Laughs and Weekend Thoughts to Peruse

Been dealing with Salvation Army buckets, washing the HoHoHo Boxers, and preparing for Children's Christmas performances?  Well, here's a little viewing levity from Sheila Wray Gregoire (www.tolovehonorandvacuum.com).

HOW TO TURN YOUR HUSBAND OFF

Stocking Stuffer idea?  Sheila has a new book out, 31 Days to Great Sex!!

Remember where your priorities should lie this crazy and sacred time of year.

Encouragement from J at www.hotholyhumorous.com

Keep Making Love this Season

Motivation from Julie Sibert at www.intimacyinmarriage.com:

5 Dangers of Regularly Saying "NO" to Sex

Shopping this weekend?  

Here are some gift ideas for him from Lori Byerly at www.the-generous-wife.com

Gifts for Him

Thank you, beautiful ladyfish, from the OysterBed!  I am humbled by your continuing support.

I'll be back Tuesday with my own take on how sex scheduling can lead to romance.

Be Balanced

In my last post (Menopausal Snake Oil?), I shared how and why I came to the decision to use bioidentical hormones to ease peri-menopausal symptoms and restore my libido.  A big part of this journey was pinpointing a doctor with adequate knowledge of their use. 

Through a conversation with a local compounding pharmacist, I was given a list of doctors in our area that prescribe bioidentical hormones.  After internet research, I found Tabetha Smith, FNP, of Insight Family Healthcare to have the credentials and philosophy I respected.

As a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner since 1997, Tabetha's career focus has been on women’s health and hormone balance.  She is able to write prescriptions and practice medicine without a supervising physician onsite.  But, she does meet regularly with her supervising physician.

From her online bio, “She also has a degree in health education and believes that educating people about their own health and how to improve that health is one of the best ways that she can help her patients.  She believes that a health care provider can never know it all and continues to pursue more training.”

Insight Family Healthcare is a calm, friendly office.  Coffee is always available.  Even if they don’t remember you from year to year, they act like they do.  After several visits, I found the reason I feel so at home here.  It is an office that meekly follows Christ.

Tabetha is a warm, gregarious lady with shiny curls of dark brown hair.  I immediately felt at ease with her.  This was very important to me since she would be privy to my most personal details and organs.  What clenched our friendship is that she’s seen me naked and didn’t laugh!

During my first year on bioidenticals we had several consultations.  She didn’t just read my numbers, but she asked about my life.  She looks at the whole package to try to help you regain your best health.  I get 30 whole minutes of undivided attention from her during my yearly visits.  It was during my last visit that she agreed to grant me an interview.  She graciously gave me one of her appt. slots free of charge to speak with you, my lovely readers.

Pearl:  What is the biggest complaint you receive from menopausal women? 

Tabetha:  The top three are hot flashes, night sweats and moodiness.  Libido is there, but it is lower on the priority list.  Women view libido more in the hormone aspect.  They want  hormones to be the answer because it’s easy if that’s the answer.  It’s almost never the 100% answer.  Your body has to be in balance; Thyroid, Adrenals, reproductive system all has to be healthy.  You have to watch the stress in your life.  Stress affects the balance.

Pearl:  What physical changes do women complain about the most in the sexual arena?

Tabetha:  Dryness.  Use extra lube and extra time.  Use suppositories.  If it is extreme there are hormonal suppositories.  Dryness isn’t just a nuisance during sex, but you can tear if you are too dry.  You can have an increase in urinary tract infections because of dryness.

Pearl:  What would you want to say to menopausal women regarding their health in general? 

Tabetha:  If you don’t eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep, you won’t be healthy no matter how many hormones I give you.  It’s physical impossibility.  The care taking of yourself gets more important every year you age.  Balance your life to counter-act aging.  You can’t eat crap, sit on your butt and take prescription drugs and expect to feel good.

Pearl:  What HOPE can you give to menopausal women in regards to sexuality?

Tabetha:  My HOPE for everybody (not just women) is for them to realize the body is an amazing thing.  It can regenerate and heal itself if given the right stuff.  If you make the changes you need to make, you’ll feel better.  You can feel crazy healthy.  Christianity gives a lot of life and hope.  Work at it. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE.  Usually it can be fixed if you are willing to do the work and make the changes and know there is no magic pill.

Pearl:  What correlation do you see between spirituality and health? 

