1. What time did you wake up today? 5:30 am
2. What time are you lying down to go to sleep? 9:30 pm usually
3. What is your bedtime routine? (*HINT: If you don't have one, DESIGN one!
a. All meds for the next morning are in my pill box at the kitchen table by my place so there's no forgetting them (Let me count the ways that leads to DISASTER!)

b. Clothes for the next day are laid out so there's no fussing in the morning.

c. The table is set for breakfast.

d. Lunches for the next day are made and in the refrigerator ready to grab and go.

e. Dishes are washed, dried, put away and the sink is cleaned.

f. Whatever is required for supper the next day is organized in the freezer so there's no reason to do the last minute "What are we going to have for supper" routine, which ALWAYS leads to nutritional disaster. I always keep my menu planning and grocery list up-to-date as well, for the same reason.

g. Lights out in the kitchen once these things are done.

h. During the school year, backpacks and necessities are at the "launch pad" -- the front door, so nothing gets forgotten. THAT has been an invaluable habit to develop to make chaotic mornings a little less chaotic.

i. I take at least 15-20 minutes to "wind down" before going to bed -- meditation, yoga, deep breathing and stretching. It gives my brain time to get with the program -- we're going to sleep! Time to shut down. (**Note to self: This is a tough one for Moms. THIS Mom can always find something to worry about!**)

j. Test my blood sugar before hitting the shower.

k. Take a shower and get into bed!


4. What were the last food(s) you consumed tonight -- type, amount, and time you ate.

Supper finished by 6 pm. That is always a protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrate. Supper was meat balls (two -- approx. 2 oz. total) with green beans 1/2 cup) and a chickpea salad (1/4 cup) with yogurt and salsa on top (1tsp. each), 7:30 pm I had a little peanut butter on a humus cracker.

5. Did you exercise today? -- type, duration, and time of day). YES! did my ST today. Took a long walk with Mr. Spot the Wonder Dog @ 7 am till 8 am. Then did grocery shopping and chores from noon to 3 pm. Racked up walking miles on that one! WooHOo. While supper was cooking, jumped on the treadmill (4 pm to 5 pm). DH and I took a walk from 7 pm till 8 pm. Did my strength training from 8 pm to 9 pm. Did stretching, then meditation and deep breathing for 20 minutes (8:45 pm to 9:05 pm) Still maintaining that routine.

6. Did you consume any alcohol today? NOPE I didn't.

7. Did you consume any caffeinated drinks/foods today? Type, number and time of day.

a. Morning cup of coffee (decaf), 5:30 am 8 oz.
b. Afternoon cup of herbal tea (decaf), 11 am
c. Evening cup of herbal tea (decaf) 6:30 pm

8. Did you take any medication(s), prescription and/or OTC today? Type, amt. and time of day.

a. 5:30 am thyroid med
b. 7:00 am supplements (numerous(
c. 11:30 am supplements
d. 5:00 pm supplements
e. 9 pm supplements

9. Did you take any naps today (number, duration, time of day) NOPE not today.

10. What types of stressors did you encounter today? What types do you expect to encounter tomorrow?

Very stressful evening, unfortunatley. Unexpected, mostly. DS texted that he will be deploying to Afghanistan the end of the month. He will not be able to come home prior. THAT stinks so bad. Made it extremely hard to sleep I must say, but at least I rested for 8 hrs. Keep up my routine is going to be about my only saving grace on the sleep front right now, I'm afraid. **SIGH**

Am trying to make sure that I take extra good care of myself with the stress right now. I don't anticipate any other stressors today, at least I pray not. This is about enough for the moment. DH is going to be out of town again next week so will help him with some of the prep over the weekend. At least that will keep the mind occupied. This time he's going to Atlanta (HOT-lanta) to give a presentation. His sister lives in Hot-lanta, so I'm sure he'll at least see her for a few hrs. while there. Lucky Man!!

11. How hungry did you feel today? (1 = not hungry, 2 = normal hunger, 3 = strong hunger, 4 = extreme hunger) I would rate myself a "1" today, but am still going to eat as I should.

12. How awake did you feel today? (1 = exhausted, 2 = somewhat tired, 3 = fairly alert, 4 = wide awake) I would rate myself a "2".

13. How irritable did you feel today? (1 = calm, 2 = slightly annoyed, 3 = moderately irritable, 4 = highly irritable) Ok, on this one I'd say a ""2".

NOW, I have to answer the following 3 questions about how I feel I slept last night.

1. How long did it take you to fall asleep last night? About 30 minutes!

2. How many times did you wake up during the night? Three times. Did read for awhile, so was able to get back to sleep. (professional journals to get my certification renewal for Healthcare Quality renewed. If that doesn't put one to sleep, there is NOTHING that will!)

3. In total, how many hours did you sleep last night? 8 hrs.

Stay tuned for the next installment to see how sleep is progressing! Try it yourself!