Running out of Steam

This heating is sucking the life out of me… or maybe it’s the fact that I worked harder than usual at getting my exercise game on… or maybe it’s the fact that I still have not worked out my sleep patterns.

I am a champion at getting “light sleep.” It is Deep sleep and REM sleep that continue to elude me.

Nearly 22 years ago I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I have slept with a CPAP since the day I went for my sleep study. I actually have a solid fear of NOT sleeping with my CPAP. Breathing while sleeping is not why I am not sleeping deeply and why I am not getting REM sleep.

Ever since I resigned from my teaching job I have been on a quest for sleep and rest. I wear a Fitbit Inspire 3 and it logs the quality of my sleep and has truly saved my life as I can monitor my heart rate in all of my activities; I can wear it in the pool; and I am so much better at getting in steps and exercise since I started wearing it.. When I first resigned I was getting 2-3 minutes of deep sleep and 10-15 minutes of REM sleep a night, while logging 9-10 hours of sleep for the night. Something had to change. I began my quest to learn about sleep.

In theory, we spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. Sleep allows our bodies and brains to rest. Sleep is the time the body uses to conserve and store energy, to repair and recover from the activities of the day and to strengthen the immune system, and for brain maintenance, organizing and cataloging memories and learned information. It seems simple enough, and yet, I’ve discovered that sleep continues to be a mystery. Researchers have been studying sleep for years and yet, it seems they do not have all the answers as to why some people struggle to achieve effective sleep.

Sleep is organized into two categories: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. NREM has three stages. Stage 1 is fast for me. Once my head hits the pillow I can be asleep in minutes. It is the lightest sleep, right as you are falling asleep. I read that this stage is about 5% of your sleep time. Stage 2 NREM is where I tend to spend most of my sleeping time. It is deeper than stage 1. During this stage the word is that your brain slows down, with noticeable pauses between short, powerful bursts of electrical energy. Some say that these bursts of energy is when your brain is organizing memories and information. Stage 3 NREM is Deep Sleep. This stage is rare for me. In this stage your brain waves are slow and strong. This is the time your body uses to repair injuries and to build up your immune system. You need adequate amounts of stage 3 NREM to feel rested in the morning. REM sleep is when dreams happen. In theory, you need 25% of your time asleep in REM. (not me, sigh). REM is important to help you process emotions and for your mental health.

I have tried other ways to help me get some better ZZZs. I painted my bedroom a dark color. I made it a space for sleeping only. John put up some blackout blinds. I listen to sleep music (here is my favorite one). I take saffron and ashwaganda and WILE anger supplement I got off Amazon. I recently started a bedtime routine that includes a Qi Gong practice. It’s improving, but my sleep is still not consistent with adequate REM and NREM sleep. However, it is improving and that is what matters! I now get around 2 hours of REM and 1 Hour of stage 3 NREM sleep. This is great! It means I am healing!

Here’s a link to the Fitbit I use and really like. This is my Amazon affiliate link.

Here’s a link to the Saffron I like. This is my Amazon affiliate link.

Here is a link to the ashwaganda I like. This is my Amazon affiliate link.

Here is a link to the WILE un-anger I really like. This is my Amazon affiliate link.

What do you do to help you get healthy, quality sleep?