Sleepless in N.Y- help for an insomniac

Parent Cafe
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<p>Although I am new to CC, I visit the site frequently for information and advice which i think is quite valuable. My problem is INSOMNIA! I can not sleep. After everyone else at home is in bed and happily snoring away (Hubby), I am struggling, tossing and turning in bed, getting up and visiting the bathroom or the fridge regularly. Finally at about 3:00 A.M or so I fall asleep. However i have to be up by 7:00 A.M for work and other chores (early morning hours are by far the best for my sleep).
Of course I am stressed out like everyone else (have a S who is applying to college this year and older S who is a junior in college, going through menopause etc. etc.). I have tried lots of things to help: warm milk, reading, Tyelenol P.M, glass (es) of wine, but without effect. I am not interested in sleep aids such as ambien or lunesta.
I would appreciate any suggestions or advice.</p>

<p>P.S You can see why I am posting at such an un Godly hour!</p>

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<p>run 5 miles every night, take a shower, then sleep</p>

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<p>I used to run PKswmr. But, now I walk. I have had arthroscopic surgery in one knee for a torn cartilage recently. Thanks for your advice anyway.</p>

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<p>Hang out on line, make sleepless friends, avoid alcohol, live through menopause, hang on 'till all apps are in! (use more make-up)</p>

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<p>Just accept that you have insomnia. Watch a good movie over some ice cream.</p>

<p>It’s only 2 in the morning, eastern time. That’s not ungodly. Amateurs. I’ve actually stayed up through the night, twice, in a row. Just because I didn’t feel like sleeping.</p>

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<p>^ You mean godly?</p>

<p>I suggest just laying down on bed watching a long series of television shows. Works for me.</p>

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<p>I feel your pain. I’ve inherired my mom’s genes, and as soon as I approached a certain age, the insomnia started! Are you tossing and turning with worries about something out of your control? I found that taking valerian root occsionally helps me to calm my nerves. Also, I discovered that I can not have any caffeine after 3-4 pm, otherwise I do not fall asleep easily. Check if avoiding foods with caffeine helps you (you will be surprised where caffeine can hide :)). As I’m typing it, hub is snoring near a fireplace…</p>

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<p>I went through the exact same thing a few years ago. Here’s what helped:</p>

<ol>
<li> Avoid caffeine after lunch. Any kind.</li>
<li> Relax before going to sleep. Such as reading a good book.</li>
<li> Wear ear plugs to drown out the snoring. I even wear them now when hubby isn’t home.</li>
<li> Relax and enjoy the quiet time until the menopause has settled down.<br></li>
</ol>

<p>I still occasionally don’t sleep as well, but it HAS gotten better.</p>

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<p>I’ve heard that computer screens keep you awake, so maybe avoid going online for an hour or so before bed. Take that time, as others have said, to try to relax. The most common advice I’ve heard is to make sure your bed is your place for sleeping. Don’t hang out in bed to watch TV or read during the day. Do that in your living room or somewhere else. Train your body and mind that when you go to your bed, it means it’s time to sleep. I think it’s easy to get into an insomnia rut; you expect that you won’t be able to sleep, so you can’t sleep.</p>

<p>Futurestudent, average adults simply cannot function if they’re regularly getting 4 hours of sleep a night or less, night after night. It’s just not enough sleep for your body.</p>

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<p>Some people fall asleep watching tv. I find it way too stimulating. Reading before bed is better for me. Benadryl can be helpful, Keep a pad of paper nearby and write don anything you’re worried about. Tell yourself you can continue worrying about it in the morning. A little dessert at night is ok, but a bunch of chocolate is not a good idea.</p>

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<p>I have the same problem as the OP.</p>

<p>I use bethievt’s pad of paper idea when I think that being worried about something is keeping me awake. But there are plenty of nights when I have trouble sleeping even though I’m not worried about anything in particular.</p>

<p>I think it’s probably menopause, and there isn’t a whole lot that we can do about that.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for your suggestions and opinions. I will certainly try to change a few things in my daily routine, such as not having caffeine past a certain time and not being in front of a computer screen late at night.</p>

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<p>On winter nights, I find that drinking something hot/warm/decaffeinated before bedtime helps - apple cider, tea, etc.</p>

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<p>Also, H has had a “Sleepmate” (it’s a sound machine from JC Penneys catalogue) for many years, and it works as far as keeping noise out.</p>

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<p>I read a study recently about this but can’t find it. But this article seems to cover most of the study I read. [Why</a> You Should Say NO to Nightlights (& Other Top Recommendations to Sleep Well)](<a href=“http://www.bodyecology.com/07/01/11/nightlights_recommendations_sleep_well.php]Why”>Why You Should Say NO to Nightlights (& Other Top Recommendations to Sleep Well))</p>

