Sleep? What struggles Zebras have and some things that may help.

Sleep is suppose to be restorative but for EDS Zebras, it is often every but restorative. Who knew there was an illness where sleeping can actually be painful? Pillows quickly become friends. There are also higher risks of serious issues and it is strongly recommended that sleep troubles be discussed with  medical professionals.

We're on YouTube too: https://www.youtube.com/@taleoftwozebras

Amberlyn aka Mrs. Labeezy's Amazon Must Haves includes some of Ann's loved items too:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.labeezy/list/1U6RAYC0SJK4T?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_aipsflist_aipsfmrs.labeezy_NQXZZ7SVJ2PSF3EZ700Y&language=en_US

Zebras are the rare type of spoonies often affiliated with the Ehlers-Danlos patients. Please check out the website: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com

If you'd like to be a guest, please reach out to Ann and Mrs. Labeezy at TaleofTwoZebras@gmail.com

Giving credit where credit is due: Christine Miserandino revolutionized the chronic illness community by sharing her Spoon Theory with the world on her blog: https://butyoudontlooksick.com Because of her contribution, those suffering with chronic illness are often referred to as "Spoonies" and we often refer to energy stored and expended in units of spoons.

Transcript

Ann Anderson: 0:18

Hello and welcome. Got any spoons. I'm your host Ann, and my co host Amberlyn aka Mrs. Labeezy. We are here today. And we're going to be talking about sleep as you can see Mrs.Lebeezy if you're watching the video, she is she is in a very comfortable state. I always show do the show from my bed. But you can see that I've kind of added some some enhancements for your, your your viewing pleasure, I believe so. But for those of you who just listen, imagine, you know fairy lights, comfortable pillows, you know, just lots and lots of what what's the word that that everybody uses? It's their little nest. They nest they have little nest around the house.

Mrs. Labeezy: 1:09

Yeah, doing it. Justice and it looks like a mystical fairy. Fairy.

Ann Anderson: 1:19

I was I was describing your area you have an owl. Yeah, you were in? Yes.

Mrs. Labeezy: 1:26

I'm in a nest of pillows. And I have my

Ann Anderson: 1:30

are in the nest and I don't have yet my my my zebra. My zebra. There we go.

Mrs. Labeezy: 1:39

You are in a uniform. What? You are now in proper uniform. Thank you.

Ann Anderson: 1:45

For uniform, baby. I'm always a zebra. Just for the outsiders to get the idea. So. Okay, spoon writing. We are spoonies where are we at today? Mrs. Labeezy? I'm sitting between a five and a six today. I'm doing okay. All right. Oh, I think physically, I am at a seven. But brain wise, I'm hurting, I am just really tanking with the medications that they're dragging me on. I don't have any recall at this point. It makes me very nervous as a trauma girl. And my hyper vigilance is something that will be activated and go through the roof. So I work with my family on that stuff. And also my health providers. But that's all switching up to so my goodness, my my body's not totally crapping on

Mrs. Labeezy: 2:53

me, you got to take the small ones where you can get them. That's so scary.

Ann Anderson: 2:58

I did a big move at work. It's a little job I have I actually my husband brought my scooter to work this weekend. So yesterday was my first day. And I know we've talked about it, or at least a lot of spoonies are aware and talked about the challenges of having an invisible illness and like parking in a handicapped spot. And he and then when you've got a cane or a walker or wheelchair or a scooter. They're like, what is this then?

Mrs. Labeezy: 3:31

Yeah. Why are you

Ann Anderson: 3:33

the scooter has a basket because one of the things I didn't know, I thought I'd just be answering phones and making appointments. So I thought it'd be, you know, pretty stationary. It turns out that I'll be taking files back and forth into a very large office, and the office has a ramp. And actually the owner is so happy that someone's using the ramp. The basket and I won't go away. Oh

Mrs. Labeezy: 4:01

boy.

Ann Anderson: 4:02

That's probably a

Mrs. Labeezy: 4:03

rabbit speed. Does it have like the term.io? Yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh, I love

Ann Anderson: 4:10

the I actually purchased it from a gentleman who likes to go to car shows. And you can not you don't have to sit, you can stand on it as well. And it's very sturdy. And I like that and the fact that I can be I don't know. It's not. It's not as out what's I can't say it tactfully. So I'll just say it. It doesn't look like I'm as convalescent as I am. You know,

Mrs. Labeezy: 4:45

it's a

Ann Anderson: 4:45

little bit of tween. Yeah, so it's good for me. So

Mrs. Labeezy: 4:51

I'm glad that you have it it's almost like it's almost like you have a segue to because I mean if you can stand on it while you're

Ann Anderson: 4:59

but I don't have to balance it somebody else segue.