Tabetha:  HUGE!! GINORMOUS!!  The people that I know that have a strong relationship with Jesus, usually don’t have bigger health problems until later in life.  People with a more positive, glass half-full attitude, do better than glass half-empty.  That boils down to, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Phil 4:13.  That means I can get up at 4:30 AM and exercise if I have to.  If you have lots of excuses, you are never going to be healthy.  He can help you overcome the excuses.

Make decisions to be balanced.  Have moderation.

People have to have not just sleep, but have a day of rest.  Time to do nothing.  God knew what he was talking about.  Biblical culture worked sun up to sun down only 6 days a week.  The day of rest is necessary.  You have to decompress and have a day of no stress.  Or at least half a day, not working in the nursery or doing extra ministry work, not thinking of work, or planning for the next week.  Doing fun stuff not work related!!  I’ve had patients not be happy with me because of this.  But, I tell them I practice what I preach.

I even see 20-something moms with no sex drive because they are so busy doing stuff with no true rest.  You are completely stressed out.  That’s no way to BE BALANCED.

We are all body, soul, and spirit.  The body is complicated, and has lots that needs to be balanced.  There is a domino effect within the body itself and within the body/soul/spirit scheme.  When one thing is affected, all things are affected.”

In Conclusion

Here’s the deal, ladies.  We have to be an active part of our own health care.  We have to be an active part of restoring our own libido.  We have to be an active part of crossing this bridge called menopause.  If we don’t manage our stress levels, what we intake and how we exercise, we will not be effective servants for the Lord.   Feeling bad in body and mind causes an inner focus.  Inner focus is a huge distraction from the outer focus of the Lord’s service.

“It is absolutely clear that God called you to a free life.  Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.  Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows," Galatians 5:13 (the message).

It only takes one tiny step in the right direction and HE will give you the strength to do it.

Menopausal Snake Oil?

Operation Resuscitation (because my libido was DOA) was my ‘one decision.’  I needed to take charge of my waning libido and other peri-menopausal symptoms.  While in the scouting phase of my mission, through the hands of my dear mother-in-law, God gave me a book to peruse. 

Confession:  I scoffed at this book because of who the author was.  But, MIL was insistent that I read what the ditzy blond had to say.  The Sexy Years, by Suzanne Somers, helped positively influence my Operation Resuscitation. 

Shame on me for scoffing and pre-judging Crissy Snow (a.k.a. The Thighmaster Queen).

On the whole, this book is good (Published 2005).  It is well-written in lay-woman’s terms.  It’s funny and informative.  It examines the benefits of bioidentical hormones for the peri-menopausal and full blown menopausal woman.  It is from a pro-bioidentical point of view.  FOX News wouldn’t be able to call it fair and balanced.

I don’t agree with the author that hormones are the Fountain of Youth and anti-disease devices.  I don’t agree that the use of hormones should be at such a level that we continue with our monthly cycles indefinitely.

I do agree that we should try to achieve a natural balance of hormones.  But, even in nature eventually these levels drop off.

Menopause isn’t a disease we need to cure.  

Aging is a natural process.  As a Christian, I don’t want to remain on this earth for eternity.  There is a far better world that awaits.  But, while I’m on this side of things, it is sanctioned by God to remain as healthy as possible.  He is still imparting new knowledge through medical research.  We can most certainly utilize the knowledge that He imparts.

Frankly, I didn’t take Suzanne Somers’ word for it.  I’m an independent thinker (i.e. skeptic), remember?  Mr. Muscle gets annoyed with me sometimes, because I have a hard time taking anyone’s word for it.  I have to dig and come to my own conclusions.

What are they? 

Basically, bioidentical hormones (which are produced from yams and soy products, among other things) are chemically and molecularly identical to the hormones in your body.   They are available through prescription at commercial and compounding pharmacies. 

Synthesized (non-bioidentical, such as Premerin or Prempro) hormones mimic the physiological effects of the hormone they are replacing.  But, the synthesized hormone is not an identical replica.  Synthesized hormones are patented by their drug manufacturer and are available through prescription at commercial pharmacies.

2 Arguments:

The main arguments against bioidenticals have to do with quality control.  When bioidenticals are customized to your particular hormone deficiency at a compounding pharmacy, potency may be variable.  Compounding pharmacies mix the active ingredient (in my case progesterone) into a delivery system (cream, gel, liquid) and can tailor a dosage to an individual’s needs.  The argument is the FDA doesn’t over see the production at a compounding pharmacy.  However, there are some bioidenticals that ARE FDA approved and don’t require a compounding pharmacy.    See this LIST of FDA approved bioidenticals.  

