Trouble Sleeping

[SnowDrifter]

Anyone else have trouble sleeping? I can't seem to get to sleep and stay asleep. But the in the mornings, I end up staying alseep, have tons of dreams, and can't seem to wake up. And when I say can't wake up, I mean I'll get up to go to the bathroom or something at 5:00 in the morning and fall back asleep on the way to the toilet.

[bebe127]

SnowDrifter,

Sorry you are having to deal with this. I know it can be such and pain, not to mention frustrating and sleep is so important for everyone.

I too have difficulty sleeping. I do take rather long naps in the afternoon, and I'm sure that doesn't help me in the evening when it's time for bed. When I take naps though, it seems that this is the only time that I get about 3 hours of continual sleep. I usually fall asleep and wake in exactly the same position. I have vivid dreams as well, during my naps and usually in the early morning hours it seems. The only difference with me is that I don't have trouble waking and getting up in the morning. I'm usually up around 7:30am although this daylight savings Monday bites

In the evenings I go into bed, but can't fall asleep and end up watching Netflix until all hours (the extra stimulation probably doesn't help either). Even when I do fall asleep, I toss and turn, waking of course with each turn. I also have night sweats frequently.

Sorry, I don't have any answers except to say that in the past, excersise seemed to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. I've just been too lazy to start up my exercise routine as of late. My husband excercises routinely and about two minutes after his head hits the pillow, he is snoring (sometimes, I just want to kick him )

Hope you get some rest soon!

[Mydoggielovesme2]

SnowDrifter, just wondering what your BP is like? On the mornings when I can't wake up its usually because BP is sooooo low.

[Batik]

A lot of people sleep poorly because they are getting too much light in the evenings, and it's suppressing natural melatonin production. Humans evolved outdoors, after all, not with domestic lighting and computer screens. It's the blue frequency of light which has this particular effect, so there's a technique called darkness therapy whereby you wear orange-tinted glasses which cut out the blue light for a few hours before bedtime, it fools your body into thinking you're in the dark, and you get nice strong melatonin production. It works a treat for me, and before that I had quite serious sleep pattern disorders. Google darkness therapy, it should come up.

Although it doesn't mean my sleep's perfect! Right now I'm sleeping a lot more than usual, anything from 11 to 14 hours, and having to go to the toilet at night a lot more too, together with some charming nightmares. No idea what that's about, but hopefully it'll settle down.

[looneymom]

My son is having the same problem. It got worse after having the flu. He has been put on trazodone and amitriptyline. He will fall asleep but wakes up 4 or 5 times at night. When I check on him throughout the night, he is always in a different position. I have also found him sitting up in bed sound asleep and snoring. Our neurologist is trying to get a sleep study set up. Sometimes he will wake up on his own and other times I have to wake him up in the morning. It would be a good ideal to check your blood pressure. Our neurologist and cardiologist is wanting to see his blood pressure after he wakes up. Sometimes its low and sometimes high. Have you tried taking a bath with epson salt or a sleepy time tea? I've tried both of these and neither one helped my son. Glad you posted this. Maybe someone else will have some answers. Hope you start sleeping better soon.

[ukwildcat]

I have no answers for you but you are not alone with this problem. I also have trouble sleeping at night and I exercise everyday. I am awake till 3 or 4 in the morning. Then after I fall asleep, I wake many times and don't have continuous sleep. I have been having horrible dreams and even when I wake up it feels like my adrenaline is pumping even for hours after I wake. I also get night sweats and chest hurts, it feels like someone is squeezing my heart. I cant sleep late either. I go to sleep at 4 and I am lucky usually if I sleep till 8:30 waking up many times. I try not to take naps because I want to sleep good at night but this doesn't work. Therefore, I just go without good sleep, even though I am so tired. It seems like this problem comes and goes but lasts for months once it starts. This time it has lasted for 6 months so far. Sorry I don't have answers for you but sometimes helps that you are not alone with this problem. I hope you start sleeping better and feeling better. Hopefully, someone out there has answers for you.

