NeuroTalk Support Groups - Sleeping Problems

NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD and CRPS) (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/)

- - Sleeping Problems (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/78924-sleeping.html)

I am interested in this information as well. I figure, heck, I have enough meds in my system I should be sleeping but don't.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Good morning all!

Roz, I do have an herbal tea in the evening and it has chamomile in it, it's called Dreamland. I have only a little caffeine from green tea in the mornings. I'm thinking of stopping that but I keep reading the caffeine in green tea is not a bad caffeine, if there is such a thing?

I do sleep better after a hot bath with epson salts and yesterday I added a couple of drops of lavender oil to the water. Then I put a drop on my pillow. That was heaven!

I went to my local health store yesterday and the lady there suggested that I take a tablespoon of liquid calcium and magnesium just before bedtime. This makes sense to me as I had read that this can be helpful for sleep so I bought some and tried it last night. I slept like a rock but I also took my normal dose of oxazapam. I guess I'm afraid to go without it but will have to try to ween off it again. Lori, perhaps I will increase the melatonin and see how that works. I too love the body pillow. I like the idea of playing some relaxation cd's and will give that a try too.

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, thoughts and suggestions, you are all so caring and helpful.

Warm wishes for a great day.

MsL.

Hi. I can really relate to this. I had sleep issues before my rsd and with it I can go nights without any rest. That is not good for the physical pain and also makes it harder for me to cope mentally. Anyhow I have tried many meds for sleep and still am up. A few things that were suggested to me is to listen to music or relaxation tapes. Watch the caffeine but having a small snack balanced in all nutrients can help keep blood levels even. For me in addition to my pain being high in the night I have extreme anxiety with my thoughts and body so am trying to work on ways to cope with that since meds don't do the job. Hope you get some rest and find something that works and for everyone else too

Further to discussion on sleeping problems I thought I would share this article I found on Life Extension.org

Quote:

The Detrimental Effects of Sleep Deprivation

On June 22, 2002, researchers at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society held in San Francisco reported that sleep deprivation markedly increases inflammatory cytokines. This finding helps explain why pain flare-up occurs in response to lack of sleep in a variety of disorders. According to the researchers, even modest sleep restriction adversely affects hormone and cytokine levels. In this carefully controlled study, sleep deprivation caused a 40% to 60% average increase in the inflammatory marker IL-6 in men and women, while men alone showed a 20% to 30% increase in TNF-a. Both IL-6 and TNF are potent pro-inflammatory cytokines that induce systemic inflammation (Vgontzas et al. 1999; Vgontzas et al. 2001).

The study results were presented by Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas, professor of psychiatry at The Pennsylvania State University in Hershey. Dr. Vgontzas stated that the findings indicate that getting a full night's rest of eight hours is not just a nice bonus, but a necessity. He stated that people who are missing even two to three hours of sleep function poorly the next day.

Dr. Vgontzas added that the finding that lack of sleep may stimulate an increase in chronic inflammatory response is worrisome because inflammation has been linked to the most common lethal conditions affecting humans today. Vgontzas warned: "Restriction of sleep a few hours is a major risk for public safety."

This study has significant implications for the treatment of chronic pain and inflammatory disorders. For many, following the recommendations in Life Extension's Insomnia Protocol could provide considerable relief from pain and other disorders by preventing the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

While the article does not speak directly to RSD, there is enough research out there to suggest that those of us who suffer from RSD have a chronic inflammation. For those interested in reading more on Chronic Inflammation here is a link to this article. http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-146.shtml

Staying on topic of the thread here is the link to the article on Life Extension's Insomnia Protocol http://www.lef.org/protocols/lifesty...nsomnia_01.htm

MsL

This is one of my biggest issues too. Caused by both pain and insomnia.

If I do sleep, it's broken and only for a max of about 3-4 hours a night. But I have to change position every few minutes as the pain builds up, so I never get a good solid sleep. Lately most nights I've been awake until 5-6am, which is just horrible when all four kids wake up at 7.30! Last week I didn't get to sleep until after 7am, so only managed half an hour sleep that whole night. :mad: I don't get to catch up during the day so you'd think I'd sleep well the next night, but I don't. It'll be the same thing all over again.

I have sleeping tablets here (Temaze) that work great if I take them at around 10pm at night, but I don't like doing that very often as I don't want to build up a tolerance or dependance on them.

Other than that I try having a shower before bed, or I read, I listen to mellow music on my ipod in bed, I try using different types of pillows and foot rests, I turn the tv on a boring channel and hope the guys voice will send me to sleep ;) or I go and sleep on the lounge... nothing works.

It's not like I'm wide awake and doing housework all night, my body is exhausted and I'm WANTING to be asleep, I just can't. It's so frustrating. :mad:

But I did use to take "calcium and magnesium" tablets but haven't in months, so after reading your posts I'm thinking that might be worth a go. :p I'll let you know if it helps. Any other tips would be great! I love sleeping and I miss it!

x Kate

cake
like you i do the same thing waiting to sleep and next thing i know its 4-5 kids get up at 615 . but i do try to take my lunesta but even then sometimes i still dont sleep im weary of the mag and calicam as i have kidney problems and thats all i need is a nother kidney infection

carrie

I take calcium and magnesium for stronger bones and I heard that magnesium helps with muscle or joint function but make sure to get the kind that can be absorbed and also with calcium you need vitamin d.

What I seem to notice that keeps me away at night also it the sounds, smells and feeling of things. They seem overwhelming at times.

My kids got me a really nice mattress cover for Christmas because my bed felt too hard. Now it feels like I am sinking into it too much.

Smells, if there is something smelling strong in my house I can smell it even more it seems. I can't cook beans in the crockpot at night because the smell seems overwhelming.

Sometimes the smell of my perfume bottles are overwhelming at night. I have to get up and move them.

Simple noises sound like they are magified.

I was just wondering if this is something some of you might be dealing with that adds to not being able to sleep.

Ada

I agree, Ada, that those things definitely don't help.

That's why I get out of our bed and go and sleep on the lounge. My hubby tends to snore and even the slightest noise or movement from him keeps me awake. Or if the fan is on in our ensuite bathroom. Or if I can hear the dishwasher. I've had times where I've slept in one of my kids' beds (if they're at a sleepover- their beds are so much better than the lounge!) but they have a ticking wall clock and although I take the clock out into another room (and often put a cushion on top of it! ;) ) I can still hear it, so I end up taking the battery out. It's like I can hear it LOUDER even though I've taken it out of the room. :rolleyes:

I'm not sure if this is connected to the rsd. I reckon it's more a general insomnia issue- ie people with insomnia but NOT rsd would have the same problem- but it definitely doesn't help when we're already struggling to sleep at night.

Daniella-thanks for the info on the Vitamin D. I go thru phases with my vitamins. I get so sick of taking handfuls of tablets every morning and night so tend to get slacker with my vitamins and just take my prescription meds, but I know that the vitamins are just as important so I need to re-introduce them all into my bedtime routine.

x Kate

Funny you mentioned the clock. The boys have one in their room and when they aren't here, I sleep in there bedroom. There bed sometimes feels better. I took their clock off of the wall and laid it in the living room many times so I can sleep.

I don't know if it really is insomnia issues too. You could be right.

Ada