Through reading advocates of both bioidentical and synthesized hormone replacement therapies, I came to my decision to use bioidenticals.

My thought process in making a decision included: 

~  “How close to the ground is it?”  Is it the least processed form I can find? 

~  I only want to restore what is missing. 

~  ALL drugs, even the patented and closely scrutinized FDA approved ones have benefits and risks. 

I am not poo-pooing big pharma.  Mr. Muscle is a pharmacist.  My father was a bio-chemist at Eli Lilly for 42 years.  The pharmaceutical world has literally put food in my tummy my entire life!  I am advising that you need to make informed decisions from your own research and not rely fully on what a book or Pearl or even a doctor tells you.  You know your own body better than anyone!!!

Every woman has a unique estrogen/progesterone ratio.  In peri-menopause, the progesterone production falls more rapidly than the estrogen production.  A simple saliva test determines the current ratio a woman has.  A doctor who advocates bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can write you a prescription so that you will be given a personalized dose of the deficient hormone.

The second argument against bioidenticals revolves around compounding for personalization.  Some debate the effectiveness of saliva and blood tests for determining your hormone ratio.  The peri-menopausal woman’s hormone levels fluctuate too much during a given day to be able to pinpoint ratios with a one-point-in-time test.  It is also said that desired levels have not been determined at all for menopausal women.

My personal counter to this is to use these tests as a starting point and then in collaboration with your doctor, tweak the dosage as you see benefits or not.  When I first began my hormone regimen, I saw my doctor once every three months for a year and was told to call her at the slightest bit of problem.

Last Thoughts:

During my quest, in order to locate a doctor who had greater knowledge of bioidenticals than my normal ob/gyn, I called the compounding pharmacies and asked who wrote prescriptions for bioidentical hormones. I researched each doctor the pharmacist mentioned and chose the one I thought would be the best fit for me.

One last word, DO NOT buy bioidentical hormones over the internet.  You must get adequate counseling from a licensed medical doctor or practitioner who will prescribe for you what you both decide you need.  Your hormones are wonderful, but have a very fragile balance.  Don’t mess with them without a doctor.

I have been on bioidenticals (progesterone and testosterone) for about three years.  They have improved my night sweats, but have not eliminated them.  My libido has been enhanced, but testosterone oil is not liquid female Viagra.  I heartily advocate bioidenticals.

Hormones (whether bioidentical or synthesized) are not pharmaceutical DeLorean’s.  Even if they could produce 1.21 gigawatts of hormonal power, you can’t transport back to your 18 year-old self.   I feel great, but I’ll never be 18 again.  I just want you to have realistic expectations. 

There are far more learned people than I who can explain the nuances between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones and you can decide for yourself.  

Please refer to the following resource links:

Harvard’s Fair and Balanced Bioidentical Review

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2011/September/bioidentical-hormones-help-or-hype

One of my new favorite blogs…Written by a female journalist in menopause.  She is a health writer and this blog is ‘Not your mama’s menopause.’ 

http://flashfree.me/2009/03/02/bioidentical-hormones-versus-hrt-guest-post-from-compounding-pharmacist-peter-koshland/

The Case For Bioidentical Hormones

http://www.womentowomen.com/bioidentical-hrt/perspectiveonrisks.aspx

The Case Against Bioidentical Hormones

http://www.jpands.org/vol13no2/borg.pdf

One last note, as you do your own research regarding bioidenticals you may see much mention of a 2002 Women’s Health Initiative  (WHI) warning against HRT.

Here is the link to the May 2012 Women’s Health Initiative.  WHI has an updated stance.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/ims-twh051812.php

Amusement and Housekeeping

Pretend this is a middle aged
woman, not a male flamingo.

A menopausal woman walks in to her doctor's office and says, "Doc, I need my sex-drive lowered."

"You need WHAT?"  The Doctor asks.

The lady replies, exasperated, "It's all in my head, I need it lower!"

Well, at least this lady has half of the battle solved!  Libido is so much more than hormones.  But, in this lady's particular case since she already has the mental state, a hormone adjustment may be just the trick to jumpstart her nether regions!  Which leads me to say, we will be discussing bio-identical hormones and an interview in Tuesday's post.

