Hi there.

My name is Melody and I am reading your posts with much interest. Epecially about the not sleeping part. Years ago, I never slept through the night. Got up every few hours. Never took a pill. I never thought I could. Years later, my doctor gave me an ambien and it was like a gift. Since I had never slept through the night, well, when you DO sleep through the night, you never want to go back to NOT sleeping again.

I took Ambien for years. I tried Lunesta, did absoutely nothing for me.

A few years ago (while I had LOTS of stress in my life), I started taking (just at bedtime) a 1 mg of xanax with 2 melatonin. I was told that I should only take 1 melatonin (the 3 mg one). Then I actually halved the xanax

So presently (and not all the time either), but I take 0.50 of the xanax with a melatonin and I'm good for the night. Maybe I get up once to use the bathroom but that's it. And it's a good night's sleep.

But what I would like to know is have you ever had a sleep study done? To test for Sleep Apnea? or other things going on.

It's fascinating how they hook you up to electrodes and monitor you through the night.

I was told "yes, you do indeed have sleep apnea". I was given a machine (two actually, one was this humidifier), and a variety of sleep masks.

Couldn't use any of them. I felt like the creature from the black lagoon.

Anyway, obviously I don't need them because it's been 10 years and I sleep fine. I don't wake up with a dry throat or anything like that.

I'll never know why I never slept through the night all those years ago, but thankfully I have my meds (when I need them). Sometimes I just take the melatonin.

I try and keep active and if I do this, I get tired at around 11:30 p.m. and I just close the tv and go to sleep.

I will never know how I went all those years NEVER sleeping correctly.

Also, and you might want to think about this. Maybe your mattress is not the right one for you??

Hey you never know.

Wishing you peaceful dreams in your future.

Melody

I sleep about 3 hrs and then get up to go to the WC. That's about 2 x nite and also upon waking in the a.m. Have to take pills with water before going to bed but keep my fluids down later in the evening.
Go to bed about 12, but have had a nap in the recliner watching TV, but still wake every three hours. I have sinus congestion, all the time- and sleep/breathe/snore with my mouth open- and wake dry as the Sahara desert. I keep cough drops by my bed constantly, to moisten my throat when I wake.
My wife cannot stand my snoring (she snores too, but won't admit it-someday I'm going to tape her while she's asleep to prove it ! ) and says it keeps her awake, nor my tossing and turning with feet out from under covers- to feet under covers, to on my side, on my back, on my side, etc - so we have had separate bedrooms for the past 15-20 years (our rooms too small for 2 separate beds, anyway-old house). Dunno if that qualifies me for apnea or not.

"snore with my mouth open- and wake dry as the Sahara desert."

google this with apnea. its a classic symptom. if my cpap mask falls off thats the first symptom i wake up with. These days you can hire a machine set it on auto and it will give you the reading in the morning. your wife may have it to. If you snore a lot your struggling for air..

I have a suggestion FOR EVERYBODY who snores.

Go to the local drugstore and buy Breathe Right Strips. Put them on your nose and see what happens.

Report back here.

Melody

Nasal strips are a good inexpensive first try. They didn't work for us. Next inexpensive try might be an OTC appliance. My wife's snoring was of the window-rattling, vibrate me right out of bed variety. She went to an ENT and some obstruction problems were found. An expensive custom-made appliance was virtually worthless, so the next step was either surgery or a sleep study & subsequent cpap. Guess which... The cpap is working fine.

MelodyL, cpaps do take a considerable adjustment period for some folks - it was about 3 months (and 3 styles of mask) for me before I could sleep six hours without waking up and ripping the cussin' thing off.... Now things are working ok. If you gave it a good earnest effort, fine.

catloucle, I know you had a study some years ago, but things can change, especially as we ag.... er.... mature. Not suggesting you run out and have another study, but consider the possibility of change.

nide44, yeah, I'd say that qualifies you as a candidate for apnea. I have the sinus congestion too. In addition to the machine, I have to sleep inclined or sitting bolt upright to keep my airway open. I can't imagine things getting to the point of separate bedrooms over just snoring. I encourage you & spouse to consider sleep studies as well (or talk to your docs about it). The cpap mask my wife has (there are many styles & configurations)
http://tinyurl.com/4nnozum
covers her whole nose & mouth, so even if she does snore inside the mask, the mask baffles the noise (I was joking about our machines keeping each other up).

There is a lighter side. Occasionally, we'll wake up simultaneously, side by side, staring at each other with our masks, and crack up hysterically to the point of having to take them off, wipe away the tears of laughter, and catch our breath....

We prefer the machines to medications, but that's a personal choice for everyone.

Doc

Melody
sleep apnea is irreversible even most surgeries fail unless you get the one where they literally break your lower face, jaw etc and its only a very last resort if the machine doesnt work. If you were diagnosed with apnea then you probably have it but tolerate it well. That doesn't mean its no doing unlimited long term damage to your vital organs, nervous system etc. Some people dont show any symptoms at all untill its to late. On the other hand not everyone who snores has apnea either.

Mel does the melatonin help you? I am starting a new med ativan so will see if that helps. I often wonder from all the meds I have tried and been on if my body is actually more screwed up then if I had not taken any.

What would be the condition though if you can't even fall asleep. Even with meds. They wanted me to go for a sleep study but mean while I can't even fall asleep. When I have had hospital stays they check on you every hour or something and I always was up even with repeat doses of meds.

For me this runs in my family. My mom sleeps very little. My gramps is up and down all night. When I stayed at his home it was 2 am and he was in the kitchen drinking whisky and eating cottage cheese. I will never forget that I am like what are you doing? He is like this helps me go to sleep. I don't suggest this to anyone as it seems unhealthy but he is 87.

sounds like a good idea.
I've snored for over 30-40 years and these strips only came on the OTC shelf a few years ago.
BTW - Smith, We go on vacation together, and always get separate beds even if only one hotel room. My wife refuses to sleep w/me cause of the tossing & turning due to the PN- the snoring is just an add'l issue for her. The separate bedrooms are because of the size of the rooms in our 1901 restored townhouse. Just no room for 2 beds, even 'twins' in the small bedrooms and.... heck-we had the extra BR, no cost, no sweat. We've been there for over 30 years and really like the house & location.

Another example of how it affects each of us differently. PN has me practically motionless.

There are some new thoughts on sleep apnea:

http://www.theheart.org/article/1098915.do

Anyone not sleeping well, I think should try d-ribose before bedtime. About 5 grams.

This sugar is part of a molecule called adenosine, which is the sleep signaler compound in our brains.

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/adenosine.htm

Ribose is not common in our food supply. Riboflavin, B2, has a ribose portion in it.

I've been using this at night since early spring and it really does work for improving sleeping.

Here is one link:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post708792-40.html

Also those low in B12 will not be making much melatonin...so make sure you have that base covered. I really started using methyl B12 in earnest when I went thru the menopause ...sleeping was my biggest problem back then. MethylB12 is a cofactor in the synthesis of melatonin, our sleep hormone.

If you get up in the night, and expose your melatonin receptors in the retina to blue light frequencies...your melatonin will shut off, and further sleep issues will continue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin
This article explains how certain wavelengths of light may further create insomnia or other sleep disruptions. Getting up in the night is common in older folks who need to use the bathroom. Try and keep your lighting to night lights, yellow bulbs if possible.