Cheers everyone,
Glad to hear so many of you are doing well with ABs!
LVT25, so sorry to hear about your canine friend. My prayers are with you; it is never an easy thing to do regardless of what your relationship is with the animal. Rest assured you'll be doing the right thing if it is in kidney failure.
RE: sleepless nights: I am the Queen of Insomnia -- drinking or not. (and I'm married to the King of Snoring, how grand!) Anyway, here are some things that have helped me:
Melatonin: an herbal supplement available at health food / vitamin stores. Supplements a naturally occurring chemical in our brains that we secrete less and less of as we age; why older people sleep less. Not habit forming.
Valerian: an herbal supplement derived from the Valerian root. Tastes gross. Relaxes the body and can help sleep. Available at health food / vitamin stores. Again, not habit forming.
Sleepytime Tea: available in many grocery stores, made by Celestial Seasonings. Has chamomile in it. There are other herbal teas that are meant to relax.
Glass of milk (warm or cold): the chemical that is in turkey that can make people sleepy is tryptophan, which aids in the production of seratonin in your brain and makes you feel good. Tryptophan is also present in similar quantities in cheese, milk and chicken among other things, but milk is easier for most folks to digest at bedtime (unless you're lactose intolerant) due to the molecular structure (or so I've read). Warming it slightly supposedly activates the tryptophan to work better. People who are lactose intolerant sometimes can tolerate goats milk products.
Hot tub / sauna / hot shower: relaxes your body and mind.
Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
Refrain from TV and reading 1 hour before bedtime (personally I find this the hardest) to quiet your mind. Its harder to sleep when you're reeling from what you just saw on the news or engrossed in an interesting plot twist.
Try a simple meditation technique: imagine lying on the beach (easy to do if you're listening to the sleep hypno). When you start out, your whole body is in the shade. Imagine that the sun hits one section of your body at a time, like its moving on its natural course. First its on your feet. When you feel your feet get warm, move up. Now its in your feet, ankles and lower legs up to your knees. When that feels warm, move up. Its shining on your legs up to your waist. etc. By the time the sun is shining on your face you should be good and relaxed!
Have a good day!
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