The Bathroom Finally Has A Door! (Plus, An Awesome Update On My Insomnia)
I have a very short but exciting (at least for me) bathroom update for you today. I’m still trying to get all of the trim finished in the main part of the room (it’s almost finished), but my brother came over this past weekend and helped me install the bathroom door!
It’s a 15-lite pocket door that separates the master bathroom from our home gym. I used to purchase these doors at Home Depot, and they were about $150 each. Now these doors are virtually impossible to find at a reasonable price. I ended up purchasing mine through a seller on Ebay, but I contacted the seller directly to get a price on just the door since I didn’t need a prehung door, and he sent me an invoice directly. The price, with shipping, still came to almost $700 for two 36″ x 80″ doors. That was a bit painful considering that just three years ago, these two doors would have cost me less than half of that from Home Depot.
But anyway, these are made of MDF instead of pine like my other ones, so there was no way I could install this door by myself. Once my brother got here, it literally took us less than five minutes to install. I’m so excited to have it installed because (1) now the bathroom finally feels like a separate room and not an extension of the home gym, and (2) I can finally install the rest of the trim.
These types of doors generally come with plastic covering the glass panes so that you can paint it very easily without taping off the glass. Once it’s painted, you just cut around the edges and then peel off the plastic. Since this door came primed, the plastic is covered in primer. The glass panes are clear, but I’ll want to find a way to add privacy to this door.
I still need to install a door lock, which means drilling a large hole in the door. That makes me a bit nervous. 😀
So the bathroom is totally enclosed as its own separate room now. This doorway into the home gym now has a 15-lite pocket door…
And directly opposite that door is the exterior door that goes to the back yard.
That exterior door will eventually be a doorway that leads into our new master bedroom once we build the addition onto the back of our house, and that current exterior door will be replaced with a 15-lite interior pocket door identical to the other one.
I hope to have all of the trim and the two doors finished today. Of course, when I say “trim”, I mean all of the trim minus the wainscoting. I won’t be able to install the chair rail and wainscoting until the vanities are built and they have countertops on them. I’ll be using quartz, and hopefully I can find a quartz that the local company has in stock so that they won’t take a long time. But if you’ve been wondering why I haven’t done anything to the bottom part of the walls yet, that’s why. Everything about the wainscoting hinges on the vanities, and it has to be precise, so they have to be installed and finished first.
But as for the rest of the trim, I’m hoping to get it all finished today.
In other news, I’ve slept through the night for the last three nights straight!! It’s been AMAZING! I read all of your suggestions, and then implemented a few of them, and it has worked. Here are the things I’m doing:
- Melatonin seemed to be the #1 recommendation from so many of you, so I’ve started taking two Vitafusion Melatonin Gummies about 30 minutes before bed. I chose gummies because they’re a tasty little treat that I look forward to, so I’m less likely to forget them. If I buy pills, I’ll forget to take them.
- I drink a cup of MUD\WTR about an hour before bed. I’ve seen this advertised for a while now on Facebook and YouTube, so I decided to take the plunge and try it out. I’ve grown to love it. My very first cup was underwhelming because I just mixed the powder in hot water and drank it. I was disappointed. But the starter kit comes with samples of their sweetener and creamer (neither of which I was impressed with), but I thought if they sell sweetener and creamer for their drink, then I should just prepare mine like just like a cup of coffee, with the same sweetener and heavy whipping cream I’m used to. Once I did that, I loved it! The way I prepare mine tastes similar to a spiced chai latte, but with a more subtle flavor. And it contains stuff like valerian root that are supposed to be very calming, and I really look forward to it every night now.
- So many of you recommended CBD and/or magnesium. I didn’t have either of those to take orally, but a few months back, I did purchase some magnesium cream that contains CBD for Matt to use when he has muscle aches. So I started using some of that on the bottom of my feet each night before bed, and it does seem to have a calming effect.
- I bought a weighted blanket. I bought this one on Amazon, and I absolutely love it. I’ve heard people talk about how wonderful weighted blankets are for a while now, and I was just never convinced that I needed or wanted one. But after having trouble sleeping for so long, I was desperate to try anything. And now, I absolutely love it! I don’t understand how or why it works, but having that weight on top of me is very calming and relaxing. I feel like it keeps me from tossing and turning and fidgeting in my sleep, which helps me to sleep deeper with fewer interruptions to my sleep.
So those four things seems to be the magical combo for me. I mean, I’ve had three whole nights of sleep in a row, and have been awakened by my alarm clock each morning. Actually, I don’t set an alarm for Saturday mornings, and I think I slept until 7:30 on Saturday morning. That’s a whole 40 minutes past when my alarm goes off during the week. It’s been pretty amazing!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I’m not sure what that is on the glass on the door. Is that temporary and you will remove it later? Glad you are getting some sleep.
Sorry. I should have explained. These doors always come with the glass covered in plastic. That way you can paint the door very easily without having to tape off the glass panes, and then once it’s painted, you just cut around the edges and peel the plastic off. This door came primed, so that’s just primer on the plastic.
That makes sense! I thought it was pretty funky. I think you said you’d frost the glass for privacy and I didn’t know if that is what it was.
Just be careful with the Melatonin. TMI, but it gave me horrible diarrhea.
It gave me headaches and nightmares. I switched to Holy Basil/Tulsi and love it!
It gave me full body tremors. Since I already take med for hand tremors it was a no go.
