Several years ago, I could sleep on my back without any problem. Unfortunately, not any more. If I try, it becomes at best a nap of 30-45 minutes. 16 naps a night does not equal 8 hrs of good sleep.

I sleep on one side now because my spine isn't straight. For several years, a regular pillow has been too hot to sleep on. Turning it over doesn't help for more than 30 seconds. It's ridiculous heat intolerance.

For the first few years, I used a special pillow that cools on contact (some kind of crystals). That worked, but only for four hours max. I would wake up hyperventilating from the heat stress, replace the cool pillow, and go back to sleep.

Then a year ago, I found another pillow that you can fill with water. This also worked, but only for about four hours, too. It wouldn't end up quite so hot after four hours, but I still had to get up, replace it, and try and go back to sleep.

In the last few weeks, my ears have become painful. I don't know why. I didn't have an accident and there's no infection. The pillow is the same, but it's never been soft (it's a water pillow). I woke up a few days ago with ear pain.

I've looked online for special pillows which have an ear pocket, but they are all made for the 99.99% of people who don't get heat stress from regular pillows. I tried turning down the thermostat to 17C (63F), but it doesn't help.

I recently tried once again to sleep the entire night on my back. I woke up several times and it felt as if needles were stuck in my face. It was awful.

Does anyone have any ideas for a pillow I could get or have specially made that would be cool enough and soft enough to let me sleep and not put any pressure on my ears?

If you can't think of anything, maybe you might be able to help me diagnose my possible neuro problem...

For about a year, and again today, when I wake up from a nap, I feel a tingling sensation in my hands and feet at the same time. It's not painful, and it only lasts about a minute.

Does anyone understand the physiology of sleep? It almost feels as if I get an injection as I'm waking up. The sensation sometimes feels as if it starts in my hands and then slowly travels down my legs to my feet. It can also feel as if it's radiating.

As it's happening I start to feel more energy, refreshed, but what is the connection between sleep, energy, hands, and feet?

What chemicals are released into the bloodstream when or just before you wake up? Cortisol?

I read that most people's cortisol levels are highest when they wake up at the beginning of the day, and lowest at night just before they go to sleep.

The curious thing is that this sensation doesn't happen in the morning or after regular sleep overnight. It's only during the day or evening after a nap.

The same sensation doesn't happen at any other time, e.g., when I'm working. I can't recall a situation/event which might have triggered the problem. There is no family history of it.

The other reason why I suspect it's cortisol-related is one of the benefits after the "injection" is the inflammation in my sinuses clears slightly.

Does anyone understand neuropathy and endocrinology enough to make an educated guess?

Thanks.