Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: countrybumpkin on October 09, 2015, 05:26:44 PM
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I have never been a good sleeper, I wake up every few hours and for as long as I can remember I have episodes sometimes only once a year or sometimes on and off for months where I just can't fall asleep and can be awake all night. I am not sure which comes first, anxiety making me so wound up I can't fall asleep or for some other reason I am awake and then being awake causes me extreme anxiety.
If my husband can't sleep which is rare, he just reads or watches telly but he never worries about it as he says he will sleep when he is exhausted.
I get into massive panic convinced I will never ever sleep again which is worst thing I can do.
I have been sleeping as normal for past 8 months but suddenly a few nights ago I was wide awake. If I take a sleeping pill then I will sleep but I am only allowed 14 of them. So I then panic that they won't let me have any more and then what will I do.
I have had to take sleeping pill last 3 nights as I have been wide awake at 2am and then not gone to sleep till 3 and awake again at 7. I am now at the dreading nightime stage.
So wondered if anyone else on her has insomnia and how they deal with it ( short of a padded cell!)
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Ooh it's so awful isn't it !
I swear I had a spell of 6months with next to nothing sleep and I know people didn't believe me ! >:(
After Dr giving me sleeping tablets,14 at a time ,and being told well you can't keep having them,it's easy for them to say they obviously don't understand how distressing insomnia is and debilitating. Like you I used to be frightened of going to bed ! So I think the anxiety and panic attacks started after the insomnia but then it merges into one doesn't it. Now have a solution for me an AD that helps anxiety and insomnia. But do know exactly how you feel. Hope you find a solution for you too soon.
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I have had problems in getting to sleep for the last few years. Recently, I have been getting some unabridged audio mp3 type recordings of novels from the library, which I listen to with ear phones if I can't sleep. I get involved in the story, which stops me thinking! I have to make a note of which chapter I've got to, as I drift off to sleep. It's made a lot of difference. Oh and I have proof that I do sleep. I do get through batteries!
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I go through periods when I can't sleep. I hate it but have never taken sleeping pills.
When I can't sleep, I just tell my self I'm resting and actively stop trying. I either just lie and relax or read my kindle which doesn't disturb hubby. I also use a wave sleep app. It's the sound of waves breaking on the shore.
The more you panic and focus on the fact you haven't dropped off the worse it gets.
Try to just accept the fact sometimes sleep is longer in coming. In fact I keep my eyes open. It's amazing how quickly they droop if you try not to let that happen.
Your body will sleep eventually it might just take a while.
Have you looked at relaxation techniques. Might be an idea to practice them in bed.
Honeybun
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I know I keep mentioning 5HTP on here the herbal remedy for anxiety and depression. I'm awaiting delivery of mine at the moment, but reviews are excellent for sleep too. Check out Holland & Barrett website.
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Let us know how you go with that orchid.
Have you researched the side effects ?
Honeybun
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I have Honeybun they can cause a bit GI upset, (that would be me guaranteed with my stomach) so for all I have the tablets I have ordered the patches for this reason. I've been hanging on to use them, waiting to get the Mirtrazepine AD out of my system. Any side effects can't be anything as bad as what I've suffered with AD's though!
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It's just I have been reading about them so I'm really interested on how it goes.
Let us know.
Honeybun
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I had years waking in the night and worrying that lack of sleep would make the following day difficult. It didn't. I coped. I worked in a very busy NHS Dept. where it was Full On! One night I thought "Oh another not sleeping night, so what" and from then on, slept OK ::). I do get nights when I drop off immediately, then wake and stay awake for hours: I get up, make a cuppa, get my Nintendo …… or lay making plans …… I no longer worry as I know I will 'catch up' eventually. Sometimes that means having a sleep on the settee in the evening or in the camper after lunch ;)
For years I had the radio by the bed tuned into Radio2 ……….
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Huge thanks everyone, just knowing I am not the only person awake at 3am helps alot.
A couple of years ago in one of my episodes my GP gave me mitrazapine to try, it really sedated me for 48 hrs but oh boy the side effects. I had constant severe heartburn, I put on 7lbs in a week even though I was eating less and after 2 days of being sedated that effect went and I got severe restless legs as soon as I went to bed. I had to give up after a week.
