Happy Healthy Long Life

After 40 Days of Wandering, I've Learned a Few Things.

"Not all who wander are lost."

                       J.R.R. Tolkien

   "There's No Place Like Home" 

         Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz

I never felt so glad to be home.  After 40 days of summer schlepping from St. Louis to St. Lucie to Syosset and more, my 40 days of wandering have finally come to an end.  I'm ecstatic!

When I added it all up, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we were out-of-town for nine weekends, and a total of 40 Days!  No wonder I was so cranky, whiny and out-of-sorts.

Even when I was home, everything was a little off-kilter.  Our empty nest was suddenly refilled when Son #2 came home for a 2 month visit before starting grad school; my mother-in-law discovered she had ovarian cancer; I was always behind at work with all my unplanned "wanderings", coupled with an already super-short-staffing-situation; and "mitten-drinnen" (the Yiddish word for "in the middle-of-everything") we moved everything out of our bedroom & office to refinish the floors: --bed-dresser-chest-nightstands-books-bookshelves-clothes-pictures-chairs-couch-papers-computer-printers-- EVERYTHING!

For 3 weeks we slept on the porch while the floors dried, the stinky polyurethane smell dissipated, and until we finally had time to "move all the stuff back-in" the bedroom  & office.  It was my husband's dream-come-true.  Camping-out at home! You could see the stars and the moon.  Hear the crickets and the birds.  And who knew that bees start buzzing a 5:00 in the morning?  That was a little unsettling.

It was like living out of suitcase and we weren't even on vacation. I couldn't find a thing with all my possessions crammed into a spare bedroom and the dining room. Hey, we even had out-of-town visitors, but when they saw the accomodations they didn't linger too long.

So What Did I Learn While I Was Wandering Around for 40 Days?  Turns out you often don't know what practices are really working until you're forced to give them up.

1.) Regular sweat-producing exercise & weight training matter.  I tried to fit in exercise while I was away, but often there just wasn't time and in Port St. Lucie, Tropical Storm Fay flooded us out.  Exercise not only burns calories, it keeps me happy.  Since I use a heart rate monitor I can easily compare the calorie burn for the hour walk that I take on vacation to the calories burned during my usual hour spinning class.  No comparison! With my exercise routine disrupted and reduced over the summer I started to gain weight I haven't seen in 24 years; I could even see my muscles start to disappear; and all of a sudden I had an unwelcome visitor called "midriff bulge". Not to mention a new edgy crankiness was invading my usual good mood.

2.) Adding fun into each day is a must.  I had a chance to hear a rerun of an interview with Dr. Stuart Brown, a physician and researcher, who is the founder of the National Institute for Play.  Adults need to play as much as children do.  Without it, we risk becoming depressed, rigid, unable to problem-solve, unsympathetic to others and humorless.  Speaking for himself, Dr. Brown says:

"I give myself over at least three or four hours a day to what, for an old guy, is spontaneous free play.  It could be reading or what I would call as extremely low-quality rogue tennis, hiking, playing with grandchildren.  But, you know, if a day goes by and I haven't, at this age, had some sense of timelessness and freedom and purposelessness, I'll probably be kind of ratty by supper-time."

This summer left little time for goofing off and having "purposeless fun", the kind that recharges my batteries.  Now I know how critical play is for my spirit and I'm going to make sure it gets on my "To Do List". 

For me, play is:  dancing, singing (even though I have a terrible voice), hiking, reading for fun, playing Maj with my gal pals, trying new recipes, and laughing til it hurts.  My husband and I had so much fun dancing at last weekend's wedding that we promised ourselves to sign up for lessons this Fall. 

And in our younger days we spent hours singing with the help of songbooks and an inexpensive guitar. When I read Megan McCafferty's story  in the September 2008 issue of  Health, "Love (and Karaoke) Will Keep Us Together",  I was intrigued.  Who gets to sing anymore?  Megan's brother-in-law bought her & her husband a karaoke video game a few months ago, just for "the fun of it", and she says

"Karaoke has inspired my husband and me to be unself-conscious dorks together, in a way we hadn't been in years!"

They've got their own American Idol  thing going, with Elvis, Christina Aguilera, and Pat Benetar songs.  When I mentioned this to my husband, (who wouldn't do Karaoke in public in a million years) he was game.  Yeah, he's a secret singer, too.  I can't wait to find this video game.  Anyone know what it's called?

