The Free Sleepydust Online Video has finally been launched!

The video is to help the friends and family of ME/CFS [including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis , Chronic Fatigue Syndrome , and Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome] sufferers understand the illness and what their loved ones are going through.

Please help to educate people about this illness by forwarding the link (below) on to as many as you know.

Together we can make a difference.

http://www.sleepydust.net/me-cfs-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-video.html

Editor of Sleepydust

A new review has been added to our reviews section:

"(...) On the free demo CD they basically tell you all about how their meditation technology works. They have testimonials, and for the last 6 minutes, they give you a 'sample' of their technology, without any talking over the top. They say that the sample is not quite as strong (a more 'diluted' version) of what you get if you actually buy the actual Holosync Awakening Prologue.

Apparently Holosync is proprietary technology and..."

To read the full review of the Holosync Meditation Program Demo CD, click here...

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Shattered by Lynn Michell is a book with a difference. There are probably 1001 medically-based books on ME/CFS out there, but this book isn’t another one to add to that list.

Lynn Michell's Shattered gives a stark and real account of what it’s like to LIVE with ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).


Check out my updated book review of Lynn Michell's Shattered here...

I hope you find it useful!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

A favorite 'all-round' book on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS), Chronic Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME).

If there’s a book that can really be called the ‘bible’ for ME/CFS sufferers, then Living With M.E. by Dr Charles Shepherd is it. A while ago, having read raving reviews about this book by other ME/CFS sufferers, I decided to buy a copy of Dr Charles Shepherd 's book, to see for myself.

Check out my updated book review of Dr Charles Shepherd 's Living With M.E. here...

I hope you find the book review useful! :)

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Do you feel tired? Exhausted? Have no energy?

Maybe you have ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia?

Well magnetic therapy might help. It can help to boost your energy levels and has been said to even ease pain.

Check out my personal review of how magnetic insoles (including nikken ) have given me more energy here...

I hope you find it useful!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Beat Fatigue With Yoga by Fiona Agombar, is a book about yoga that may be helpful if you suffer from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

One thing I noticed when I first started researching ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia treatments was the amount of times that yoga was mentioned.

Yoga is a great relaxation technique that can be practised to reduce fatigue and regain energy. And it seems to often be recommended to those ME/CFS sufferers out there who can manage some light exercise.


Check out my uodated book review of Fiona Agombar's Beat Fatigue With Yoga here...

I hope you find it helpful!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

A Murky, Never-Ending Nightmare...


It's funny how certain memories stay with you. You can picture them almost as vividly as when they first occurred. Of course, that's not saying much considering it all seemed like a big, murky, never-ending nightmare at the time. But I can remember glimpses of my lonely reality back then...

I was living in student halls and I was trying to make it back from the bathroom to my bedroom (which was just a few steps away). I remember how difficult it was. How terrible I felt. I was shaking. I felt hot. My vision was blurred. I felt faint and so totally, totally drained of energy...

I remember putting my hand up to steady myself against the wall, as I slowly walked, step by tiny step, back to my room. What a feat it was. What a struggle. And such a simple
thing, I remember thinking. Why? I probably then just flopped on the bed and slept again for what would be
probably another 22 hours. I can't remember.

During that first period of my illness, I remember feeling so confused and frightened. And, well, down.

What was so wrong with me that I, a once vivacious, fun-loving 19 year old, couldn't even make it to the bathroom and back without a struggle? While everyone else in the student dorms were having the time of their lives, I was struggling to stay awake for an hour or two a day. I felt terrible. So drained. The flu feeling hadn't gone. And I felt so indescribably weak.

The ME/CFS kept its grip throughout my university years, but eased up enough so that on most days, I was able to venture out. Later, I was lucky enough to enjoy about a year or so where the ME/CFS went into remission, and I recovered about 90% of my health. But my days were numbered. The ME/CFS
would return, and this time much more severely. This time I became housebound.



Winging It...

My ME/CFS journey has been long and varied since 1995. Unfortunately at first, when it came to coping with ME/CFS and trying to recover, I just winged it, a rather risky approach for managing an illness that seems to get worse with the slightest thing. It took Muggins here, quite a while to catch on that I just couldn't do most of the things I did pre-ME/CFS'. Not without repercussions anyway.

In a nutshell, I had no clue what I was doing!

I ended up yearning for some sort of 'ME/CFS guide' : something
that would just tell me what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what not to do! Don't get me wrong - I knew there was no universal miracle cure' out there. But I had heard of many isolated ME/CFS recovery stories. Deep down, I really believed that recovering from ME/CFS simply WAS possible.



Investing Time, Energy & Hope...

In my many desperate attempts to recover, there were countless
things I (unwittingly) tried that either made no difference at all, that made me feel 10 times worse, or that just threw me into an outright relapse!

How many hours have I spent searching for the latest cure? The
hottest tip that made this person recover, or that person increase their energy levels? How much money have I spent on things that just didn't work? I daren't think about it.

