[greenfrog]

Not sure if this has been covered in an older thread, but I would love to know some specific techniques/meds/alternative remedies that can help improve sleep quality while recovering from PCS.

I'm on week 6 of my recovery and I have yet to have a night of uninterrupted sleep (prior to the injury, I would sometimes wake at night as well, so this isn't an entirely new thing). My overall sleep quality has improved since the first couple of weeks post-injury. Right after the injury, I would just lie in bed awake for hours, then eventually sleep for a bit. I've started sticking to a regular schedule, which has been helpful. However, I find I still wake up 2-3X / night (sometimes 4X). A typical night might look like this:

- 9 pm : in bed (read, check email, talk to girlfriend on the phone)

- 10 pm : go to sleep

- 2 or 3 am : wake up, feel anxiety, turn on light, meditate or read, have a snack (eg, yogurt cup), adjust bedclothes/covers if necessary, eventually get back to sleep (usually 30-60 mins later, occasionally longer)

- 6:30 am : wake again (at first light)

- 7:30 or 8 am : wake up for good

(Sometimes I'll wake up another time or two - say, around 4:30 am.)

The blinds in my bedroom let in some light, so we're installing blackout curtains next week. This should help - my parents' bedroom has the same curtains, and I've started taking brief afternoon naps in there - these can be quite restorative.

Does anyone have any other sleep-related tips? I'm thinking about trying a low dose of melatonin, but I've heard it can cause vivid dreams in some people and mine are already pretty vivid. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated. I really feel as though sleep is a key piece of the puzzle in PCS recovery.