The Housekeeping Part

During this tranquil season, when absolutely no one anticipates the arrival of the big fat man with the long white beard, when we hardly have any social engagements or special events to attend, and there are no Christmas pageants or supplemental ladies' functions at church, and .......yeah, right.  Due to Pearl's overwhelmingly busy schedule, I will be posting one indepth article per week and possibly a second less indepth, more off-the-cuff posting.

I mention on Pearl's Strand that I sing with a Ladies Barbershop troupe.  This is our busiest time of year.  We perform for civic and social clubs.  We do public service engagements at the surrounding nursing homes.   We have 17 performances in 17 days, some days no shows, other days three shows.

Something else that I need to pay more attention to, is another writing gig that I have.  Through OysterBed7, the editor of a local non-profit online newspaper noticed Pearl.  It's a privilege to be their Christian Parenting contributor.  After all, Christian marital sex usually leads to Christian parenting.  

The next generation is truly on my heart.  That's why I'm so passionate about helping marriages maintain health or regain health.  Healthy marriages are fulfilling for the spouses.  But, those who benefit most from a healthy, thriving, serving marriage are the marriage by-products, the children!

THANK YOU, dear friends.  Have a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

Sex: The Problem or The Solution?

When sex is the problem:

The Wife may:

-Hide while changing clothes. 

-Find all touch to be sexual innuendo. 

-Find there’s no sauciness/flirtiness in the relationship. 

-Wonder where the laughter went. 

-Think he would rather do anything than spend time with me talking. 

-Contemplate that all I am is a sperm receptacle to him?

-Scream, “Why is he so distant???”

  

The husband may think:

-Don’t I mean anything to her?  She hides her beautiful body from me.

-Doesn’t she love me?  She won’t let me near her.

-I’m feeling so tortured with desire, I have to go away from her presence.

  

In truth, Sex isn’t the problem. 

It’s the LACK of sex that is the problem.

Sexual drought doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s a downward trend.  The temperature slowly drops in your marriage through lack of connection.

I think for most marriages it boils down to this very basic element.  Lack of time together allows the ice to start forming.  Pretty soon you are the ice princess and he is the grouchy abominable snowman.

There are a myriad of reasons (excuses?) for not spending time together:

-Kids and their activities

-Work

-Too Busy with ministry (Yes, there is such a thing as too much concentration on ministry, if you are neglecting God’s first mission team, the marriage.)

-Exhaustion

That’s why I write for the low-libido wife.  Sex is part of the solution, if not thee solution, to restoring your marriage into a love affair.  Start your libido 'revampification' by making the time  to be together.  PRAY about it.   There will be a perceived sacrifice, at first, to make this time together possible.  But eventually, you’ll see it’s not a sacrifice, it is the white flag of surrender.  (See “The Sole Secret to Libido”)

Surrender to God whatever needs to be surrendered for the revitalization of your marriage.  Surrender to God your bad attitude.  Surrender to God your need for emotional connection with your husband.  Surrender to God and He will show you the answer.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you,” James 4:10.

Protect your husband.  He’ll protect you.

If you are meeting your husband’s sexual needs, he isn’t going to be looking elsewhere.  He’s not even going to be tempted.   (See Intimacy in Marriage's “Could This Wife’s Story Be Yours?”)

As commented by T B, on my post, Why Sex?, men don’t want to seem like jerks or animals constantly clawing to have their sexual needs met.  So, after awhile they give up and wither into an emotional fetal position.

If you are meeting your husband’s sexual needs, he’ll be in a place where he can meet your emotional needs.  You won’t be vulnerable to an emotional affair.

Because our husband’s brains and emotions are wired differently from us, if they are not fed sexually, it’s difficult for them to engage on the deep emotional level that most wives need.  (See “Why Sex?”)

Here’s where God is amazing. 

Ladies, sex is as good for your health, physically, emotionally and spiritually as it is for your husband.  His brain and body just tells him he needs it more intensely than your brain and body. 

Emotional connectiveness is just as good for your husband physically, emotionally and spiritually, as it is for you.  His body and brain doesn’t tell him he needs it like your brain and body.  

That’s why constantly practicing the one-flesh of marriage is the best plan.  Husbands’ and wives’ cravings work in conjunction to fill each other’s weak spots.  Weak spots we didn’t even know we had.  Aren’t the silent vulnerabilities the most critical?

One Decision

I was 'Her Royal Icyness.'  Satan fooled me into thinking I enjoyed that kind of nobility.  My crown wasn't fitted with jewels.  It was a jester's crown because I was fooling myself.

