OOF. This was a rough week, due to some epic sleep issues. But it was also the start of NABLOPOMO! And of course there were still workouts. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Here are the gritty details…
Monday
Hmm. I didn’t sleep great on Sunday night, due to a weird, achy right hip. It doesn’t bother me at any other time, but I cannot find a comfortable position for sleeping. Well, I’m sure it will go away soon. (Ahem.)
Anyway, I started the day with a 3 mile run…
…followed by this MadFit standing core workout..
Tuesday
Another poor night of sleep. I’m wakeful because of my hip, which is then leading to anxious thoughts (the middle of the night is not a great time to be awake ruminating!) Knowing that I had a big workout the next day, I kept this day simple. I did my favorite core workout, Caroline Girvan’s deadbugs,, followed by my hip stability exercises.
After work I got a massage! I should sleep GREAT tonight!
Wednesday
Hahahahaha. I’m not kidding when I say I think I got about one hour of sleep. My hip was terrible! But the minute I got out of bed, it was fine. Today was my last planned long run before my race next weekend, and I decided to go ahead with it.
15 mile trail run!!!
Against all odds, this run actually went really well. The weather was nice and I felt strong for the most part. Who needs sleep, anyway?
Just kidding- I DO. I don’t usually do this, but before I went to bed I took two Advils. I just HAD TO SLEEP. Had to.
Thursday
Hooray! I slept! 7 and 1/2 hours straight- I did get up to use the bathroom once, but fell right back asleep. Phew. I felt so, so, so much better.
2 mile run…
I followed this run with a Madfit Standing Arms and Abs workout.
At night, Halloween! I stayed home to give out candy to the few trick-or-treaters who came by, and my daughter went to a party. I had to pick her up later than I would have liked, but oh well. It’s a holiday.
Friday
In the absence of my magic Advil, I had another rough night (can I take Advil every night? No? Darn.) My sleeping injury, the incredible aching hip, seems to be cured, but I still couldn’t sleep. In the morning when I got up I was so exhausted I felt dizzy. It was supposed to be a gym day, but I finally listened to that nagging voice telling me “this is not a good idea.” Instead I stayed home and did Caroline Girvan’s deadbug workout, hip stability exercises, and some squats with lighter dumbbells. Nothing TOO strenuous, but just enough to keep my body from falling apart.
At night there was a high school football game. Did I want to go? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But I also didn’t want to miss it. I took a nap after work and got to the game in time for halftime, which, if your kid is in the band, is obviously the most important part.
I’m so glad I went. Our team won, and we’re now one game away from having a perfect season. So exciting!
Saturday
I don’t even want to talk about sleep anymore. I got in a 4 mile run before work…
…and after work I had a lovely nap. I had to rest up for the Baylor game at night, and it’s a good thing I did- we FINALLY beat TCU!!! Baylor is on a three-game winning streak now and looking great.
Sunday
On tap for today: SLEEPING IN. We turn the clocks back, OH YES, and nothing can stop me from sleeping late. Well, except for my hip, anxious thoughts, and the cats. Other than THAT, nothing can stop me.
I’ll also be watching the NYC Marathon (go Darlene!) Good thing we turn the clocks back, because I can sleep till “feels like” 9:00 and still see the beginning of the race.
How was your week? Do you have trouble sleeping? Any suggestions for a natural sleep aid?
45 Responses
We are insomnia sisters right now. I keep waking up at 5.30am every single night and just can’t find a way to go back to sleep. I usually dont go to bed before midnight so I am far from being recharged. Sigh…
I am impressed that you are still powering through with your workouts. I have a really really hard time doing so and have lately opted to not do it. Just getting gym cloth on seems like an impossible task.
Tobia, 5:30 when I have to get up in the morning- not by choice though. I think my body just naturally want to go to bed later and get up later, sigh.
5:30 is wake-up time for me, so this took me by surprise…
I didn’t sleep well at all last night–I got the Covid shot yesterday and I woke up achy and headachy. I finally got up and took the damn Advil and within 30 minutes fell back asleep, but had really really weird dreams! This was my 7th covid vaccine and I have reacted each time. I’m getting ready for a run–or a walk, whatever my body lets me do. Enjoy your day!
Thanks Wendy! I keep putting off getting vaccines (I really need the shingles shot!) because I don’t want to have to take a down day afterwards. Which is the stupidest thing in the world. Would I rather feel a little sick for one day, or get shingles??? I just have to do it.
Most of my sleep problems are just from my brain not being able to turn off at night, and the cure for me is listening to sleep meditations. The other thing is that sometimes I have sinus stuff from allergies that keeps me awake, and in that case a benadryl works well to shut the sinus stuff off and it also makes me drowsy. I think if I had the aching hip that I’d be stuck with a cycle of not being able to sleep one night and passing out from the exhaustion the next night. It’s rough.
