Sleep...
 

I am hoping that some of you can offer suggestions that might help me.

I am 2 1/2 years out and still have tinnitus in my right ear that seems unrelenting at night time. I also have headaches and neck aches that interfere with getting comfortable at bedtime. I have other symptoms but they do not interfere with sleep.

I have tried changing times for medications, making sure to have what I call significant wind down. No screen time, mindless television, I have a single ear bud for tinnitus distraction. It seems that 3-4 nights of the week I am finally getting settled at 4-5am.

I wake up at 10-11 and end up laying down a half hour later and get up at noon-1:00pm in time for lunch. When I get up the first time I try to stay up but there are always symptoms headache, tinnitus, brain fog and my eyes ache so I medicate for whatever and it is easier to go back to bed.

When I get up late I usually feel more 'with it'. The routines are not great I know. I sometimes feel whatever works should be the path.

My family doc has put a referral in for a sleep psychologist. Has anyone ever tried that?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

The sleep specialist who addressed our TBI support group said that waking up time is most important for establishing proper sleep. Waking up at a normal time then staying up without a nap will help the brain's sleep system establish and maintain a normal go to sleep function. For the vast majority, this will work. She said that very few have a malfunctioning sleep system.

We still need to take proper steps at settling down from a day's activities, etc.

What do you do during the day if you sleep until 1:00 pm ? Are you working a late shift ?

Sleep posture can make a minor neck issue much worse. Some find an adjustable, hospital style bed helps them stay in a good posture by enabling sleeping on their back. It took a long time of disciplined posture for my neck to stabilize. It is not healed but is stable.

Sleep has been a continual struggle for me for 15 years. I do better when I am disciplined. I used to dread trying to go to sleep. I know the waking time concept works.

Thanks Mark, I will try the waking time and see if that can help.

I have not worked in two years, I have some cognitive issues as well as an anxiety disorder which have made it difficult to return to a competitive work environment.

When I have been going back to bed it is more for pain management than being tired. I am going to work on the waking time and try medicating more for the pain.

Thanks again for your comments.

Almost, I do not have TBI/PCS but have had problems sleeping.

What has helped me is what is sometimes called sleep hygiene, which essentially means learning helpful habits in preparation for sleeping.

This link might give you some good ideas about sleep hygiene; https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-.../sleep-hygiene.

Almost,

According to the specialist, going to bed for other than sleepiness is a big cause of insomnia. The sleep specialist is not a general sleep specialist. She specializes with helping the TBI community with sleep issues.

Common sleep hygiene is important but is limited in how much it can improve your sleep if you can't start the day earlier and stay awake. I understand the struggle to deal with pain. I had to learn to relax to reduce headaches. If I fell asleep for more than a short period, my night time sleep would be problematic.