Fixing My Sleep!

I wrote a post recently about what Mum’s of Newborns really need – and the resounding agreement was SLEEP.

I always say I wish I’d started blogging sooner, when the boy was still a baby, but thinking about it properly, I probably wouldn’t have been capable. Mainly because the boy just would not sleep. Ever. He would wake up a minimum of 4 times every night, often more. He was still waking 3 times a night for milk at 20 months. It nearly broke me.

He sleeps well now (once he actually gets to sleep…another story!) but my own sleep has never recovered. It takes me ages to go to sleep, I wake often, and even when I feel like I’ve had my 8 hours, I still feel tired. I feel tired NOW.

I think in part this is due to having an underactive thyroid, and in part to being underactive myself (see my Inner Monologue of an Unfit Mother!) I’ve never been sure how to go around trying to fix these issues – it seems a bit self-indulgent!

However, I saw an assignment on a Bloggers Required email for a new sleep solution tool called S+ by ResMed. This is the first thing I’ve ever been sent to review for my blog, and I was so pleased it was something that could benefit me.

I’ve been using it for about 6 weeks now, with every night for the past three or four weeks. I can’t say I’ve seen a difference yet, but I can tell it’s a work in progress that could be excellent in the long run.

I wanted to write the review in two parts – this one to explain how it works and how I’m finding it, and another one in another couple of months once I’ve started implementing what I’m learning about my sleep.

So, what’s an S+? It’s a gadget! I bloody love a gadget.

This one came in some super swish packaging (I didn’t take a picture – sorry rubbish newbie alert) but here’s one of it in pride of place:

img_6060You plug it in and adjust the box to aim at your chest area (I cleaned the side table especially for this photo – are you impressed?!)

Then you download an app, and sync your phone with the S+ through bluetooth. This was all simple. You need to leave your phone on the app screen when using it, so you need to switch off automatic shut down and leave your phone plugged in all night, which I’m a bit wary of – I rest it somewhere not flammable! This is because the screen measures the amount of light in your room, amongst other clever things. One of my very favourite things about this is that the plug is dual – it charges the S+, but also has a USB port for your phone or tablet charger, so even if you only have one plug near your bed you can still use it.

The app sets up the S+ for the night, using some simple settings:

img_6026

You choose the settings depending on what sort of a day you’ve had, and then you can check it’s monitoring your movement properly:

img_6062

This isn’t actually my breathing pattern – it’s my wriggling about to get a good line for the purposes of review, but I’m sure you get my drift!

Notice here that there are some options: Mind Clear, Smart Alarm and Relax to Sleep.

Mind Clear is something you can use to note down all those thoughts buzzing around your head so you don’t worry about forgetting them come morning. You can either type them in, or use the voice recorder and access them in the morning.

The Smart Alarm is one of those clever ones that judges when you are in a very light sleep and wakes you up then, rather than getting a fright when you are completely El Zonko and suddenly Cold Play are bleating at you from your alarm radio. Like!

The Relax to Sleep is one of those white noise kind of apps that you think in desperation might help your naps-are-for-loserrrrrs baby sleep (HA!) but for grown ups. They have all sorts of various noises, a little classical, some beach and ocean noises. Surprisingly, these really helped me nod off quickly. Unfortunately I can only use them when Him Indoors is away otherwise he shouts at me to turn my hippy crap whale noises off (he doesn’t really, but he can’t sleep when they are on. Ho hum) (and there aren’t any whales)

Once you’ve set these off, it’s sleepy time! And when you wake up, it’s time for the cool analytics!

img_6064

As you can see – I wake up a lot! So far on using it I’ve noticed that invariably I get all my REM sleep (explains my epic dreams!) but rarely do I get my deep sleep.

There are all sorts of extra analytics on the ResMed website which you can look into, and after each sleep you get a little tip or fact about your sleep. This was today’s:

img_6063

These can be tagged by relevance, so you’ll get more exact  advice for your needs as you go on.

As I said at the start of the review, I don’t think my sleep has massively improved yet, but I am getting the tools I need to improve it as we go on – I know that my issue is with deep sleep, and I can analyse the worst and best days. Don’t tell Him Indoors, but the days I get the best deep sleep – and actually wake up refreshed – are when he is away! Oops!

I’ll follow up on this review in a few months to see how I’m getting on.

Family Fever

18 thoughts on “Fixing My Sleep!

  1. I have(or had) an app similar to this on my phone that would start playing music/noise as soon as it felt I was in REM. I had to get rid of it in the end because it would wake me up! I’ve become such a sensitive sleeper since having a baby! I slept through an earthquake once…those were the days..

    Lu xx

    #TribalLove

  2. This is fascinating! I would love to monitor J’s sleep for a couple of nights… it would be interesting to see what sleep he has when he wakes etc. Unfortunately I am up and down half the night with him so think it would be pointless monitoring my sleep at the moment… maybe in a few months… more like years!! 😉 do you think you have benefitted from this knowledge?

    1. Not yet really – I think I know WHY I don’t feel refreshed by sleep, but I don’t know how to fix it yet.

  3. Wow, that’s really interesting. I love facts and figures about sleep! I too feel constantly tired… although mine is only due to having to wake up to give her a milk in the middle of the night. I just can’t get used to it. Look forward to reading the follow up, I hope it works for you! #TribalLove

    1. Thanks lovely – I’m hoping it works too, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to wake up refreshed!x

  4. Oooo this really is interesting- I’d love to try something like this! Although I’m pretty gutted there’s no ‘hippy crap Whales’ Looking forward to reading how you get on in part2! Xx #triballove

  5. Wowee high-tech sleep fixing! I thought you were going to tell us to have a long walk and spray some lavender around! This sounds amazing, I love all the stats. Really looking forward to your follow-up review. I hope it helps you sleep. Sleep is amazing isn’t it. I wish I had more of it too. #triballove

    1. Thanks awesomeness. I get it, but it doesn’t work! Hopefully will be finding out WHY 😀 xx

  6. I recently had a sleep study done both in a lab and at home and the things they are looking for sound very familiar. My doctor gave me a bracelet that looks a lot like a fitbit to take home for a week with similar features. I’ll be interested in seeing how it goes in a few months. Thanks for sharing! #TribalLove

  7. Ah this looks like a very fancy gadget! I’d be so interested what my sleep looks like on a graph as I think I wake up frequently as well. I’d love to sleep a bit deeper but it’s changed dramatically since I had our little lady. Fab first review 🙂 #triballove

  8. Now this is the kind of the gadget I like. I am obsessed with how much sleep I get, which I am convinced is not much and like you I have loads of crazy dreams so I don’t think I am ever getting into deep sleep. I will be interested to read how you get on, can we have an update next month please?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.