3.) Yes, the food diary really works. My very first blog post back in January 2008 was about how well keeping a food diary works.  Problem is, when something is working for me, I often think I no longer need it.  I've started back to tracking my daily food intake with my favorite: MYFOODDIARY.com and there's no doubt that it works.  As my weight started to drift upward this summer, I realized I needed to see what I was eating.  As my exercising dipped downward, my eating stayed the same.  It was clear to me that I needed to exercise to the tune of 400 calories a session, 5 times a week to not gain weight. Or, the less appealing option of just eating less!

MYFOODDIARY.com,  works wells for me, even though there is a monthly fee, because I can enter all my favorite recipes into their database and create my own "Fridge" of my personal "everyday foods".  It takes all the guess work out of it, and even calculates fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sodium, vitamins & nutrients. This summer, the scientific proof of the value of using a food diary was published in the August 2008 issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, in a study that suggests that keeping a food diary doubles one's weight loss.

4.) I need quiet-alone-time.  When you vacation, when you visit relatives and friends, when you have house guests, or your grown kids pay an extended visit, quiet-time disappears.  Someone (& I am guilty, too) is always talking, or the television is always on.  OK, it's fun. It's enriching. But after awhile, one's inner calm needs  a battery recharge.  When I read Katy Butler's piece, "How to Access Your Inner Calm" in the September 2008 issue of More, she reminded me of how much I was missing meditation, and how much noise assaults our peace and sensibilities.

"The loudest sound my great-grandparents heard on an average day was the ringing of their village church bell. Nobody interrupted their dinners with beeps; news arrived by letter or, less often, with a knock at the front door.  They lived in the vast South African desert, and the background was silence.

Contrast that with ordinary life in 21st century America, where the background is a hum of machine noise so constant that it goes unremarked: subways, freeways, leaf blowers, air conditioners, Jet Skis, television.  Technology penetrates traditional boundaries of solitude and sanctuary; cell phones ring during funerals; helicopters buzz the Grand Canyon; bosses e-mail the house on Sunday morning.  And then there are the 16,000 odd words, on average that we each speak every day, and the thousands more we hear."

My resolution:  Insure some quiet-time, some alone-time, or some meditation time every day. 

My husband's promise:  He's buying a wireless head set to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa.  Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless earphones for your TV?  Viva the silence!

5.) The Valerian/Hops combination works! Before I took off on my latest travels I decided to give the Valerian/Hops combo a try to insure a restful sleep before starting out on my journeys.  Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, the herbal expert from the University of Arizona gives a big thumbs up to this herbal sleep remedy.

I had a hard time finding a product that contained just those 2 herbs.  I finally settled on Nature's Ways "Silent Night" formula, which is a proprietary blend of Valerian, Hops, and Scullcap.  I took the advised dosage of 4 tablets, 1 hour before sleep.  I briefly woke up a couple times during the night, which is typical for me, but I didn't get panicky about not falling back to sleep.  I felt sleepy, mellow & fell right back to sleep.  I woke up well rested without any grogginess whatsoever.  I've never taken any sleep medication, so I have nothing to compare this to, but I would definitely use it again.

TO BE CONTINUED....

On the Road Again: More Stretching in St. Louis, Family in Florida & Nuptials in NYC. I'm Going to Try Out Lemon Balm, Valerian & Hops

Seize every day as an adventure and your spirit will soar when you discover the wonderful surprises life has to offer.

                   -Anonymous-

Just give me my 8 hours of sleep & then I'll be ready for adventure, soaring spirits & surprises!  Without my 8--you can forget about it!

Starting on Friday I'll be criss-crossing the Eastern half of the country. I probably won't have a chance to post until after Labor Day.  Too bad.  I've got so much good stuff to share.  Oh well--it will have to wait.

I'm feeling a little on the anxious-stressed-out side with these upcoming ventures, mostly because they come one after another, with lots of early morning departures, lots of details to attend to, and long days of driving.

I know I'm going to need to get a good night's sleep before leaving early in the morning. And knowing that I'll need to get some power sleep before I leave on each leg of these 3 trips I've decided to give valerian with hops a try, to insure super sleep.  And some lemon balm to ease the anxiety and stress of taking 3 trips back to back with little time to prepare between each one.

