Lupus and Fatigue: Nap when you need to

Question - how far does sulking about a lupus symptom get you? 

Answer - not very. 

So while I'm not happy about my new morning fatigue, I'm not being stubborn about it. Or neglectful. Or unhealthy. 

I am learning not to fight it. I am attempting to make it a part of my morning routine - booking appointments and scheduling calls around the fact that from 8:30-9:30a, I need to sleep. 

I've had to rearrange plans and miss outings. I choose to dress differently most mornings, knowing that in just a couple of hours, I'll be back in bed napping. I treat my afternoons a little differently, too. I account for a later, shorter afternoon nap before school ends, and build in another 30 minute rest during the early evening. There isn't really any downtime, but I am working to create some. We are capable of amazing things when we have to be! 

The hardest part has been the knock to my pride. I'm trying not to judge myself for crawling into bed not one, not two, but potentially three times per day. I try not to worry what my kids will think when I sneak upstairs for a quick break (is mom sick? why is she sleeping so much?) I try not to think of all the things NOT getting done during my multiple rests. Mainly, I try not to think about the naps as a step backward, as much as just a side step. This is a product of a schedule change, one that my body hasn't adjusted to, and that my mind hasn't accommodated for at night. (Go to sleep an hour earlier? Really? Is that even possible?) 

But the system IS working. And I'm finding that after that first morning nap, I feel fresh and ready to accomplish. Stuff is getting done, and I'm not irresponsibly pushing through a lupus symptom, so currently, it's a win-win. 

Next up: replanning my evenings so that an earlier bedtime becomes manageable. Consulting my previous posts about making changes. Here's one about making incremental changes that add up, and another about goal setting and how to move things earlier (hint: you have to start waaaaay earlier than expected!)