Sleep Disorders
 

Hello All,

After years of near perfection, I've finally lost it. Have any of you had trouble sleeping? (It's staggering how many Americans--not just PCS people--have difficulty sleeping.) What are your experiences like? What do you do about it?

Many thanks.

I don't sleep well at all :( I'm lucky if I get 2-4 hours. I go to bed, so exhausted, but them, bam. Eyes wide open. Pain keeps me up.

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Oh. I have tried sleeping pills, they don't work normal on me. My brain is all wired goofy now. So I do nothing. Dr's have wanted me to try different approaches and goofy herbal crap. I will not take that stuff. Not tested. I don't feel safe.

Watch caffeine, trying to cut it out; really. Kids really exhaust me, but still. It's the physical pain. Let me know what you do :)

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I have trouble with sleep disturbances after head injury. I went to see a sleep doctor/pulmonologist and did an overnight and a daytime sleep study. I was diagnosed with mild insomnia and sleep apnea and narcolepsy without cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness. I have been treated for the most part with a stimulant and Provigil. It was helpful for a while. I would suggest that you get a referral or see a sleep specialist/neurologist and pursue an overnight and daytime sleep study. do you have names of sleep specialist/neurologist in your area?

It's Still Early
 

Thanks, you guys.

I seem to be in a period of instability. I tend to crash naturally when sleep has been deficient so I actually got enough W. and Th. night (last night), but I had this awful episode last night just after good sleep that ended midnight with all these self-destructive, senseless, obsessive thoughts haunting me, losing my ability to enjoy the companionship of my kitty cats and compelling me to get up and walk around the house mumbling, an unprecedented event . . but then settled down and got some more before my rise time of 3 am!(?) Then today I had a lovely nap in the middle of the day but it made me a little disoriented and depressed. Many sources including Mark warn of over-sleeping. I seem to be swinging from one extreme to another. So my situation may differ from yours.

But I just got some hydroxyzine. It works well on anxiety with virtually no side-effect except drowsiness and maybe dry mouth. I'm against using drugs . . For starters I just want to have something ready for crisis situations . .

I went through a terrible period of sleep disturbance.

For the most part I sleep ok now but I still have those nights where I wake often from a very active mind and strange dreams.

Bud

Hey Bud
 

Bud,

Is your journey posted in more detail somewhere that I can read it? Yours sounds rich and interesting.

I've found several online books on neuroscience that I'm currently gobbling . .

I'm approaching two years and my sleep is still not back to normal. I can't stay asleep for more than about 41/2 hours then have a hard time getting back off again. I think it's central sleep apnea but haven't had it officially confirmed. Sometimes when I wake my pulse is faster than it should be (lack of oxygen?) but mostly I just wake for no apparent reason. I've started taking 5-HTP again to see if it helps as the sleep symptoms are like depression although I feel fine otherwise.

Good news is my mind is better than it was, I seem to be able to clear it and relax deeper, I can day dream again, but I often feel tired in the day which is a bummer. This has coincided with a lessening of my tinnitus which seems to suggest more calming of the brain is needed.

SuperElectric,

Is your journey posted somewhere in more detail that I can read?

I usually wake up frequently, between cycles, but this is not abnormal. Did you use to sleep more than 4&1/2?

It's not uncommon to have difficulty going back to sleep, but one thing I notice in myself is kind of hyperactivity somewhere in my brain probably which can make going back very difficult. It is known that PCS people have excessive activity in the sympathetic nervous system.

Oddly, eating a lot of calories seems to boost this hyperactivity in me. I doubt it's glycemic index, though I do eat potatoes, rice, and pasta. No, what I'm feeling after my injuries seems new.

I had trouble sleeping for my first month after wards but I found that tea helps me so much. I drink the brand sleepy time, and I get their "extra" tea bags. It honestly works like a charm for me. It may be a placebo by now but the act of getting into bed with my hot tea and drinking it gets my body ready for bed and helps me stay asleep up to 8 hours.

This obviously may not work for serious sleep conditions but it helped me get past my bed night time anxiety.