So What's the Deal with Valerian, Hops & Lemon Balm?

• It was my good fortune to hear Dr. Tieraona Low Dog talk about these two herbs on Tuesday.  She's the Director of Education for the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Arizona and she's been the chair of the U.S. Pharmacopeia's Dietary Supplements & Botanicals Expert Committee since 2000.  As if that's not enough, she's on the NIH Advisory Committee for the Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine.  This is someone who knows what she's talking about.
• When it comes to herbs for sleep, Dr. Low Dog says HANDS DOWN, the combination of valerian & hops is the best.  Valerian will get you to sleep & hops will help you stay asleep. 
• As for mild anxiety & nervousness, she's been using lemon balm in her practice for over 20 years.  Even the sound of it--Lemon Balm--sounds calming.  The relaxing part of this herb is in the oils, so she recommends using the essential oil mixed with water or tea.  She says it's very safe & can be used in children and older people alike.
• I don't have much personal experience with herbs, so this will be an adventure.  I'll be sure to report back!

So Where Are We Going & Why Am I Feeling Stressed?

• First to St. Louis. Working late on Thursday-won't get home 'til 10 PM.  Up early on Friday.  Caravaning (that's always fun) with Son #2 as he moves to a new apartment in St. Louis. If I'm lucky, and I think I will be...I'll get to share the 20 hours of driving with my husband in a windowless, 15 foot cargo van.  Did I mention it was a rented van?  You know how much I love driving rented vehicles in strange cities, especially without rear windows.  But heck, it'll be like old times, "Stretching in St. Louis".  We've got one day to drive there, one day to unload & drive around town in search of a mattress, couch & microwave, &  one day to drive the rented cargo van 10+ hours back home.  I'm really looking forward to a nice glass of wine & some terrific pizza on Saturday night!  The heck with watching what I eat.
• Then on to Florida.  Return from St. Louis late Sunday night.  Rise at dawn on Monday morning for an early morning flight.  Pick up a rental car at the airport, meet with my mother-in-law's oncologist, then drive 2 hours to her home. Then...finally, we'll get to spend a relaxing, lovely week with my mother-in-law--which is what this trip is all about.
• Final destination: NYC. Return from Florida.  Work for 4 days.  Drive to NYC (early morning of course) to visit with friends, my son & daughter-in-law and enjoy a wonderful wedding--the main event for this leg of the journey.
• Ah, I'm feeling more relaxed already, and ready for adventure.  I think I'll do a trial run of that valerian/hops combo tonight!

Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks To Your Daily Energy Levels

"Ever feel tired at 3:00? That's because your brain really wants to take a nap!

At 3:00 PM, 12 hours after the midpoint of your sleep, all your brain wants to do is nap."

-John Medina, creator of Brain Rules-

   photo by LoyCorp   

My life-time mission is to find the magic formula that will give me enough energy to work-exercise-volunteer-do-chores all day long with maximum efficiency---but at the same time, "let time go lightly " when I'm with family-friends-co-workers-acquaintances---& still have enough energy at night to stay awake when I finally flop down on the couch with a great book.  Perfect Balance. Efficient & Mellow.

I keep a watch on time when I've have work to do,
I let time go lightly with you.
          Harry Chapin - my favorite singer-songwriter

Is it possible? Have I just discovered the magic formula?  Maybe.  It just might be: Go with the Flow. The flow of hormones, like oxytocin, cortisol, melatonin, and circadian rhythms.  Yes, there's always a biological component!  But there's a big catch!  Our energy has peaks & valleys--that's just the way it is.  The trick is to know it--and PLAN YOUR DAY AROUND THOSE UPS & DOWNS.

A couple of weeks ago I came across a fascinating article in the June issue of Prevention, called "Let Your Brain Reign!" by Sara Reistad-Long.  To read the entire article click here!   Here's the premise:

"Your brain obeys its own rhythm, too--based largely on your sleep pattern, exposure to light, and genetic makeup--and getting in a groove with its tempo can make you healthier, happier, and more productive. For example: "Since adults over 40 are generally morning types, they would most likely score better on an IQ test at 9 AM than at 4 PM," says Lynn Hasher, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto.

