Sleep


What does Fibromyalgia look like? 4

Living with an invisible illness like Fibromyalgia is a pain in the butt, I’m not going to sugar coat that. I often seem well, but feel awful. My daily life revolves around bed, sleep, naps and exhaustion. I might spend most of the night, restless or in pain – why is pain always harder to ignore at night? Then the next day feels like a write off, waking up so late shops and places I need to go to are shut. It’s like a roundabout you can’t get off of. As usual, in bed at lunchtime. Feeling like I have a hangover, despite being a non drinker. The only good thing about being in bed so much is my dogs. Rainie (the ginger one) shadows me, and hardly leaves my bedroom when I feel low. She might put her paw on the window ledge occasionally and woof at other dogs […]


Where did I vanish? 1

Sorry dear readers for being missing from my blog for so long. I’ve been struggling with my health and it has been making writing here hard. I am in the process of being diagnosed for either Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, or indeed both. I am tired and in pain most of the time these days. My bed has become my closest friend, and an enemy. If I go out shopping in town for an hour or two it will cost me extra sleep. I say cost me as it is not a choice. I don’t want to be asleep so much, but its my body’s way of coping. I would like to say its how it heals itself, but, as the doctor said, it’s a life long condition. You don’t cure it, you just have to “manage” it. If I’m doing something fun on a weekend, like a classic […]


Sleep and I 4

It feels like sleep and I are at war. If I’m awake I’m exhausted, when I’m asleep I am trapped by sleep and cannot wake up. I’ve been to my doctor so many times, I’m fed up of trying to say this is not normal. View image | gettyimages.com Today I had a routine doctors appointment about depression medication but it was a locum doctor. I felt uncomfortable and interrogated. When this, how long that, why this….? He asked a horrid few questions for a guy I’d never met. “Suicidal?” Not even are you to start the sentence, I say no not right now, “Recently?” “Erm a couple of months ago?” “Why?” I just shrug. “Do you self harm?” *nodded quietly* “well?” “Yes I do”. “How?” “I burn myself in the shower on purpose and other non visible harm”. My poor Blokey is next to me, he’s never asked such a […]


Jen’s #DreamBed would be…. 1

A couple of years ago we made the mistake of putting our boys in a bunk bed in the box room. Our home isn’t huge and it seemed a great idea to have both Jen and D sleep in the box room, and share D’s older room as a playroom. Sadly as neither truly has their own space they argue like cat and dog over territory! If you’re considering doing similar, don’t. It might be one of the worse home making decisions we ever made. They need their own space, even if one of them gets a box room.


nit comb

Head lice, schools and sleepover tips 3

Now the kids have been back at school for a little while head lice are rife again amongst my youngest and his school buddies. I remember having awful head lice at school myself, and that I could count the moving critters on the back of a certain girls head. Every time I got rid of them I would get them right back at class. I vividly remember the foul smelling witches brew of a cure that we had as nit treatment back then. Oh the smell would just not fade even if you washed it six times in a row. Luckily times have changed. Allow me to introduce Lyclear. It comes in a spray bottle to make it dead easy and fast.


Pearl drops 4D toothpaste – review 3

A little while ago I was asked to review Pearl Drops instant white 4D whitening toothpaste. I was happy to give it a go as I hate my teeth, and am less than keen on dentists. The packet has one of those colour gauges and states you can change by two shades in just one week. I held the box to my teeth but decided none of these shades were my colour. Being an ex hairdresser I am used to recognising small changes in tone or colour depth.


WIN – B-Sensible Pillow Case, and Review – Ended 165

The lovely folks at B-Sensible have sent me another product to try out, and one for a Julie’s Notebook reader too. So read what we think, then try and win your own. These are sold singley rather than in pairs, which could be great for childrens beds. Whilst I wouldn’t think of packing a pillow case for travelling, it is a good idea. In hotels it often crosses my mind “I wonder when this was last washed, if ever?” The problem is I often end up sleeping face down, and  accidentally sniffing where a total stranger has had their head isn’t a nice thing.


Sleepy time tips 2

How do you get your children to sleep? My boys share a room and have bunk beds, this was a bad idea with a 6 year age gap! The little one doesn’t understand that his big bro needs some kip before getting up early for school. Top 3 tips that work for us. 1, Offer the boys drinks about half an hour before bed time, as you can guarantee they are going to start on “Mummy I NEEEED a drinky before bed.” as soon as you say bed time.2, no computers, DS, or DVDs within half hour before bed time either.3, Most importantly, I stagger the times they go upstairs to bed. If they go together they will argue. Best thing is our eldest goes to bed first as he’s asleep soon after he lays down, then toddler follows him and it won’t matter how long babe chatters nonsense for. […]


Can’t Sleep

Such a good start to my week off, its almost 3am my time and I can not sleep. I think I went past being tired if you know what I mean. Am ruddy tempted to watch bbc’s red button coverage of the f1 but if I do this hubby will be annoyed! Grr