Scaly Freak searches for a sleep spell

[h3r0]

13 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

It's not quite nine hours here, but I'm definitely noticing a similar pattern. Starting with the night leading up to Monday, the average for this week so far is 8 hours and 3 minutes.  

 

And how do you feel? 

 

[Scaly Freak]

12 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Whoah that’s amazing! How do you feel after the extra sleep?

 

7 hours ago, h3r0 said:

 

And how do you feel? 

 

I expected to feel more relaxed and less tense, but I am not really seeing those results yet. Though it's (only?) Thursday, so maybe I need to do this for longer? I also  had to get up early this morning, to drop off the Happy Sidekick for her 6-monthly veterinary exam, and a couple of vaccinations that need topping off with booster shots, so my average has dropped a little bit. 

 

I am less tired, so there is that benefit.  

 

I had a telehealth appointment with my therapist on Tuesday, and expressed some of my simmering frustration that I have been under what feels like permanent high stress for over a year, with no send in sight, and with all the unpleasant anxiety consequences that leads to. She suggested that I need to keep an open mind to the possibility of physiological factors not necessarily causing the anxiety, but making it worse. Since I was seeing a doctor for my own regular wellness check the same day, I asked about this, and she mentioned that a lot of people with fair skin, who live as far north as we do, use sunscreen a lot, and don't go out for hours every day, often end up with a Vitamin D deficiency. Lack of Vitamin D can, among other things, make anxiety and depression worse, and it also apparently weakens the immune system. In order to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight I'd have to radiate myself with it to the point it becomes a different kind of health risk, so she recommended just a supplement instead. So I picked one up on the way home, and started taking it with my dinner on Tuesday evening. I'm going to take notes and see if this helps.  

[Harriet]

2 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

I expected to feel more relaxed and less tense, but I am not really seeing those results yet. Though it's (only?) Thursday, so maybe I need to do this for longer? I also  had to get up early this morning, to drop off the Happy Sidekick for her 6-monthly veterinary exam, and a couple of vaccinations that need topping off with booster shots, so my average has dropped a little bit. 

 

I am less tired, so there is that benefit.  

 

I had a telehealth appointment with my therapist on Tuesday, and expressed some of my simmering frustration that I have been under what feels like permanent high stress for over a year, with no send in sight, and with all the unpleasant anxiety consequences that leads to. She suggested that I need to keep an open mind to the possibility of physiological factors not necessarily causing the anxiety, but making it worse. Since I was seeing a doctor for my own regular wellness check the same day, I asked about this, and she mentioned that a lot of people with fair skin, who live as far north as we do, use sunscreen a lot, and don't go out for hours every day, often end up with a Vitamin D deficiency. Lack of Vitamin D can, among other things, make anxiety and depression worse, and it also apparently weakens the immune system. In order to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight I'd have to radiate myself with it to the point it becomes a different kind of health risk, so she recommended just a supplement instead. So I picking one up on the way home, and started taking it with my dinner on Tuesday evening. I'm going to take notes and see if this helps.  

 

 

Great. Physical things can definitely influence anxiety. Like my pseudoephidrine disaster. I hope the vitamin D works for you. And I hope the sleep keeps yielding its bounty with further benefits!

 

 

 

[Scaly Freak]

Extreme Book Nerd To-Read list

Pulitzer winner/nominee:  Shakespeare's kitchen, by Lore Segal

Library Book Club title, current or past years: Fatal Light, by Richard Currey

Staff recommendation: The shadows between us, by Tricia Levenseller

[sarakingdom]

On 8/18/2021 at 5:37 PM, Scaly Freak said:

It's not quite nine hours here, but I'm definitely noticing a similar pattern. Starting with the night leading up to Monday, the average for this week so far is 8 hours and 3 minutes.  

 

[sarakingdom]

21 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

I expected to feel more relaxed and less tense, but I am not really seeing those results yet. Though it's (only?) Thursday, so maybe I need to do this for longer? I also  had to get up early this morning, to drop off the Happy Sidekick for her 6-monthly veterinary exam, and a couple of vaccinations that need topping off with booster shots, so my average has dropped a little bit. 

 

I am less tired, so there is that benefit.  

 

It can take a while to really get back to rested after chronically shorting yourself on sleep (she says from experience). I have this sinking feeling that brain repair is like weight loss and the saying that you didn't put the weight on overnight, so it'll take as long to lose it. And, like your doc says, it may be an exacerbating factor rather than a cause.

 

22 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Lack of Vitamin D can, among other things, make anxiety and depression worse, and it also apparently weakens the immune system. In order to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight I'd have to radiate myself with it to the point it becomes a different kind of health risk, so she recommended just a supplement instead. So I picked one up on the way home, and started taking it with my dinner on Tuesday evening. I'm going to take notes and see if this helps.  

 

A lot of us here are doing D supplements and find it helps. Not a silver bullet, but helpful.

[Scaly Freak]

4 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

A lot of us here are doing D supplements and find it helps. Not a silver bullet, but helpful.

 

There isn't really a silver bullet for anxiety, at least not for mine. Barbells helped, but they're not a silver bullet either. I'm assuming this applies to vitamin D, sleep, and all the other management strategies as well.

