Raven's Rant

Alright ladies.  Yes.  Keeping the schedule during this time is damned difficult!  I backed off because it was making my cramps so much worse.  And my sugar craving was off the chart!  I double-dosed my magnesium, which cut both problems back to a minimal inconvenience, but I’m still eating and sleeping way too much.

Eating before sleeping also seems to be a source of oversleeping on naps for me.  I find it hard to sleep when I’m hungry, but it’s nearly impossible for me to wake up after I’ve slept on a meal.  So, now that the first two days are over (the worst for me, and for many others) I’m back on track.

I’m finding that getting back on track is easier and easier.  It’s a mind game really, and so long as I remind myself that it’s my job to make this schedule work, I can keep it up.  I’ve set the alarms on my cell phone like this:

1:50 – 4:30am –> CORE NAP (300 cal breakfast) 4 hours awake

8:30 – 8:50am –> 1st nap (300 cal brunch) 4 hours awake

12:50 – 1:10pm –> 2nd nap (300 cal lunch) 4 hours awake

5:10 – 5:30pm –> 3rd nap (300 cal dinner) 4 hours awake

9:30 – 9:50 –> 4th nap (0 cal) 4 hours awake

You will notice that I’ve trimmed 20 minutes off the core nap, and added five to each of the little naps.  So far, that’s been the pattern anyway, since my husband and I usually fidget around for a while before settling down into sleep.  We are more to the point on naps   I think we are only getting 15 minute naps because of the giggle-factor.  We are terribly punchy by the time we get to the 9:30 nap, and since we are such good friends, we usually play slap-and-tickle until we doze off.

I’m determined to make this schedule work.  I’m taking vitamins with my meals, and working in a diet plan at the same time.  I think the little meals will have the advantages of keeping my sleep on schedule.  Too much sugar causes insulin spikes, which in turn causes the classic ” sugar crash”.  Eating when I wake up has, in the past, helped me gain and maintain wakefulness.  The trick for me is to avoid simple carbs and stick with things high in protein, water and fiber.  Yogurt and fruit, with a tablespoon of flax-seed oil on top for breakfast; almonds, carrot juice and tea with milk for brunch; ham and cheese on apples with a side of walnuts for lunch; and a dessert plate of whatever is for dinner (which amounts to about a cup of food, total).   I’ll be writing after each meal to talk about how this is working.  The blogs are helping me see my progress, and what is (or isn’t) working.  I’m off now, to teach my roommate how to make old fashioned stove-top popcorn!