And in the meantime, my health would, at best, stay on an even
keel. An 'even keel', for me, meant operating at 30% of my
previous levels of health and activity. And sometimes, despite
all my efforts, research, and desperation to get better, I'd
have a flare of symptoms and get even worse.



Does This Sound Familiar?

At the beginning of this year I was still housebound. Very rarely would I venture out. The last time I had gone out, I was in a wheelchair. And before that, I had to use a walking stick to walk just a few paces.

I couldn't wash my own hair. I couldn't see my friends because
I felt too ill. I couldn't talk on the phone for long. I felt ill, pretty much every day. I never felt refreshed from sleep. Basically, I was in pretty bad shape.

I'm sharing this with you because you, as an ME/CFS sufferer,
have no doubt experienced many of the problems and frustrations I have encountered in your own journey through
this illness. If you're anything like I was, you're probably
constantly on the look out for the latest therapy, treatment,
prescription... anything to help make you feel better. Anything to get your life back.

Yet, like me, you may also have that all-too-familiar seed of
doubt. Does it really work?



Getting Better...

Six months ago however, my persistent endeavours to recover
from ME/CFS began to really pay off. I was starting to see really major, positive results in my health, changes like nothing I had experienced since my second, more severe relapse. And they were all based on some very simple concepts that I had firmly come to believe made a difference in my wellbeing. Adopted in isolation, these concepts did not seem to make much of a difference, recovery-wise. But when I adopted the concepts altogether, I started to recover, radically. I was getting better.

The result of what I have learned is now available for you to
share, in the form of the new Sleepydust ME/CFS online
course, titled, 'Working Towards Better Health: A Holistic Approach To ME/CFS, Using Your Body, Mind & Soul'.

After adopting the basic concepts and ideas that are set out in the course, I am now 70-80% recovered, and getting better and better, day by day. Even my quality of life has significantly improved. It's a long process that I'm still in the midst of. But one that I am overjoyed to see is working.



Introductory Discount To Celebrate Launch!

To celebrate it's launch and give you the opportunity to try it out for yourself, Sleepydust is currently offering the new
ME/CFS online course, 'Working Towards Better Health: A Holistic Approach To ME/CFS, Using Your Body, Mind & Soul', at a special low introductory price.


To find out more about the course,
visit:

http://www.sleepydust.net/recover-from-me-cfs.html



Wishing you the very best in health


Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

http://www.sleepydust.net/recover-from-me-cfs.html

As you may or may not know, we have negotiated a cool deal for you so that you can get 5% off all purchases from ProHealth, by clicking through on our links. And right now, you can get even more money off - hurrah!

ProHealth are having a summer sale, 'Buy 1, Get 1 Free'. I'm not sure how long this promotion will last, but it seems that it's 'while stocks last', so get the bargains while you can.

To get 5% off their 'Buy One Get One Free' deal, and indeed, to get 5% off anything from ProHealth, just click through on this link:

http://www.sleepydust.net/five-percent-off-clearance-at-immunesupport

What Would YOU Ask Mickel Therapy's Founder?

We're planning to record an interview with the founder of Mickel Therapy, Dr David Mickel. For those of you who have no idea what Mickel Therapy is, it's a 'newish' therapy that has been making waves in the ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia communities. If you've already ordered the Sleepydust Online Course, don't worry, there's a whole lesson dedicated to explaining the basic concepts of Mickel Therapy.

Mickel Therapy claim that they can 'cure' ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, and indeed, I have received so many positive recovery stories from sufferers, that I felt it would merit further investigation. But it's not without its controversy! And there seems to be lots of confusion surrounding it - what is it? How does it work?...

So this is YOUR chance to ask the founder. Put forward your comments and questions and we'll pick the best questions and ask them for you on your behalf. The interview will be recorded and will be made available to everyone for free.

Send us your questions and comments for Dr Mickel, here (please make sure you state that your message is for the Dr Mickel interview):


http://www.sleepydust.net/ask.html


Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Are you worried about your Fibromyalgia diet? Have you ever heard of food combining to treat Fibromyalgia?

Lesley Martin is a qualified Nutritionist and Kinesiologist, who is experienced in treating Fibromyalgia. She has kindly given Sleepydust her permission to republish her Fibromyalgia food combining regime. In the case study on the page below, you will read about one of Lesley's clients, who she calls 'Beryl'.

According to Beryl, the biggest improvement she has experienced is the reduction in overall discomfort. She also reports that she now sleeps more deeply, has less brain fog, and has more energy. And she also says she has lost weight!

Not bad!

So what is the Fibromyalgia diet food combining treatment all about then? Find out about Fibromyalgia diet food combining treatment here...

You can also view Lesley's 'Fibromyalgia Food Combining Chart' here...

Feel free to also check out the main section on Fibromyalgia here...

All the best

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Some Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia sufferers have turned to Ayurvedic medicine for healing and treatment. But what is it all about? Have you ever heard of Ayurveda? Here's an interesting article...

