I can accept aging conceptually. I’m 64 and I don’t expect to feel 34.
But sleep disorders are just kicking my ass.
Do any of you of similar age experience this? How do you deal?
Well your doctor can refer you to a sleep lab - maybe you have apnea. If you go, they’ll tell you that you do.
I’m a terrible sleeper. Maybe I go to bed at 2-3A and up at 8A. Sometimes I nap in the middle of the day but caffeine gets me through.
The better half used to say I would constantly wake through the night, snore but sometimes stop breathing too - hence she made me go to the sleep dr. Not sure if that’s your issue.
Other things - drink more water, less caffeine…some take things like melatonin…who knows. My better half wears an eye mask, turns off the tv at 9p and then reads with some yellow glasses - to get her sleep ready. Frankly it’s over kill but works for her.
Bio identical hormones. In particular, progesterone before bed. Melatonin, but not mixed with random stuff, pure, and I have titrated the dosage to figure out exactly how much I need, because everyone is different.
Sleep apnea was ruled out. I just cannot turn off my brain. I might go to sleep, but I’ll always wake up-maybe midnight or 3 am. And that’s it.
There have been times I’ve canceled social obligations because I maybe slept one or two hours and I just cannot imagine being engaged in any meaningful way. I’ve tried melatonin, I’ve gotten a “non addictive” sleeping pill. The dose is 1-2 tablets per night. If I take 1, I still wake up around 1 or 2 or 3 am. If I take 2, I sleep the whole night but am groggy half the day.
I know people have it worse in so many other ways. I’m just cranky today because, sigh, no sleep last night.
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I had that issue. One thing that helped me (not a cure-all) is to set my alarm to wake up the same time every day. I had fallen into a pattern of letting myself sleep in if I was up till 3AM or so. The consistency of getting up the same time has helped me.
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I wouldn’t recommend a long-term use of Melatonin as a sleep aid. An article in The American Heart Association Journal has found a “long-term melatonin supplementation in insomnia was associated with an 89% higher hazard of incident heart failure, a three-fold increase in HF-related hospitalizations, and a doubling of all-cause mortality over 5 years. These findings challenge the perception of melatonin as a benign chronic therapy…”
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I’m shocked. I don’t know anyone who was tested that wasn’t told they had. I’m sure many don’t but Dr. like to say, of course, you do.
Could it be hunger? Have you spoken to other physicians about it? I know some can’t sleep 8 hours (myself included) but it sounds like you’re barely sleeping at all.
Maybe diet, exercise could help? But sounds to me like a doctor might be best to work with you on this.
Wow, disturbing. I haven’t taken it long term because it just didn’t work for me after the first month or so.
Just reading this made me get very emotional. Yes, sometimes this is the case. And it’s physically and spiritually draining. I’m feeling like I did when I had newborns. You know, that DESPERATE for a full night’s sleep need that doesn’t happen until they’re a few months old.
But then I’ll have a few months of relief, where I do fine. It’s frustrating. I think this is very common among seniors. Hormones, body chemistry changing, whatever. I’m not the first.
My H can fall alseep in an instant. Anywhere, anytime. Grrr..
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Are they over the counter or prescription?
Just going to say what works for me at almost 70 yrs old. Start to go to bed at 10 PM and naturally wake up about 7:30AM. One cup of coffee in the AM. No alcohol. Walk 4 miles a day usually in the winter starting at about 2 PM when it is the warmest. A long hot shower at night and the bedroom is set at 62 degrees. Read on my iPad in bed (I know screen time at night is not recommended) until I feel sleepy. Then put it down and go to sleep. H used to snore terribly until he retired. Now none. He does not read an iPad, just goes to sleep.
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Sometimes I wonder if it’s in the head - like you know you haven’t slept so you sort of force yourself up. I am like this. I don’t need alarms. If i have an early morning flight and need to wait up at 5A, I’m up at 3A, 3:30A, etc.
My issues are in part - self inflicted - i watch tv to the wee hours, sometimes falling asleep. And i drink too much - so i always need the bathroom which wakes you up.
If a medical doctor hasn’t worked, how about a psychologist - if you think part is in your head.
I do think, when we fall into a pattern, our minds might sustain that pattern - i.e. you’ve made it so you don’t know how to overcome it - not just physically but perhaps emotionally.
One thing that has significantly impacted my sleep quality in recent years is alcohol consumption. Although a single glass of wine at dinner used to be an occasional treat, it consistently resulted in fragmented, poor sleep, typically causing me to wake up around 3 a.m. and making it difficult to fall back asleep. Even a small amount had this effect, so I now completely abstain from alcohol. Limiting caffeine sources like coffee and tea, and chocolate, after mid-day also helps manage my sleep cycle.
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If you can fall asleep but then wake up and cannot go back to sleep , that is my pattern when I am having thyroid problems. It was my only symptom.
I would recommend a thorough thyroid evaluation — not just the TSH. And my endocrinologist used a more forgiving range to determine I was hypothyroid than the typical range and it made all the difference to me.
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When I was going through menopause I was having a horrible time sleeping - trouble falling asleep, waking up a bunch, and waking up too early. I ended up doing an online pilot program through the Cleveland Clinic that my MD recommended that resets your sleep habits. It was life changing for me. It was a combo of stress reduction, better sleep “hygiene”, and understanding what “normal” sleep looks like as we age.
Looks like the program has evolved into something else now and that they have a free app.
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Thank you very much for this.
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I’ve wondered about this. My mother had thyroid issues, and D1 has Graves. D2 was just told she may have issues, but my blood work has always been “normal” for thyroid issues. But I’ve read repeatedly that “normal” isn’t always borne out in terms of how people are affected.
When I tell my husband I didn’t sleep, he’ll say “well, what are you worrying about?” I’ll say “I’m worrying that I can’t sleep!”
I think you are right. It can be a thing that builds upon itself. I wake up at 1 and think “Crap! Now I’m sunk!” Whereas my husband will wake up, go to the bathroom, sigh, and fall happily back to sleep. It’s highly mental, I think.
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That is part of the cognitive retraining of the cleveland clinic program because you can be inadvertently training your body to wake up if it becomes a habit.
What was so good for me was that they gave me relaxation tools and exercises to quiet my mind so that I was able to go back to sleep quickly.
What was hard, but worked was not going to bed for anything but sleep - so no reading or watching tv in bed, and not going to sleep until I was really tired and ready for bed. Also no clocks or phones by the bedside so you can’t check the time.
They also gave good information about timing of food, caffeine, alcohol, exercise and how that all impacts sleep.
I still use the tools I learned years later if I’m having a bad night.
PS. Those things aren’t forever, just until you e retrained your sleep pattern.
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You may want to schedule a consultation with an endocrinologist and/or an online provider that only does thyroid issues. I have used Paloma health and been happy with them.
It was life changing for me. And the sleep was my only issue . Could fall asleep just fine but once awake at 1 or 2 am I couldn’t get back to sleep.
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