Insomnia
 

It is taking me about 2 hours at night to fall asleep and I am only able to stay asleep for about 3-4 hours at a time and then wake up with a headache. As I am trying to fall asleep I will almost be asleep and then it is like a door slams and i am jolted awake again... (yes, i know that sounds odd) I am used to sleeping a full 8-9 hours with no issues... any suggestions??

sarah,

I have a similar problem with that last transition mode from relaxing into sleep. Sometimes, it is almost like a seizure as my body, rather than relaxing into sleep, gets a heightened sense of my surroundings. I have used two different drugs to help me past this. For years, I took gabapentin an hour or two before going to sleep. It worked good. Since November, I have been taking Xyprexa. I have tried a few times to get to sleep without meds but ended up very tense and restless.

Unfortunately, I've been a chronic insomniac since long before the head injury, so I can commiserate. I don't know about how things differ with insomnia caused by PCS vs. my long-term version, but a few things that help me, mostly with falling asleep (not staying asleep, sadly):

1. Good sleep hygiene. Try going to bed at the same time every night, including on the weekends. Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom entirely (tv, computer, even smartphone) - don't use them in bed, of course, but keeping them out of the room is still better. Don't nap during the day if you can avoid it, and don't drink caffeine after ~3pm (if you do at all).

2. Practice relaxation techniques - one that I've found helpful is this short little bedtime yoga routine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgcW_4vssvM). You can do it in your bed, and it's very calming.

3. A cup of chamomile tea or another hot beverage can be helpful for me a bit before bed. If you're willing/able to take a non-habit forming medication, 1 benadryl can also do the trick for getting to sleep more quickly, though I find that I typically wake up once it wears off on the occasions that I do use it.

Good luck!

ETA: a few dabs of lavender essential oil is another thing that a friend recently recommended. It didn't work for me, but it works for her so it's worth a shot!

Mark- YES, it is the final transition... and I get almost to sleep and then there is like a switch.. I will ask the neuro on Thursday for something... I feel like with the lack of rest that it cannot be helping me recover as quickly..

Rugby- Like I said I will try anything... thank you for the yoga video. We just got rid of the TV in our room. I need to get back to tea at night... thanks for the reminder!

I have used TV to help me get to sleep. I use head phones to listen to the TV. I can listen with my eyes closed and drift off to sleep. The TV dialogue seems to occupy my mind in a non-stimulating way. I do this in my recliner and after I drift off momentarily, I wake up and go to bed and can usually fall right to sleep. I still need the meds to help my body stay settled.

To the OP, you described to a T what I am feeling when I am attempting sleep and how you are jolted awake. I am very new to all of this, but your post resonated with me. I am even embarrassed to admit this but I fear going to sleep at night because I am so scared of the jolting awake. It's terrifying.

What is the OP ?

The University of Calgary is testing melatonin on adolescents with concussions. They haven't released the results yet, but I know the groups were placebo, 3mg and 10mg, all before bed.

Since they're testing it on kids, I assume they think its pretty friggin' safe to at least try, right?

I'm gonna ask my doctor first before starting with it though...

OP means original poster.

I second Mark.

I had sleep disturbance issues for 10 years prior to my TBI. I was put on a low dose of meds that helped. However, after my accident the sleep disturbance went into over drive. They upped my dosage and added another med. It has made ALLL the difference. If you can't get sound sleep, your brain can't heal itself. For me, medication was needed to make this happen.

Melatonin never worked for me, as my issue was more related to staying asleep than falling asleep.

I do know what you mean about the jolts. I have them if I start to drift off in the evening while I'm listening to TV on my couch. That's normally a cue to go take my meds and go to bed!