Sleep

Changes in my sleep patterns have always been a good indicator of when my depression was getting worse.  I would sleep a lot.  I mean A LOT.  We are talking entire days and nights with waking moments to use the bathroom, tend to the dogs and maybe eat.

Over the years, I've also learned the importance of maintaining a sleep schedule to help keep my depression at bay.  Getting enough sleep (for me, this is eight-nine hours) helps me keep an even mood.  It also allows me to be at my best so I can do those things that I love, those things I should be doing and those things I must do.  All of these lead to a happier and healthier me.

Knowing this, and my seemingly life-long struggle with insomnia, I have found some over-the-counter medications that work really well for me.  I've been on various prescription sleep aids over the years but they always had downsides.  Often, they made me sleep too much (hello? that is one of my "here comes the depression" indicators), didn't allow me to wake up (oops, sorry job), made me feel hung over and groggy upon waking, or simply didn't work  at all.

So this miracle-for-me sleep aid is called Alteril.  I love it.  I helps me fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up easily to an alarm clock or with my body's natural rhythms.  It also doesn't leave me feeling hung over. 

Now, with all that being said, with all I know about the importance of sleep in my life and the need to keep a sleep schedule, it is totally non-existent at the moment.  My husband has been working the over-night shift.  He's on his second week of doing this.  It's not that I cannot sleep without him here, but I like to be awake when he's here so I tend to adopt his schedule.  Not good considering I do have a few daytime obligations from time to time.  It's been up and down and really crazy.

I also know I'm in the grips of a pretty intense downward spiral so the depression monster is telling me to sleep in order to not have to deal with anything.

Crap.

Seems my husband will have this week and next on the night shift and then he will be back to something more typical.  By that time, I will also be starting my anti-depressants.  This will work out.  I know it will.  Just need to hold on until that time.