Well, I had a little talk with Gracie today but got no more information out of her as to her whereabouts for 4 days. Here she is chowing down when she came in:
I’m battling insomnia these days – sometimes I’m still awake at 4 am.
Reader photos:
Too tired but cant sleep.
I’m late getting into this discussion. Like everyone else, sleep can be evasive. But through trial and error, i discovered what works for me (but maybe not you)
1) an extra lap quilt over my feet and legs (acts like a weighted blanket only just on the bottom.
2) NO ELECTRONICS within 2 hours of lights out.
3) sorry, no alcohol after 4:30. Even beer or a wine with supper will mess up my night.
4) a very dark, cool room. Any type of light and I am awake – even from charging cords. When I was a kid, my mom just turned on the light, never said a word. Worked every time. So dark room.
5) and last breathing: not fast not slow: in-two-three; out-two-three while laying in your favorite position.
I always read at bedtime, but NEVER with an electronic reader
CPAPs in our home. 21 years for my husband and 11 years for me. I didn’t qualify for one according to insurance with my first test. A few years later my numbers were still not right so my doctor had to send a letter explaining why it was needed. ( I think numbers are lower now to qualify.) With the CPAP I was no longer struggling to stay awake when I was seated quietly like at church or a concert. I highly recommend it.
The CPAP did not make me fall asleep any faster. I would still be reliving the days activities or tomorrow’s plans. What has helped, we set Alexa to play music for an hour or so. I may go to sleep soon or later but my mind is not racing with thoughts. I wake up feeling that I have had a better nights sleep.
I don’t recommend it but I had foot surgery a month ago. Since then I have been going to bed ready to sleep, even if I had a two hour nap in the afternoon. Getting around with the knee scooter is tiring. X-rays show that the bone is now healing. Still on the scooter for at least 3 more weeks. I can’t get to my sewing area so my machine is now on the kitchen table. Plenty of room for me and my scooter.
A few days ago some were talking about insurance. In the past if the company wasn’t offering my part D plan for next year they would automatically assign me to a different one of their Part D plans. My husband got a letter that his plan was not being offered next year but there was no mention that he would be assigned to a different plan. He has to sign up for a different plan. If he doesn’t he will not have Part D for next year. The reason that his company did not assign him to a different plan is because they will not have any Part D plans for next year. Just a warning to make sure you read what is sent to you and don’t be caught without the insurance that you want.
Leaves are beautiful in my neighborhood, reds, oranges, yellows, and still some green. Happy sewing.
Mary, love all your pictures.
Judy – doesn’t insurance just make your head spin???
Just glad to see Part D out of pocket going to a ceiling of $2000 next year.
My neighbor’s cat disappeared for 3 days then showed up without her collar. Fill in the blanks. . . .
Mary, I had to laugh when you said Rick wore his once! 😂. Jay struggled also and still occasionally he throws the mask against the wall! I laugh! And then later he gets it off the floor and trys again. It is amazing how much it helps when you are not sleeping good. Jay was so depleted of oxygen with his stopping breathing and then gasping for air. He has macular degeneration and I thought his eyesight numbers even improved some.
Another can of worms is hearing aides!!! Shall we start a discussion on those? How many people buy them from Costco? I don’t have them but Jay does. He only wears them when we go somewhere, so thus I have to holler at home! Blah!
I used to be very casual with the cpap use. Then my doctor asked me if I wanted to live. I might miss using my clap once a year, I take it everywhere, even to Sweden and Norway and had to use the adapters as they have DC..I wake up not tired, and feel refreshed. I do not need a nap during the day and I think my overall health has improved. One has to give it a try for at least 6 months, it takes time for our bodies to adjust to this. I have had mine for 18 years.
Spelling OMG…CPAP….
I don’t even dare comment about hearing aids!!!! Why would anyone need hearing aids when they can hear fine???? As a kid I was always too loud and Mom was always after me to talk quieter. I finally learned only to have to yell at 76 years old just to be heard in my own home..
I have learn so much from all the readers comments. I had no idea CBD can help sleeping, but bad dreams are a side effect. I can’t get up and sew , I make too many mistakes when tired, but I will try to longarm till 2am. If I watch tv from 9-10 pm, I sleep much better than watching my iPad from 9-10pm.
My dad always slept like a baby….awake every 2 hours! This must be in my genes.
