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Journal 1/30/12

Quote of the day by Amelie:   
"The earth needs moms."
We were having a conversation while I was changing Lele's diaper for bed and she started talking about how much Lele loves her mom and how kids love their moms and need their moms.  And then she finally just summed it all up with this quote.  Well said.

I am totally stressed.  Yes I confirmed that today.  I have all the symptoms: extreme fatigue, memory loss, irregular sleep pattern, tension in neck and shoulders, headaches.  Now the question is, what to do about it? 

I was reading in a textbook today about "sleep and wellness" and it was describing different ways to deal with stress, one of which is getting the right amount of sleep.  It looks like I have been doing everything wrong.  So today is the day I'm going to make a change.  Here's what I need to do:

1) Establish a regular sleep pattern: go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.  If you wake up in the morning at the same time wihtout an alarm clock, and you feel rested, then you're on the right track.

2) Power naps: No more long afternoon naps, take no longer than a 30 minute power nap, otherwise you disturb your sleep pattern at night.

3) Deep sleep and REM sleep:  The first few hours of the night and the last few hours of the night are critical for replenishing energy levels, and allowing the body to repair itself.  This one is going to take some time.  I've got to get Estelle to sleep through the night without waking up for bottles in the wee hours of the morning.  She's disturbing my critical last 2 hours of sleep.

4) Exercise: 30 min of moderate exercise 5x a day will increase my stamina.  What can I do for 30 minutes and when can I do it?  I'll have to figure that one out.

5) Drink water and not caffeine.  Caffeine is a short fix and does not hydrate, water and appropriate rest is a long-term solution. 

6) Find time to relax during the day.  Moms work too hard.  Need to de-stress.

Wish me luck!

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