Tag: sleep

sleep & caffeine, part 2

My friend Brent suggested that measuring caffeine intake by the ounces of the beverages consumed isn’t a good calculation, and he’s right. So, I went back and used this chart to determine the milligrams of caffeine per ounce depending on the beverage consumed. Here’s how the totals break down:

I found it interesting that while I drank about 35 more ounces of diet soda than coffee, coffee was clearly the major source of my caffeine intake.

Comparing the new set of data regarding my caffeine intake with the hours of sleep during the same time period, the chart looks a little different:

I gave the hours of sleep a multiplier of 100 so that it would be easier to compare them visually. There are definitely some points where the hours of sleep decrease and the milligrams of caffeine increase.

sleep & caffeine

I’ve been meaning to share this here. Back in January & February, I started using Daytum to keep track of the hours of sleep and ounces of caffeine I consumed each day. I’m not sure how much being aware of the data gathering influenced my decision-making, but it felt about like normal, so this is probably a decent snapshot.

You can see more visualization options and analysis on the Daytum page, if you are so inclined.

sleep patterns

On Friday night, I stayed up much later than I usually do. I’m not sure why — I wasn’t feeling well all evening and had decided to stay home rather than going out as planned. Somehow I managed to find things to entertain myself until 2am, although aside from the crossword puzzle, I can’t remember … Continue reading “sleep patterns”

On Friday night, I stayed up much later than I usually do. I’m not sure why — I wasn’t feeling well all evening and had decided to stay home rather than going out as planned. Somehow I managed to find things to entertain myself until 2am, although aside from the crossword puzzle, I can’t remember what those things were.

My cats — specifically Alex — woke me up at 7am. I was not happy, but I was just rested enough that by the time I fed them, I knew I wasn’t going back to sleep. In any case, the live feed of two of my favorite podcasts would be coming on around 9:30 or 10, and I didn’t want to miss the start. I knew that if I went back to sleep then, it would be for at least three more hours.

I was pretty sluggish for the rest of the day, but I kept on going. I figured I’d get to bed early that night and be back on my regular sleep schedule. However, by 6:30pm my body informed me that a nap was in order. So, I took a nap. A refreshing, four hour nap. So refreshing, in fact, that I could not make myself go back to sleep for the night.

Three hours later I was finally tired enough to go to bed. Again. The cats woke me up at 7am. this morning. Again.

I think they’re trying to get me on their sleep cycle, but until I’m allowed a siesta at work, it isn’t going to happen.

blue plate special

Indiana songwriter delivers a blue plate special.

Carrie Newcomer has a gift for writing character sketches of people who do not receive much notice in popular music, which was evident in her first recording, Visions and Dreams, with her treatment of modern-day immigrants (“Sounds of the Morning”). Last year, she released a best-of recording called Betty’s Diner that included the previously unreleased title track. “Betty’s Diner” is a brief glimpse into the working-class lives of people found in this fictional diner. With a few phrases, Newcomer is able to flesh out a three-dimensional image of the diner patrons.

Arthur lets his earl grey steep
Since April it’s been hard to sleep
You know they tried most everything
Yet it took her in the end

The diner patrons have returned in Newcomer’s latest offering, Regulars and Refugees. On the CD liner she writes, “After I’d written and recorded the song it became apparent that the diner people had more to say, and so arose a series of songs, poems and short stories written from the perspectives of different characters who frequent a hometown diner in southern Indiana.” She includes a written introduction to the characters of each song, ether as the narrator or from the perspective of the diner waitress, Miranda. The songs them selves come from a variety of perspectives ranging from the protagonists themselves to Arthur’s story, as told by the dog he and his Libby-dearest rescued from the pound (“Arthur B and Me”).

Newcomer’s musical style is sometimes country, sometimes folk, sometimes pop, but more often it’s a combination of all three. The composition and production quality of Regulars and Refugees is classic Newcomer, and does not disappoint. The stories themselves become the emphasis of the recording versus the traditional musical hook. Overall, I give it two thumbs up and a side of slaw.

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