Sleep interruptions, what can be done?
 

I've read a bunch about people's sleeping problems here and have some ideas to figure out what may work for me. I plan to get one of those watches that track your sleeping pattern and see if it's a breathing problem. Perhaps I might ask for a take-home sleeping test as well to see if I have sleep apnea.

Since my concussion 5 months ago I literally have not had a single night of uninterrupted 7-8 hours of sleep. I wake up frequently throughout the night and have to fall back asleep. If I'm lucky I only wake up like twice, though that's rare. On average I wake up at least 4 times before it's time to get out of bed. I honestly miss being able to wake up from an uninterrupted 7-8 hours of sleep to the sound of my alarm; now I don't even need an alarm because I know I'll wake up anyway..

Has anyone been successful in overcoming such sleep interruptions? I'm open to trying anything, as I believe getting my sleep quality back will probably be a big milestone in my recovery. Thanks for any input you may have.

I found I needed to understand every little sensation when I sleep. Then, I had to figure out how to reduce those sensation. I sleep in cotton on sheets with an afghan on top of my sheets and blanket. Many need heavy sheets to sleep soundly. Once I figure this out and found the mattress and bedding combo, I can get in bed and relax such that I have no sensations and almost feel like I am floating. I had to learn how to sleep.

I spent a lot of nights sleeping in a recliner with a music DVD playing and head phones on. It was my 'go to sleep' music. Sometimes, it had video. I would watch the video and listen and drift off. I needed to listen to music that was not overly stimulating. I had 3 music videos and two cd's that I used consistently.

I also need some complex carbs before going to bed so I have energy to sleep. My blood glucose can drop after 5 to 7 hours from a meal. A late night small snack gets me through the night.

All this to say. You need to experiment to find a solution. Breathing can also be a problem. That is why I would sleep in the recliner. If my head and neck rolled to the side or tipped forward, I would eventually have an apnea episode. This would make all of my symptoms much worse.

So, good luck as you try to find your personal answers.

My best to you.

I got this cervical pillow to help with my neck staying in the right position: http://www.amazon.com/Arc4life-Cervi...ervical+pillow

Haven't really seen much benefit though.

Personally, I would not expect a pillow to solve a neck problem just because it is called a cervical pillow. For me, I needed to find a pillow arrangement that help my neck and head straight. I use no lift and only side support. The forward tilt was too much strain on my upper neck. It took some time to get used to no lift but now I am very comfortable that way.

We each need to find that sweet spot of comfort and good alignment.

sleeping problem
 

try melatonin. its a over the counter sleep aid. its the same thing that makes you tired at night.its in your body already.

donniedarko I have exactly the same symptoms, the last time I got a continuous 7/8 hours was before my accident. I seem to wake after around 4 hours for some mysterious reason. I think it may be due to underlying anxiety, I sleep better, as in fall back to sleep easier if I' m in a good frame of mind. Some studies have shown concussion sufferers have lower levels of melatonin, not sure that correlates with lower seratonin levels or inefficient conversion going off. I also have tinnitus which can be bothersome some days which doesn't help. I think the only solution is to accept waking up in the night is OK and just a phase.