[badhbt]

I had the same problem and I couldn't take it anymore so I am on Ambien CR. It works for me. I went through a bunch of different ones before I found that one. I use to be a good sleeper before this, but I would wake up at the same time every night and was only getiing 3-4 hours of sleep. Hope you find relief!

[Katybug]

SnowDrifter,

It might be a good time to think about having both daytime and nighttime sleep studies. It is not normal (no matter how tired) to fall asleep while walking. There is a reflex (I can't remember the correct medical name for it right now) that is supposed to prevent this from happening. It's absence, when you are walking to your bathroom, may be indicative of a sleep disorder. The only way to find out for sure are sleep studies. Hope you rest easier soon.

[lynnie22]

Hi Snowdrifter,

I agree with Katybug re a sleep study. Falling asleep while walking means pretty severe sleep deprivation, or some other problem. I know, sleep apnea can be one cause.

As far as sleeplessness goes, I too have a long history of problems falling asleep. I also watch movies until the middle of the night, and more recently, I get out of bed when I can't fall asleep. I find that leaving my bed and going into another room for an hour helps me get to sleep. I also listen to music to help me get sleepy and try to make my bedroom a dark place with little entertainment.

I also take meds for sleep, but I must say, as of late, sleeping has become a real problem. I hear it's common with our problems, although sleep is also essential.

It is also true that bp, if low in the AM, can make it really hard to get up. That is sometimes my problem.

Edited March 12, 2013 by potsgirl
medical advice

[azmusiclover]

I have cycles of sleeping issues. I raised the head of my bed and it has made a huge difference for me. I was skeptical, but I feel a little more rested each day and I can get up easier in the mornings. I wake less frequently. I still have a hard time getting to sleep most nights, but I think it's because my clock is wired differently! Even as a child I had a hard time sleeping before midnight.

[blueskies]

You have probably looked at your meds. Unknowingly one of my meds was disturbing my sleep. I was waking up every hour or two and fighting to get back to sleep. Then I stopped an H1 antihistamine (cyproheptadine) and have discovered that although it was putting me to sleep every night I had developed a reaction that meant after an hour or two I'd wake up and continuously wake through the night. I stayed away from tv and off the computer and when I could I read or listened to classical radio very lightly. Sometimes I would fall back asleep very quickly. Sometimes it took a lot longer. And quite often, by 3am I was 'up' for the day -- no way I was going to get back to sleep. I had no idea I was reacting to the older generation antihistamine. I had previously reacted, in much the same way but much more strongly to another H1 antihistamine (Phenergan). I've been given that when in hospital for allergic reactions and it will almost knock me out for the first hour or two and then I'd flip over to being overstimulated and anxious. I did not realize the cyproheptadine aka periactin in Australia was having a similar although somewhat less dramatic reaction. It was when I ran out of the stuff for a week that, after a few days where it seemed to wash out of my body, I discovered I was sleeping so much better. Not solidly but much better than I was. So, my sleep is much improved, although not completely. But I am dealing with hives. Not too bad at the moment but I'll try zyrtec for them if they get too much for me. Being second generation antihistamine I'm hoping it will be as effective without the crazy sleep effect (or non sleep effect).

[tinkerbella]

I've had several 24 hour BP cuffs to let the doc know that my BP is dropping too low in the night. When it does I wake heart bounding usually hungry. I used to get out of bed and get into trouble. I now keep salt drinks and food by my bed. Even though I'm on an iv I still drop low. My BP is very plastic. Once stable, I use an app to meditadiate and put me right back to sleep again.

It's a free silva mind app. It has a tapping beat in short one I use that puts me right to sleep. I also use calcium and drink water when I wake. I feel like it lulls me back to sleep also.

Sweet Dreams Everyone ~

[SnowDrifter]

Pulse when I'm sleeping, on the 24 hour halter is 42bpm. When I take it myself if I'm getting up during the night, It's in the low 60s. But my blood pressure is 8X/4X.

Hmm....

[Mydoggielovesme2]

My guess is your body is fighting with it self because low BP and Heart rate. I'm sure our brains must realize there is a problem. Have you raised the head of your bed? Are you salt/hydrating before sleep? It's a pain to get up to go to the bathroom, but worth it to get better sleep, if even for a few hrs.