Mrs. Labeezy: 5:05

If you're sitting down anyways, I mean when when

Ann Anderson: 5:10

I put a big old cushion on the seat to I got I took one extra wide seat anyway and I went to a bike store. I'm like I need one of those jelly cushy things. And they're like their bikes or their seats are all over three inches wide. I'm like, Have you have you seen the junk in this truck? And they haven't gotten a book and they had a special order it and I was like, I don't care. This isn't an act of self care. I mean, she said, get me a cushy seat and I got though all right in my my good news of the week that I did take some major steps for self care that would seem relatively easy, but yet are kind of hard, but I did it. So

Mrs. Labeezy: 5:57

I absolutely love that. I'm so glad that you did.

Ann Anderson: 6:01

About you got good news this week.

Mrs. Labeezy: 6:04

Oh, let's see. Um, I finally splurged and bought a pair of Judy blue jeans. I have been eyeballing those jeans. Have you seen them on tick tock?

Ann Anderson: 6:22

Yeah, yeah. So anybody seen those? It's, that's,

Mrs. Labeezy: 6:27

yeah, I bought a singular pair, obviously. Because who could buy more than that? And that's it. Oh, yeah, they're, they're like $65 Oh, this is before all of the things happened with my vehicle, my vehicle broke down as well. It didn't really break down. It's had a check engine light for a while. So I finally got it and took it in and got it fixed. Getting fixed. It's gonna be a lot more than we had anticipated, but I bought the jeans before then as an act of self care. I'm excited for them to come in. Because you know, I I have not because of my gastroparesis. My weight fluctuates so much. And I have jeans that used to fit me when I was at my widest and I do have jeans that fit when I'm been at my heaviest. But I struggle with things on my that are tight on my belly, because after a while it'll get sick, and it just hurts and all of my organs will start to burn and it just the stinging pain. So I end up back in sweats or leggings or back in pajamas. So I'm hoping with these jeans from what I've heard they they have tummy control, but they're not tight on your belly. Okay, so they've got like a looser, like, almost like, stretchy waistband. That makes needed. Awesome.

Ann Anderson: 7:57

My Yes, doctor told me I had to wear compression. So wear compression. We talked about that camis and then I wear pretty, pretty tight leggings and then I wear compression socks. And I thought the tummy is a big issue with me too. Because when it starts to cut it to the waist, but for me Land's End has been a really good brand and they have tall and they have short, and then they had different levels of compression and they also have like the slick ones when it's cooler or I don't know. I really appreciate their hurt me anything that doesn't hurt me. I'm good.

Mrs. Labeezy: 8:44

Let's go hard to find that because anytime you look up anything compression, all you do find, do the things that roll are things that cut into you and especially with EDS, our skin imprints so easily. So just underwear regularly already hurts like it cuts into your skin like going going to bed at night just having clothes on period. It hurts my skin and it starts to hurt my organs. I don't know how else to describe that.

Ann Anderson: 9:15

I don't know I think I don't know what I did. I'm not sleeping we aren't going to be talking about sleeping. So and that was part of the memory problem. But apparently I fell asleep was something that I'm not used to falling asleep because we then when I went to get dressed and I'm in front of the mirror I look at my back and it's um I don't know hieroglyphics the whole whole pack is red and then it's got the skin riding and I'm like what is that from? Maybe it's from the bed maybe I had adjusted maybe the sheets maybe the the mattress pad underneath got wrinkled like if my puppy like got in there and like I had no idea. Very, very Hmm.

Mrs. Labeezy: 10:06

Was it itchy at all? Was there any like reaction to air?

Ann Anderson: 10:09

I have been so itchy that I even bought the MAC. I went on Amazon and I had it same day delivered The back scratchers not because I can't scratch my own back, but I need to just I want where I could dig, you know, on the on the bear up against the tree just like

Mrs. Labeezy: 10:33

I have to show you this back scratcher collection. He ordered a set of talents, I painted the nails.