This morning at gym group, 2 of our leaders have little girls, 24 and 20 months old. They are starting potty training. It is so much fun watching their videos teaching their daughters to go potty. They ask us for advice. There is 2 in our group. I used M&M’s. It worked pretty fast. It was a fun morning discussing potty training!
Hi Mary I’m sorry you’re having issues sleeping. I started taking magnesium bisglycinate and it has made a world of difference for me. If I go away and forget to bring it I’m away either half the night or awake so many times a night I wonder why I went to bed. Good luck. So Gracie wouldn’t share her whereabouts, secretive little thing. Glad she’s back home though.
So glad Gracie is home but I’d sure love to “hear” from her where she’s been! Don’t you wish they could talk??
Insomnia stinks 😡 i deal with it due to chronic illness/pain and sometimes I lay there and get sooooo frustrated! I should probably get up and do something, but I’m like you – the dog hears and wants to get up and start his day 🙄 so I flip and flop. I tried listening to an audiobook one night – fell asleep and woke up 20+ chapters ahead! 🤣 Then had to rewind the next day. I hope that you find something that helps – I have heard mixed reviews with the CBD and nightmares. Please keep up posted! Maybe we need a middle-of-the-night zoom group!
I’m probably one-in-a- million that loves winter so I’m looking forward to putting on wool socks and getting out my down comfort – I know I’m an oddity. Been like this since I was a kid so don’t think I’m going be changing at this late stage in life!
Hope you have a good weekend!
Mary, did I miss the address for a card to be sent to a veteran you know? Thanks.
E Rodgers – no, you didn’t miss the address – I’m waiting for a few more details
Mary, I sympathize with your sleeping issues. I’m not doing very well for the past week or so, especially. I attribute it partly to the change of the season, shorter days, not getting enough daylight exposure, especially in the morning to keep my “clock” in sync. It could also be from trying to stay up late the past few weeks to watch various play off games.LOL. Now with the world series, that problem continues. I usually try to work a crossword puzzle when I get in bed to quiet my mind and that makes me sleepy most of the time.. I often wake up later with a pencil in my hand and my reading glasses askew. Last night it didn’t work, so I read until 1:30 and than managed to fall alseep until 4:30 when my cat (who looks alot like Gracie) decided she needed a head rub. She doesn’t seem to be sleeping well lately either. I do think getting exposure to sunlight or bright lamps that mimic sunlight early in the day help. My husband has always had trouble getting to and staying asleep and the light therapy helps him.
Hang in there and sleep when you can.
Karen C. In MD
Karen – these comments really make me feel better – I’m not the only one who can’t sleep! Rick reads in his own bed, turns off the light, rolls on his side and is asleep!! It’s just not fair!
i agree. i fall asleep reading my kindle (i bought an oasis so it isn’t back-lit). when it falls, i wake up, turn out the light, put in the ear plugs (to block the snoring) and bam ….. 9 times out of 10 i am wide awake. i hate it. patti in florida
Patti – I almost fall asleep at my sewing machine during the evening and I’m the same way – head on pillow – wide awake!
Not sleeping is the worst. It’s so unbelievably frustrating. Gummies do help. The ones with THC give me terrible nightmares. Just CBD gives me very pleasant dreams. Maybe check to see which kind you have, I’m so glad Gracie is back,the rascal.😸
Holly – what? I didn’t know there were different kinds. So I’m not crazy, huh? I’m going to check this out. My nightmare last night was I was at Mayo for a preop and they wanted to make the incision then instead of waiting for the day of surgery! And I told them I had to drive home! Hahaha!!!
gracie is such a pretty cat. buddy is regal also.
my feeling about fall is that the earth is taking a breath and is regenerating itself for the coming spring. kind of like when animals hibernate. or when we take a break to clear our minds and release all that pent up tension in us. then the spring comes and lets us know that all is well with the world again. it had just been sleeping and conserving energy. fall also likes to go out in a sense of glory and color.
sleep issues are horrific. have had them for years. have never in my life been able to sleep on demand. it is something they teach soldiers who sometimes have to sleep in small batches. i have stayed in bed tossing and turning for hours. drives me crazy. finally stopped going to bed at a normal time. now not only do i take a healthy dose of magnesium nightly, i take meds for restless leg syndrome. and i take the lowest dose of sleeping meds. there are days those don’t work. but 90% of the time they do, i have read before bed since i was young. it was a case of bedtime is 8 pm but you can read til 8:30.
