Can anyone help?

elaineee7

elaineee7

Cathlete
I love reading the topics on these forums because you girls are sooo good. When anyone has a question, you are right there with an answer. I hope someone can give me some advice.

I have recently been having a bout with insomnia. I know it is partly due to the change of life thing with the hot flashes and night sweats, but there are some nights where I'm up all night!!! Last night, for example, I went to bed around 11:00 and woke up at 12:30. Been up ever since and not a night sweat or hot flash around. This is really cramping my style!!! I can't work out as effectively as I should, I'm constantly tired, I feel moody and watch everything I say because I don't want to take it out on my DH. I used to LOVE going to bed. My bed is sooo comfortable...but now I hate it!!! I've tried all sorts of things (warm milk, tea, etc.) even Tylenol PM (it made my skin crawl...never do that again). I really don't want to resort to medicine. I hate taking pills. Any suggestions?
 
The best thing I have found for insomnia is an herbal tincture called California Poppy. It's fantastic. I have a very sensitive constitution and most things I take make me feel grougy the next day. California Poppy is very gentle and I never feel any side effect. I even give it to my children if they are having a difficult time sleeping. If you think of insomnia as "edgy" or "jagged", California Poppy just smooths the edges. It's wonderful stuff and very mild but often effective. If you get it in tincture form and just take a squirt or two when needed. You can get it at well stocked health food stores, or online at a herbal remedy place.
Good luck,
Heather
 
Hi, Elaine!
I know insomnia can be nasty. I've had it sometimes when I'm under stress, but mainly when I have to take Prednisone for poison ivy. Some nights, I got only 2 hours of sleep!

What's worse, I think that stressing out about insomnia makes you more apt to continue having it.

Some suggestions:
Exercise can help (though you may feel too tired now to do it), and timing of exercise can be very important. Too early in the day, and it doesn't have much effect. Too late, and it can be too stimulating. I find that late afternoon is the best time.

Our bodies produce melatonin in the dark, which is a hormone that promotes sleep. Make sure that your bedroom is dark enough (even lights from alarm clocks and such can be too much). I have an eye mask that I bought from www.gaiam.com that I wear when it's too light in my bedroom, but I don't want to get up yet! It's made from a flannel type of material, and it works very nicely. You can also take melatonin as a supplement, but it's somewhat controversial.

Other natural substances that promote relaxation are calcium (take your daily calcium pills later in the day), camomille and tryptophane.

From your post, it looks like you got up after 12:30 and stayed up. Is that right? Even though you can't sleep, try to stay in bed. You are more apt to fall asleep again if you are there. On some of my prednisone-induced insomnia nights, I would lie in bed for hours without sleeping, then finally fall back asleep at some odd time (like 4 a.m.). Just don't start thinking about the time, as that will add stress and increase the chances of continuing the insomnia.

HTH
 
I feel for you Elaineee, chasing sleep is a horrible thing and I've been there too many times. At time I hate my bed as well, it seems to mock me somehow when I've had too many restless nights, I look forward to it all day with my foggy head and grumpiness and then when I get into it, there's no rest to be found. Meditation, mantras and deep abdominal breathing have been the best non medicinal solution for me although at times that doesnt' work. Sometimes when I can't sleep I put pen to paper and let the stream of consiousness dictate, venting this way helps me somewhat at the time but hugely in retrospect, don't edit yourself if you try this, just let the stream flow without judgement. I know that these aren't great answers for you but wanted to send you some (((((Good Vibes)))))) and heaps of empathy for your nocturnal dilemma.

Take Care
Laurie:)
 
Kathryn and Heather,
Thank you so much for your advice! During the school year (I'm a teacher) I workout at 4:30 am because I know with everything else going on that it won't get done. I did notice that the day where I worked out an additional 45 minutes after work it seemed to help slightly. Instead of waking up at 12:30, I lasted until 2:30. I do try to stay in bed. Sometimes I put on headphones and play soothing music. Sometimes it actually helps. Other times I just try not to think about anything (hard to do). Heather, your advice is interesting...during a random drug test, would this show up? Hmmm! I'll probably still try it.:) Thanks again, Girls...you guys are awesome!!!
 