Ann Anderson: 10:42

I got that. I got one with talents. I got the bear claw. And then I got one that has a black head that's got like Nabis but then it's got a bass and it's got like pointing of ease. And then it's one it's like a big ol rake that can screw on all the different tops. And then I got the good old fashioned back in the day the the wood of bamboo ones that have the little claws. Well and the beach. I mean, we had though that the skin. I was like, I can handle metal, but maybe if I'm doing this over clothes, that would be great. Maybe, I don't know, but I lost options. Hmm, sorry, is

Mrs. Labeezy: 11:25

it too much? Because like, the issue that I have is like, I'll scratch I'll use one of his back scratchers. And like, all scratch too hard, and like it'll leave scratches for days, like marks.

Ann Anderson: 11:40

I definitely can't do it on my bare skin. And then last night, it might have been that it might have been I was attempt, I was trying out the different things. I didn't think going ham on anything. I didn't want to hurt myself. But I don't know. I still have bruises. The other day, there was an accident on the road. Where did it go? Maybe it's gone. That'd be great. Cool. And I stopped my granddaughter, you know, when you put your arm out. She he went bam, onto my arm. It's been hurting a lot. And it was a week before the bruise showed up. And then it was a that was gonna be quite a while but it looks like it was only there for a week, which is good.

Mrs. Labeezy: 12:29

Yeah, those are always the worst, though, because they linger for the longest. They are always gnarliest. Because there they have been the biggest the purples and oranges. And they have the biggest masses and people look and they stare and you're like No, no, we're not talking about it. I don't have to answer you. I don't have to give you a reason why and know nine times out of 10 I don't know where I got it from? I do yeah.

Ann Anderson: 12:59

I'm happy. Well, and they don't show up. They don't show up for a while and then or they show up immediately. And you're like why?

Mrs. Labeezy: 13:10

Yeah. Yeah, that'd be one.

Ann Anderson: 13:13

It can't be just one has has to be both that happen and use the hell out of us and stuff. So, so zebra says, What's up with your sleep?

Mrs. Labeezy: 13:25

What sleep?

Ann Anderson: 13:26

Yes, what sleep?

Mrs. Labeezy: 13:31

Well, so hear me out. I do have sleep apnea. So I do use a CPAP. And I will say like since being diagnosed with sleep apnea last year, and being on a CPAP for a little over six months, my sleep patterns have gotten better to an extent. But I do, I do still deal with pain insomnia all the time. And I will wake up every 15 minutes to 30 minutes because joints are aching. Or because I'm just in pain, like my entire body is aching. And I have to readjust or because my brain turns back on or my body decides it's time to wake up. And it's only been 30 minutes. And it's exhausting. Not last night, but before that I got a total of maybe 30 or 45 minutes asleep. And I had to operate on that all day yesterday and I ended up with a migraine that was in retractable and I it was one of those days where it's like I would love to be able to take a nap but my brain wouldn't turn off. So that resulted in a migraine. And I know I know I'm not the only one like this. It just It sucks. How are you?

Ann Anderson: 15:03

Yeah. I would say I was in a pretty good pattern when I had my medications that I would take them and I would sleep for five hours. Five hours was a good sleep. I got sick is obviously, my cloud 969. But I would wake up at four. And what I found is that I would get up, I don't know, use the restroom. And if I went back to bed, those were the most atrocious hours, whatever, and I couldn't do it, it hurt so bad to try to get back into bed. So I have found that going around, you know, waking up that early, and then very slowly starting my day. Like we loaded and run the dishwasher every night. David loads and runs the dishwasher every night, and then I unload it in the morning. And then I usually start a load of laundry first thing like at five o'clock in the morning, I don't know about Yeah, I'm sure down in Arizona timeframe like are you are utilities are cheaper, between, like 10pm and an eight or 7am. So, yeah, I get a load of laundry and I have laundry that's on. Roll on wheels, so that I don't have to lift if I can't lift and I also will promote doing a load a day, because I do small loads because it doesn't overwhelm me. I can I can manage it better, like weight wise and, and that type of thing. But now, I medications have changed drastically. And I am having a really hard time falling asleep. Which was never the problem before. Now I can't fall asleep in one once I do and I take medicines. I don't know if I'm absorbing them, but I take them. And it's less than two hours later, and I'm awake. And I'm so mad about that. And I don't because I know two hours isn't enough. But like you said, the pain is it continues to grow. And they and so. And then I ended up falling back asleep from about 430 to about 630. So I have maybe four hours asleep. The other night my husband got an emergency call. And so he woke up at two o'clock. And I went up to and he's able to work from home. So he was upstairs. And I did my four o'clock routine from two to four. And then I went back to bed. And I wasn't as bad. I was like oh, maybe this is how it will work. But I don't know if other people get the the intense pain that sleeping for zebras. I just wouldn't think that it's just sleep. And if you can see Amberlyn you can see a there's at least a three pillow stack right now. If you're not seeing it, I can describe it. It looks like there's a midline arched pillow. And then probably what looks like a pregnancy pillow. And then third dark. I'm guessing a comfy pillow a comfy Level Layer. Maybe it's a cooling pillow of some sort. Yeah, I don't know.

