The ICI Experience:

i do want to sleep but i cannot do it right please do not blame me Dedicated to my mom, who in spite of her best efforts, cannot understand the difference between a sleep disorder (no stage 4 sleep AT ALL) and a lack of good "sleep hygiene." But she's not the only one; this article, Fibromyalgia and Sleep , which as I'm reading it I'm thinking totally "gets it", ends with " For tips on good sleep hygiene, read "Fixing Sleep Problems May Help Prevent Fibromyalgia." " Sheesh. There are good folks on the trail of real answers. I just wish they'd hurry up already. Click the pic for online access to or for a DVD of the conference. *Haiku = 5 syllables in the first line. 7 syllables in the second line. 5 syllables in the third line.

Here it is, the much awaited Sleep Study. Sorry to take SOOOO long, Aviva. Some technical difficulties way too boring to go into, but mostly my own procrastination. First, in case anyone wants or needs a refresher on the first two parts of this post - Part One: Sleep Study Last Night Part Two: Chronic Monday: Sleep (Not!) - Some practical help in overcoming sleep disorders And without further ado... Click on the picture for the jumbo view. First, for the sake of comparison, this is a nice chart of how the sleep cycle is supposed to go: In Stage 1 sleep the brain transitions from alpha waves (waking) to theta waves (drowsy) and conscious awareness lowers. During Stage 2 or light sleep, muscular tone/activity lowers and conscious awareness disappears. It normally accounts for 45% to 55% of total sleep and is followed by delta waves, stage 3 slow-wave sleep and stage 4 deepest slow wave sleep . Go here for another good description of the stages. My sleep study showed that I never EVER...

Ed Robertson from the Barenaked Ladies (one of Canada’s finest bands), singing “Who Needs Sleep?” My Theme Song. Sleep Disorder (as in I CAN'T sleep!) is a major component of FM. Although if you listen closely, Ed's main problem seems to be the lady he sleeps with--she's 300 degrees and he's freezing when she throws the sheets off. I totally relate, though, because I HAVE been awake since WW II. In the interest of full disclosure, I take prescription medication to help (read: MAKE) me sleep. So currently I don't feel that I've been awake since WW II very often. If my mom had anything to do with it I would, though. She's one of those lucky peeps who don't have much trouble sleeping, even though she's almost elderly now. It was suggested to me recently that those who don't experience insomnia just can't understand it. See http://www.cfssquared.com/2007/05/25/who-needs-sleep/. Anyway, Mom tell me to just go get in bed around 11 p.m. and...