Thanks, Laurie...never thought of the meditation and deep breathing. Between you and the other girls, I can try one tip a night! I really appreciate your help. :)
 
California Poppy would not show up in a random drug test. Also, just to let you know how it indeed is mild. I take no drugs or alcohol ever! Not for Many years, and if I felt this was anywhere near any of these substances I would not take it. In fact I would not even take Tylenol pm because of how drugged it makes me feel.
Heather
 
You might want to try Melatonin. I take 1 gram a night and it works wonderfully. I had bouts of insomnia for years and this fixed it. It is a natural substance that your body produces and some people produce more than other and some less. It is safe and not addictive. I would HIGHLY recommed it. Good Luck!


Susan
 
elainee,
Have you talked to your gyn? I remember when my Mom went through menopause she went through a sleepless period, but it did eventually go away. She had a really good gynecologist who helped her tremendously, every step of the way.

I am very demanding with my doctors. I do everything I can to take good care of myself, but I am not a doctor. If I have a symptom that is disrupting my life and my ability to work, I think that is the doctor's job, and I think I have a right to feel well. Don't hestitate to keep bugging your gyn until she gets it right. }(

I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us updated, okay?
-Nancy
 
do you take any allergy medicine? just wondering as I was on allegra and was taking it twice a day, the second dose at bedtime and I was waking up around 3am everynight and couldnt figure out why. well I had gone to my doctor for upper respiratory infection and they gave me an antibitic and I asked if I should take the allegra still and they said yes but take the second dose around 2pm because it could keep me up. I couldnt believe that was why I was waking up everynight and couldnt get back to sleep. so if your on any kind of medication whatso ever, find out if that could be keeping you up.
goodluck!!
 
I've dealt with bouts of insomnia on and off for as long as I can remember--even as a kid sometimes. My mind gets too active at night, and then I can't turn it off. Exercise helps tremendously. No caffeine after my morning dose. No light in the bedroom--I use a mask if it's bad. No loud TV or news or anything that's going to upset me or keep me awake after dinner. No sugary desserts--they get me wired. Trying not to think about work/my problems when I go to bed. If I wake up in the middle of the night and start struggling to get back to sleep, I get out of bed--I don't toss and turn in bed struggling to get back to sleep because that just makes me associate bed with not sleeping. I find the dullest, most dense book I can find and read that until I get sleepy. If my mind just won't quit, I drink a shot of some sort of liquor--I wouldn't recommend that on a daily basis, though. It actually disrupts your sleep cycle and isn't particularly good for you. I would say that I have to resort to doing that only once or twice a year, max.

Anyhow, insomnia really rots--these are only things I've found that have worked for me; hope you can find something that helps you. I agree about working with your doctor, too.
 
oh no Elainee, I'm sorry to hear about your insomnia. I know when i had trouble sleeping, I made sure to do lots of phsyical activity during the day, and before bed some stretches in soft light to get ready for bed. might help you! good luck -Tina
 
I have to get up super early(3:15), so a good night's rest in a must for me! I do a couple of things every night to make sure I sleep well. I always take a quick bath....then lather on a lavender scented moisturizer. Along with the moisturizer I use "Badger balm" for sleep....here is the website http://badgerbalm.com/index.htm I smooth this around my nose, put it on my temples and on my hands....the lavender scent helps me relax and go to sleep.


Donna
 
Some other ideas: make your bedroom a haven for sleep, and try to remove any reminders of your insomnia.

Change the sheets.
Buy some lavender oil and add a few drops to water and spritz it in the air and on the sheets and pillow (you can also buy lavender spray, but make sure it contains real lavender essential oil, which is relaxing).
Get a CD that has meditation music, or non-rythmic, mellow classical music on and play it at a very low level, so you can barely hear it.
 
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