when i’ve gotten up in the past to do something, it disturbs mr.ed so i quit doing that. he is one that can sit down and go to sleep easily. he calls it his nap before bedtime. ha! wouldn’t work for me. if i get up and come in the living room to read or rest in the recliner, he wakes up and has to know what is wrong. nothing, i just can’t sleep. i do well with 6-8 hours of sleep. yes, those hours are very different than those for people who are still working.
i find it somewhat calmly to know that i’m not the only one with major sleep issues. the last couple of nights, the cat (slinky) has decided to sleep with me again. but he thinks i should be up before 9 am so he can eat. i’m not ready for that. now i’m off to find something to do. hugs to all, patti in florida
Good to know the cat came home. They almost always do, but from experience, I know it’s an anxious time while they are staying out.
As far as sleep goes, the best sleep I’ve had in the past few years was after using a gift card I’d received for a massage. One can’t have a massage every day, but it amazed me how well I slept that night.
We’ve been enjoying the warm temps and just this week the leaves are lovely in SW Ohio. And then they fall.
Looking forward to a quilt retreat this next week.
I have been advised to do the sleep study but haven’t gotten around to it yet. What has really helped me a lot is learning to do the deep breathing techniques. It not only helps me calm down, but I fall asleep and sleep better. It is an amazing feeling when you breathe deeply and feel your stomach rise and even your upper back expand when you breathe as deeply as possible. Anyway, there are many ways to learn and experiment found on line. Calm is one that my doctor told me to use. but there are many others as well. Anxiety is part of my problem and breathing techniques really help me. Thinking about you and your upcoming surgery and I hope someone can come and help you so you can heal and rest well while someone else takes care of all your chores. So glad Gracie is home.
Sandy i love marmalade! I used to make tomato marmalade at the end of the season. Mmm. My grandma made the recipe i used. It was so yummy! Sometimes we would like toast with the marmalade plus a slice of cheese. We are Dutch decedents and cheese was always on both my grandmas tables.
You say in the states. Where do you live. We all like to know where our friends are from.
Mary, maybe you should do a sleep study. I sleep good and always feel rested, but if i skip my magnesium I don’t sleep as sound. Jay wears a c-pap. It made a huge difference for him but, for those of you starting, it takes time and patience! Jays c-pap made a difference for me also, I wasn’t sub-consciously waiting for him to start breathing again. He stopped breathing over 30 times an hour. He has more energy and doesn’t yawn all the time!
The weather is cooler today and frost on the roof. Our geraniums are coming in the garage for the winter.
Well friends have a Good Friday! Love all the pictures Mary!
Joy – just in case Sandy doesn’t see your question, she lives in New Zealand! Yup – and Fiona lives in the Netherlands. I’m always happy to get their take on any subject.
Hi joy, tomato marmalade, there are 3 words l never thought l would hear together! I make orange, lemon , mandarin or tangelo with the skins cut finely and boiled with water and sugar till thick. Would be interested in learning about tomato marmalade!
So, so happy that your Gracie is home again! Reading usually puts me to sleep; when sleep is elusive it’s so hard, I know, the more one tries to sleep when they cannot the more frustrating it becomes. Maybe warm milk? Red really gets around!! 🙂
I’m late to the comments on Gracie going on her adventure. It may have been brought up already, but since we have a beagle that runs like the wind if she gets a chance, we keep a GPS device on her. Some people use the Apple Air Tag, but my phone was too old to use with it and my husband has an android phone. I think the AirTag is dependent on other iPhones being around, which would be hard in farm country. After saying all this, I’m not really too impressed with the quality of the pet GPS systems out there. We have had to use it to find Ellie once, but it gives some bad info too. There’s definitely pluses and minuses to them, but just wanted to through the idea out there. Sorry if it’s been discussed already.
Jill – I’m glad to hear some details about GPS collars – and happy to hear Ellie is protected.
We started with a collar called FI. We thought it was kind of expensive and it would give us false readings once in a while. BUT, Ellie got away from my husband while he was working on our church grounds, which is 15 acres and has a lot of woods and trees, and he found her using it. She’d been gone about 20 minutes. When that subscription was over, we switched to a collar called Tractive. It costs less, but it’s a bit bulkier and needs to be charged more often. We haven’t actually had to track her using this collar yet! You can see all kinds of videos on GOS trackers for animals on YouTube.