<p>Also Dr. Peter Gott, newspaper doctor, suggests taking Melatonin: [Daily</a> Herald | Melatonin can help insomnia](<a href=“Story a good lesson about humanity”>Story a good lesson about humanity). My husband has problems getting to sleep and staying asleep so he asked his doctor and was told to try it at a low dose. It took about 2 weeks to really notice a difference, but he’s sleeping better. He still occasionally wakes up about 3 am and can’t get back to sleep, but maybe once a week as opposed to several times a week. There’s some information here: [Melatonin</a> – familydoctor.org](<a href=“http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/258.html]Melatonin”>http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/258.html)</p>

<p>Keeping a fan running or a noise machine can help too. I’ve read that wine will help you go to sleep but may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.</p>

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<p>One thing that I’ve read is to stop tossing and turning. If you can’t fall asleep for more than 10 minutes, get up! They say that your brain begins to associate your bed with an uncomfortable situation, and that makes it harder to go to sleep. Don’t go back to bed until you’re really feeling sleepy. That will help retrain your brain that bed is a pleasant place to be.</p>

<p>And if it is menopausal or perimenopausal, one thing that worked for me is a black cohosh & soy supplement that I took right before bed. It helped reduce the symptoms.</p>

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<p>I would suggest eliminating all caffeine and chocolate for 3 months. Some of us are slow metabolizers of caffeine, and chocolate has some caffeine-like substances. That one cup (which is probably a mug and equiv to 2-3 cups) in the AM may still be circulating and having an effect at midnight. And with age, the way we metobolize things . It can take up to 3 mos to realize the full effects of caffeine. That’s no coffee, no tea, no soda’s with caffeine. Caffeine free is OK. Decaf can have up to 3% caffeine, but that’s usually OK, unless you drink 10 cups of it a day. Make sure any green tea or herbal teas are clearly caffeine free. If you can’t tell, don’t drink it. </p>

<p>Don’t nap, it will make things worse. Don’t let yourself fall asleep on the sofa, thinking its better than nothing. If it is not during the hours you usually sleep, it will work against your falling asleep at night. </p>

<p>Most sleep experts say not to read or watch TV in bed. If it really helps you to sleep, OK. But for someone struggling to sleep, use your bed only to sleep. If you are not tired or not sleepy, don;t watch TV in bed. Get out of bed to watch TV, write letters, surf the net, etc. Then when you feel tired, try to lay down in bed to sleep. If you can’t sleep i a certain amount of time, get out of bed. If you fall asleep, then wake up and are not sleepy, don’t stay in bed tossing and turning. Get out of bed, do a task, read, watch TV, then get back in bed and try again. Control light and sound in such a way that it does not interfere with getting/staying asleep.</p>

<p>Some folks have luck with Aluna, an OTC herbal prep with valarean and hops. Some try melatonin. </p>

<p>I am against prescribing sleep aids, but I do find the new Rozeram interesting. It is a melatonin receptor agonist–it fires the same receptors in the brain that melatonin does, but it is not melatonin. It is taken every night for a few weeks, and it helps reset sleep rhythms. Then it is just taken here and there as needed. But many try it for 2-3 nights and stop when it doesn’t work. It helps correct an imbalance, it is not “sleep” in a bottle. But any prescription would be after everything else fails, and when lack of sleep is truly interfering with ones ability to function. </p>

<p>If flushes are waking you, sleep in 100% cotton. Even if you love to cover with a comforter in the summer, get used to just a sheet. OK if your in a cold climate, in the winter use a light blanket that breathes. Use 100% cvotton sheets, and no polyester on the mattress pad under the sheets. Keep a ceiling fan on, and keep air moving/circulating in the room.</p>

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<p>I had trouble with sleeping a few years back, and quickly got dependent on sleep aids like tylenol pm or goody’s nitetime. I had never stepped foot in a health food store before this, but on advice from a trusted friend, I went to one, consulted with them and decided on trying “kava kava”, and within a couple of days (or should I say nights) was sleeping like a baby!</p>

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<p>“^ You mean godly?”</p>

<p>No, I mean ungodly.</p>

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<p>ranima - find a good naturopath or herbalist in your area. I used to have the same issue - not getting to sleep until 3AM and then having to get up and be exhausted all day. No matter how tired I was I still could not go to sleep.</p>

<p>You can spend a lot of money trying different products - the most cost effective method is to find a good herbalist or naturopath who can help you support your body and find out what is causing the sleeplessness. Remember hormones also support your stress level and when you go through menopause ALL your hormones (even those produced by your adrenal glands) will be affected.</p>

<p>I could tell you what products worked for me - but that does not mean they will work for you. I found my sleep deepened and my anxiety levels went back to normal after taking Bio-D-Mulsion Forte. This does not mean that it will work for you.</p>