O/T--what kind of dr. do you need when

M

Maximus

Cathlete
you're having sleeping problems? At least 3 nights a week I wake up between 3-4 & can't get back to sleep. You know that feeling--when you're looking at the clock every 5 minutes thinking I'll fall back to sleep in the next 5 minutes then don't......I call it sleepus interruptus........

Anyway, I'm afraid to try pills like Ambien b/c I don't want to get addicted to anything, but man am I tired. AND it's effecting my workouts which simply must stop. x(

Any advice?
 
I sometimes have the same problem . I hate the clock watching part about it . well I read somewhere to Not look at the clock ! And also to just get up fix a cup of tea , sit on the sofa and sip the tea ,read a few pages in a book ,and wham-o your sleepy ,Go hop back into bed you'll fall asleep .... I guess the whole idea is to make your brain "forget " you are "Tryiny" to fall asleep . I have tried this and it works ! I'm like you ,I 'm afraid to take pills ,well mostly I like the natural ways !!!! Hope this helps give it a try.Take care :) :) :)
 
Hi Maximus! I have had the same problem off and on for several years. I fall asleep quickly, but then I wake up between 1 and 4 a.m. and can't go back to sleep. I just wish it was morning! I tried some of those "pm" pain medicines that also are supposed to help you sleep, but they gave me nightmares! I think most larger hospitals have sleep disorder clinics. I haven't tried one, but there seem to be a lot of them around - hopefully one near where you live. If you go to one, let me know what they say, and I may go to one too!
 
Hey Maxi,

Could it be hormones? You're in your late 30's, aren't you? Did you change your b/c?

Another option is Benedryl. Sometimes I'll pop one but only if it's before 3:00 a.m. cause they put me out.
 
I personally would start with my family doctor (which I did in reality), then he can determine if it is something that needs to be pursued further. What we eat, drink,(I'm guilty of way too much caffeine) and anxieties of life (who doesn't have anxieties ?) affect how we sleep, not to mention the hormonal factors going on as we get a wee bit older.
I have two friends that put themselves through the sleep disorder clinics. The tell me if wasn't fun and was time consuming. So far they have not slept any better. But that is just them.
To me, your family doctor route would be the least stressful. You would already have your history and physical documented with him and he could determine if you truly needed to put yourself through the ordeal of the sleep clinic. If you needed a SDC, then he could recommend or refer you to someone. This would save you time in the long run as the doctors (your family doctor and the one(s) he would refer to) would be in close communication with each other.

Document every thing you can: as in, do you notice any difference in sleep if you ate or drank this or that? does it make any difference what time you go to bed? what you did during the day?... just things like this. See if any other member of your family had any sleep difficulties.
I am in school studying to be a Medical transcriptionist, or Medical word specialist as the name is emerging to. In studying history and physical reports (the report your doctor makes of you when you go to his office) I have learned how important it is for the patient to be thorough and say precisely what is wrong with him. This helps the doctor give you a much quicker and accurate diagnosis or diagnoses.

Hope you get some relief from your sleeping disorder real soon. Without restful sleep, I do well know how tired it makes you throughout the day. Keep us posted how you get along. I will be thinking about you and if there is anything I can help you with, let me know.
(((hugs)))
edited to change 'that' to 'they'. I do not think my friends would like to be referred to 'that'LOL
 
Hi,
On those insomina nights I will either use herbal sleepy time tea or warm milk. I know it sounds weird. There is something in the milk that when you warm it up it will help you sleep. It really knocks me out. I will sometimes be a little groggy in the AM. Maybe that's why my kids always fell asleep after drinking warm milk.

Elaine:)
 
Aww thanks Wanda, you're so sweet, and thanks all of you for your suggestions. I've tried the more natural sleep aids (melatonin, valerian, pm meds) & they work until about 3 or 4, after which I'm up for the rest of the night. And I don't want to get a cup of tea b/c I have to climb down a flight of stairs & in my warped mind I think that's going to get my metabolism going & keep me up even longer.

Yes I'm in my late 30s, switched my pill but that was just this month. I guess it could be hormones but I sure hope not, I'm not ready for the change yet. I still have a few years left & I might change my mind about kids!

So Wanda, you think just a GP could help? I don't need like a shrink or anything, do I? (at least not for the sleep problem LOL)
 
Maximus, i have suffered from insomnia for years and i agree with AWanda. you primary care physician is where you need to start. unless you know that you are eaily addicted to medications, i would not worry about becoming dependant. i have had a rx for ambien for a number of years, but i only them when dh is snoring too loud for me to sleep in any room of the house. on the nights i don't take one, i have no trouble going to sleep without the meds. JMHO

jes
 
Maximus,

I didn't realize this was an ongoing problem. I thought it just started with you.

