Insomnia Much?
 

Ok, here I go into the world of insomnia, or I call it scattered sleep again.

About 4 years ago I had anxiety, brain fog, and some bad sleep and found it is related to hormone changes in my middle age female body. So, I learned about 5-htp 200 mg, L-theanin mg, and Gabba 500mg, and I take those at night before bed -- These supplements have helped me find better sleep in the past. (not perfect, but better)

Lately, I find I am waking up at 3AM or 2:30 AM and sometimes not getting back to sleep -- Sleep is so essential now for healing the brain. I usually go to sleep around 9 or 10 pm now.

I try not to get upset about scattered sleep or feel angry, because that will do nothing to help it. I know that fully.

Last night I did get back to sleep after I got up, had some fruit, took my fishoil -- Omega 3,6,9 complete (which I usually have with breakfast) Then I put an icepack on my neck, and I did find the land of nod again. Ah.....sweet, healing, sleep

I am wondering what any of you do for better sleep PCS. I hope not to take a prescription med for this --but if need be, I will. Even so, wondering how you get back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Sincerely,

Poetrymom

I take melatonin to put me to sleep and magnesium (Cal-Mag Citrate) The melatonin is good for naps. I use it to put me to sleep and then the Mag works together. I just posted a discussion about Magnesium from another thread that is very interesting. And seems very beneficial to TBI/PCS:grouphug:

melatonin
 

I have used that too -- have it in liquid form. I will look into this with magnesuim -- can't spell it, but that's ok.

Thanks for you post!

Poetrymom

I had very bad insomnia for the first three months, some nights I would only get 3 hrs sleep, I tried sleeping tablets but even woke with these. It all changed once I was prescribed an SNRI. Once the Cymbalta was in my system I have slept throughout the night every night.

SNRI's
 

Mouse I can relate with the SNRI. I had insomnia for I think 9months (because no diagnosis)At one point it took 4 sedative muscle relaxers range from 750mg to 300mg plus Benedryl to knock me out.(what a great PCP lol)

Now with a diagnosis I am on the SNRI(Pristiq)Everything has been a lot better and I have to take Valium at night as well for my PTSD.

Melatonin is a tricky one, in my experience. It is often dosed way higher than it's really ever produced by the body, so it's like OD-ing on a hormone. That doesn't sit well with me anymore since I tried 5mg at bedtime in second month PCS.

I read that in children, an overdose of melatonin can cause seizures. Well, I found that interesting, and can look back and see (after the fact) that I was having my most disturbing "seizure like" symptoms (burning smells waking me from sleep, grinding teeth uncontrollably even once awakened) when I was regularly taking melatonin. I know it works for some people with zero issues, but I thought I'd share. I stopped taking it because I felt it left me very foggy... But later attributed the weird symptoms that had gone away once I discontinued using melatonin.

I was prescribed amitriptyline (Elavil) for increased sleep, and to "assist" with some pain relief. (My best interpretation of that function of the drug is that it works on nerve pain and has even been shown to assist in new growth of nerve fibres) Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there.

Long story short, Elavil works for me. I'm on 20mg at bedtime, but I find that it takes a couple hours to kick in so I try to take it mid-evening. May be worth bringing up with your doctor. Someone else told me that, but luckily my doctor suggested it on his own... They always seem to like their own ideas much better. Lol

Sorry for your insomnia. It sucks. I forgot to take my Elavil at the right time (I forget often... Another wonderful PCS symptom, no matter what reminder tools I use!) so now it's past midnight here and I'm up. Blah.

Ugh
 

Less than three hours of sleep last night. I haven't had it much with PCS, but I've always had cyclical insomnia--usually two or three times per month. It's no fun, but I know it's got to be harder for those with worse symptoms than mine right now, so I'll think of all your strength and suck it up!

melatonin
 

I did use mine last night and thanks for the reminder of how it can have side effects. I don't use it very often.

I did sleep all the way through the night -- no 2 or 3 AM waking up and just being awake,

but I do take melatonin with caution.

I, too, have had insomnia off and on during different times of my life. Ugh. I am (sort of) used to it, but always looking for ways to destress and/or rest, and actually sleep. Sleep is so wonderful.

I do believe I am caffeine free though -- not having any in my tea, so that's a huge plus.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Here's wising you all a good day.

