August 6, 2008
More Than A Hard Day’s Night
So, remember when I told y’all about the gunshots I heard Sunday night? Yeah…it kinda, sorta turns out those bangs were just very loud firecrackers being lit off by stupid teenagers.
The same stupid teenagers decided to run through my yard with flashlights and throw garbage over the fence in our back yard. It’s a good thing I called the police, because they patrolled the area and the teenagers scattered. This only makes me feel slightly better.
You see, before I called the police I heard these kids running around in my front yard, right under the tree that has branches that touch my open window. I went into the bedroom and woke my husband from his dead sleep to say that hooligans were running under the tree. In his groggy state he replied, “Relax, hon. It’s just a squirrel in the tree.”
“Hey idiot,” I said. “Do squirrels carry flashlights as big as they are?”
“Not in Wisconsin. Unless they migrated from the Amazon or something.”
He’s even funnier when he’s sleeping. Imagine that! Do they even have squirrels in the Amazon?
So after the stupid teenagers were chased from my property, I promptly curled up on the sofa and tried to fall asleep. Just at that moment it began to thunderstorm and I was awake with insomnia until 4:30 in the morning.
I don’t know why I can’t sleep at night. I wish I knew. As I type this, my period is 4 days late (nope, negative. I have two sticks to prove it.), and I feel lightheaded and extremely tired. It could be my blood pressure, but I’m taking my medication religiously every day as the doctor prescribed.
I’ve been going to the gym five days a week since July 25th. So far, eleven pounds gone. I’m on the right track. Eating well, exercising, following doctors orders. Yet, I can’t sleep. To say I have a sleep debt is an understatement. I have a sleep deficit in the trillions.
My doctor is mad because he believes 11 pounds in 11 days is a bit drastic. That’s only a pound a day. That’s good right? Especially because I have so many to lose. I think it’s okay. He told me to lose weight so I lost weight. It’s not like I’m starving myself. Believe me I eat. I gave up soda, I gave up fried foods. It’s all cucumbers and carrots around here. And the occasional grilled chicken breast. And skim milk. No starches if I can help it. No, I’m not going back on Atkins. Are you crazy?
I’ve tried yoga. I’ve tried prayer and mediation. I’ve even taken a melatonin supplement to induce sleep. No deal. My body is revolting. Which makes no sense, because you would think the 45 minute cardio work outs would cause me to be tired at night, right?
Is it stress? Anxiety? Worry?
I don’t want to take sleeping pills. I’m afraid of all the pills I already take: lobetathol, hydroclorathiazide, metformin, a multivitamin. I can’t bear the thought of adding one more to the mix.
I just don’t get it…
Something is off, but I don’t know what.
Doug has noticed my unusual sleep patterns. He thinks I’ve got a stress disorder. He says it’s not normal to worry about silly teenagers burning our house down with bottle rockets. It’s not normal to think that fireworks are gunshots. It’s not normal to worry about Dawson being snatched from our fenced-in backyard. But I do worry about those things.
This is why I lie awake at night. I just don’t know how to make it stop. How do I stop worrying about things that are out of my control? Any suggestions?
Posted by Dana @ 3:59 am • The Mommy Files
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August 6th, 2008 at 7:14 am, daisy Says:
My daughter and husband both have an anxiety disorder. My daughter has trouble sleeping as well. My husband might if he didn’t work so very very hard every day in the 104 degree heat and just collapses when he gets home. But my daughter she has sleep problems too. She takes meds for it and tho you don’t want to add anything more you might want to consider it. She’s much less anxious with the meds.
daisys last blog post..Biting nails
August 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm, Wisconsin Mommy Says:
Interesting – when I first gave up carbs I had trouble sleeping too. You can try eating a few nuts about an hour before you go to bed. It has helped me.
I also like Bach’s Sleep Remedy. It is a homopathic formula you squirt in your mouth before bed.
The light-headedness is something I just read about this weekend. I keep trying to find the page..if I do, I’ll send it to you. It has something to do with cells releasing water when you cut out carbs. The water affects the blood pressure and can give you headaches and light-headedness(and makes me very cranky too). It should be temporary.
Wisconsin Mommys last blog post..And we have a winner!
August 6th, 2008 at 8:57 pm, Skye Says:
I don’t have any suggestions, but I would have worried about the teenagers and fire and gunshots stuff. And I worry constantly about someone silently breaking into our locked house to kill us (without the dog noticing), even though that’s at least as improbable as your fear about Dawson in the yard. So I don’t think you’re necessarily disordered. Just going through a rough patch with sleep. Even though the changes you’re making are good, they’re still changes. Unless you have a history of sleep issues?
Skyes last blog post..My Boy Outgeeks Your Boy
August 8th, 2008 at 10:24 pm, The Dana Files » Fifteen Pounds Gone… Says:
[...] pounds gone and a new outlook gained. And suddenly, I’m sleeping again. Posted by Dana @ 10:17 pm • Body Image, Health, Wellness, Fitness, Exercise, Infertility, The [...]