previously reported it, but I got scared off from the Tagamet experiment when I began to wake up groggy and spend the day extremely sleepy. (It knocked me out at night, also.) I've tried it again since I went off of Epivir, and found that it doesn't seem to have the same effect on my energy level and sleepiness. (Maybe makes me a little sleepy at night, and if today is any indication, tones down the energy, but nothing like before.)

Things are going better overall than they have in a long time, and I can almost say that I am ok, closer to actually brushing against happiness than I have been in a very long time. I have truly been blessed this year, with progress in my emotional and physical well-being and I'm starting to feel like a worthwhile person again; part of "the world" as I tend to think of it, rather than an outsider looking in...

To thank, I have my family, their love and generosity, and I like to think, maybe Reiki or the fates smiling upon me and mine, because all around me the wheels that were frozen for such a long time seem to be turning things in the right direction once again. It so lifts my spirits to see those around me moving onward and upwards...even the darn (i.e. beloved) cat is doing well...and I got a notice from the Disability people that they are requesting any further info, so I'm guessing they may be looking to finally move forward. Yup, there is much hope to be had these days and maybe soon, life can finally, truly, be continued...Wish me luck!

Adrenal Fatigue

Sound familiar?

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

* Morning fatigue -- You don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
* Afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
* Burst of energy at 6 p.m. -- You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
* Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. -- However, you resist going to sleep.
* "Second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
* Cravings for foods high in salt and fat
* Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
* Mild depression
* Lack of energy
* Decreased ability to handle stress
* Muscular weakness
* Increased allergies
* Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
* Decreased sex drive
* Frequent sighing
* Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein

That site explains how it all comes together really well, but I liked this one for the supplement regiment:

http://www.natural-cure-remedy.com/adrenal-fatigue.html

I'll post what I've started taking later :)

Stress-Free Holiday Shopping Links and Freebies!

I just added a "Stress-Free Holiday Shopping" section to the sidebar on the right, PLUS, ProHealth is giving away a Free 10-Day supply of their FibroSleep supplement!

Free 10-day sample of FibroSleep from ProHealth. Only pay $2 S/H! Act now, supplies limited



Pro Health isn't just about supplements, they've got Air purifiers, Saunas, DVDs, CDs, Books, and Bath things.

ProHealth Holiday Gift Guide - This one isn't free, but the products ARE 50% off!Order by December 17th for holiday delivery.



Save 20% on Cuddle Ewe underquilts, sets, and Travel Ewe. Order by 12/12 for holiday delivery. Expires 12/31.
Cuddle Ewes for 20%

Here are some links to Amazon as well:



And of course, the easiest of them all, the Gift Card: