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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
Is it the change of seasons? Is it hormonal? I am having the worst time sleeping. I wake up at midnight and 1:30 or 2:00, and I have to take any Sonata before 2:15, as I have to be up in exactly four hours from that.
So I've been waking up and lying restless for an hour or more, and then I take the d*mn pill. This has been going on since my big birthday bash. I slept great for three days following it, and now I'm back on this bad pattern.
I know it will change, but I am sooooo depressed. I am really tired, even though I'm getting seven to nine hours of sleep (I go to bed early and fall asleep with relative ease).
I feel like crap, and I don't know how I keep falling back into the two a.m. pattern. If I can make it until three or three-thirty, I am fine. What is it about two!?
(I go to bed between 9 and 10, but usually 9:30, and I wake up to tinkle at midnight, and then I have a bad or vivid dream and wake up an hour or so later, unable to return to sleep.)
Help me, Rhonda! Or anyone!
beardy
Posted by IsoM on October 21, 2002, at 15:18:21
In reply to insomnia, posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
Ta da, again! Or maybe I should say, ta d'uh!
What would happen if you went to bed later - between 10-11 instead? Would you be that much more tired & sleep through the nasty 2 AM waking? How about drinking lots & lots early in the day so you don't need to drink so much in the evening & don't need the midnight pee along with a slightly later bed time? When it returns to normal, you can switch your bed time back to 9:30.
If you still want to go to bed at 9:30 badly, how about taking a Sonata when you get up for your pee? How about a rubber mallet on your bedside table & get Marty to apply it to you around 2 AM every night?
Does music or any noise bother Marty? Does soft music of your liking relax you & help with sleep? Maybe putting on a bit of music when you come back to bed at midnight to see if it'll stop the bad dreams? A small glass of warm milk after the pee?
It's a list of diff things I would try (outside of the mallet) to see what worked for me.
Posted by Robin David John on October 21, 2002, at 15:57:04
In reply to insomnia, posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
Hey Little sis ..still havin problems sleeping ..Now then ..take a nice hot bath with lots of bubbles ..make sure you form cartoon characters with the bubbles ...at the same time drink a mug of hot milk ..gotta be hot ..just like hot chocolate ( but not hot chocolate) there is a reaction to hot milk and the nervous system and this will settle down your nerves through out your body and relax you at the same time ...when you wake up you should feel good ..make sure you make it too bed though ..K ...(^; maybe a walk at night before the bath , pushing the pace a little..this will get all those unwanted acids out of your legs ..
Thanks for you input on the poll in administation , I guess the way it all ends is different strokes for different folks
Take my advise as above and let me know how it worked ..it works for me ..can make lots of pappa smirfs with those bubbles too
Robin
Posted by Mal on October 21, 2002, at 16:00:12
In reply to insomnia, posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
Beardy, your story sounds like my husband. Only when he has had a rough night without sleep, he gets home and falls asleep early (7 or 8 pm) and sleeps till midnight or so, then he's all messed up again! I have tried to get him to tough it out and stay up later, but he doesn't listen... I'm rolling my eyes...
But I think your problem may be related to the stress you are under concerning the danger in the DC area. You are worried, with reason. Maybe after this is cleared up you'll sleep like a log. I hope soon!!
Take care, MAL
Posted by Dinah on October 21, 2002, at 18:15:40
In reply to insomnia, posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
I do have empathy, although no solution. For me it's 3-6 (although it adjusts for daylight savings time). I try meditation, which sometimes works (often actually). Barring that I take another Klonopin, or decide to get up and do some work.
I think I've been told it's better to get up and try to do something than to lie and think about sleep.
Sorry, I do hope it gets back to where you were soon. Maybe it does have something to do with the sniper stress.
Dinah
Posted by judy1 on October 21, 2002, at 19:22:17
In reply to insomnia, posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 14:21:04
I have to agree with Mal and Dinah-that this is related to the sniper disaster in DC. Obviously you are traumatized, who wouldn't be?, and insomnia is often a first sign of stress. I agree with something longer acting like ativan (7-8 hours) will do the trick temporarily, at least until they catch the criminal(s)- and then hopefully this all will resolve. take care, judy
Posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 19:50:49
In reply to Re: insomnia » BeardedLady, posted by judy1 on October 21, 2002, at 19:22:17
Lots of ideas here, of course, and all of us insomniacs have been through them.
I take baths every night, but warm milk doesn't do it for me. First, my problem isn't falling asleep; it's staying asleep. And the milk would make me pee.
I drink water all day, but I stop at 6:30 or 7:00. I do, however, drink a beer almost every night, so tonight I will do without. That surely wakes one up when the depressant wears off. I have always been a night pee-er, though.
I could go to bed later, but I have sleep panic right now. After a few good nights of sleep, I will stretch it again. I'm too scared.
Dinah, great advice about the meditation. I used to have a mantra that worked so well for me. I will definitely do that again. My pdoc says the experts are split between getting up and doing something quiet (which really includes ONLY needlework and reading!) and staying in bed as still as possible. I don't usually have luck with the getting up, but I have gotten up after not being able to fall asleep, taken a bath, and gone straight to sleep. Maybe a 2:00 a.m. bath?
I don't think the sniper is a huge concern for me, as I live far from the action, so to speak. But I have to say that I fear he will more north now, since he has surprised everyone by moving so far south. I am more upset that a family here--two sets of twins (8 and 10) and an older child (16?) and a mother were burned to death in their home by a drug dealer because they mother reported him numerous times. I don't think the city did its job to protect these people. The father is severely burned and has lost his whole family. Who would want to live?
I called my therapist. He says that it's obvious mosaic projects are not enough. I have to write. And I've been having a bad writers' block for a few months, now. So I started a poem (something atypically political--about the sniper and the war and the oil execs), and we'll see if that works.
I'm rambling. Sorry.
And thanks again, y'all!
beardy
Posted by Dinah on October 21, 2002, at 20:18:01
In reply to Golly osh! Thank you! To all..., posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 19:50:49
A 2 am bath sounds like a good idea. Sometimes when I'm buzzing so that I think I'll never sleep, and meditation doesn't work, I'll decide to get a jump on the next morning by taking a bath. I take something to read, but often fall asleep in the tub. Fortunately I am an old hand at bathtub sleeping (have I ever told you about my old bathing injury) and no one in my family particularly worries. So I'll sleep there until the water cools then stumble to bed. I try not to do it too often though because it really does aggravate that old injury.
Posted by Rach on October 21, 2002, at 20:21:09
In reply to Golly osh! Thank you! To all..., posted by BeardedLady on October 21, 2002, at 19:50:49
Hi beardy,
one thing I have that helps me to fall asleep is a hypnosis tape. I actually have a couple with different hypnosis goals (for example, a tape to help lose weight, a tape to lift energy levels...)
It doesn't matter what the tape is about, I put it in my walkman, and listen to the tape in bed. This gives me something to concentrate on (so my thoughts don't run away from me), blocks out any background noise, and lets me relax.
I know you have trouble staying asleep, but maybe you could try this for when you do wake up and lie awake for an hour before popping the pill. Usually the tapes only go for 30mins (although I often find myself falling asleep before then so I turn it off earlier and drift off). Even if it doesn't help, you haven't spent a lot of time tossing & turning, and can still take the pill if you like.
If nothing else, it may give you a laugh to listen to the toffee voice spouting on about the cell magnetism in your body. :)
Posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 6:55:47
In reply to Another thing..., posted by Rach on October 21, 2002, at 20:21:09
I had tried all day to write a poem, and it was so bad that when Marty read it, he didn't even know what to say! So I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.
I woke up at 12:30, went to the bathroom, went back to bed, and had a dream that my parents were kidnapping me and my sister, and I was calling 911 while they were loading the car. My mom came in and caught me, and she tried to stab me, and I ended up stabbing her repeatedly all over her face, even cutting her eye in half.
I woke up thinking it was late, but I didn't look at the clock and instead might have fallen asleep, but my daughter lost her buddies and came in my room at 2:15, at which time I went in the guest room and took a sleeping pill.
Then I had a dream that my mom found the serial sniper outside, and he was an eight-year-old boy with crazy eyes. She determined he had rabies, and we were all bummed out because we had to all get rabies shots, and he got off from all the killings because the rabies made him do it.
So I guess the sniper thing might have some merit. We don't know what bothers us sometimes.
When I was robbed at gunpoint, I slept like a rock for months afterward! After 9/11, I was an irritated sleeper for a few weeks.
I told myself before bed last night that I would not wake up after my dream and that I would sleep til 3:30. I am usually able to control that, but this time I failed. I seem to be "winning" in my dreams, but they are still crappy dreams!
Tonight will be the night I tough it out, as I don't have any major plans for tomorrow and can be lazy if I want.
beardy
Posted by NikkiT2 on October 22, 2002, at 8:37:42
In reply to ANOTHER SP NIGHT, ANOTHER AM SHOOTING!, posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 6:55:47
Good luck with your sleeping tonight.
No words of wisdom as I'm a reccurent insomniac and not much seems to help. Hot milk did for a bit, but on my diet now I can't have milk (and hot skimmed milk - eurgh!)
Baths tend to make me sleepy, but our bathroom is off the bedroom so can't have one at night else I'll wake his lordship...
Let us know how you get on with a new routine
nikki
Posted by Tabßitha on October 22, 2002, at 12:43:07
In reply to ANOTHER SP NIGHT, ANOTHER AM SHOOTING!, posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 6:55:47
Beardy, I wonder, you sailed thru the robbery for the most part, but now this. Could it be the sniper news is triggering some kind of post-traumatic stress reaction in you?
Posted by judy1 on October 22, 2002, at 13:06:12
In reply to ANOTHER SP NIGHT, ANOTHER AM SHOOTING!, posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 6:55:47
I really have to agree with Tabitha, you have been through a lot lately and with your latest dream- it's pretty obvious that you are being deeply affected by the latest horrible events. I guess as a victim of ptsd myself, all I can do is stress therapy (traditional interpersonal) to try and work out your current fears which are triggering the past ones. And perhaps temporarily taking a long-acting benzo like klonopin? will help you deal with the stress before it hits you at night. take care, judy
Posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 13:31:11
In reply to PTSD » BeardedLady, posted by judy1 on October 22, 2002, at 13:06:12
Could be the sniper has triggered this reaction in me. I have been having trouble sleeping since just before my birthday, though I've had great nights mixed in until last Wednesday.
It's just a spell, but it truly has been troubling me. I even didn't exercise this morning because it's really dark and surrounded by woods. I was a little frightened to be there on Monday morning.
So maybe. I don't think it has to do so much with my robbery, but you never know. You really never do know.
Thanks for the good thoughts.
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 14:44:31
In reply to Re: ANOTHER SP NIGHT, ANOTHER AM SHOOTING!, posted by Tabßitha on October 22, 2002, at 12:43:07
...I got a little tear and was momentarily choked up, so maybe you're right. Still, I'm thirty-five miles from where it's been happening; that's not exactly in the thick of it. But news coverage is constant.
Thanks for your concern!
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on October 23, 2002, at 6:59:17
In reply to When I read your post... » Tabßitha, posted by BeardedLady on October 22, 2002, at 14:44:31
I have no right to complain. I woke up at two, tried to fall back to sleep for one hour, took a sleeping pill, and managed eight hours anyway.
Still, it's been a whole week that I have been unable to fall back to sleep at 2:00. I have to reset that clock, but it seems that no matter what time I go to bed, I wake exactly four hours later. Or at 2:00, whichever comes first. I didn't even have any dreams that I remember, so....
Thanks for all of your kind words and support. I do know (I think) that my sleep will get back to normal very soon. I suppose it will happen sooner with a pdoc visit or a therapist visit; I just have to find a way to get there without my daughter. I'm too weepy there when I'm frustrated and don't want her to here.
Any volunteer babysitters? Oh, yeah. She can't quite read yet. Never mind!
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on October 24, 2002, at 10:51:40
In reply to UGH!, posted by BeardedLady on October 23, 2002, at 6:59:17
perhaps I was "too strong" dealing with the robbery.
beardy
Posted by Gracie2 on October 25, 2002, at 15:31:38
In reply to UGH!, posted by BeardedLady on October 23, 2002, at 6:59:17
Beardy-
I've probably suggested this before, I'm the Seroquel poster girl. But I can relate so strongly to your insomnia and my life is so different now, I can't help recommending that you discuss Seroquel with your doctor.
In the past, some posters have reacted strongly to my suggestion of Seroquel, so let me get this out of the way; it's an anti-psychotic that I take for treatment of bipolar symptoms, not specifically for sleep problems. But chronic insomnia has been such a large, terrible part of my life for so many years that I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never sleep like a normal person.
With Seroquel, I sleep at night and wake up in the morning without feeling like I was run over by a truck. I do not have to increase the dosage for it to remain effective, even after 2 years.
Prehaps a low dosage, like 25 mg, would help you
(I take 400 mg a night). It's certainly worth talking to your psychiatrist about - I'm not sure that most GPs are familiar enough with the effects
of psychiatric drugs.
-Gracie
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