When I was about 42 I started having sleep problems but mine was due to peri-menopause. Slept like a baby before so just couldn't figure it out. Dr. put me on low dose b/c and cured it for me within two days.

There are occasions where I'm under a lot of stress because of work, my mind tends to race. This will keep me up and that's when I'll take the Benedryl. It's an antihistimine, not a sleep aid so it's not considered addictive.

Seeing a doctor seems like the best advice here, IMHO.

Good luck!
 
Yeah it's been going on for almost a year now. It's almost got me whipped so I'm finally doing something about it.

I've tried benadryl & it is actually pretty effective, except it makes me as dry as the desert. Which I guess is better than exhausted & unattractive (from the lovely purple bags under my eyes).

Thanks again everyone for the advice.
 
Maximus,

This may sound stupid, but have you tried using a fan in your room? That always helps me to sleep as the fan drowns out any noises. I also sleep better if the room temp is about 50.
As a matter of fact, I didn't sleep much myself last night so I will have to push myself thru some cardio...like it or not.
Give us an update and let us all know how your doing later on.
Try to get some rest. I'll sing some lullabies to you. :)
Charlotte~~
 
If you think it could be peri-menopausal I would see the gynecologist. Otherwise, I would go to your primary physician.
 
LOL! I can hear you from here......

If you want to hear something REALLY stupid--I actually use an air conditioner (window unit) year round. I have to--I live between a firehouse, a bus stop, a train station & the rescue squad so I need something to drown out the constant activity. When I first moved here I thought I'd never sleep again. :p But it was amazing how fast I got used to it--it's all just white noise now. Also it gets really hot in my room since the thermostat is downstairs, where it's usually much cooler.
 
It's funny that many of you have the same problem, because I started to experience the same during the past week when I started (re-started) exercising. Could it be related to exercising intensely?
 
>It's funny that many of you have the same problem, because I
>started to experience the same during the past week when I
>started (re-started) exercising. Could it be related to
>exercising intensely?

I have often wondered that myself. I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping, too. I wake up at around 2:00 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep at all. I have to get up at 4:30 a.m. in order to workout anyway, so sometimes I don't ever get back to sleep.
x(

I am 45 years old and my doctor put me on PremPhase 3 months for irregular periods and perimenopause. I seemed to sleep better for a while when I started this, but seems like I am having the same problem again. I have seriously wondered about my exercise routine and whether I am exercising too intensely and too often/long.???

I have also tried Tylenol PM, Simply Sleep, etc. (These are just Benadryl with a different name). That has helped the few times I have taken them, but hate to rely on anything like that. (but still do every now and then! )


Linda
 
This works everytime for me - concentrate on your breathing. Take a deep, slow inhale, expanding your stomach and chest to get every bit of air you can. Then slowly exhale, sucking your stomach in to get all the co2 out. I do this and fall asleep before I can get to a count of 10.

Good luck :)
 
I do not think it to be exercise intensity, for the most part, because I, for example, have exercised intensely for many years,(about 30) 5 years with Cathe workouts 2 hours a day. My doctor, fully knowing my routine added more workouts a day...Pilates, Yoga, type workouts at the end of the day. But of course, of course, everyone is different. Unless you were jumping and running, to the highest of intestity and then immediately go to bed, I could see that the body would be hot-wired and need time to get into relax mode.

The "can't sleep" syndrome is something only the doctor can diagnose of course, but it usually is some chemical imbalance or sorts. The body is so very complex with its own electrical system, computer, chemical laboratory, etc. For me, one chocolate cobbler (fudge brownie, icecream with hotfudge on top) will send my electrical and chemical system in a huge whirlwind of hot flashes, turning red faced and a great big migraine. Just one. Not fair! LOL
The neural system, the part that affects the sleep mode in us, can easily go haywire with the wrong chemicals, which we can take in by our diet, but also the chemical changes we have just by getting older. There are tons of things going on inside us. I am in awe of the whole process of how we are made and how we function.

(sorry, I get carried away. I'm taking a short break from doing spreadsheets and cash flow statements for a farm corporation. Cannot wait to get done so as to get back to my MT schooling. Guess you can tell I love it.)
 
Cannot wait to get done so as to get back to my
>MT schooling. Guess you can tell I love it.)


My daughter is an MT. What University do you teach at?

Maybe I do eat too much chocolate
:+

Linda
 
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