Poetrymom

Melatonin
 

What I would do with the melatonin is get the 300mcg and split them in half.At one point when I was having "trauma seizures" just 2times it could of been from the melatonin because I was taking 10mg whole. Or I was thinking it was from the first vestibular therapist I was seeing that had NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS DOING!!!I switched that therapist out to one of the best in my area now. Like Rio said use with caution:grouphug:

http://www.alteril.com/WhatIsAlteril.htm

My son likes this stuff, can take about 40 mins to an hour to kick in but it seems to work well for him, he usually sleeps around 10 hours. I take Ambien and 200 mg 5-HTP, works great for me, at least 6 hours and then I can usually drift off again for a couple more hours. You just have to try different things to see what works for you.

I used melatonin with some success but mostly I tried not to worry about it. When i would wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning I would get up and try not to disturb others. Since my PCS happened after my kids were grown it is much less an issue than if you have them.

Since I am RTW a night of little sleep definitely messes with me I try to take it in stride. It does aggravate my moodiness something fierce.

Agreed!
 

Right Mamabear

You just have to find what works and I knwo that sometimes, nothing works for me. The main thing for me is not to get upset or stress about the lack of sleep.

The magnesium -- I am not sure that is working so well as it did the first night, but oh well.....

Here's hoping your well

Poetrymom

What constitutes insomnia?

I find I have trouble falling asleep about an hour or so and then I wake up at like 4 or 5 in the morning then spend another half hour falling asleep then I wake up at like 7 or 8 in the morning ..still tired.

I've taking GABA which has really made a difference and my headaches feel better.

Insomnia...
 

I don't know the medical defintion of it, but for me, it is chronically waking up too early and not getting back to sleep.

Even though I take Gaba, I still wake up at 3 or 2 or 4 AM and sometimes am just awake.

Stress from my job can give me sleeplessness too.

I don't have an answer to how to get rid of insomnia, manage work stress (except that I am not at my job right now) or if my sleep problems are from PCS or not. I think not so much... I was sleeping better a month ago when I was tired all the time, but that was horrible.

Blue, sounds like you have interrupted sleep.

Sleep is such a wonderful thing.

Hope you find enough of it tonight.

This is the WebMD overview of Insomnia.

I get it; I have it; I am able to fall right to sleep; then its 1.5 hours later, 2 hours later , 3, 4 , 5 hours later, I will have to get up - for any reason.

Reasons: - startling awake from some noise inside me; I know I had a scare-mare but have no idea what; choking feeling; world drops out feeling; world shifts like I will be swept from the bed feeling; slamming feeling with a severe headache on waking feeling, many many different problems that wake me; and headaches usually stay with me.

Also, sometimes the whirling feelings , unsteadiness hangs around, either visually or the world upset inside my body feeling; or the Nausea predecessor to the headaches hangs on for hours.

I understand you;

Best Wishes.............. :grouphug:

Not sure if this is helpful or relevant to this situation since we're dealing with injuries, but it's something comforting I think of when I can't sleep (apart from Bing Crosby singing me lullabies ;) )

There was a study that I remember reading in linguistics at college that talked about cross-cultural sleep patterns and how the solid 8 hours we venerate in the West is both a new and potentially unrealistic ideal for some people. There have been a few more recent studies, too.

Apparently, they studied hunter-gatherer groups to try and get a sense for how our ancestors might have slept, and noticed that folks slept about 4 hours at a time with a little break of wakefulness in between-- something called bi-modal sleep. The theory is that it meant one person or another in the group was awake at all times during the night and could keep an eye or ear out.

What they say is that sometimes when people wake up in the middle of the night, they keep themselves up by worrying about how they're not getting a good night's sleep. If instead they say to themselves, this is normal and human and the way we've slept for thousands and thousands of years and I am simply in touch with that, and spend a little time doing something relaxing, they can still get a good night's sleep even with a break in between cycles.

It's just something my little nerdy self finds cozy and comforting-- when I wake up in the middle of the night, instead of thinking i'm doing it wrong, i can think about my ancestors sleeping under the stars and connect with that idea :)

Very true!
 

Hi Dancing,

What a great thought and idea too. I more or less am at peace with the wakefulness I get from time to time. I know it's part of who I am.

Thanks for your post.

Poetrymom

Good to hear! Until I heard about those studies I'd lie awake going

"5 hours and 37 minutes until I have to get up for work, boo.

3 hours until I have to get up for work, tomorrow will be terrible.

gah i shall never sleep and will turn into a zombie...

braaaainnnsss..."

XD