Insomnia?

[Arleta]

Just wondering if others are dealing with insomnia... I finally went to a neurologist about a year ago, in part to get help with insomnia and in part for help with pain---heels, leg, and back. I have not had much success with relief from the insomnia. It usually takes me a couple of hours to get to sleep. I've been on amitriptyline and gabapentin, which help some for pain, but not much with insomnia. Any ideas?

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[Pete]

Hi Arieta,

How much prednisone are you taking? Sleeplessness is a side effect at higher doses.

You may also want to consider taking 1-3 mg of melatonin about an hour before bedtime. You can buy it OTC at a drugstore.

Check with your doc about this symptom and about taking sleep aids.

Good luck!

[annekat]

The melatonin usually works pretty well for me, as Pete suggested. I was taking 1/4 of a 3mg. pill for awhile, then 1/2, now the whole 3mg. pill. At first I'd wake up feeling groggy, but that doesn't seem to be a problem anymore. I don't plan to go any higher than the 3mg. It seems pretty safe at that level, and is supposed to be something the body manufactures on its own. Maybe someone knows more than I do about it.

[Arleta]

I'm not taking any prednisone any more. I take Imuran and Cymbalta---for joint pain. I also take 3 MG of melatonin every night about 30 minutes before bedtime....

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[annekat]

I'm not taking any prednisone any more. I take Imuran and Cymbalta---for joint pain. I also take 3 MG of melatonin every night about 30 minutes before bedtime....

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk You do the melatonin just like I do. If there are things on my mind, or whatever, it might not always work so well. I try not to watch much TV, or anything too sensational, right before bed. Sometimes I do crossword puzzles to get sleepy. I'm sure you've thought of all that. Maybe 30 years ago, I took amitriptyline, which you mentioned, for a few years, for trigeminal neuralgia, a type of nerve pain in the face. I found it to make me drowsy and think it helped me sleep. But everyone is different. Maybe you need something more heavy-duty. I wish you luck, as not sleeping is one of the worst things.

[Alias]

Lack of sleep makes everything worse, for sure, lowering your tolerance for other symptoms. Hypnotics like Ambien do work for some, but I've read they should not be used on a long term basis. I have a prescription but use it sparingly. Also, there was a study recently suggesting that good sleep hygiene habits and some cognitive behavioral exercises were at least as effective as drugs. (The study was mentioned in the New York Times but I can't find a link at the moment.) I haven't tried melatonin.

[Arleta]

I try to be very careful about evening activities...restful and not stimulating, avoid screen time for the hour before bed time, no caffeine, no naps during the day, etc.....

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[cjhnsn29]

I also have insomnia and take Ambien. It does help but when you are in pain it tends to not work as good... They gave me xanax to use in some situations so I am not taking Ambien everyday. So I rotate.

[drz]

Early in my treatment when I was revved up with high amounts of steroids, I got some Ambien one night to try quiet me down so I could get some sleep. My family had requested I not get a stronger med like Seroquel which medical staff recommended. The Ambien caused the worst nightmares and delusions I have ever experienced and a total lack of sleep. After ward I got the Seroquel and it seemed to help me get some rest and reduced my anxiety too.

[Dirty Don]

I like/use Xanax for relaxation & sleep. Works well, can be addictive.

[Jason R]

Exercise if you can...otherwise pick your poison... Xanax, Ativan, Ambien, Lunesta, Marijuana if it's legal in your state..try them all until you find one that works well for you. Lack of sleep can have many negative impacts on your health. Once you find something that works you may find that you can go without it for a bit...

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[yassine]

See your doctor, there's quite a bit that can help, but don't accept sleeping pills as a solution (because they're not they just relieve the symptoms)


Also some things that can help, the main one is sleep hygiene:


- stick to the same bed time and getting up time even at the weekend, your body clock getting out of synch is a common cause of insomnia or onset insomnia (http://sleep-land.com/sleep-onset-insomnia/), it's like jet lag, but caused by sleeping in late and going to bed late at the weekend, then being unable to sleep at the right time during the week. the cure is to keep the same bedtime for all 7 days
- avoiding daytime sleeping helps many people, although others can catch up with sleep during the day and still sleep well at night. others find that daytime sleeping makes nighttime insomnia worse
- don't have screen time late at night, read a good (but not heavy or upsetting) book, something lighthearted but a little bit boring
- have a bath before bed, some herbs like lavender relax you and encourage sleep, and have a bedtime routine to give your brain the message that it's time to switch off now
- avoid any caffeinated drinks after 5pm, or even better give up caffeine altogether
- get plenty of exercise and activity during the day, but not in the 3 hrs before bed time
- get plenty of sunlight during the day, and dim the lights in the evening (bright enough to read your book by, but not much brighter than that)
- eat regular meals and don't eat too late in the evening. Lack of carbohydrate during the day or erratic eating habits can make insomnia worse
- sleep in a very dark room, and avoid noise pollution as much as possible. close the windows to shut out noise from traffic, neighbours etc
- find time to relax during the day, take study breaks etc
- if something is bothering you and making you feel stressed, *don't* bottle it up, talk about it and get it off your chest
- if you're feeling generally stressed (e.g. because of exams etc) do regular exercise to relieve the stress and also take time to relax, have fun, and talk about how you feel with people you trust
- visualise happy and relaxing things when you go to bed, e.g. relaxing on a beach somewhere nice




If the lack of sleep comes from psychological issues or started after a traumatic event, then counselling may help. Or if the worries/issues that are keeping you awake are something that you can't discuss with close friends or family, for whatever reason.


If the above measures don't help, or if you think you need counselling, see a doctor.


BTW I've had serious insomnia problems, even sleeping pills didn't work on me (I don't recommend them at all, although they may help some people *in the short term only*) the above things help somewhat, but what's helped me the most is counselling, But what helps depends on the cause so try all the above points and if they don't help see your doc :love:

[Arleta]

Thank you for your response! Unfortunately, these are things I have been doing for years with no help. I've also been under a doctor's care for several years, had a sleep study done, etc. Fortunately, I am now retired, so I can get more rest. I am resigned, pretty much, to live with it and get as much rest as I can.

[Masha]

Arleta,
I think what you are experiencing is common with people in the silver generation. My insomnia is caused by the prednisone. I once received some advice (this was pre prednisone). When you can’t sleep get up and read the most boring thing you can find. You may have to do this a few times during the night.
When I was newly married to my husband, who sometimes talks in a monotone, I would ask him to tell me about the technical part of his business. It wasn’t for many years that I confessed he was putting me to sleep. We laugh about it now.
I know you have tried everything mentioned. Here is one more. There are sleep recordings out there. Some are just music, others talking. Also, I have never had acupuncture, but you might want to check into that.
I have also heard that eating a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat before sleep helps.
I know many seniors whose lights are on at all hours. My husband must be up four times a night. Our dogs think 2 am is playtime.
Sometimes not listening to others tell you what normal sleep times are and going along with your own body clock is the best thing. You are retired. If you stay up until 3 am and sleep until noon, that’s OK. Pull your phone plug out, so it doesn’t wake you at 9
Masha

[Arleta]

Thanks, Masha!

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[Pete]

Don’t know if this will help...

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhealth.clevelandclinic.org%2 Fsleeping-less-age-9-best-tips-tackle-insomnia%2F&h=AT3awmsOmNlNz-GaI63QRzY70tBzNbANuCaED1K_PraybmZjI7q64l8EjHTljWnO m7IdEyvxfa_-c301BIp9Ovr98_TaaqVP3Ajpi5ZsvpsFUglVHVUYO7ElQVGe8-MiN9UAcCCPPeMA&s=1