'How are you sleeping?' I was a little taken aback when my GP asked me this question. I was in his office for a new Yaz script, not sleep issues.
I shrugged. 'Badly.'
'For how long?'
'Uh,' I laughed wryly, 'my whole life?'
It was true. I can't recall sleeping well since my early teens.
He proceeded to lecture me on the harmful effects of long-term sleep deprivation, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, depression and cancer.
I maintain a healthy cynicism about the medical fraternity, having been misdiagnosed more than once, and keep doctors' fallibility front of mind before I swallow a verdict, yet I'd had an unusually sleepless few nights before my appointment, even for me, so I was more receptive than I might have been. I left with scripts for Yaz and something called Aspen Trazodone, which the doctor had assured me wasn't a sleeping pill, as such, but rather a mild, short-acting, non-addictive antidepressant with a sedative effect.
That night, I took one of the pills before bed. It worked. I slept through the night, waking partially, groggily, at one point but quickly drifting off again. A godsend! I thought.
I foisted my newfound sleep solution onto anyone who'd listen. 'They've changed my life! Really, you should look into it!'
Even better than sleeping through the night, I was no longer being woken by a sucker-punch of anxiety to my chest. Previously, I would jolt awake and my mind would latch onto anything and nothing: a work deadline, politics, a financial concern, and then, more than occasionally, the fact that I was not getting back to sleep. I'd visualise the coming day as an interminable slog to get back to bed, worry about whether I'd have enough energy to exercise or to prepare for a meeting, and wonder if I'd ever know what it's like to be anxiety-free.
This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Easter with edge
Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.
The MALE bias
Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.
Wellbeing
How to sleep better, feel better and look better!
The other type of CHEATING
Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.
SUPER TROUPER
At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.
Little wonder
Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.
HOME AFFAIRS
These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.