Sleep...

I haven't written much lately.  While I'm not a very superstitious person, I tend to believe talking about something good, jinxes it.  So, I am not actually writing this entry.  But, if I planned to write an entry, this is what I might think about saying...

Mom has been sleeping moderately well... again, I am only thinking about saying that sentence.  I quit trying it the doctor's way.  The meds that he says will work for sleep... do.  They get her to sleep.  Unfortunately, they don't keep her asleep.  So, if I want her to take a short nap, the prescription medications do the trick.  If I want her to wake up agitated, aggressive and hallucinating at 2 or 3 in the morning, they also do the trick.  But, I would much prefer that she actually sleep the entire night.  I know.  I'm picky.

So, what have I tried instead?  Seemingly everything.  It's interesting that many products with the same active ingredients effect her differently. There is one product that helps her sleep in a generic pill from Target, that in a brand name product, simply agitates her for several hours.   So, it has been a couple months of trial and error. 

The 2 products that have helped the most are both natural supplement blends.  I haven't found any side-effects or potentially harmful interactions with her prescription medications.  And, this makes me happy.

But, and this is a huge but, what seems to have worked the best is my Fitbit.  I am now tracking the amount and the efficiency of my sleep.  I can honestly say that the four nights that I have tracked my own sleep, Mom has slept very well.  My sleep efficiency average is 98%.

So, while I am sure that those natural supplements have helped, and I will continue giving them to her, the non-superstitious part of me will continue wearing the Fitbit and sleeping very well.

But, I didn't say that.