[Scaly Freak]

Also.

 

I have barbells! 😍

 

A large part of the credit for this happy reunion goes to @Harriet for inspiring me to brave the unknown and seek out a small non-crowded local gym where mask wearing isn't made into a big deal by the other gym goers.  

 

There is a small, not really super-busy, 24-hour access gym a short drive from our house. We went there late in the evening earlier this week and peeked through the windows. From what we can see from the windows, they only have one squat rack, next to one rack for bench press, and one single set of plates between them, but there is also a full cable setup (one of those machines with two cable towers and chin-up bars between the tops of the towers), there are two full racks of real dumbbells, and there's a full set of kettlebells. there is also a deadlift platform in the corner by the squat rack. During our late-evening scouting mission, there were two people in there working out. 

 

So yesterday we went in during the day and signed up for the free 7-day trial, and were given our key fob that opens the door at all hours, and last night around 10:30 PM, we went back for a workout. 

 

I am very much out of barbell lifting shape, but I managed to get through the first day of the first week of the Greyskull program I've used in the past and really liked, and then I did some accessories, and some cardio on their rowing machine while Husband finished up his workout.

 

Visiting the gym late in the evenings will make sleep a bit challenging, but I will make this work. I will have barbells in my life again!

 

Because I feel great. I have missed the barbells. I very much look forward to the enjoying the anti-anxiety benefits of a properly executed deadlift.  

[h3r0]

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

I have barbells! 

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

A large part of the credit for this happy reunion goes to @Harriet for inspiring me to brave the unknown and seek out a small non-crowded local gym where mask wearing isn't made into a big deal by the other gym goers.  

 

 

DOING A HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU! 

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

 they only have one squat rack, next to one rack for bench press, and one single set of plates between them, but there is also a full cable setup (one of those machines with two cable towers and chin-up bars between the tops of the towers), there are two full racks of real dumbbells, and there's a full set of kettlebells. there is also a deadlift platform in the corner by the squat rack. 

 

Whoa, that sounds like a great gym.

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

So yesterday we went in during the day and signed up for the free 7-day trial, and were given our key fob that opens the door at all hours, and last night around 10:30 PM, we went back for a workout. 

 

Also sounds ideal, can choose non peak hours which is not ideal schedule wise but can workout in peace without a crowd. 

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

I am very much out of barbell lifting shape, but I managed to get through the first day of the first week of the Greyskull program I've used in the past and really liked, and then I did some accessories, and some cardio on their rowing machine while Husband finished up his workout.

 

"Don't worry about the weight, it will come back. You are way better off than a beginner. You know what you are doing and have way better form. Rock it sister. May the deadlift be with you. " - h3r0 

 

 I told you your time was coming soon lol

 

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

Because I feel great. I have missed the barbells. I very much look forward to the enjoying the anti-anxiety benefits of a properly executed deadlift.  

 

Again, I am very excited for you! 

 

[Mistr]

3 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

I have barbells! 😍

 

Yay for barbells!

 

3 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Visiting the gym late in the evenings will make sleep a bit challenging, but I will make this work. I will have barbells in my life again!

 

You can always add a nap to your schedule to make it work. Stronger By Science just did a review of the benefits of napping, caffeine or both on weight training. Either helps, and both are better.   

[Scaly Freak]

38 minutes ago, Mistr said:

You can always add a nap to your schedule to make it work. Stronger By Science just did a review of the benefits of napping, caffeine or both on weight training. Either helps, and both are better.   

 

Ooo, I had not considered taking a nap! I must read this article immediately.

[Harriet]

9 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Also.

 

I have barbells! 😍

 

A large part of the credit for this happy reunion goes to @Harriet for inspiring me to brave the unknown and seek out a small non-crowded local gym where mask wearing isn't made into a big deal by the other gym goers.  

 

There is a small, not really super-busy, 24-hour access gym a short drive from our house. We went there late in the evening earlier this week and peeked through the windows. From what we can see from the windows, they only have one squat rack, next to one rack for bench press, and one single set of plates between them, but there is also a full cable setup (one of those machines with two cable towers and chin-up bars between the tops of the towers), there are two full racks of real dumbbells, and there's a full set of kettlebells. there is also a deadlift platform in the corner by the squat rack. During our late-evening scouting mission, there were two people in there working out. 

 

So yesterday we went in during the day and signed up for the free 7-day trial, and were given our key fob that opens the door at all hours, and last night around 10:30 PM, we went back for a workout. 

 

I am very much out of barbell lifting shape, but I managed to get through the first day of the first week of the Greyskull program I've used in the past and really liked, and then I did some accessories, and some cardio on their rowing machine while Husband finished up his workout.

 

Visiting the gym late in the evenings will make sleep a bit challenging, but I will make this work. I will have barbells in my life again!

 

Because I feel great. I have missed the barbells. I very much look forward to the enjoying the anti-anxiety benefits of a properly executed deadlift.  

 

Yesssss! Barbells for you! Is 10:30 the time you feel happiest going because it's empty? Or is that just what fits with your schedule? Either way, I am very happy for you. Barbells are a very important health and happiness causing activity.

