iPhone apps

Everyone who knows me, knows I struggle to sleep.  I use Ambien and fall asleep, then am awake over and over through the night.  I have done the ambient music route, the less caffeine route, nothing really seemed to be of much benefit.  Then, I ran across an iPhone app called Sleep Cycle Alarm.  

This little beauty is beginning to get me on track.  You set the alarm, choose a sound you would like to wake up to, and before going to sleep, tap it to start, slide your phone, glass side down, under your fitted sheet in the corner of your bed, and then sleep.  It records your sleep cycles.  And, get this, instead of waking you up when you are in a deep sleep, it watches for a light sleep and then starts playing very softly, and by the time it is at full mode, I have woke up anyway, gently.  

I have learned about myself.  I need to be in bed and ready to sleep by 10 p.m.  That is in direct contrast to my normal bedtime, which is anywhere, usually, between 11:30 and 2:00 a.m.  Watching my graph on the Sleep Cycle Alarm has shown me that I need to have the book closed and the lights out by 10:00.  Not only that, but sleeping past 7:00 a.m. is not good for me.  Last night I was in the dark, so to speak, by 10:00, and at 7:00 this morning was up and ready to face the day. 

Springtime may have something to do with my better energy, too.  The birds are singing, I have been walking a lot, and have just generally been staying more active.  However, I am a big advocate of this alarm.  I have read that people are saying they can lay it on a desk at night, and it still generates a graph, but the thing is super sensitive and will pick up other movements besides your tossing around in bed.  I spent eight hours last night in sleep or deep sleep, and it did show me that at 1:00 a.m. I was awake.  I know that is correct as I got up to visit John at 1:00 a.m. and made it a point of looking at the time.  

I have used this alarm now for a week.  The first 2 nights I rarely went into even light sleep.  One morning it basically laughed at me:  "Because of the short duration of your sleep, this nap will not be averaged into your final weekly numbers."  What do you MEAN, "nap?"  That was a night's sleep for me!  I do feel I am learning my patterns now and intend to keep following this yellow brick road to getting off Ambien and sleeping deeply most nights.

Another aid?  Whole Foods Market.  Yes, I spent a ton on organic foods which some will tell you is just a waste of money, but within a week, eating nutritious, non-additive foods, my energy level increased, my metabolism sped up, and I have begun to drop a few pounds almost effortlessly.  Feeding my hyperactive grandson this way seems to be making him less grouchy, as well.

Another good app is the Whole Foods app.  With this one, which is free (can you say FREE?), I find recipes that sound easy and tasty, touch the "add to list" button so that all the ingredients are put on a shopping list, touch a button to add the recipe to my "favorites," and drive off to the Whole Foods Market in Louisville.  

So, this post is just a little catchup post.  I have a lot of photos and would like to share some travel experiences, and I will do that soon.  But if you are an insomniac, I am interested to find out if you have tried this app and what you think.  

Happy Dreams to you!  I will see you all around the bend.  xxoo