Anxious Yorkie-Poo’s Sleep Restored

Himalayan salt-rock lamps are amazing. We own several and we love them. They give an amber- peachy-orangy glow to any room. Once warmed up, a lamp purifies the air and puts out negative ions that give you a sense of relaxation. Like the negative ions the ocean puts out, one reason why it feels so good to be at the beach. According to what I have read, Himalayan salt’s healing minerals also help with lung and bronchial conditions, asthma, allergies and other maladies. Really. No hocus-pocus stuff. It’s effective in that scientific sort of way.

A friend didn’t believe my rock salt lamp was really salt. “Can I lick it?”

“Sure, go for it.” I said.

She stuck the tip of her tongue on the rock. “Yep, that’s salt!” She said quickly withdrawing her tongue.

After reading about its relaxing affects I bought a twenty-five pounder and set it near the bed in my bedroom. My husband and I both immediately experienced and continue to have the deepest and most satisfying sleep. We keep the lamp on all the time. It uses a low wattage bulb. I cover it with a square of black gauze at night to dim it’s brightness. It gives the room a wonderful ambiance.

Little Sofi

The true salt lamp affect test came when we adopted a four year old Yorkie-poo. First thing I did besides bathe her, was to change her name from Tinker-bell (Tink for short) to a more dignified name. Sofi. Then I changed her hairstyle. Her previous owner kept her hair extremely short all over her face and body, but allowed a 3 inch “skirt” of hair to grow around her body from her legs down. I think this may be the classic Yorkie-Poo style. I prefer the teddy-bear-shaggy style so I got rid of her “skirt” and let her hair grow naturally, trimming it periodically.

Sofi spent most of her life in an environment that was not lap-dog-friendly. She was confined during long working hours in a space the size of a small bathroom with four dogs, a boxer, 2 larger poodles and another Yorkie-Poo. When we got her, she was very timid and so thin you could feel every bone in her vertebrae. I was afraid I would break her when I picked her up. Sofi is now a healthy and happy little dog though she’s still cautious of strangers.

She was very nervous and easily agitated at first. Growling at anyone going near her. Even after we had her for months she had problems sleeping. She’d wake up stressed several times during the night. After one more night of interrupted sleep, I bought a smaller salt rock lamp, covered it with another black piece of gauze and placed it next to Sofi’s bed. Sofi is frightened of many things. She was afraid of my ipad when I took this picture. So at first, she was afraid of the lamp, but within minutes she accepted it. We got that lamp about eight months ago. Sofi has slept soundly through the night ever since.

By ~ Elizabeth Yalian  ©2013