I read once that getting up and reading insurance papers would put you to sleep. Haha Sometimes I take a Benadryl tablet to help me sleep. My nurse daughter told me that’s what’s in Tylenol PM. Walking at night before bed is also supposed to help. It pumps the blood out of your legs. I try all of these, and upon waking at 4 am will drink warm milk and watch YouTube highlights of a football game. I lead an exciting life.
Will go out this weekend to watch my senior granddaughter in a tournament volleyball game, and then on Sunday her last high school band competition. I can’t drive in the dark so my daughter will drive me.
The leaves are turning and putting on a beautiful display in spite of our drought. We’ve had a beautiful fall. My geraniums came back from the dead it seemed. I love the last hurrah of the fall flowers. Some of our neighbors make such beautiful displays on their porch. Me, I put one pumpkin out and I’m done.
Happy fall everyone. Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad Gracie came back. With all her friends around her, I’m surprised she disappeared.
Sleep can be elusive. As we age, we can have: 1) a harder time falling asleep; 2) harder time staying asleep (waking every 2-3 hours), or 3) waking earlier. The last two are particular problems for me. I often wake for the day between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. What does one do at that time of day?!
Yesterday we dealt with the pile of leaves on the lawn. More will fall, but at least that pile is gone.
My sewing room is far enough away from the bedroom, so I go there and do mindless sewing…like crumb blocks. I’m usually up for the day around 5:00 which I absolutely have embraced. I have found 6 hours sleep is enough (I’m 77).
Suzanne, you make me think of my MIL who we nicknamed the Energizer Bunny as she got so much done by getting up at 5 am. She’d stay up late with Johnny Carson and knit sweaters and stockings, sew table runners and then rise early the next day for work. She grew up farming till she married so we always wondered if that was her biological clock. She lived a good life till a heart attack at 92 took her from us but I spoke at her funeral how she was our own Energizer Bunny.
Vicki – I am familiar with 3:30-4:30 and if I get up then I know I’ll be tired all day.
Hi Mary,
When I can’t sleep, I listen to an audio book, with the sound set very low (so that I have to concentrate to hear the words) and I set a timer on the book so that once I am asleep I don’t miss the rest of the story! It almost always works, and I choose stories where I like the sound of the narrator’s voice (that is more important than the story in this case, actually), and there is not to much dramatic vocal range or extra sound effects (so no shouting, music or loud noises etc) I find that usually lulls me to sleep within half an hour.
Mary – I’ve been struggling with not sleeping, too. Someone suggested I get up and sew. I might try it one of these nights. I think it’s hard to sleep when we have so much on our minds, the weather is changing, it’s a week before Halloween, and the election is approaching. Lots of anxiety in the air right now!
Glad that your little Gracie got home safe and sound after galavanting around for 4 days. Who knows what cats are doing or why they decide to take a 4-day adventure without talking to their mom. Gracie didn’t know you’d be worried so off she went without talking to you first or taking into consideration your feelings! Cats!
Not much news on my end. It’s autumn and the colors are beautiful. Leaves are starting to fall. I love this time of year.
Take care everyone.
Sharon G – why would everybody love this time of year when everything dies and winter is staring you in the face? Not me.
I love Fall the most because my birthday’s in October, Fall colors are my favorite, and the mosquitoes and gnats finally die, although they’re still here due to our unusually warm days.
Really? Wow.
Not all the leaves have fallen.
Not everything is dead.
Winter is a ways out leaving plenty of time to enjoy all the colors of fall.
Maybe a little mo
I have much empathy for you. I use to go to bed and lay there. After 2 hours of that I would get up and do housework, iron, or cross-stitch. Fast forward a few years ans a sleep study completed. Now, I use a cpap.
I do sleep better when I use my cpap. My problem wasn’t that I stopped breathing, but rather I wasn’t getting into the deep REM sleep. So, a person can use a cpap for various reasons. Also, a low dose sleeping pill helps me “escape” my tendinitis. My ears are never silent (I know the sound really is in my head). Moving on I love seeing all your leaves on the ground. I miss that here in WY. I hope everyone has a productive weekend. I am going to make a new perennial bed and plant it.
