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[kerrieann]

hi all i wonder i  could get an honest opion from some of you please, iam having real trouble sleeping surviving on around 4 hours a night and its making me feel awful    i have tried small dose of amitiptyline didnt work but felt rotten the next day, i have tried kalms nightime, they didnt work and some people have suggested having a drink at night, well i dont drink,anymore havent for years, not because i dont like it but couldnt cope with the headaches it gave me, so what i was wondering was is it worth me trying a glass of something before bed ? would it stop the waking every hour ?  opinions if anyone has any  thanks  kerrie

[SueRoe]

Alcohol is said to help you go to sleep because it's a relaxant but it disrupts your sleep later in the night so overall you lose out (also it seems to make some people, me included, pee more so they're up going to the loo more than usual). I often have a glass of red wine with my evening meal but have noticed that if I don't match the quantity of wine with the same or more of water then I definitely get a headache the next day.

[kerrieann]

thanks freda, thats a point i do need to wee in the night, so yes it could make it worse 

[Taz2]

The quality of sleep after alcohol isn't good as freda says although it can make getting off to sleep easier. What is the main problem you have re sleeping? Is it that you can't get to sleep or that you wake up and then can't get back to sleep?

Taz x

[kerrieann]

i can usually go straight off but then wake every hour to hour and half, then from around 6 my stomach starts churning with anxiety for no reason and i cant go back to sleep 

[honeybun]

I don't think alcohol would help much and could make you feel awful the next day especially if you are not used to it.
I'm sure you have tried all the usual stuff....warm milk and honey before bed. Some people say a lettuce sandwich is also good although I have not tried that myself. A warm bath.
Have you spoken to your GP. He might be willing to give you some sleeping tablets to help you get back into a better sleeping pattern.
Valerian drops can also help.

I hope you get it sorted soon. It was/is one of my worse meno symptoms.

Honeybun
X

[Taz2]

I wake every forty five minutes or so just enough to know I'm awake, look at the time (don't know why I do this but sometimes the night seems to go on forever!) and go back to sleep. This has happened for years even when on HRT. I just assumed it's my sleeping pattern but I can see that if you're used to sleeping the whole night through - something that I can only remember happening three times - then waking up a lot must be difficult.

Taz x

[kerrieann]

gp did very reluctantly give me 2 weeks sleeping pills, but iam scared to take them as i think if they work, then i stop them i wont sleep again, he said only 2 weeks thats all,  i feel so low and anxious 

[Taz2]

Are you anxious because you feel you are not sleeping enough? That may sound a daft question but it is easy to begin worrying that not sleeping enough is impacting on your health and then you get more anxious etc etc.

There is an article here about sleep and women which I found interesting - not sure if it will help or not but at least you will know that you are not alone! http://sleepcenter.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=64

Taz x

[SueRoe]

The churning tummy feeling can be hunger as low blood sugar does funny things to your stress hormones making you feel jittery/anxious for no reason. You could try having some milk or a cracker or something (try to avoid sweet things), when you're awake a little before your 6am waking, it might prevent the churning from starting and allow you to go back to sleep.

[kerrieann]

i have no idea why iam so anxious, starts roughly same time waking me and i have to go straight to the loo, no 2, then the anxiety is there most of the day  has anyone got thoughts on Amitriptyline 'took a few doses at night, some nights it helped a little others it didnt so i gave up, but iam not sure if its one of these meds you have to take for a while or if it just works each night ?

[honeybun]

I would give the sleeping tablets a go for a few days. My sister is the worlds worse sleeper and when she reaches the end of her tether and is completely exhausted she pinches a couple of my mothers mild sleeping tablets and then is so much better for quite a while.


Honeybun
X

[Taz2]

I found that amitryp took around three weeks to properly even out and give me better sleep and then I could take it without feeling so sleepy in the morning that it was difficult to get up to go to work. What dose have you been given?

 Did you have a look at the link I posted - it does mention that anxiety is also part of the whole light sleep problem.

Taz x

[kerrieann]

honeybun, when you say low dose of sleeping pills do you know what they are and what dose ?

[kerrieann]

taz2 yes i have been reading the link thanks its helpful, i have been given 10 mg but took half and it still made me feel awful the next day