"Hi, my name is Lori, and I am a stomach sleeper. "
The first step is admitting I have a problem.
When I was 10, my friend Debbie told me at a sleep-over that if I slept on my stomach, I would never grow boobs. This upset me greatly, but I couldn't fall asleep any other way. Well, Debbie, I don't know where you are today, but you could not have been more wrong.
Stomach sleeping makes finding the right pillow a nightmare. After a lengthy search, and a lot of misfires, I ended up buying this one, the Dr. Maas Sleep for Success pillow for stomach and back sleepers from Bed Bath and Beyond, and it's the best $50 I've spent in ages. It's just thin enough, and just sturdy enough, that my neck is getting the support it needs, at last. Now, on to the other reasons I rarely get a good night's sleep.
I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour, but it hardly ever works out. Last Thursday, I tried to get to sleep by 10PM. On my way to the bedroom, I put a glass in the dishwasher. This lead to an hour of kitchen maintenance. Falling behind schedule...
Next, I proceeded to tackle the cleansing and moisturizing ritual required to stay presentable in my late 40s. I swear, every decade adds a half hour. Makeup remover, cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer... 20 minutes and hundreds of dollars worth of products later, I was ready for bed.
I read for a while, then put on the TV, and flipped through channels until I came to PBS. "Ooh, a documentary about sink holes. Sign me up!" Actual bedtime: 12:30AM.
This was not unusual.
It's not like then I fall asleep; that's just when I start trying. It'll take me at least an hour to turn off my brain. If I'm exhausted, I can't sleep; if I'm not tired enough, I can't sleep; if I'm excited, worried, happy, sad, indifferent, hungry, full... you get the idea.
I recently got a new bed, and it's pretty fabulous. It's definitely an upgrade from the mattress I'd had for close to a decade. That one I would liken to what you would find leaning on a dumpster behind a Motel 6. I have no idea why I waited so long to replace it. It squeaked, it sagged, but I kept putting off searching for a new one. I'm still trying to find new sheets I can stand; my favourites from a Quebec boutique hotel chain have been discontinued, naturellement.
I tossed out my old down-filled duvet, and replaced it with one made from Australian wool. I like that wool is sustainable, moisture wicking, and resistant to dust mites. It's flatter and heavier than my old down duvet, but to me that just feels cozy.
My new duvet cover is linen, from The Bay. Again, linen is sustainable and it's a more sturdy fibre than cotton. I also like the fact that with linen, you can just sort of lean in to the inevitable wrinkles. I'm sorry, I will never be the sort of woman who irons her bedding, so short of getting a housekeeper, I figure, embrace the natural look!
I am sleeping better, as I get used to the new mattress and bedding. I'm not perfect, but I try to wind down earlier, and "set myself up" for sleep. French lavender sheet spray, keeping the room cool, and trying to calm my mind are making a difference.
Still, the TV stays. I know it's not recommended, but my beloved TVO documentaries, like current fave The Dark Ages- An Age of Light and Time Team are part of my bedtime and weekend morning rituals. I'll never sleep like a baby; I never did, so why start now?
The first step is admitting I have a problem.
When I was 10, my friend Debbie told me at a sleep-over that if I slept on my stomach, I would never grow boobs. This upset me greatly, but I couldn't fall asleep any other way. Well, Debbie, I don't know where you are today, but you could not have been more wrong.
Stomach sleeping makes finding the right pillow a nightmare. After a lengthy search, and a lot of misfires, I ended up buying this one, the Dr. Maas Sleep for Success pillow for stomach and back sleepers from Bed Bath and Beyond, and it's the best $50 I've spent in ages. It's just thin enough, and just sturdy enough, that my neck is getting the support it needs, at last. Now, on to the other reasons I rarely get a good night's sleep.
I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour, but it hardly ever works out. Last Thursday, I tried to get to sleep by 10PM. On my way to the bedroom, I put a glass in the dishwasher. This lead to an hour of kitchen maintenance. Falling behind schedule...
Next, I proceeded to tackle the cleansing and moisturizing ritual required to stay presentable in my late 40s. I swear, every decade adds a half hour. Makeup remover, cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer... 20 minutes and hundreds of dollars worth of products later, I was ready for bed.
I read for a while, then put on the TV, and flipped through channels until I came to PBS. "Ooh, a documentary about sink holes. Sign me up!" Actual bedtime: 12:30AM.
This was not unusual.
It's not like then I fall asleep; that's just when I start trying. It'll take me at least an hour to turn off my brain. If I'm exhausted, I can't sleep; if I'm not tired enough, I can't sleep; if I'm excited, worried, happy, sad, indifferent, hungry, full... you get the idea.
I recently got a new bed, and it's pretty fabulous. It's definitely an upgrade from the mattress I'd had for close to a decade. That one I would liken to what you would find leaning on a dumpster behind a Motel 6. I have no idea why I waited so long to replace it. It squeaked, it sagged, but I kept putting off searching for a new one. I'm still trying to find new sheets I can stand; my favourites from a Quebec boutique hotel chain have been discontinued, naturellement.
I tossed out my old down-filled duvet, and replaced it with one made from Australian wool. I like that wool is sustainable, moisture wicking, and resistant to dust mites. It's flatter and heavier than my old down duvet, but to me that just feels cozy.
My new duvet cover is linen, from The Bay. Again, linen is sustainable and it's a more sturdy fibre than cotton. I also like the fact that with linen, you can just sort of lean in to the inevitable wrinkles. I'm sorry, I will never be the sort of woman who irons her bedding, so short of getting a housekeeper, I figure, embrace the natural look!
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| I bought this set. Mine's even more wrinkly! |
Still, the TV stays. I know it's not recommended, but my beloved TVO documentaries, like current fave The Dark Ages- An Age of Light and Time Team are part of my bedtime and weekend morning rituals. I'll never sleep like a baby; I never did, so why start now?
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