Thank you Martha for this Cpap explanation of how it has helped you sleep. It is different for everyone, just as most medical situations are. After my husband had a stroke and AFIB at 70, he was advised to do the study and needed one. Insurance paid for it and we went on to purchase a second one out of pocket for our motor home. That’s how important we feel it is for his sleep as he now doesn’t need naps or doze off during the day like he use to. Four men and one woman around a campfire a month ago at our campground swore they would never use it even though their doctors told them after going to the studies. I told them all they were ridiculous and said take a look at my own husband as doctors said he wouldn’t have probably had the stroke if he’d had the machine ahead of time as he was holding his breath sleeping. Well they all became quiet and two said, “ guess I’d better do it now”. One even had the machine – wouldn’t use it but is now we learned from seeing him before leaving for winter in FL. Amazing how facts change our lives.
I love all the pictures and Buddy is a beauty. Gracie’s presence makes you feel better Mary knowing she’s back as we think of everything out there happening. We have coyotes at our camp and so many deer even strolling in the village where we like to sit outside and eat at a restaurant watching the sailboats. Such a beautiful fall here with trees brilliant with orange and golds.
Kathy – your comment about deer and coyotes reminded me of a few nights ago I heard the coyotes yipping and howling and they sounded very close. Tim told me they were in his field eating a deer carcass that had been hit on the highway which they dragged into the field. That’s too close! Rick, being stubborn as a mule, got a CPAP machine and tried to use it one night only and returned it because he said it didn’t help. One night!!! Nothing anyone said would change his mind.
Mary, hearing the coyotes had to make you feel so unsettled knowing Gracie was out there. My husband does not like the sound of them at all when he does the late night poddy trip before bed with the dogs. He stays right outside with the dogs even though we are fenced in at home. They are on leashes at camp for their safety. Few years ago one coyote snatched a dachshund the other side of our village and so it’s on our minds. I’m sure after seeing all the herds of deer at camp, it’s not easy for them to live.
Yeah good luck with the one and done Cpap attempt, I say with a smile, knowing full well too. I’ve heard the same stories from our younger firemen friends. Thankfully our son gave it a second and third try unlike others. It’s harder for first responders to get sound sleep as they get up and go out during night and then try to grab a few extra hours before work.
Kathy, I have a friend who had a stroke years ago. While she was in the hospital they became alarmed at her breathing. She has used a CPAP ever since. They told her if she didn’t, she would have another stroke. My son in law refuses to use his. Wish we could get people to take this seriously.
Carolyn, I totally agree with you and Joy both about the benefits as our doctor said the same thing….another stroke is possible if Cpap isn’t used. The first was a wake up call cause we might not be so lucky with a stroke the second time. I prepared myself the 5 days he was in ICU that if he didn’t walk from the stroke, we would be moving to assisted living as I’d need help. Believe me when I say, I cried and thanked the good Lord when on the 5th day, he could stand and move his legs.
My husband took it very seriously, however, he could not adjust to wearing the CPAP. He has claustrophobia so the CPAP was very hard for him . He gave it a good try but we ended up in the ER because of a bad panic attack. The scare tactics made it worse for him. Then his GP told him to get rid of it.
Martha – I always want to get up and do something but when I do the entire household wakes up – the dogs bark and want out which then wakes Rick up, too. And then I always think if I roll over just one more time I’ll fall asleep! Always hopeful – haha!!
I sleep like a rock most nights. I had a sleep study test this past week and now I have to get a c-pap machine. I went on a trip with one of my daughters and she said I was breathing funny. It’s good to have someone hear you if you live alone. Hugs,
Hi Mary, my problem is not getting enough sleep at night, 4 hours if l am lucky, then the next day falling asleep while quilting or watching TV with a cup of tea in my hand! Next thing l wake with a wet lap ,or not wakeup for half an hour or more to find empty cup on carpet and damp quilting my lap! Waiting to do cpac machine test,and hoping it will help me get a good night’s sleep, oh! The joy of getting old!
Very rainy and windy today, made marmalade this morning, do you have toast and marmalade for breakfast in the states? Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – how does marmalade differ from jam? I have sourdough bread toast with strawberry rhubarb jam. You sound like me – I can hardly stay awake during the day but if I take a nap I think it just compounds the problem of sleeping that night. Yup, maybe 4 hours a night. Last night I took a small bite of a CBD gummy and I slept soundly for 6 hours BUT I have the most vivid horrific nightmares when I take it. And I can remember those nightmares with clarity – yup, the joys of getting old.