A caveat about melatonin. Too much (meaning too high a dose) can cause vivid dreams. I try and start with the lowest effective dose which for me is 3mg. Also, there is a window between taking it and falling asleep. I have found if I take it and get distracted and don’t go to bed/fall asleep right away I lose the drowsy and may have to take more which may then not be as effective. But so-glad it is working for you and you are resting well.
The weighted blanket really works for some…it just calms the nervous system. Occupational Therapists used weighted vests for some of my students over the years in the classroom that had ADHD issues. They loved wearing them and how it made them feel.
Be careful of the Vroot (my kindle fire will not let me type the correct word) on night 3 of taking it I woke to find my kitchen in a mess. I had the blender out with every spice bottle in the pantry empty I had blended every thing together. It tasted terrible and was expense to replace. Evidently I dreamed walked, I tossed the bottle away that morning. As for the weights blanket…. When I was younger below 50 I loved heavy blankets and comfronters. It felt like a whole body hug. But trust me when you start having night sweats from menopause, you don’t want anything heavy on you. A light linen sheet is all I can stand.
I still get hot at night and have not tried a weighted blanket for that reason. Are they really warm? What weight would you recommend for a 5’3” 145 lb woman?
It’s really a personal preference, I think. But if you’ve never used one before, they say to go with 10% of your body weight, plus a few pounds. So a 15-pound blanket would be a good start for you. I was worried that I’d get too warm underneath it, but I sleep with two fans (ceiling fan and tower floor fan), and I find that it’s actually very nice. I’ve always used a thin down comforter (not a really thick one, but moderately fluffy), and found that I was getting too hot under it during the night. But the weighted blanked has kept me much more regulated (for lack of a better word) throughout the night. I haven’t gotten hot during the night since I’ve been using it.
Oh, please reconsider – or at least research! – the use of melatonin. Start by googling the Huberman lab podcast and melatonin. It does wacky things, not the least of which is messing with the effectiveness of birth control pills. Want an unexpected pregnancy? There are many, better options for insomnia. (The Huberman lab also has a whole podcast on this as well.) There are many YouTube options. Self- hypnosis, binaural beats, singing bowls. I use the Pzizz app. Please consider some of these before you self- medicate.
I’ve been taking melatonin for the past several years and have had no issues with it. Everyones body is different.
I’m wondering do you really need a lock on the door between the gym and bathroom? Given this is your private area of the house I’d think visitors would only use the hall bathroom. With just you and Matt at home wouldn’t the door being closed let the other person know the bathroom is occupied? Just thinking a pretty pull handle on the door would be easier than drilling for a knob/lock.
Actually, you’re right! There’s really no need for a lock on this bathroom door.
As I was reading I was thinking the exact same thing!!!! You don’t need a lock.
I had the same thought and was going to post the same thing. Great minds think alike. 😋
exactly my question. there is the hall bath for guests, so why lock this one? it’s all so pretty and impressive!
Super for you.
FYI Calm makes a gummy that is magnesium AND melatonin if you want to try that out.
Ancient Minerals makes a fabulous magnesium gel for aching muscles. Mg supports getting lactic acid out of muscle, amazing relief.
Getting good ZZZZs makes all the difference.
Great news on the progress on both. But just wondered why you needed a lock on your pocket door? If it is just you and Matt using the gym and the bathroom, do you really need it?
I guess I really don’t need a lock. It’s just an automatic thing to put a lock on bathroom doors, but no, we don’t really need one.
Well, the doors and the installation is good news… But that sleep is awesome news! So happy for you…
I’m so glad you got the door sitch under control, Kristi! Glad too that you got some help with your insomnia. Inadequate sleep will do a very bad number on you. I use melatonin gummies, too. Since too much has the oppo effect on me, I use only 1/3 of a 3 mg. gummy -let it dissolve under your tongue (or in your jaw like a hard candy) for more usable absorption. Melatonin pills do nothing for me.
Can you give the name of the magnesium/CBD cream? My husband sprays with magnesium oil daily to help control his blood pressure (transdermal is the best way for magnesium…zero undesirable side effects, and the body can actually USE it), and I think he would be much happier with the cream. I would too, because the spray settles on stuff and makes a bit of a mess.
The brand of the cream we bought is Function Botanicals. It says Full Spectrum Hemp CBD & Magnesium Cream, 500mg. Matt loves it. He often has pain in his feet, and it makes his pain go away pretty quickly. It has an interesting scent to it, but I don’t find it offensive at all. It’s kind of a mint smell with some other scents mixed in, but it’s all natural.
Oh that sounds pretty wonderful. I’m off to find it. Thank you, Kristi!
So glad your sleep issues are turning around. It makes such a difference on your day! I struggle too, and the melatonin has helped for a long time, with no side effects. The bathroom is looking great. It is exciting to keep up with your progress. I SO love that
color on the upper walls. Was that handmade by you or a color we could purchase?
It’s a color that I mixed myself. I need to get some paint swatches from Home Depot and find one that closely matches so that people can have a jumping off point, because several people have asked for the color. I’ll try to remember to do that on my next trip to Home Depot.
Love the door! Glad your brother was able to come and help you with it! I can imagine how heavy it is! Funny you mentioned the weighted blanket, I asked for one a few Christmases ago and loved it….until spring time. I just got too hot trying to sleep with it. So I packed it up and haven’t taken it out since! I have a quilted throw on my bed for decoration, and I found that it is enough weight on top of my comforter to give me the same feeling without the weight! And if I get warm, it’s easy to just toss aside.
What if you lightly brush the panes with glue then gold leaf them for a disused golden look.