Insomnia!!

[DJD]

I worked a 12 hour day yesterday. Well rode in a van for 4 hours and worked the other 8. That 12 hr day, 4 nights of broken sleep, a hot shower and just being flat wornout made me sleep like a baby last night. I don't think I moved once my head hit the pillow at 10pm till 5 this morning. Man that felt great!! Gonna try and read tonight and see if that gets me another good nights sleep!!

[DJD]

DJ,

1. Do you snore.....possible sleep apnea, DR check?
2. Diet....when do you eat at night, eat at the wrong time and just as those nutrients hit the metabolism you are trying to shut down to sleep.
3. When ya wake up at 3 am, move to another room, maybe a nice comfy sofa and try again.
4. Lay flat on you back, delifberately try to keep you eyes open but look up as far as you can. Slow breathe in, hold, slow out. Keep the eyes open and straining to look up. Eye weariness will put you out quicker than anything (Save Maker's Mark). Example, driving at 3 pm on a very bright day.
5. Check sources of caffeine....Cokes, coffee, some chocolates.

Seriously, best course of action is see a DR. Home remedies may mask a problem that could otherwise be resolved for the longterm.

I don't snore much if at all (thats what I been told) but I wheeze when allergies are kicking my butt. I know I need a sleep study according to my healthcare friends.

[waterdog101]

after reading some of geos[and a few others] I can't sleep, I wonder how a so called "sound " individual can go off like that sometimes. And then I'm afraid to go back to sleep! What if theres one of them living next door?So I get on the puter and ruin someone's else's day

hey man, your alright in my book!

[HURRICANEBOB]

I worked a 12 hour day yesterday. Well rode in a van for 4 hours and worked the other 8. That 12 hr day, 4 nights of broken sleep, a hot shower and just being flat wornout made me sleep like a baby last night. I don't think I moved once my head hit the pillow at 10pm till 5 this morning. Man that felt great!! Gonna try and read tonight and see if that gets me another good nights sleep!!

Good for you. We agree exertion plus the relaxation of a hot shower is a winning formula. In support of that, and solely to make life better for you, and in support of your increased relaxation, I'll allow you to do my chores around the house. Tree trimming, post hole digging, shed painting, clear leaves from gutters, stain rear deck, rake and pile up the leaves for pickup, etc. I know if I don't do these things I'll probably not sleep as well, but for a friend, I'll risk it. :-) And the good news is you don't have to pay me for thise therapy.

[RoadToad]

I don't snore much if at all (thats what I been told) but I wheeze when allergies are kicking my butt. I know I need a sleep study according to my healthcare friends.

Yup, the sleep study is probably the best thing you could do. I had no clue I had sleep apnea until I had a seizure and then had a sleep study (turned out the two weren't related). And I never realized just how bad my sleep pattern was until I got on CPAP and started sleeping well! BUT, sleep apnea doesn't keep you from going to sleep; it just makes you not get restful sleep once you're asleep. As you're going down into deep sleep and your airway occludes, you waken, not fully, but enough that you take a deep breath, then go back to sleep, then your airway occludes again, etc. You never get to REM sleep. I'm not saying, of course, that you don't have sleep apnea, it just sounds like there's something else at work that keeps you from going to sleep to begin with. Still something that a doctor may well be able to help with.

As far as meds, my neurologist gave me baclofen, and it works like a charm. It's a muscle relaxer, and he gave it to me to help prevent my migraines, and to help me sleep. He prescribed it when I told him about how the strap from my CPAP mask going across the back of my neck was causing me some neck pain, leading to headaches. Fortunately for me, he is on CPAP himself, and understood, and told me he takes baclofen himself for that very reason. It comes in 25mg pills, and I can take 1-4 a night. I generally take 2 and it does the trick. It's also known to be a mood stabilizer.

[DJD]

Yup, the sleep study is probably the best thing you could do. I had no clue I had sleep apnea until I had a seizure and then had a sleep study (turned out the two weren't related). And I never realized just how bad my sleep pattern was until I got on CPAP and started sleeping well! BUT, sleep apnea doesn't keep you from going to sleep; it just makes you not get restful sleep once you're asleep. As you're going down into deep sleep and your airway occludes, you waken, not fully, but enough that you take a deep breath, then go back to sleep, then your airway occludes again, etc. You never get to REM sleep. I'm not saying, of course, that you don't have sleep apnea, it just sounds like there's something else at work that keeps you from going to sleep to begin with. Still something that a doctor may well be able to help with.

As far as meds, my neurologist gave me baclofen, and it works like a charm. It's a muscle relaxer, and he gave it to me to help prevent my migraines, and to help me sleep. He prescribed it when I told him about how the strap from my CPAP mask going across the back of my neck was causing me some neck pain, leading to headaches. Fortunately for me, he is on CPAP himself, and understood, and told me he takes baclofen himself for that very reason. It comes in 25mg pills, and I can take 1-4 a night. I generally take 2 and it does the trick. It's also known to be a mood stabilizer.

Thank you. Very informative!