I have a feeling that all AD's will give me really bad heartburn as I have hiatus hernia.
I agree that once your mindset is saying " so what if I don't sleep" then this tends to be the end of the insomnia for me and I go back to my normal which just proves how much its all in the mind.
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Can anyone tell me why I can drop off at the drop of a hat in the chair in the evening.....then I start to get ready for my comfy cosy bed.....and then I can't get to sleep.
Makes absolutely no sense to me...except there is no expectation of sleep in the evening so perhaps it's easier.
Maybe I should just sit in a chair ;D
Honeybun
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Just spent the last five minutes walking up and down the garden trying to waken up. Now I've got a headache as I need to sleep but it's too early. If I go to bed at this time I will be awake in the early hours. Off for another walk to clear my head. ::)
Honeybun
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You are over-thinking the not sleeping ;)
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Woe is me! I have had one good night sleep on Friday night and thought thats it I am back to normal and then was twiddling my thumbs at silly oclock this morning. I decided to take one of the 6 sleeping pills I have for emergencies and zonked out for 5 hrs but felt worse this morning than on the nights where I had only had an hours sleep ::)
I know its all in my head and if I can just get my mindset altered to don't care it will go away.
Have read a good book about it which says long term insomnia is caused by a fear of not sleeping and is all in the mind - very true!
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Oh boy somebody shoot me please ??? I have got into a right old state. If I don't fall asleep within 30 mins I am having major panic/anxiety and then crying for about 2 hrs with rushing to loo because the anxiety always affects my bowels ::) I then am either taking a sleeping pill or over the counter nytol and getting about 4 hrs sleep.
My husband is being wonderful but I feel awful he has to put up with me.
I have made appt with Dr for Wed and our health authority has a one step self referrel for mental health so have taken the plunge and made phone appt with them. Doubt there will be much on offer but it worth asking.
For some reason not being able to fall asleep has always triggered severe anxiety in me and i have had bad times with it in the past but not for at least 2 years .
I am wondering if this is a reaction to all the bad health news I am having with many friends having cancer diagnosises in the past month or so. I have another friend who is waiting for a PET scan for cancer at the moment.
Then I feel even more guilty that I am having anxiety meltdowns over not being able to fall asleep when my friends are dealing with such huge things. grrrr
Just wanted to talk to people who I feel understand maybe?
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Anxiety is NEVER over nowt >:( ::) - you have answered your own question, if you have friends with health issues it will be on your mind, whether or not you are able to be supportive.
Worrying about not sleeping fulfils it's prophecy ::) - have you done relaxation i.e. tensing/relaxing muscles from toes upwards ?
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I have done everything short of hanging from the ceiling like a bat!
I can go to bed all calm (obvioulsy underneath I am not) but if I don't fall asleep in 30 mins then I get the horrid rush of panic and the self fulfilling prophesy as you say.
I never know what comes first, whether undelying anxiety over something gives me the one sleepless night and then my panic keeps it going or if its just not being able to sleep that triggers the panic. Chicken and Egg and probably doesn't matter anyway
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Hello countrybumpkin.
It's amazing how quickly we lose our confidence at this time in our lives isn't it. I know when I am going through a jittery phase I can make a life threatening problem out of just about anything!
Years ago I read a book about sleep which was written by an eminent scientist and it may interest you to know that we are unable to deprive ourselves of sleep, the brain will just not have it. As long as no-one is actively preventing us from sleeping or continually waking us up, we will always have enough to function. It is even possible to sleep standing up. I accept this is probably small comfort to you but at least you don't have to worry about doing yourself any harm.
I wish you well countrybumpkin, I know what it is to develop irrational worries and you have my sympathy.
Take care.
K.
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Some 'experts' tell us that we can't 'catch up' on sleep lost, however, I am able to ;D :P. When my brain says sleep, then sleep I will. Have you tried sitting up half an hour later than usual?
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I can just picture a line of us all hanging upside down like bats ;D
I have stayed up until I am cross eyed with tiredness but if I don't fall asleep in about half hour then all tiredness goes out of the window no matter how lovely my tempur cloud mattress is!