As God warmed up my heart, the ice melted away into a pool of conviction and blessing.  This ice princess became a Sexy Tsarina.  Well, moderately sexy, and I’m not of Russian descent, but it was a good alliteration.

All it takes is one decision, ladies.  In your heart, you know it’s true.  It only takes you deciding to do whatever is necessary to restore your lost libido.  Because, when we ladies put our minds to something, we conquer with Christ.

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I’ve written quite a number of posts on libido restoration.  Female libido is a delicate wonder.  As time marches on, successful libido is a complex tangle of components, which revolves around physical, emotional and spiritual health.

In my next few posts I’ll be sharing with you, “Interview with a Menopause Hormone Specialist.”  We’ll be hearing from my doctor, Tabetha Smith, FNP and her thoughts on libido loss.

You might also like to check out webmd’s “10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex.”

Linking with tolovehonorandvacuum's Wifey Wednesday: Sex Is Great!

WWII Perspective

My World War II era parents were 40 years old in 1966, the year I was born.  I am probably one of the youngest baby boomers.  My parents enmeshed my childhood with stories of WWII life.  So much so, I felt their memories were mine and I had actually lived through those harrowing years.

In 2008, this baby boomer was standing in the kitchen with my twin sons, then seniors in high school.  I was asking them to put their clean laundry away.  They gave me grief about the request.  “We are too busy.  Why can’t we just leave it in the basket?”

“Too busy?  Your dad and I haven’t required much of you, letting you have as much time as possible to enjoy running amuck your last year of high school and have lots of time to study for your AP classes.  The least you can do is step up to the laundry basket for me.”

Then, the Holy Spirit enlightened me with a Holy Epiphany, Batman….

Ed, second from left.

“You two are 18 years old!  Your days consist of playing video games, driving a decent car with a tank full of gas, enjoying fresh food and plenty of it, doing a little homework, not in the least worried about being physically harmed.  Your biggest concern is which movie you’ll go see this weekend.  Do you know where your grandpa Ed was when he was 18 years old?  He was in a diesel powered tin capsule under the sea in the South Pacific.  He was working and dirty.  There was no Air Conditioning.  The food was not that great.  There was constant danger, any day could be his last.  He had already lost his brother to a kamikaze.”

Ed served on the USS Toro.

The Lord can soften hearts and place the exact right words in our mouths.  I always marvel and am humbled when this happens.  Whether the words come out of my mouth or are received from others’ mouths.  The Lord is constantly proving that he cares about every aspect of His children’s lives with this kind of moment.  Even though we may feel we are as irrelevant as lost dirty socks in the universe, no situation is too small for His concern.

The words struck home and there was an immediate recant of attitude.  I could literally see their heads glow as the lightbulb went off.  I could almost smell the scent of gratitude exuding from their pores for grandpa’s service.

Where’s the marriage correlation?  It’s about perspective.

When your spouse requests something of you, are you too busy, don’t care, feel they don’t deserve your attention or that their request is unimportant? 

Do you think, “I’m 33 and have 4 kids.  I work my fingers to the bone and I’m unappreciated.  I have no time for myself.  I can never get caught up.  I get absolutely no respect.”

I used the kids’ anecdote as a lead-in because of Veteran’s Day ….but truly, I’m g.u.i.l.t.y of self-absorbed, lack-of perspective.  Mr. Muscle had to request three weeks in a row that I make lasagna before I remembered to buy the ingredients at the store.  I need to remember that my husband’s work is not a Carnival Cruise even though it involves lots of travel.  I need to remember to lavish zest and rest to his life, not try to get away with doing as little possible for him. 

Even though I don’t know your particularly situation or marital relationship, there is always much to be grateful for.  That attitude of gratitude and humility, makes it a whole lot easier to serve.  If you sleep under the roof of a little shack, have a car that runs most of the time, own a set of clothes (including shoes), and you can afford a tank of gas and know where your next meal is coming from you are among richest in the universe.  (You’ve probably heard that before, the reminder was for me.)

The ultimate key to perspective is this:  Where was Jesus when he was 33?  He was a servant, hanging on the cross for our sins.  He shows us the greatest joy is in service, especially in service to those we love.

What can you do to add Zest and Rest to your spouse’s day?

