A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Creatures Of Habit -- Are You One Too?

Recently I was told by my docs to try to sleep in a different position -- with my right arm straight in one direction or another.

It is driving me crazy! I have forever and always slept with that arm bent because I sleep flat on my stomach and tuck that hand under my chin or very flat pillow. No matter which way I turn, my arm feels weird and my body just won't behave itself and cooperate with the new plan!

So that got me to thinking about how humans are SUCH creatures of habit! Oh, not just the "bad" habits everyone gets concerned about... but many miniature, innocent habits as well that make our lives a little distinctive.

Tonight I'm wondering two things...

1) how do YOU sleep?

and

2) have you any little habits that would drive you nutz if you couldn't do them any more for some reason?

Merme *Creature of Curiosity, Too!*

merme, i understand the whole creature of habit thing.

i have ALWAYS slept on my right side. even pregnant. once in a great while on my left, almost never on my back or stomach. well, my right shoulder was injured in a car wreck 9 years ago, making it difficult to sleep on my right side, but i still did more often than not.

but, since i got sick last fall, the only way i can sleep without extreme pain is on my back, propped on pillows. a most uncomfortable proposition.

and my "little" habit is to have a glass of water at my bed side. always.

I am a terriable creature of habit; there are so many things I do out of habit there is not room to type them all---

(you see I hate change)

having said that---I love sleeping on my sotmach with my arms under the pillow. well with abdominal surgery X 3 there was NO sleeping on my stomach--and so NO having my arms up and under the pillow, so after a bit of (not really) sleeping on my back--here is what I did.

I first layed on my side in bed,--straight up and down. then I took a standard sized pillow and put it by my side. I then leaned into the pillow,---you kinda feel like you are on your stomach BUT in reality you are on your side.---it has truely saved me.--if that postiion does not give you the desired result, perhaps yo could come up with another 'pillow posititon' that would benefit you.

Yo might want to give it a try---perhaps you could then put another pillow next to the first one & rest your arm on it----it should be just about straight out, don't ya think???

Good luck!!!

I started sleeping in the 'Carol' ^^^^ position with a pillow during pregnancies. It is a life saver for a belly sleeper when you cannot sleep on your belly. Now I still do most of the time.
My problem is circulation now. I can't allow pressure on any of my limbs or the circulation gets slowed too much, too easily. So I also use a pillow or something to prob my leg on. Life gets tough when you get old.

yep Tina you are correct for sure. The person who said: "life begins at 40" most certainly had not reached that "wonderful" year yet.

I thkn that is whwn I began falling downhill.

ah carol, life does begin at 40, so does life's ailments

i think, while the 40's have been hard health wise, they sure have been nice for getting my self and "life" settled. i won't hijack merme's topic (almost did ) but i will say, i have learned an awful lot about how to get around those "permanent" habits!

and, when i just HAVE to "sleep on my side," i use pillows too. lots and lots of them

I sleep the same way as you Merme- well unless my hands are bothering me to much- then I dig out the gloves and sleep on my back - propped up on a pillow or two with one at my side so I won't turn over in my sleep... Joe says I look like I am practicing to be dead when I do that... hands on my chest so I won't curl them if I get the gloves off in my sleep... yes I do that too- hate them but I tend to curl them over and aggravate the carpel tunnel....
Nana

I sleep on my stomach as well...as far as habits, I have too many to mention

Well I do have to say that I never had the ahhhhhh pleasure of being pregnant, so that has not influenced my sleeping habits one way or the other. But one thing that did was the spill that I took over the winter. As a result, I blew a disk in my neck and tore the trapezious (spelling???) muscle in my shoulder. About the only position that did not leave me in great pain (I hate taking pain pills) was flat on my back, looking straight up at the ceiling. Lets just let it be said that I had many sleepless nights during that time. Since I normally fall to sleep on my side while watching TV.

Y'all sure do have some interesting sleeping positions!

And Doc... while I'm quite glad to read that you've never been pregnant (!), I am sorry to read of your injury! That had to have been a rough epoch in your life, in terms of more than just sleeping!

Jiffy ~ do you add ice to your bedside glass of water?


Merme

oh yes merme, i have an insulated mug (very large) that i use at home. fill with ice, pour water over the top. and if i have ice available, it is in my water!

Jiffy does love her ice.

I sleep mostly on my left side facing the outside of the bed......I curl my hand up under my face when I sleep, sometimes when I wake up it's all numb.

Loz ~ it sounds adorable, the way you sleep!

Jiffy ~ A few years back I bought a very nice glass carafe w/ matching glass for the bedside and kept it filled with ice and water. The sort of thing I'd always dreamed of owning and enjoyed having it so much although I bought it on sale for only $1.98. Then several weeks ago, Maxi knocked it over completely by accident and it smashed into a million pieces. Someday, I will get another one -- and maybe something more sturdy -- or at least put it on a more stable stand!

My "little" habit is that I make my bed upside down in the summer months because it is always cooler to sleep with your head away from the wall and headboard. In the winter, that is the place you want to be, where it is warmer. In the summer, I turn it all around.

Some people couldn't do that because they are very oriented to direction when they are sleeping, but I do not care. If I am cool enough, I will sleep!


Merme