Need More Sleep

Sure would be nice to sleep a full night’s sleep again.  I have been battling respiratory problems for four weeks now, and a good night of sleep is proving to be elusive if not impossible. Falling asleep at bedtime is not the problem. Staying asleep in the wee hours of the morning does not work for me.  I am able to sleep for 4 to 6 hours and then I wake up unable to breathe comfortably.   Talk about a hard “wake up call”, this would be the one.  Nothing like shortness of breath and rib pain to get you up and alert, whether you want to be or not. Add in the pain from an RA flare and you are ready to rock and roll, so to speak.

Yesterday was a high pollen day here in Colorado, and it definitely irritated my lungs throughout the day. The smoke from the many Western wildfires earlier in the month also got my undivided attention.  Guess I am one of those people they are warning when the TV or radio announcer says that the air is bad on a particular day and for people with respiratory problems to stay indoors or at least take it easy.  Wonderful.

I have been doing a lot of research on RA and sleep issues.  I have also been trying to find a way to overcome my inability to sleep at night, but to no avail. All of the recommendations for getting a good night of sleep tend to focus on falling asleep versus staying asleep until a reasonable hour. The meds I am taking may also be to blame, particularly the prednisone and the albuterol for dilating my lungs as needed.

One additional impact of my strange sleep schedule is that I am waking up my husband at these odd hours, too.  Even though he is able to go back to sleep, I know that my issues have an impact on his sleep, too. In the early days of this pleurisy thing when I was very ill, I would stay in bed and try to sit up and read or do a puzzle.  Bad idea when you are sharing your bed with another person as you are disturbing them.  Now I get up and leave the room versus trying to stay put.

This strange sleep schedule requires me to nap in the early afternoons just to get through the day.  I am certain that the nap is not the best idea, but it is the highest quality sleep I am getting right now. Not sure why it is easier to sleep a few hours in the daylight, but there you have it.

The good news is that I have gotten a lot of work done on my book revision in the wee hours of the morning, sitting here working in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. The cat likes me better, too, since he can come down for a snack in the wee hours of the morning and then head back to bed. The collie thinks I am great as he heads outside when it gets light and enjoys the cool summer morning.  Pet brownie points are pretty much my only reward.

I have also learned that the hummingbirds start feeding about an hour before the sun rises. Still hoping to see some interesting nocturnal wildlife (foxes, raccoons, porcupines, bears, bobcats), but so far no interesting animals have appeared around the house for my viewing enjoyment.

Any suggestions for extending a short night of sleep into something a bit more normal?  I would welcome them.

Here’s hoping for another good day!
Susan