Learn about my feisty WWII era parents in my past tribute:  Feisty

Sleepin' is Sexy

Thank you, dear friends, for not forgetting the OysterBed during my month long furlough.

We've slept in a strange bed more than in our own bed this past month.  Mr. Muscle’s business took us to Madrid, Spain, for a week.  (We managed to avoid the austerity protesting.  We did not avoid witnessing the horrible effects of 25% unemployment.)  Mr. Muscle’s 50^th birthday took the form of a weeklong family reunion at the beach.  We spent a weekend returning our ‘granddog’ after 8 weeks of temporarily housing him.

Jet lag reminded me that sleep deprivation is brutal.  The importance of the basic need of SLEEP is crystal clear!!  How satisfying, the blissful ecstasy of deep slumber.  Like the slumber of those who have been fighting zombies and now have reprieve from fear in a fortress.

 

Don’t underestimate the power of sleep.  Those of you with small children are probably rolling your eyes at this obvious and elemental observation.

It’s been made apparent when Mr. Muscle and I undergo sleep deprivation, one of us gets a little sensitive and the other gets a little cranky.  You can imagine the wonderful sexual chemistry this combination produces (*sarcasm*).

There is a correlation between adequate sleep and relationship satisfaction, including sexual satisfaction.

A small 2011 University of Chicago study conducted by Eve Van Cauter, PhD., showed a link between lack of sleep and male testosterone levels.  10 healthy college men, average age of 24, spent three nights sleeping 10 hours.  After these three nights, a sample of their blood was drawn for comparison. 

Next, they endured 8 nights of sleeping less than 5 hours.  After the week of sleep deprivation, their testosterone levels lowered by 10-15 percent!  They self-reported that their mood and vigor dropped a little each day the sleep deprivation progressed.  Low testosterone doesn't just mean low libido and low fertility.  Low testosterone can affect muscle and blood platelet health, and energy levels.

It would seem logical to me that if inadequate sleep affects testosterone levels in males, wouldn't it also affect the levels in females?  I have found no study to confirm this, but I think it’s a possibility.

I did find this 2011 female study:  According to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Wendy M. Troxel, PhD.), wives who took longer to fall asleep reported poorer marital interactions the next day.

My sleep deprivation came from travel.  But, I know there are those out there running on empty for other reasons.  If we are not careful our lives pick up speed.  It accelerates to such a frenzy that we start to skimp on the important stuff (our relationship with God), even the most basic like caring for our bodies and minds.  Pick and choose carefully the obligations you cram into your life.  Read more about that here: Sole Secret to Libido.

Practical Sleep Tools 

1)     Melatonin   

      “Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland in the center of your brain.  Melatonin regulates the body’s circadian rhythms.  Those are daily rhythms such as your sleep-wake cycle.  The levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime.”  Please follow this link for more information on Melatonin:

2)     Turn off the TV!!!  

        Turn off all bright lights 30-60 minutes before you want to be asleep.  Melatonin production is slowed when the light is bright.  Its highest level of production is in darkness.  (Does your brain quit functioning like mine when the sun meets the horizon?  Now I know why.  Oh, how I curse this time change.  I want to go to bed at 5:30.)

3)     Eat a Bowl of Cereal Before Bed

You know the old wives tale about drinking a glass of warm milk before bedtime?  Well, it has merit, but is only partially true according to this New York Times article (which cites a number of studies).  Milk is full of tryptophan.  Tryptophan is also in turkey which is reported to make us sleepy on Thanksgiving day (or is that the football games…?).

The tryptophan in milk cannot cross the brain barrier without the aid of carbohydrate rich foods, like cereal.  This is because carbohydrates trigger insulin release.  Insulin will carry the tryptophan across the threshold like a young groom carries his bride. 

Milk alone won’t do it, that’s why cereal sweetens the deal of sleepiness.

4)     Have Sex

       Here’s a special little cycle…have sex to get more sleep, have sleep to get more sex…..The feel good chemicals released during orgasm help promote sleep and a feeling of well being.  The feeling of well being/less anxious also promotes sleep.  Concerns of our lives can keep our brains in gear and deters sleep.  Feeling less anxious allows sleep to overtake us.

       Ladies, we know our libido is a delicate wonder.  Sleep is just one more factor to keeping the motor purring.  In regards to sleep, it’s just as important for BOTH genders.  Remember, gettin’ good sleep may help you 'get it on!'

Linking with Jolene at The Alabaster Jar's Marital Oneness Monday.