(...) "an ancient Indian healing system based on the idea of balancing our three life forces.

(...) "Ayurveda is largely about prevention rather than cure, but it is commonly used to treat stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, stomach ulcers, eczema and psoriasis."

(...) Treatment varies tremendously and can include massage, yoga, meditation, essential oils and herbal medicine. It will almost certainly include dietary recommendations and exercise advice."

-- Judith Woods, New ager: Ayurveda, The Telegraph, 10/06/2006 --

To read the full article, click here!

I hope you find the article interesting!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

If you have Fibromyalgia then you might be interested in this one. It's a new DVD release called 'Fibromyalgia: Show Me Where It Hurts' and apparently people have been going mad for it.

We've arranged for you to get a 5% discount off the Fibromyalgia DVD at ImmuneSupport. All you need to do is click through on this link and you'll get 5% deducted from everything you buy from there, including the DVD, when you check out.


Click here for a 5% discount off the new Fibromyalgia : Show Me Where It Hurts DVD...

The DVD apparently includes:

# Patient Interviews & Frequently Asked Questions
# Condition Facts & Commentary
# Explanation of Causes & Symptons
# Dramatized Workings of the Central Nervous System
# Latest Research Findings from Noted Specialists
# Treatment & Lifestyle Techniques
# Patient Resources

And perhaps most importantly, considering how misunderstood this illness can be...

# Education & Understanding for Family and Friends

Click here to find out more and to qualify for a 5% discount...

I hope you find the DVD helpful!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Hi all

Well this has nothing really to do with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. But when's the last time you pampered yourself? What's more, when's the last time you pampered yourself with something gorgeous you got for free?

I've found a gorgeous little site that are giving away free bars of their handmade soaps worth £4.50 [GBP].

You can get your free handmade soap bars here...

Enjoy! :)

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Hi all

We've received a few queries about the status of the Sleepydust Forum, so I thought it might be worth reposting about it for those of you who may have missed my previous post.

The Sleepydust Forum is currently offline while we can transfer the forum over to our new web host, undertake maintenance work, give it a 'face lift', and so that Jo, our Forum Manager can take a well-earned rest. So, the forum will be offline for a while, but we'll be sure to let all forum members know once it's back online, directly via email. And we'll also post the announcement in this Sleepydust Newspaper and in the Sleepydust Emagazine.

Once again, please accept my most sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

"In the study that included 36 children averaging 16 years old diagnosed with chronic fatigue, their mothers were likely to share their symptoms, while fathers showed no connection, the study found.

(...)"Study author Elise M. van de Putte of Wilhelmina Children's Hospital in Utrecht, the Netherlands, suggested the link was the "result of an interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors."

"It may point to a gene-environment interaction in which the child not only inherits the genetic characteristics of the mother, but these maternal characteristics also function as environmental factors for the child," she wrote in the June issue of "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics."

-- Chronic fatigue traced to mothers - US study, Reuters, Mon Jun 5, 2006 12:03am --

To read the full article click here!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

"The American College of Rheumatology says there are two criteria that must be present in order to diagnose FM. One is the "presence of widespread pain for at least three months that involves the upper and lower body, the left and right side, and the axial skeleton."

(...) The second criteria the American College of Rheumatology set is the "presence of widespread tender points at 11 of 18 defined sites." The tender points that they refer to are localized painful areas in a muscle, muscle/tendon junction, fat pad or region of the bursa."

-- Testing, diagnosing for Fibromyalgia may be difficult, Jann Brewer, 06/01/2006 --

To read the complete article, click here!

I hope you find this article interesting. :-)

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia you probably don’t produce enough serotonin (sometimes known as serotonin deficiency syndrome). Find out more below...

Are You Sleeping Badly Because Your Serotonin Levels Are Too Low? :: Serotonin Deficiency Syndrome

I hope you find this page interesting!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

The depression poems section has been updated! You can check the depression poem pages out here:

Depression Poem Page #1

Depression Poem Page #2

Depression Poem Page #3

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

The depression help page has been updated. On the updated page you will find details about the following helpful (UK-based) resources:

* General Depression Help Links

* Depression & Emotional Help Support Groups

* Self-Harm Groups

* Stress & Trauma Groups

* Depression Self-Harm Help For Young People & Children

Click here: Help For Depression Sufferers

I hope you find this updated page useful.

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

If you suffer from depression, then the St Johns Wart herbal remedy (correct spelling St Johns Wort) may be helpful for easing your depression symptoms. The following page has been updated:

St Johns Wart :: Easing Your Depression The Natural Way

I hope you find it useful!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust

Depression can be a symptom of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). It can sometimes even be the cause. [More...]

Some ME/CFS sufferers are lucky enough to never suffer from depression, but many unfortunately do at some point in their illness.

The page about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Depression has been updated. You can check it out here...

Facts about depression & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...

I hope you find this page interesting!

Claire
Editor of Sleepydust