sleep

Plank Story: Matt’s Birthday Nap

Matt is better at relaxing than I am. I’m improving though. This year on his birthday, as always, he got to pick the activities. So we napped in the living room. We napped in bed. And we napped on the deck. Sadly, this isn’t code for anything else. We actually just took three names in one day and then went to bed around nine. When we got in bed he said to me, “This was a great day. We napped on the couch. We napped in bed, and we napped on the deck.” Cheap date. I’ll remember that next year.

Clearly, we both needed some sleep. And I know I’ve gotten more chill because once upon a time that kind of day would have killed me.

My plan for Matt’s birthday involved a trip to Specter, Alabama—the faux city from the set of Big Fish. There he tossed his only pair of shoes up on the line running along the town limits. We had to drive to JCPenny in stocking feet to go buy a new pair of shoes.

If you’re a Tim Burton, Ewan McGregor or Big Fish fan, check out […]

Plank Story: Matt’s Birthday NapMaggie Downie2017-12-29T20:57:01-05:00

The Power of Hypnosis

Not exactly how it works.

Once upon a time I loved sleep. It came so naturally. The second my head it the pillow, I’d be out. Actually, if it was after nine at night, I’d fall asleep standing up mid-conversation, mid-sentence. Eight hours later I’d awaken from a deep rest refreshed and excited about 5:30am.

I’ve struggled with sleep for close to four years since my thyroid went haywire. I’m hypothyroid and normally that means I should sleep ten hours a day and never feel rested. Instead, I only get four to six hours of sporadic sleep and never feel rested. For the most part, I just deal with being sleep deprived. Once you’re used to it, it’s actually amazing what you can still do, to a point.

At times I have moments of concern. I read an article reiterating all the things you try not to think about: sleep is when the body heals, lack of sleep increases your chance of gaining weight and making poor food choices, if you don’t sleep you’ll probably get Alzheimer’s. Basically, this sleep thing I seem to have no control of is […]

The Power of HypnosisMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:10-04:00

Working Out in the Morning is Making Me Fat!

I’m a morning person. Most of my life I would get up early before work to exercise. And it wasn’t a chore. That was my time. I enjoyed it. But as I’ve gotten older my sleep has also become more important to me. So I have a new rule. I won’t get up to exercise if it means I’m setting the alarm before 5:30am. I’ll make an occasional exception.

That means I’m not getting in as many or as long workouts as I used to in the morning. And it’s taken some adjusting. I prefer exercising in the morning. I’ve had to learn to try to fit in exercise in the afternoon. But here’s the thing, I wasn’t feeling good. The workout felt fine (once I get moving I always feel better), but by the middle of the day I was drained.

A friend of mine said, “I think working out in the morning is making me fat.” It may sound laughable, but I related. I was so tired from getting up so early to work out that by midday I found myself snacking on anything I could to stay awake. The snacking was defeating the workout. I have a hard enough […]

Working Out in the Morning is Making Me Fat!Maggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:50-04:00

Exercise & Sleep

For two days after I ran the half marathon, I slept so soundly for a good eight hours. The great sleep I got makes running another half marathon very tempting. But 30-minutes of any aerobic exercise should do the trick. Whenever I am extremely physical, I tend to get great sleep.

And there is research to prove it. According to a study in the journal of Sleep Medicine 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise will help improve sleep by enabling you to fall asleep faster and stay in a deep sleep longer. One of the reasons they think this happens is that exercise raises the temperature of the body. It can stay raised for four hours, but when it cools off the temperature is usually lower than prior to exercising, which may help in falling asleep.

The benefits of better sleep are huge. The longer you are in a deep sleep the more growth hormones you produce, which helps you to rebuild and heal your body. But for me, I just love the feeling of waking up and feeling refreshed.

Personal Euphoria

Exercise & SleepMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:40-04:00

Tips for Nap Time

Research has proven that getting a good night’s sleep is good for your mind and body. But a midday nap can be helpful too. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your nap:

1) Sleep for 20-30 minutes at most. Napping more could make you groggy.

2) A dark, cool, quiet place will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

3) Having a regular nap time will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer too.

Tips for Nap TimeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:12-04:00