Week in Review

Well, I think my biphasic sleeping has been going okay. It could be better, but I am kind of sticking to a schedule with it, so that is a start.

I absolutely LOVE my nap in the afternoon. I live for it. I think I've finally gotten Night convinced that he doesn't need to come in and check on me every 15 minutes, so I might actually be able to fall asleep. Keira has been taking her naps a little later (it used to be 1:00, now it is 3:30ish), so we are sleeping around the same time. I like that. I've even been able to cuddle with Josh too. I find that I don't sleep as well with Josh there, though. I still get my rest and I like having him close.

My biggest problem is getting up in the mornings. I try to sleep according to the 90 minute cycle, but I'm having a hard time getting up when I had originally planned. I didn't do too badly this morning, but it is really the first morning I've gotten up when I wanted to do so.

I think I've discovered that my sleep cycle is actually closer to 70 minutes rather than 90. I'm still testing this theory, though. I tried to notice the time on the clock when I went to sleep and woke up. It seems that an hour and ten minutes is it-at least that is what I woke up twice last night. Since last night was the only time that I paid attention, I will need to check it some more, but looking back, I do usually wake up before the alarm during my nap, but then I go back to sleep. I had always blamed something else for waking me, but maybe I will feel more refreshed if I just get up after 70 minutes-something to test this afternoon.

Ahh! This afternoon! I'm already looking forward to my nap, and it is only 6:45am!!

I'm Back...

I think I'm back at least!! Since Josh started going to school at night on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, it had become impossible to take a nap because he didn't get home until 10:30. It seemed pointless to try to take a nap at 10:30. I was also using this as an excuse because I was feeling...lazy.

Now that I possibly have a new job with excellent hours, I think I am going to try it again. I've had about a month's hiatus (from work and biphasic sleeping), so I am feeling ready to give it another go! Here is what I think my schedule will be:

• wake up 4:00am. I am choosing 4:00 because it seems that if Keira is going to wake up in the middle of the night, it is usually right around 4:00. I guess that is HER sleep cycle. I want to set my wake up time around then so that my sleep cycle isn't messed up if she does get up in the middle of the night. Josh is usually up until around 3:00 anyway, so there is little time for her to mess it up!
  
• nap for 1 1/2 hours around 3:30pm. If I get the job, this should be around the time I get home everyday. Since it is waitressing, sometimes sidework takes a little longer, so I over estimated a bit. Josh leaves for school at 5:15, so I should be up (and maybe a little groggy) when he is ready to go.
• Sleep at 1:00am. This gives me 3 hours of sleep. If I am feeling extra tired, I will be able to go to bed around 12:30am without any hassle.

I'm 2 1/2 hours into my first morning. I haven't had too much difficulty yet. It was Night that woke up this morning, but not until 5:45. He had a nightmare about an elevator or something, so right now we are watching THE WILD THORNBERRIES. Don't be jealous.

What have I done so far this morning? Laundry (folded, moved clothes to the dryer, and started the washing machine), drank 2 glasses of water (I'm a good girl) and one big mug of coffee, did pilates, and watched 1 episode of LOST. I'm hoping Night will fall asleep on the couch so I can continue LOST.

So far so good. I'll keep you updated!!

I'm trying, I really am....

I'm trying to get back into it, I really am, but this time, I am finding it really hard to get up after my nap.

Tonight I was sleeping by 7.30 (on the theory my first nap had to be early) but when the alarm went off at 9, I just DID NOT want to get up, I felt like I could have stayed asleep and not get up until tomorrow.

And I'm grumpy! I feel sorry for Tino.

Jinxed?

I think I jinxed myself by writing that I had plenty of energy! I haven't followed my sleep schedule for about 3 days now. I am sooo tired in the mornings-I keep hitting snooze.
Once I'm up and around, I'm fine. I just can't stay away from that snooze button! I have even rearranged the room, and getting to the alarm is like going through an obstacle course (obstacles being a cat, a dog, and a husband). But, I still hit snooze rather than turning it off.

I've been fighting a cold, so I think that might be part of it. I also have not been disciplined enough to do pilates. It is because I'm too tired in the mornings. I know I need to do it, but I just can't bring myself to do so.

I think I might just sleep tonight until I wake up because tomorrow is my day off. It might reset me. Of course, maybe I am just saying this because I've only been awake for a few minutes, and I want to go back to sleep!

Back in the saddle again....

...and not that happy about it.

I've done two nights of fitting in sleeping biphasically without fail, but I've been feeling awful waking up from both sleeps. Both evenings I've not been able to nap until at least 9pm.

Given the success last time, I think I've worked out the following:

• I need to be able to take my first nap early in the evening (preferably being asleep before 7.30)
• I need the awake period to be substantial - ie more than 2 hours

Otherwise I feel really tired.

Another observation I've made is that when I monophasically sleep, 6 hours is enough, but when I biphasically sleep, I need my second sleep to be 6 hours, meaning I sleep 7.5. Isn't that a bit weird?

Still Feeling Energetic

Even though I haven't been following my biphasic sleep schedule exactly, I still feel the benefits of it. Since my parents have been here, Keira hasn't been sleeping well. Combine the fact that she doesn't like change in schedule with her cold, and that makes for a very grumpy baby! I haven't been getting much sleep at all (Okay, I've also been watching the 24 DVD set that I got for Christmas-very addictive). Anyway, Keira has been getting me up in the night, but not at the scheduled time. I haven't felt sleepy during the day at all.
I've been doing pilates when I wake up-both times, and that seems to help get me going. I've been really happy with biphasic sleeping. Who would've thought that less sleep would give you more energy?! I could give Jack a run for his money!

Oops!

For the first time since I started biphasic sleeping, I overslept-on accident. Yes, I've overslept on purpose-decided I didn't really need to get up when the alarm went off, but last night, I didn't even hear the alarm. That is very unlike me. Ever since I had the babies, I've been a fairly light sleeper.
I have been setting my cell phone alarm rather than the bedroom alarm because it is a bit quieter, less intrusive to my sleep, and closer when it goes off. I've been doing this for over a week, without any problems. Last night, I was supposed to get up around 12:45am. Josh came in around 2, asking me what was going on. I said I was just waking up-I had heard the alarm about 2 minutes before he came in. He then told me the time-I had been hitting snooze that whole time! I guess the fact that I can't see the time as well on the cell phone made it easier for me to oversleep.
Luckily, it wasn't the alarm for the morning, though I doubt I'd oversleep that one. Of course, that is what I thought about the cell phone alarm...
I ended up just sleeping through the night. Well, that had been my plan until Keira woke up around 3:30. I guess the gods wanted me to sleep biphasically last night after all.

Interesting Facts

I found a list of 40 interesting facts about sleeping that I thought ya'll might want to read. It looks like it is from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2000, so it is probably outdated a little, but it is still fun to read!