If you want to maximize your energy you need to match your tasks with your body's daily ebb & flow.  Simple as that.

• 7-9 am: Connect with family, friends & co-workers. Oxytocin, the "love hormone" is sky-high upon waking.  Best time for intimacy at all levels.  Call your friends, family, cuddle with your partner, write thank you notes. This one, in my opinion is really bad timing!  But I've got to admit, morning is a great time for cuddling; and the only time I really feel like using the phone is in the morning, especially on the way to work.  Maybe it's the oxytocin! I'm ready & willing to talk to all my friends & family soon after I wake-up--but no way am I going to risk waking anyone up at that hour or interrupt their morning routine. It's my favorite time to call my  sister, and those friends who I know are early risers & don't mind morning calls. By evening I've lost the urge! If you get to work before 9 am, now is the time to schmooze with your co-workers.


• 9-11 am:  Brain work-Creativity-Analytical work.  Cortisol, the stress hormone is at "moderate levels" which gives you just the right edge to focus.Your mind is at its sharpest.  If you have a presentation to write, need to brain storm new ideas, or have a task that requires a sharp brain--9-11 is the time.  Don't waste it!  I love 9-11.  I know I'm sharpest at this time, but often I'm squandering this precious time on other activities.  Time to rearrange my schedule & leave 9-11 for "brain work"!! It just seems so unfair that it only lasts 2 hours. Tip #1: sometime between 9 am-2 pm try to get a dose of sunlight.  It will increase your serotonin & give you energy, not to mention that all important Vitamin D that I keep harping about.

• 11 am-2 pm: Tough tasks-errands-attacking the to do list. Melatonin, the sleep hormone has dipped from its late evening & early morning peaks, so we're ready for the day's "heavy lifting".  It's the best time to get to everything on your to-do list, make that presentation, answer emails, run errands.  We're still mentally sharp, but not as tip-top as at 9-11.  Watch out for multi-tasking, though.  All the experts warn against this.  Take every task one at a time!

• 2-3 pm: Siesta time-take a break! Try to eat your lunch closer to 2 pm, if possible, because this is the time when we start to crash. But be sure to have that healthy mid-morning snack if you wait until 2 pm for lunch.  Now is the time to "Eat, Take a Nap".  I know that sounds crazy, but, if there's any way you can steal away for 20-30 mins., and find a quiet, dark place to do a quick meditation/nap you will be amazed at the results.  Get yourself an inexpensive kitchen timer, a Back Jack  , a small afghan, or pillow and go into an empty office (or your bedroom) and do a simple breath count meditation, or just lie down for 20-30 mins.  I am astounded at how refreshed this makes me feel, and it really has increased my evening energy level.  I have always felt a drop in energy somewhere mid-afternoon, and never considered that it was part of  the body's natural rhythm.  Who knew how much more energized I could feel by a simple 30 minute time-out! Tip #1: If you've slept poorly the night before, you'll experience a bigger energy dip by mid-day. Tip #2: NASA pilots who took a 26 minute nap improved performance by 34%.


• 3-6 pm: Collaborate with co-workers or exercise. The brain is still fatigued, but your cortisol level (the stress hormone) has dipped, making you mellow.  This is a good time to do the routine tasks at work that don't take too much brain power, or for low pressure meetings.  If you're at home, attack the easy going  no-brainer chores.  The other option, is to use this time to work out.  Exercising before dinner is probably the best use of this slow down brain time.  You'll get rejuvenated and put your body into calorie burn mode before dinner.  Note to self: start work early & switch morning exercise to after work.


• 6-8 pm: Time for personal tasks.  Sleep inducing melatonin is at its lowest level, putting us back into awake mode.  Researchers call this the "wake maintenance" period.  You've got the energy to stop at the grocery, drug store or library on the way home.  If you're already home, do some straightening up before dinner and enjoy your family.  Our appetites start increasing because of the circadian changes in our hormones and it's time to prepare the evening meal.  I definitely get renewed energy during this time--my downfall is when I get home too close to that 8 pm witching hour.  That's when I lose the energy for proper meal prep & eating late cuts into the next important time period--relaxation.


