This lesson is exactly what I needed. I have struggled with sleep deprivation for many years – every since my first marriage crumbled while I was pregnant with my youngest – over TEN YEARS ago! Donna Partow said it well when she shared in this lesson that “Sleep deprivation… weakens our immune systems.” Knowing now what I did not know 10 years ago, I believe with 100% certainty that sleep deprivation was a key factor in my body becoming susceptible to RA in the first place.
I enjoyed the tips she shared for working towards a better night’s sleep. For me, that means making the following commitments:
- No caffeine after 12:00 Noon – I have had a horrible battle with addiction to caffeine in the form of Diet Dr. Pepper. I have been on the winning side of it, as well as the losing side. I have given it up cold turkey and I have struggled with the caffeine withdraw headaches. Right now, I am on the losing side of this. Rather than saying I will stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper altogether, I know I can commit to only drinking it before noon, with my last sips of it being with my lunch. After that, it should not be too hard to drink water, lemon water, or even herbal tea.
- No sweets after dinner – This should be easy enough, with the exception of the hordes of Halloween candy sitting on my counter. I will make a commitment today to put all the candy in containers and place them in the pantry so they are not within easy reach for the after-dinner hungries.
- Create a sleep-conducive environment – This is a little tricky, but it can be done. Kevin likes to have the light of our fishtank on during bedtime, as well as the tv – but he plays a classical music CD through the tv, so its not too bad. I am planning on turning on the fishtank light early in my bedtime routine, then I can turn it off at “lights out” time. We already keep our bedroom cool, with the exception of my heating blanket for pain relief (but I am hoping soon that I won’t need it anymore).
- Routine – I LOVE the bedtime routine planning! I am very excited at giving it a try tonight. 🙂 My family doctor has said this for years and I have tried, but I did not commit to it and write out a schedule. I think the schedule is going to be the thing that can make this finally happen! I am looking forward to peaceful sleep – without the use of the prescription sleeping pill. I detest those things as there have been times where I have had conversations (and embarrassingly… Facebook Posts) during the night that I do not remember at all as well as one time… I woke up with parts from the pantry door in my pajama pockets – I still cannot explain that one! SCARY!
- Personal NB beside the bed – Another great idea! My mind definitely races at bedtime and I know it will be helpful to have the notebook nearby.
- Positive Conversation – This is not going to be an issue. We already do this 🙂 I would love to start praying with him at bedtime – might be a goal for the future!
Here is what I have on my bedtime routine schedule – again… LOVE IT!:
COOL! Just found a web page with Bible Verses about Peaceful Sleep while I was looking for an image for this post! Awesome! You can check it out at: http://www.graceparenting.com/BibleVersesAboutPeacefulSleep.html.