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What's worrying you?
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Have you tried sleep sound apps to listen too. Lavender oil in the room or on a tissue in your pillowcase.
When I really have problems I just give up trying because it makes it worse. I get up and have a cup of warm milk and honey and read for a little while. I then go back to bed to rest and not to sleep. I actively try and keep my eyes open. Normally after a while I drop off.
If you just accept it the way it is for the moment then it will pass.
It's not just something that affects our age group. My daughter has problems too and she is 20. She says her mind won't turn off and she is writing her dissertation in her head every night at the moment.
No easy answer I'm afraid, but I would suggest just simply stop trying to sleep and see what happens if you are just resting.
Honeybun
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3 years of it. Numerous visits to GP who didnt give a rats ass >:( I turned into a wreck I did not recognise, this was my first symptom of perimeno but I only found that out a few months back.
Took many supplements to try help this, stopped caffine, changed diet... I drink yogi 'bedtime' tea which helps. But the thing that helped me the most was my acupuncture, I sleep as I used to now with the extra bits on the sofa in the evening ::)
(traditionally trained acupuncture not nhs)
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Thanks everyone. It was suggested to me that I try counting backwards from 1000 as this had worked for them so last night I tried it and slept like I normally do, whether this was purely due to exhaustion I don't know but when I woke in the night as I always do I did the counting again and soon went back to sleep.
Time will tell if this trick helped or not.
I didn't know acupuncture could be used. I have this for my spinal problems via a chiropractor. My sleep has def got worse now I am post meno, I wake up alot more but that may also be due to pain and numbness from my spinal issues plus mild carpel tunnel.
As for whats worrying me - As the saying goes I am not happy unless I am worrying and if I don't worry I then worry that I need to worry. I have a long time fear of being left alone due to childhood trauma and I think that anything happening in and around my life that brings up this fear tends to trigger the intense anxiety.
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I dread anything happening to DH :'( ……… I like my own company; however.
I was reminded yesterday of the story: "Alive" : anyone read it? Puts my daily problems (apart from the phobia) into perspective.
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Oh buttocks for want of a better word! Thought after my one normal nights sleep that I was on the mend but oh no - twiddling my thumbs until 3am and then only slept because I took a nytol tablet. I am so angry with myself which of course is not helping.
Drs appt today plus phone call from mental health person - what fun!
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good luck with appointments.
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My usual Dr who I thought would be unsympathetic was wondeful. When I explained my panic reaction to not being able to fall asleep he said " you and me both" which rather surprised me. He also said not to feel guilty about how I am reacting as I am not doing it on purpose and can't help it. He also said that my reaction is very common but no one other than at the Drs talkes about it.
He has given me 14 days of temazepam and suggested that I take one for a few nights then start cutting them in half etc and see if this will get me back. If not then he said he would scratch his head and see what else I could try. I can't take beta blockers as I had bad asthma as a child and anti depressants give me severe heartburn and weight gain but you never know there may be something else and hopefully I will start to improve.
I keep telling myself I have been here many times before and every other time it has got better eventually.
I also had phone call from mental health person and she is putting my name on the cbt list.
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Can anyone tell me why I can drop off at the drop of a hat in the chair in the evening.....then I start to get ready for my comfy cosy bed.....and then I can't get to sleep.
Makes absolutely no sense to me...except there is no expectation of sleep in the evening so perhaps it's easier.
Maybe I should just sit in a chair ;D
Honeybun
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Ooh me too! I can be almost comatose with sleep on the sofa and unable to rouse myself- limbs like lead and eyes just wont stay open. And I have to say its a lovely feeling. Yet I never ever feel that way once I've gone to bed.
Ariadne xx
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So sleep in the chair, have a blanket to pull over you ……..
You may find you are 'hung over' with the sleeping pill …….. I took 1 for 3 nights at 8.00 then stopped. After a few good night's sleep, I accepted that some nights I wouldn't sleep but that I had the sleeping pills if necessary. I did take a few more on a once a week basis. Found the box recently in the Safe dated 1999 :o ::)