• 8-10 pm: Time to wind down & relax.  Melatonin rises quickly at this time. 80% of our serotonin, our "perky hormone", comes from the sun.  So when the sun fades, so do we. Suddenly we go from awake to drowsy.  We're like Cinderellas approaching midnight.  That's why you always feel better when you get home early from work, instead of fighting the "hormone flow" & working late or attending evening meetings.  We need this time to wind down.  It's true for me.  Now is the time to slow down and not feel guilty about it.  The brain is tired. It's time for a "mindless" activity like TV or a relaxing activity like knitting. Stay away from the computer or brain stimulating games or books. It will mess with your sleep!  I guess if I'm going to flop  down on the couch, I better stick to a novel, the newspaper or magazines.  Tip #1: Dim the lights a little to insure that you keep your melatonin high. Tip #2: Beware of alcohol this late in the day.  It will disturb your sleep.


• 10 pm or later:  Get to bed! There's no way around this if you want to be sharp and in a good mood the next morning! Get your 7-9 hours without fail.  This is not an option.  Your brain needs the time to consolidate memories and learning.  Your body needs the time to repair and rejuvenate. Lack of sleep will impair your mood, memory, logical reasoning, motor dexterity,  attention, executive function, appetite, and immune system.  Enough said.  Nod off with a book.  Keep your room dark or use eye shades (really!), to keep your melatonin high.  For previous posts on sleep, click here  and here!


• Final tips:  You all know this already, but just in case...  Keep your body fueled through-out the day.  Eat a good breakfast with protein, carbs & a little healthy fat.  Refuel every 3-4 hours depending upon your appetite & always with a carb/protein mix snack.  This keeps the serotonin (the perky hormone) high & keeps you awake. Ditch the caffeine after 3 pm.  Avoid the alcohol after dinner.  Try to stop eating 3 hours before sleep. I've yet to stop eating at 7:30 pm-ever.  That one's tough.

For a visual look at your own energy peaks & valleys try taking this 1 minute Natural Rhythm
test developed by Professor Jim Horne at Loughborough University in the UK. Click  here.

Does anyone have their own tips to share for getting the most out of the day?  Does this "energy map" ring true for any of you?

Sleep: Without 7 or 8 Hours You Won't Be at the Top of Your Game

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.  ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002

 

Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, says Americans have got it all wrong.  We take pride in how little sleep we get, as if getting 8 hours of sleep was for slackers.  Oh how wrong we are!

Only 10% of us can get by on 5  hours a night.  That's for the Bill Clintons & Martha Stewarts of the world.  But then Dr. Van Cauter reminds us that Clinton had heart surgery in his 50s with no obvious risk factors.

The plain truth is, we all need 7 hours at the minimum, and 8 to 9 hours to really shine.  Sleep is necessary to restore our bodies, regulate our hormones, consolidate learning, keep our immune system functioning, and keep us emotionally stable. It is not an option!  Dr. David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania, says if he put you in his sleep lab, and deprived you of sleep, it would only take a few days until you showed some serious impairments.  But the strange thing is, some people think they're just fine.  It's like a Catch-22, Dr. Dinges explains:

People (who have been deprived of sleep) often say, oh I'm good to go.  And it is the disconnect between your ability to introspect your alertness and impairment and how impaired you actually are cognitively is why we think a lot people believe that they're doing just fine when if fact they're not...

Dr. William Dement, chief of Stanford University's Division of Sleep, describes some of the devasting consequences of all the sleep-deprived people walking among us.  Aside from all the innocent victims of fatal truck accidents caused by sleep-deprived truck drivers, he reminds us of all the serious mistakes made at the hands of sleep-deprived workers.  A biggie was someone who forgot to convert inches to centimeters in the $6 billion mistake in the Mars mission!

So, what can we look forward to if we actually go to sleep early and get those 8 hours?  Besides actually feeling rested, in a good mood, more apt to lose weight, better concentration, patience and getting fewer colds?  Dr. Dement may convince you with this:

We've actually been studying this very closely in recent years, that if you take any individual and have them get extra sleep, their performance improves.  It's always like here's my personal best. I'm at my personal - well, it gets better (with the extra sleep). And that's a big surprise.

Dr. Dement is concerned that people feel they have too much to do to take the time for a good 8 hours, but yet they aren't knowledgeable enough about sleep to know that if they compromise the hours they get each night, their abilities to do what they have to do are severely decreased. 