Mrs. Labeezy: 18:54

Yes. So squishmallows under my butt.

Ann Anderson: 18:58

So if

Mrs. Labeezy: 19:01

I have a dog under my leg. Oh, that's

Ann Anderson: 19:04

yeah, that that that brown part is a doggy you can see it. So if if you see mine, I am in a TempurPedic adjustable bed. I have a handrail so to help me in and out so that I don't have to work my core as much because my core is majorly jacked. And then I have probably I have six of these little guys. And my husband was a little bit jealous and I was having to let him borrow one. You know what I'm saying? Right? Oh, why are you laughing?

Mrs. Labeezy: 19:49

It's the jealousy.

Ann Anderson: 19:53

Yeah, let's see. We'll turn our head into Better Than Ezra. I've got I've got the Orthopedic pillow I love and I got it from your recommendation, Mrs. Labeezy. How do you like it? That's all I use. In fact not using it right now because I don't want to like squish it into a place it's not supposed to be you know. So, ah, I love it. That does. It is a great thing. Does it fix everything but the other day? You know, I found that NATO walkie walkie my husband likes the War II. So with a walkie in between his legs, his knees. It

Mrs. Labeezy: 20:51

was necessary for health it's necessary for hip health.

Ann Anderson: 20:56

It is it is necessary for his health. So are you working on anything today? Or does the lounging take precedent today?

Mrs. Labeezy: 21:06

The lounging takes precedent today I've been putting my meta carpals back in place this entire time because they keep popping back out. Yeah. Yeah, the

Ann Anderson: 21:16

way you're able to manipulate yourself in positive ways is is fantastic. PT

Mrs. Labeezy: 21:23

has taught me everything that I know they they're like wizards need to wizards. Meet suit, wizards. Yeah, suit,

Ann Anderson: 21:36

I was thinking of the hands and meet cause and I was like

Mrs. Labeezy: 21:46

what are you working on?

Ann Anderson: 21:48

Um, I find it easiest when I'm chatting to work on a project that doesn't take a lot of brainpower. And I've been making these little mufflers that are kind of a, that my friends like who need hand warmers and maybe a fidget thing a quiet fidget thing. So yeah, some extra yarn. And I'm just making more. I

Mrs. Labeezy: 22:13

love the one that you sent me.

Ann Anderson: 22:17

Her so she's at? So you know, young and older. Like they just a good luck.

Mrs. Labeezy: 22:25

I couldn't muffler.

Ann Anderson: 22:30

I'm here for it. So, yeah. And someone, I bless their heart. I was talking to a friend about my sleep issues. And so there are several medications that I've been prescribed. And I take them all. And that that is the way they are prescribed. Take these all at bedtime. Right? That's what I do. And in normally that would, I guess would knock me out and I'd be good. Well, now they're lasting less than two hours. And I'm rather pissed about it. And person that I was talking to said, Have you considered staggering them?

Mrs. Labeezy: 23:13

So staying up for hours? No,

Ann Anderson: 23:17

taking a portion and then in two hours when you wake up having a couple more to take instead of taking them all at once. Are there some that are good at helping you get to sleep? And are there some that might help? You know, do you need them all? Yes. Or is it possible to stagger them? And I was like, you know, I hadn't really thought about it. But if even if the medications that I have right now, I'm not able to stagger them. I think that it would be something that would be beneficial to talk to my doctor about. Right. Oh, sorry. That was my ring. Didn't you Okay, yeah, it was it was my ring. It wasn't me. I mean, that sounded like one of my knuckles popping. That's what they sound like. So I remember that and I have to make a note to myself to ask about it.