I got my extra hour of sleep last night and a hint of daylight when I let the dog out this morning so that was everything that I was hoping for.
15 MILE TRAIL RUN?????? I see you! Happy race week!
I LOVED the extra hour of sleep! I was in bed- mostly asleep- for nine hours! My body doesn’t even know what to do with all this rest. And yes- I should probably try sleep meditations. Or benadryl, ha.
ugh, I am sleep-deprived from my work retreat while I’m reading this. I was up and socializing until midnight three nights in a row, which is NOT usually my thing.
I hope your hip is better. That would be really annoying!
I think if I were awake and socializing until midnight three nights in a row, I would collapse from exhaustion. At least when I can’t sleep, I’m still lying comfortably (well, sometimes) in bed.
I’m not going to comment on the state of my sleep right now, because if I do, I will jinx it, and I don’t want to do that. So you can infer from that statement how it’s been. (thankfully) 😉 I will say that I apparently am incapable of “sleeping in”, though. During the week I wake up around 5:15, so any time I don’t have to get up early, I still seem to wake up in that general time range!! ugh. (Well, sometimes it’s a little bit later, but I can never just sleep in until 8 or something.) Oh well. The only issue is that I like to stay up later on the weekends, to hang with husband or watch a movie, etc, and I always think, oh it’s fine, I’ll sleep in! But then I can’t…
Awesome about the HS football record!! Woohoo! That’s exciting. (Ethan’s soccer team was undefeated in conference play and then still got knocked out of the playoffs though! sob emoji.)
I know- I was very sad on your behalf when I read that his team lost!
It’s supposed to be better to keep on the same schedule, even on weekends. Clearly I don’t do that. You’re sleeping well and I’m not, so……
Poor sleep is the worst! I sleep with one of those long body pillows between my knees which I think helps my hips feel more comfy. Have you tried that? The good old heating pad and a stretch before bed used to help when I was running longer. Funny thing, I have way less hip pain running less hmmm. Hope it resolves soon and you get some more sleep this week
I need a long body pillow. Right now I use one pillow between my knees and then another one for my arms. It’s kine of a production if I want to turn over- one long pillow would help. And- I’ll try stretching before bed tonight. That has helped me in the past. Thank you!
Wow! That was an awful night of sleep. I hope that is behind you. Not sleeping well at night is the worst. It just wreaks havoc on your whole life. Sleeping with a body pillow might help? I don’t know what else to suggest! I’ve had my share of hip pain and it sucks.
The boys were up at 5:50 today which wasn’t bad (which felt like 6:50). It’s better than getting up at 5. We have pushed their bedtime back all week.
I ran 4 yesterday and will do 3 today and 3 tomorrow. I have wed/thur off so I will run on those days, too! Yippee! And then I scheduled an 85 minute massage for Wednesday which I am so looking forward to! I need some TLC.
Ooh!!! Enjoy your massage. I definitely need another one (already.)
Maybe you’ve conquered the time change challenge??? It sounds like it was relatively painless this time.
Ug, so sorry you are having trouble sleeping, but if your schedule works out, you will be getting up…right now! Hopefully it did. I usually listen to a podcast while I am falling asleep; I guess I feel like that way if I don’t fall right asleep I will at least be learning something! It usually works! However, I do usually wake up around 4:30 or 5 am though, and I just go with it, as I do like those quiet hours of the morning. Today was no exception, and I actually woke up around 4 am, which was actually 3 am! Oh well, hopefully I will get to bed early tonight.
I think I should try listening to something. But I have to find a podcast that won’t get me excited or riled up…. I think there are some that are specifially meant to be relaxing. I’ll look into this!
Ugh I’m sorry about the hip and the sleep! I’m no help — sometimes I stay on my phone or read top late but that’s my own fault and I usually pass out from exhaustion. And this week my 4 am alarm was rough! Hoping you got to sleep in with the clocks changing. Nice job staying active even on little sleep!
4 am alarm… that makes me cringe. Although, I was probably up at 4 am many times this week, just lying in bed fuming. I did get a great night of sleep last night, thank you end-of-DST!
So sorry about the rough sleep! I’ve heard taking magnesium before bed can help — I usually take it around 5:30 when I get home from work and on weekdays I’m in bed by 8 pm, but I’m not sure of the timing that’s recommended to help with sleep.
My long run this week was 15 miles too — twinning! I’m so excited to hear more about your race, especially since it’s a timed event, which is a format I’m not familiar with personally.
No extra hour of sleep here since we don’t turn the clocks back but at least I don’t have to deal with the time change affecting the sunrise/sunset times!
Ha, it must be weird living in AZ and hearing everyone else ranting and raving about the time change.
I think we have magnesium in the house- I’ll try it! Can’t hurt.