We were studying basketball players recently, and as you know, they have a personal best.  I can shoot 7 out 10 foul shots, and that's my absolute best.  They get extra sleep, it becomes 8 out of 10... People need to know that!

(so here it is folks)...the choice is going through life losing an hour of sleep at night, going through life as a zombie, or - giving up that one hour of being a zombie, for being wide awake, alert and at your peronal best all day long.  And I think the main thing is, a lot of people just haven't experienced that since they were kids.

And Dr. Dement's parting words, the take home message:

So when we actually do our sleep debt reduction maneuvers, people say, oh my God, I haven't felt this great in years! I didn't realize - and they are motivated to maintain it- and maintain the schedule.

What helps me:

Knowing that we actually sleep in two phases. It's a myth that we sleep 8 solid hours. There are 2 phases of 4 hours each, with a semi-wakeful state in the middle.  This is supposed to happen. When you wake up at 3 in the morning, resist the urge to get up, or look at the clock, or start thinking too much.  You will fall back to sleep. Give it some time.

Wishing you all sweet dreams! Do you notice a difference when you get a good night's sleep?  Do you need 8 hours to be at your best?

 

 

Feeling Cranky, Pessimistic, Impatient & Annoyed? How Did You Sleep Last Night?

   From the get-go yesterday I was tired, impatient, annoyed, and not feeling exactly cheerful.  I had the day off, I had a lot to do, and I was just plain tired. This did not bode well for getting a lot done.  I didn't sleep well the night before, and I was feeling the effects.

Now this is the strange part.  The night before my husband had given me a CD he had just listened to, called "Physical Energy" which was all about how to maximize your energy by getting enough sleep and eating right.  I listened to it as I drove to my first errand of the day. Lee Milteer, the moderator, talked about the "dirty little secret" of many high-powered business execs: how they're exhausted, running on empty and are just too busy to figure out what to do about. Addicted to the adrenaline rush of exhaustion and not even aware of it.

Lee was interviewing Dr. Ernesto J. Fernandez, who describes the mental state of a person who hasn't gotten enough sleep. 

How does fatigue affect your performance and productivity? Besides fatigue affecting your energy level, which alone can be a serious problem,  fatigue also affects your ability to focus and concentrate for extended periods of time, your ability to think creatively, your mood and outlook on life, and your ability to handle stress and change.  You can feel negative, pessimistic, impatient, prone to worry, and quick to fly-off-the-handle.

I'm definitely aware of how differently I feel after a good night's sleep, as compared to a bad one.  Everything in my life can be exactly the same, but if I'm rested, I'm happy, optimistic, on top of my game.   If I'm tired, all of sudden, everyone seems annoying, and the world is going to hell-in-a-handbasket. But it was confirming to hear Dr. Fernandez say what I knew to be true.

Later in the day, I checked in on The Happiness Project Blog and read about Gretchen Rubin's recent success in following her 8th Commandment,  Identify the Problem.  When you're annoyed, angered, or frustrated, ask yourself, "What exactly is the problem here?"

It didn't take a whole lot to realize why I hadn't been sleeping well.  I really look forward to some down time in the evening and on weekends.  Time to slow down, make a nice meal, read, watch some TV, and just plain relax.  I haven't had any of that time lately.  Weekends have been back-to-back scheduled. I was getting home late from work, and working on the computer right until bedtime.  Not a good idea! I was dreaming of Google sitemaps.

Happy to report that I cancelled everything I just "HAD TO DO" for the rest of the day. I puttered around the house, straightened everything up in a relaxed pace, listening to NPR all the while.  I didn't HAVE to do any of this. I chose to, and that made all the difference! I made a scrumptious meal of mushroom barley soup, whole grain bread, wine, maple roasted squash, garlicked kale & bought some delicious mushroom loaf from the grocery. I took 30 minutes to meditate and as always, I was so amazed at how refreshed, rejuvenated and calm I felt.  Definitely, need to do that more often!

The evening remained unplanned and I stayed AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER.  My final sleep-inducing step was a glass of hot cocoa, and a little pre-sleep reading.  Slept for a 8 1/2 blissful hours and I'm like a new person.  Best news is that it's Saturday, and I can finally stay home!  That is until we go to a friend's house for dinner at 6:00!

Nothing beats a solid eight hours of sleep.  More on the benefits of sleep tomorrow!