Mrs. Labeezy: 24:23

Especially because I wonder if that would give you any sort of difference. Like if it would help at all, like if it were given any type of medication reaction between them. You know,

Ann Anderson: 24:37

yeah, I have no idea. So that is definitely a challenge. I think. I know a lot of people was I write Do you have a pregnancy pillow? I

Mrs. Labeezy: 24:52

do. It's right here. I would have it up here but the dog is laying under my leg. Pregnancy pillow.

Ann Anderson: 25:00

I think a lot of people really liked the pregnancy pillow, because they're able to put their head and have their head supported and sometimes an extra pillow. Then you can have your arms up and you're kind of in a zero G like yes, position and my bed does that for me. I can put my bed out into the

Mrs. Labeezy: 25:20

sea I we looked at the we looked at that bed, my biggest issue was the price point. Um, we would have to do the whole base, we have a platform bed that has drawers on it, and I didn't want to have to get rid of that. Um, but the My biggest thing with the pregnancy pillow is it wraps around your shoulders to where I'm able to wrap it all the way down. If I bring it all the way down around the side of my neck, almost hugs you doubt around your shoulders where you can't move at all. And then bring it all the way down all the way down between your legs. And it almost reaches because I'm only five, three on a good day. Okay, goes all the way down to equals. So it supports every single joint. Now my hips still aren't like it at my knee point, it still is too wide at my hips. So I will put a squish mellow in between my knees still with the pregnancy pillow. And then it's tough to where it doesn't feel like my hips are pushing my knees like if it makes sense. My knees, my hips almost feel like they're pushing my knees down. Because

Ann Anderson: 26:40

yeah, did you know for those listening, pregnancy pillows actually come in different lengths. You can, you can get the C shaped and you can get the whatever but you can get 57 inches you can get 67 inches. There's there's just make sure you're looking if you're wondering why. One of them's more expensive than the other. It could be that it could be the filling. Some of them come with a washable case, and things like that. So

Mrs. Labeezy: 27:15

get non microfiber cases so you can get the non yucky, non yucky feeling case.

Ann Anderson: 27:21

There you go. Yeah, and they can, you don't have to be pregnant men can use them. But I can tell you that I don't use it. Because my husband doesn't like the fact that it can't snap.

Mrs. Labeezy: 27:39

My husband has accepted his feet. Well, it's need the body pillow and i It's the three of us for the rest of our marriage. And the main reason is because this has created it to where I'm not. I'm still in pain when I sleep. And he did not realize how much it was hurting. And how much does help. does not fix it. I want to foot stomp that does not fix it. But it helps. So for me it's like, okay, if if whatever will help. If that if that's gonna help. Fine. You know, but I will say you know, when we're just hanging out watching TV in the bedroom, I'll put all my pillows to the side. So it's not like I'm constantly in my forte in my nest and barricaded away from him. Yeah.

Ann Anderson: 28:40

So we'd like to think that we discovered a new way to snuggle. Yeah, sure. But we will say since our bed is adjusted and let's say we're in zero G so our head is up and our feet are up. And we're laying side by side or watching the movie I said you want pretzel? Pretzel lane is getting side by side and my leg goes over his. And then like that, that I'm over kind of like is right next to my foot. And then And then again, my arm goes over his arm. I always get the top because if he's a big guy if that weight were on me, so he's able to put his arm over my tummy and we want Mr. Data's pretzels though it works. Out there zebras have tried pretzels. I mean, I've

Mrs. Labeezy: 29:38

never tried penciling, I love that. Okay, cool.

Ann Anderson: 29:42

I, we maybe maybe that's something that you'll be able to enjoy while watching movies together. I

Mrs. Labeezy: 29:48

think we're gonna try it. I think you didn't mince it. But I think you did invent it.

Ann Anderson: 29:54

Okay, fantastic. I like that. So I'm kind of looking at my my list of things as we're talking about sleep. Do you ever use medications or like melatonin I know people talk about that.