Oh no, not another “bodily” grievance! I hope it resolves itself & stays away thereafter. I can relate to the lack of sleep, as you know. Hoping to get in some snoozing this afternoon (road-tripping to see an elderly aunt).
Well… if someone else is driving, you should be able to get in a nice nap! Your week also sounded rough.
Oh, I’m so sorry about your insomnia, and hip! I know you have several suggestions already but look for melatonin and/or valeriana tablets, they’re supposed to help. I know someone else mentioned magnesium already (it has to be a certain form as far as I know to help with sleep, magnesium glycinate)
That’s great your hip was ok so you could still run. I hope the coming week will be better for you!
I have thought about melatonin. I’ll look into it, and I’ll also make sure our magnesium is the correct form- thanks!
What is even happening with your hip?!
I am useless with less than seven hours of sleep. Useless. My brain just gives up. I wish you good sleep in the coming week!
Thanks Engie! I don’t know, sometimes I think I’m just losing my mind. That hip hurt so much at night, and now it seems completely fine.
Ugh on not being able to sleep because of your hip. I hope things improve in the sleeping department because exhaustion can derail everything else you’re doing right.
You’re right Debbie- after a while, it doesn’t matter what else you’re doing if you’re consistently not getting enough sleep. Ugh.
Did I read correctly that your hip is no longer bothering you, or did I get that wrong? I hope it’s better. Weird that it feels better the minute you get out of bed. Have you tried sleeping with a pillow between your knees? (I’m sure you have). Just wondering if something in your positioning could be the problem. Why suddenly after a lifetime? WHO KNOWS.
I’m glad you were able to do your runs anyway. Your ‘take it easy and don’t go to the gym’ day is more than most people do on a hard workout day, I think. I’ve had times when I really sleep poorly, and it’s the WORST. I honestly think it would be fine, medically, for you to take an advil every day for a week, unless you have some medical issue that it would exacerbate.
My gym days are days of more intense strength training, where I really push myself. That type of workout REALLY didn’t seem like a good idea under those circumstances!
And, maybe you’re right- taking advil wouldn’t be a bad thing, temporarily. I’ll keep it i mind this week- sleep is now my #1 priority.
I’m a terrible sleeper. I actually try to go to bed super early so that I can at least not be stressed about falling to sleep.
I love that your band gets to do a full show at halftime! Ours does mostly stand tunes – they don’t have enough time to get their full production on the field.
I hope you feel better soon.
Our band rarely does the full show, for various reasons (sometimes the field is too wet, e.g.) This was the first time I’ve seen it this season! Also- I’m positive our “full show” is WAY less complicated than yours!
Not sleeping well is the worst. I usually don’t have trouble sleeping but I can relate to the hip pain. My daughter does listen to the calming podcasts when she is going to bed and it seems to help her a lot. Hopefully you find something that works for you.
I’m reading this comment on Monday morning- I did listen to a calming podcast last night and it WORKED!!! I’m going to do it again tonight.
I hope you were able to sleep in a little on Sunday. Lack of sleep is awful!! I would not be opposed to take ibuprofen for multiple days if it helps the pain. Rest is important! I wonder what is going on with your hip. So sorry!!
You have been wearing the running harness a lot lately – you must like it? I think I am going to get one.
I can’t decide if the running harness is helping me or not. I would say it’s making my issues more obvious to me, which I guess is a good thing. I keep wanting to write a full review of it, but I’m not sure what I want to say yet.
I hate, hate, hate not sleeping, but unfortunately, I do have issues with it. I hope your sleeping settles down now that the hip is feeling better and some of the sources of anxiety are resolved.
Thank you Melissa! Not sleeping is the worst. At least my hip is feeling better now, so that helps.
Ugh, not being able to sleep (and being in pain) is the worst. I hope you got an extra hour of really good sleep last night.
I am using a new sleep app that gives me a “readiness score” for the day and even though I am getting 7.5 of solid sleep on average, this morning, even after getting an extra hour of sleep, my readiness score was on 30 and I had a long run on the schedule. Ugh. I definitely have to figure out how to get not more, but better sleep!
I’m always afraid to use a tracker like that because I think it might make me feel even worse! But I did sleep well Saturday night (phew) and last night i listened to a calming podcast before bed- it definitely really helped.
I have the feeling you’ll find your sleep patterns settling after this week, Jenny! (I hope it’s a happy settling and not a resigned settling–but either way, it’ll be over.) Hang in there, friend!
I am having the SAME ISSUE! My left hip hurts, and it is hard to find a comfortable sleeping spot and then I start FREAKING OUT re: election things. I finally started doing yoga at night and in the morning, and it’s helping??
I, too, once had right hip pain when sleeping on it. I ended up getting a cortisone shot!
My sleep has been horrendous.
My crazy cat?
The marathon ?
The election?
All are over and I still can’t sleep.