Thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate your comments each week.
Melinda
Wordless Wednesday*Red
Month: February 2022
Photographs
Melinda
Newly Painted Office
I have to thank my husband for painting my office! We painted it dark green when I moved in over 20 years ago and I was so ready for a change.
This is where I relax with a good-smelling candle to think and write.
I can’t wait for later this week when the temps drop low enough to use the fireplace!
I hope you have a comfy spot to call your own. I’m very blessed to have an extra bedroom to call mine.
Here’s to relaxing!
Melinda
Just Pondering
Happiness looks like………
Happiness feels like………
Happiness sounds like…….
Happiness smells like…….
Melinda
Let’s Celebrate President’s Day
We may not always agree with politics or have voted for the person in the office but I think we can agree we live in the greatest country and having a President of the United States makes all the difference.
Melinda
No Dog Poop In My Park Please —
What is it with people who take their dog to a nice city park then let it crap without picking it up? Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com We’ve been going to the same park several times a week since the pandemic started and I’m amazed by the growing number of mounds of shit in […]
No Dog Poop In My Park Please —
Do You Have Painsomnia?
You’ve probably heard the term or worse yet suffer from Painsomnia yourself. If the term is new to you, here’s the short version. A person experiences insomnia due to pain preventing them from falling asleep or staying asleep.
“Sleep helps our bodies rest and heal, so good-quality sleep is vital for people with chronic illnesses. However, painsomnia can make a good night of sleep feel like a pipe dream. Fortunately, medical researchers are starting to learn more about the condition and how patients can cope.”
I have the type of Painsomnia that keeps me up after waking from pain and makes it impossible to go back to sleep. My sleep medicine has worn off by then and no it’s just pain against sleep, and sleep rarely wins.
I have tried several hacks to help go back to sleep with mixed results. I have an essential oil stick with a Lavander fragrance that’s supposed to relax you but I can’t tell it does any good. The one item that has worked this past week is Delta 8 gummies. I take one right after waking up and they do relieve stress and keep my mind from wondering allowing me to go back to sleep.
I have to point out that I’m living without pain medication right now so it can be a challenge when I have to sleep on my shoulders and hips. No back or stomach sleeping for me.
What can you do if you are struggling with Painsomnia?
Better Sleep Habits
The MD Anderson Sleep Center recommends that people adopt new habits into their nightly routine. These habits help form the foundation for good sleep hygiene:
- Don’t use phones or computers before bed, as the blue light from the screen can disrupt sleep and cause eye strain.
- Avoid taking long naps during the day.
- Make your bedroom cool and dark.
- Avoid eating heavy foods or exercising right before you sleep.
Sleep Aids
If you have trouble sleeping, your healthcare provider may prescribe sleep aids or encourage you to try over-the-counter medications. These drugs can help regulate your circadian rhythm and lull you into slumber. Melatonin supplements help regulate your sleep cycle.9
A study from Cureus journal found that ashwagandha, a medicinal herb, can help people fall and stay asleep.10
Prescription drugs may include benzodiazepines, which are often used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Before you try any new supplements or prescriptions, make sure to consult your healthcare provider.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment that encourages people to rethink and change their behaviors. For people with insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy may help,11
For example, a person without a sleep routine can work with a therapist to start better habits before bed. If anxious thoughts are keeping you up at night, cognitive behavioral techniques can teach you to stop those spiraling thoughts and focus on other, more restful thoughts.
If your painsomnia makes you feel helpless, those worries can make it even harder for you to get sleep. You may blame yourself or blame your body if you’re struggling with painsomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you cope with some of that frustration.
Hypnotherapy
While hypnotherapy is not a proven cure for painsomnia, some researchers have found that hypnosis might improve insomnia.12Hypnotherapy is an alternative medicine where practitioners use hypnosis and the power of suggestion to guide patients through various concerns.
Hypnotherapy is not a replacement for your healthcare provider or your current medications. Some researchers describe hypnotherapy as a sort of placebo. In either case, hypnosis can lull you into deep relaxation. This relaxation may help people with painsomnia fall asleep.
There’s no one size fits everyone but there are options for those who suffer from Painsomnia. I haven’t found the answer yet but did sleep until 2:00 AM this morning.
What hacks do use to help you go to sleep?
Melinda
Ref:
What is Love — Guest Blogger Explorations in Psychotherapy
What Is Love? “Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. Through good and bad times, it is loyalty. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” Ann Landers. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Bronte. […]
What is Love — Explorations in Psychotherapy
Today in History February 20, 2022
Welcome to the Weekend Edition of Today in History. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the post. Have an awesome weekend.
1985
Ireland allows sale of contraceptives
In a highly controversial vote on February 20, 1985, the Irish government defies the powerful Catholic Church and approves the sale of contraceptives.
Up until 1979, Irish law prohibited the importation and sale of contraceptives. In a 1973 case, McGee v. The Attorney General, the Irish Supreme Court found that a constitutional right to marital privacy covered the use of contraceptives. Pressured by strong conservative forces in Irish society, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the government was slow to change the law to reflect the court’s decision, and a number of proposed bills failed before reaching the books.
1998
Tara Lipinski becomes youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist
On February 20, 1998, 15-year-old Tara Lipinski wins the gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and becomes the youngest gold medalist in her sport. Lipinski donned her first pair of skates at age six. In 1994, at age 12, she won a gold …read more
1962
John Glenn becomes first American to orbit Earth
From Cape Canaveral, Florida, John Herschel Glenn Jr. is successfully launched into space aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first orbital flight by an American astronaut. Glenn, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, was among the seven men chosen by the National …read more
1997
Kramer on “Seinfeld” adopts a highway
An episode of the hit TV sitcom “Seinfeld” titled “The Pothole” airs for the first time on February 20, 1997; it includes a story line in which the character Kramer adopts a stretch of the fictional Arthur Burghardt Expressway through the real-life Adopt-a-Highway program. The …read more
1792
Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department
On February 20, 1792, President George Washington signs legislation renewing the United States Post Office as a cabinet department led by the postmaster general, guaranteeing inexpensive delivery of all newspapers, stipulating the right to privacy and granting Congress the …read more
Melinda
Age is just a number — Guest Blogger Happy Healthy Me – a Journey
‘Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever’ – Walt Disney Do you ever wish you were younger? Or older? It seems that wherever we are in life we’d quite like to be somewhere else! In our teenage years we often wish we were older, maybe so we can get into that […]
Age is just a number — Happy Healthy Me – a Journey
lookingforthelight.blog 