Mrs. Labeezy: 30:15

Is so I am personally Arrived medication for insomnia. And I do have night terrors from PTSD. So it's a fun, it's a happy fun time. During the lols, where they were adjusting the medication I'm on mirtazapine for my insomnia participated as it works to an extent they lowered my dosage because the biggest side effect with mirtazapine is weight gain. I gained the weight I did a really good job at it, you know, I practiced, did my best, my hardest. And they lowered my dosage. But with that I was the insomnia came back tenfold. So I did take melatonin now I was take I am very sensitive to melatonin. Like I take the kids version, like the five milligram and it knocks me on my butt. Because my husband can take a UNISOM like a 25 or 50 milligram and he's like, Oh, I can stay awake for hours and then finally fall asleep. I take one of those and in 25 minutes, I'm out. conked out gone dead to the world. I will see you in eight hours. But with Murtaza pain, it I don't get the grogginess afterwards, with any type of over the counter sleep. AIDS. I am very groggy the next day all day, no matter how much sleep I get. And it's almost like I'm hungover. It's It's miserable. Heat.

Ann Anderson: 32:09

I was gonna say, I think that sometimes those medications I don't know if they do too good of a job. Like we're sleeping in if we're not moving enough, and it makes me just hurt more. Yeah, thanks for giving me eight hours asleep. But getting up. It has nothing to do with my brain. It has everything to do with my body. And I'm like, I got beat up last night. I feel like somebody was

Mrs. Labeezy: 32:38

just like, I'm a victim of a crime. It's

Ann Anderson: 32:42

horrible. So I'm like, No, I'm not taking that kind of medicine. No. Yeah, that will put me to sleep but not knock me out. Because then I'm gonna be knocked. Like, right?

Mrs. Labeezy: 32:54

And I'm gonna. That's exactly. It's like what Nyquil? Absolutely not I cannot whenever I'm sick, because when I am out out from NyQuil, I will break my fever. And when I wake up from that all of my joints are so stiff, and I cannot move the whole time you wake up like this.

Ann Anderson: 33:25

I can't describe that people should be with stiff arms. I guess if I if you had to. I don't know. I'm trying to make it so that I don't have to cut out a lot for the audio version. If I just describe well enough, what's going on? And there was a pause because I was looking at my crocheting project and I look up and there's Amberlynn Gordon. She's a T Rex, but her arms got really long and stiff. I don't know. Forgive me So, about that. Let's see. There was something else I was gonna say but with the zombie arms. Great, thanks. Okay. So, I find I don't think we talked about it. We talked about it before we started recording. Um, one of the best things for me, is a heated mattress pad. And they do have we have a king sized bed. Yes, it does have the adjustable bed. So they've got the ones with the deep pockets that are kind of like stretchy so that they don't pop off. And then you can control both sides. And I'm not I don't need it to be very hot at all. But I do like the low heat and something about the compression of my body the weight and sinking into it is it's It's heavenly for me. I really like that. Do you ever use like Epsom salt baths have?

Mrs. Labeezy: 35:13

Yeah, if you go on my guest bathroom because that's where our biggest tub is the one downstairs There is a sea of salts. We have, we have our epson salts, and then we have our lavender, Epsom salts, we've got all kinds of whatever you want, we got them. And then there have been a couple of different companies that have sent me there was one that sent me like the heating pad that was meant for like, a massage table. So I'll leave that on my side of the bed, but what you're describing for a whole bed sounds amazing. Yeah, say,

Ann Anderson: 35:49

be careful. That was something though, that if you do have the skin in printing, because it's still coiled. And so you don't, again, you don't want to get a cheap one. Where, and I did because my bed adjust. I had to, it only lasted one season, I think some of the wiring got a little frayed because of when the bed was adjusted to be sitting like now. But that was, you know, I don't know if I'd be comfortable, like putting an extra sheet over it as a padded thing. Because it's heat. But I'm sure there's warning labels and people can read and take it upon themselves to educate them because that's not totally my job. This is how I use it. You do you and you be as safe as possible. Right. Doctor? I have not giving medical advice. What works for me. So there? Yes. All right. Anything else you can think about with sleep? And

Mrs. Labeezy: 37:00

yeah, I would think the biggest thing if you're waking up feeling if you're sleeping through the entire night, waking up feeling not well rested, and or if you're snoring a lot. Or if you're being told that you're gasping awake, please get assessed for sleep apnea. It is a common comorbidity within EDS. I did not know that I had it until I was assessed last year. And I just I knew I'd snored. I have had sleep apnea since I was a child I have never gotten. I've never gotten a full night of sleep. And it's documented as far back as Christmas when I was six years old. My aunt got very upset because I slept until 11am. They kept trying to wake me up. And she walked in said Amberlynn Santa came it is time to wake up and I said the presence will be out there. When I wake up. I'm still sleeping. I was the only child at that point, the only grandchild she didn't have any kids yet. And she went back out and waited. And my parents had tried to warn her. That's what was gonna happen. I had slept for 18 hours at that point. And I woke up I was still tired. I never felt fully rested. Now knowing what I know. It was always there. So if those signs are there, please, please get get checked, get testing, ask those questions.

