doctors...

[imaginarycircus]

My rheumatologist sent me to a neurologist because I have terrible insomnia. The neurologist told me that I should invest in a good booklight and read in bed for a bit until I get sleepy and that I shouldn't go to bed until my body is ready (which for me is about 12:30 or 1am). I've sort of been doing this but feeling weird about and now I can do it and not feel bad because the doctor told me to! yay.

I go for a sleep study next week to see if I have RLS or sleep apnea or any weird other things going on while I sleep. I had X-Rays today to see how the arthritis in my hips and neck is--due to the hypermobility syndrome.

I really really hate when new doctors ask me if both my parents are alive and they look they give me when I say no. Then when they ask when and how they died they look horrified. I mean it could be worse. If I had to say my father killed my mother with a hatchet and then set himself on fire. Cancer is better than that at least.

Anyone have a book light they love?

Comments

[thenines.livejournal.com]

If I were nearer Boston, I'd bring you brownies and hugs and settle in for bookish conversation -- because there's nothing that will make that sting and pain go away, but I hope a little cushion might be welcome.

I don't use a book light, but have always been rather enchanted by the displays of them at the Borders in Penn Station. They're attached to tall shelves, and look like small robots peering over the stacks, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting browsers.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

David will come home and squish me a lot so it's OK. But it would be so fun if you were local. :/

I've seen similar displays. They are funny. :D I'll have to go read reviews and see what people like.

[florahart]

Heh. Now wait for the sleep doc to tell you to never read in bed because it only helps train your body to do things other than sleep while lying there being still in bed.

(not kidding).

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

The neurologist I saw today specializes in sleep disorders and he said that is wrong. It is OK to read in bed with a maximum 15 watt bulb for a little bit until you get sleepy. He said he knows sleep hygeine lists always say NO about that. And sure enough he gave me a list that said that and he crossed it out. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

That is good to know (that the max watt is 15)- when I'm stressed, I can only fall asleep by reading/watching/doing something until I drop right where I am, on the couch, in bed, and will sleep all night with half the lights on in the house, including the room I'm in. I thought I read somewhere that it was particularly bad to sleep like that, with bright lights on over you for that many hours (night after night). I always plan to mend my ways, but I think I too just need a light in bed, something I can switch off without having to get up. Actually, what I need is one of those old fashioned headboards with the twin lights with the mini-lampshades. That would be awesome. (except that headboards and I don't mix well)

book lights

[3starsinmyeyes.livejournal.com]

I don't have a favorite, but these looked neat..

Elastolight

Lil Clip Light

XtraFlex

Re: book lights

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Oh the last one looks like just what I need, gets good reviews, is not too pricey and comes with an AC adaptor! :D Thank you!!

Re: book lights

[3starsinmyeyes.livejournal.com]

welcome! let me know how it works out :) i might get one for myself!

Re: book lights

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Now someone almost has me convinced the light wedge will be better. I may order both because I can always use the light wedge for the car and the other light in bed. And if I don't like it I'll give it to my father in law who can never see his sheet music in dim venues.

[effbeye.livejournal.com]

weird - a doctor told me just the other day that i should not read in bed, because then the brain gets conditioned to think of bed as a place to think, as opposed to as a place to sleep, thus insomnia of the mind-can't-stop-racing variety.

[piperki.livejournal.com]

If you read something you love which is also tedious, though, that doesn't happen. I am reading Hildegard von Bingen's Physica, which is fascinating but the text itself is kind of dull so I fall asleep within 2 pages. I also keep Fowler's Modern English by the bed for the same reason--love all that trivia but can't read more than a couple of pages without nodding off.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Right, that is always what I have been told. Though if I do read in bed late at night. I get too sleepy to keep going so I know it works.

[piperki.livejournal.com]

I use a Mighty Bright clip-on dual-led light for my music stand, but it's supposed to be a book light and would work great for that.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

That one gets a good review on Amazon. I'm so going to buy one for my father in law because he can never see his music!! :D

[piperki.livejournal.com]

My teacher told me to get it, after the Dark Chapel Incident.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

It's like a mystery novel! :D

OMG David and I almost just keeled over reading cakewrecks

OMG.

[shveta-thakrar.livejournal.com]

*sends love and a book light--too bad the bulb burns out if you send it over the Internet. . .*

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's OK, thanks anyway! I found one on Amazon that has an AC adaptor and should be fine. :D

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

Here via piperki. We have the Lightwedge booklights and like them pretty well. I personally would rather use my bedside table lamp, but when we are traveling, it is pretty nice. Better for a paperback than a big hardback book (it just gets kind of unwieldy), but the illumination is very low and it does get the whole page.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I love the way the lightwedge looks but I think I would get annoyed trying to read with it in bed. I need to use something less bright than my bed side lamp because my husband can't sleep with it on. And according to doctor it would be too bright. I bet the lightwedge would be fabulous for reading in the car though.

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

Wow, you can read in the car? Yes, I think it would be good if you were sitting up.

The lightwedge is fabulous for reading in bed if there is someone else who will be bothered by the light.

I find I can turn my light on after my husband goes to sleep and he's none the wiser. Of course, it helps if he's got his face down in the pillows or turned to the side:) If he turned on a light when I was asleep, I'm pretty sure it would wake me up.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read in the car if we're driving for more than 30 minutes. I read out loud to my husband. I read him The Lord of the Rings that way and several Harry Potter books and several other things. :D

I can imagine I would be dropping the wedge one my chest every few minutes. I don't know why except I'm klutzy.