I used melatonin with some success but mostly I tried not to worry about it. When i would wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning I would get up and try not to disturb others. Since my PCS happened after my kids were grown it is much less an issue than if you have them.

Since I am RTW a night of little sleep definitely messes with me I try to take it in stride. It does aggravate my moodiness something fierce.

Right Mamabear

You just have to find what works and I knwo that sometimes, nothing works for me. The main thing for me is not to get upset or stress about the lack of sleep.

The magnesium -- I am not sure that is working so well as it did the first night, but oh well.....

Here's hoping your well

Poetrymom

What constitutes insomnia?

I find I have trouble falling asleep about an hour or so and then I wake up at like 4 or 5 in the morning then spend another half hour falling asleep then I wake up at like 7 or 8 in the morning ..still tired.

I've taking GABA which has really made a difference and my headaches feel better.

I don't know the medical defintion of it, but for me, it is chronically waking up too early and not getting back to sleep.

Even though I take Gaba, I still wake up at 3 or 2 or 4 AM and sometimes am just awake.

Stress from my job can give me sleeplessness too.

I don't have an answer to how to get rid of insomnia, manage work stress (except that I am not at my job right now) or if my sleep problems are from PCS or not. I think not so much... I was sleeping better a month ago when I was tired all the time, but that was horrible.

Blue, sounds like you have interrupted sleep.

Sleep is such a wonderful thing.

Hope you find enough of it tonight.

This is the WebMD overview of Insomnia.

I get it; I have it; I am able to fall right to sleep; then its 1.5 hours later, 2 hours later , 3, 4 , 5 hours later, I will have to get up - for any reason.

Reasons: - startling awake from some noise inside me; I know I had a scare-mare but have no idea what; choking feeling; world drops out feeling; world shifts like I will be swept from the bed feeling; slamming feeling with a severe headache on waking feeling, many many different problems that wake me; and headaches usually stay with me.

Also, sometimes the whirling feelings , unsteadiness hangs around, either visually or the world upset inside my body feeling; or the Nausea predecessor to the headaches hangs on for hours.

I understand you;

Best Wishes..............

Not sure if this is helpful or relevant to this situation since we're dealing with injuries, but it's something comforting I think of when I can't sleep (apart from Bing Crosby singing me lullabies )

There was a study that I remember reading in linguistics at college that talked about cross-cultural sleep patterns and how the solid 8 hours we venerate in the West is both a new and potentially unrealistic ideal for some people. There have been a few more recent studies, too.

Apparently, they studied hunter-gatherer groups to try and get a sense for how our ancestors might have slept, and noticed that folks slept about 4 hours at a time with a little break of wakefulness in between-- something called bi-modal sleep. The theory is that it meant one person or another in the group was awake at all times during the night and could keep an eye or ear out.

What they say is that sometimes when people wake up in the middle of the night, they keep themselves up by worrying about how they're not getting a good night's sleep. If instead they say to themselves, this is normal and human and the way we've slept for thousands and thousands of years and I am simply in touch with that, and spend a little time doing something relaxing, they can still get a good night's sleep even with a break in between cycles.

It's just something my little nerdy self finds cozy and comforting-- when I wake up in the middle of the night, instead of thinking i'm doing it wrong, i can think about my ancestors sleeping under the stars and connect with that idea

Hi Dancing,

What a great thought and idea too. I more or less am at peace with the wakefulness I get from time to time. I know it's part of who I am.

Thanks for your post.

Poetrymom

Good to hear! Until I heard about those studies I'd lie awake going

"5 hours and 37 minutes until I have to get up for work, boo.

3 hours until I have to get up for work, tomorrow will be terrible.

gah i shall never sleep and will turn into a zombie...

braaaainnnsss..."

XD