Ann Anderson: 38:47

I did learn when I was I had I had, you know, like the brain that doesn't want to shut off a lot. And some of that was trauma, as we discussed, but a lot of it I think when the kids were younger. I was trying to keep my to do list in my head and I had anxiety about forgetting it. And so I started keeping a journal by my bed. And I would just write everything you need to do you need to remember you need to remember remember this, remember that remember that. And that helped me a huge amount to be able to go to sleep knowing that I could just look at that when I woke up. Some of it was like, No, you don't have to worry about that today. But just getting it out onto paper and like you're right. I didn't need to worry about that today. It's not until next week. But I was worried because remember whether it was the next day or the next week. So get it out. Yeah, I needed to get it out. So that was me. Anything else?

Mrs. Labeezy: 39:54

I don't have anything.

Ann Anderson: 39:56

You have lots of things we've shared a lot. I prepared a lot. So let's see. I am the I Am the keeper of the notes for the for our podcasts. I do have share your weirdness in I mean, we've talked a lot about our weirdness. And if You're seeing Amberlynn, if you're watching this, and you've seen her holding her hand, and especially what you do in Amberlynn, putting

Mrs. Labeezy: 40:26

my bones back in place,

Ann Anderson: 40:30

putting her bones back in place, which is something a lot of us learn how to do. Sometimes when we're sleeping, oh, that's the other thing, sleeping with your meta tarballs going out of place. Some people will say, a weighted blanket is a really great thing people should try it maybe for you, it is, I might suggest, in my experience to try and a lighter weight than what somebody else recommends. Because for me, it just, it made my ankles and my feet and it, it would make things go out of place. And so much, I would wake up and a whole lot more pain, I'd have to put more parts back together. Which is another thing, if you I would say, I would say waking up slowly works as in, yes, my eyes wake up. And then I'm like doing a body scan. And I'm figuring if there's any immediate pain, if there's any immediate adjustments I need to make. And then you know, I have the thing, I have the brace next to my bed to help me get up. So that if I'm in a bad way, which happens, that also helps. So if you need to take your time springing out of bed, I would say does not work very well. For many of us, no.

Mrs. Labeezy: 42:02

I will immediately hit the ground.

Ann Anderson: 42:05

Nevermind if the cat is making the puking sound or the child is you know,

Mrs. Labeezy: 42:11

you will still be there.

Ann Anderson: 42:14

Yeah, so will the gifts you know, everybody's still there. So okay. But that's the time when the spouse needs to, you know, bring out a bed. So, um, okay. And we were talking about wanting to have guests, we do have someone we talked about for February. We do have? Well, gosh, this one will come out probably on the 29th. And unless we switch it so we're talking to guests, we're still looking for guests. So please reach out at get any spoons@gmail.com or if you're on the clock app and you find either of us you can always say hi. We do have a lot of responses. We're really excited. So it will work it is hard to get some a group of spoons together but we're going to make it work. Then must haves This is the BZ I

Mrs. Labeezy: 43:26

think this week was you it was no number you're gonna send me the link.

Ann Anderson: 43:32

Oh yeah. For the heated mattress pad. Yes, ma'am. Talked about that lovely Med, med line pillow that you have. Which you know what?

Mrs. Labeezy: 43:43

price point? That's my problem with it. Yeah, I don't until we can get some sort of a discount code.

Ann Anderson: 43:53

Okay, all right. Cool beans. All right. So those are must haves and will have those links to on your Amazon store. It's missus the B Z's Amazon, right. Okay, cool beans. Um, that's the link that we'll have. And then if anybody has any questions, you know, love to answer those as well. And I think that that's it for the day. You get to you get to sign off Mrs. Libby. Easy.