[Mad Hatter]

9 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

I have barbells! 😍

 

YAYAYYAY!!!! I'm so happy for you!

 

Thanks for the vit D reminder, now that summer's over I need to start munching those again.

[Scaly Freak]

19 hours ago, h3r0 said:

Whoa, that sounds like a great gym.

 

It's very small compared to my old one... the old one had four racks, one power cage, and two deadlift platforms, two sets of kettlebells and Olympic plate machines in addition to the traditional ones. However, my old one is a large commercial gym that remains packed with people at all hours, so the tradeoff is not only worth it, it's preferred. Crowded gym is still not happening for me, and the owner confirmed that this small gym never gets as busy as the large commercial ones, so we should be in good shape there.

 

11 hours ago, Harriet said:

Yesssss! Barbells for you! Is 10:30 the time you feel happiest going because it's empty? Or is that just what fits with your schedule? 

 

Because it's more empty late in the evening, than it is during the day. However, because it's a 24-hour gym, after a certain point in the evening it becomes more crowded again because the nocturnal people show up. The challenge is going to be to find that particular window that is after the day-time people have left, but before the nocturnal people arrive. The crepuscular hour window  

 

11 hours ago, Harriet said:

Barbells are a very important health and happiness causing activity.

 

Yes, they are. I can feel the difference after just one visit to the barbells! (I can also feel massive and unpleasant DOMS, but I am cautiously optimistic that they can be made to fade through prolonged barbell exposure.)

[Harriet]

6 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

It's very small compared to my old one... the old one had four racks, one power cage, and two deadlift platforms, two sets of kettlebells and Olympic plate machines in addition to the traditional ones. however, my old one is a large commercial gym that remains packed with people at all hours, so the tradeoff is not only worth it, it's preferred. Crowded gym is still not happening for me, and the owner confirmed that this small gym never gets as busy as the large commercial ones, so we should be in good shape there.

 

You only need one cage. The uni gym at Berkeley had like ten, but I sometimes had to wait. My new gym only has two, and I've never had to wait yet, and in fact all three times I've been there both cages were free.

 

6 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

Because it's more empty late in the evening, than it is during the day. However, because it's a 24-hour gym, after a certain point in the evening it becomes more crowded again because the nocturnal people show up. The challenge is going to be to find that particular window that is after the day-time people have left, but before the nocturnal people arrive. The crepuscular hour window  

 

Lol. Foxy lifting for the win.

 

6 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

Yes, they are. I can feel the difference after just one visit to the barbells! (I can also feel massive and unpleasant DOMS, but I am cautiously optimistic that they can be made to fade through prolonged barbell exposure.)

 

Yesssssssss. I am sure the lifting is reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, causing damaged mitochondria to die or repair, sweeping toxic chemicals from our brains, and resetting our sleep clocks, while also making our bones strong and sending magical happiness vibes to our hearts. I bet there's a hundred mechanisms we haven't discovered yet, but I already believe in barbell magic.

[Scaly Freak]

10 hours ago, Harriet said:

You only need one cage. The uni gym at Berkeley had like ten, but I sometimes had to wait. My new gym only has two, and I've never had to wait yet, and in fact all three times I've been there both cages were free.

 

An excellent point. And I can find things to do while I wait, if I need to wait.  

[Scaly Freak]

Back at the gym tonight. And this time, everyone else left almost as soon as we got there! Yay! I took pictures of the parts of the gym I care about. 🙂

 

 

 

 

[Harriet]

Empty and purple! It looks magical 😀

[Scaly Freak]

45 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Empty and purple! It looks magical 😀

 

I think it might be. Deadlifts definitely have anxiety healing properties. 

[Jupiter]

9 hours ago, Harriet said:

Empty and purple! It looks magical 😀

 

I agree.  

[Scaly Freak]

It is Sunday, which means it's is time for the latest weekly averages. Despite having the week off from work, there were a couple of days when I had to get up relatively early, first to drop off the Happy Sidekick for her regular wellness check and shots, and once for volunteer training. These early mornings reduced the amount of sleep I had those nights, and as a result my average for the week is 7 hrs and 8 mins of sleep, with a sleep score of 82.

[Harriet]

3 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

It is Sunday, which means it's is time for the latest weekly averages. Despite having the week off from work, there were a couple of days when I had to get up relatively early, first to drop off the Happy Sidekick for her regular wellness check and shots, and once for volunteer training. These early mornings reduced the amount of sleep I had those nights, and as a result my average for the week is 7 hrs and 8 mins of sleep, with a sleep score of 82.

 

Still better than it would have been without the sleep efforts, right? I hope there are no early mornings this week.

[Scaly Freak]

12 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

Still better than it would have been without the sleep efforts, right? I hope there are no early mornings this week.

 

Right, definitely.  

 

And work starts at 8:00 AM, which is obscenely early after a week of sleeping until 10:30 or later  

[Mistr]

Yay for your new gym!

 

I hope the week of rest plus lifting gives you more energy for things this week.

[h3r0]

It has a deadlift station! How awesome