So, every night for a few months Ive been waking up all hours of the night. It really stinks because I have to be up early every morning. Im on a sedative and still dont sleep all night. Ive tried other over the counter treatments as well as teas and lotions but nothing has helped. Any ideas that you know of would be appreciated. Thank you!
What are you habits like while you sleep and in the hour(s) before sleep? Do you eat? watch TV? have lights on? noisy? temperature? comfy bed/pillows? All of these things can be equally as important in helping you get a good night sleep and should be addressed, even when taking OTC medication. Also, are you waking up with sweating? dizziness? or because you have to use the bathroom? If the answer to any of those is yes, you should see your family doctor.
I try not to watch tv a few hrs before I sleep because ik your brain is crazy if you do. It still takes awhile to fall asleep but thats mainly because I am bi-polar and have anxiety so my mind races a lot, even when taking my anxiety meds along with my sleep meds like my psych dr told me to. Its funny that you mentioned the using the bathroom and sweating. About 6 months ago, for a very long time, I would wake up with sweating even when I was cold. Not happening now though. And yes most of the time when I wake up, usually 2-3 times a night, I do go pee. I just thought maybe it was a habit or something. If that is concerning then I will def talk to my Dr when I see her.
I used to have a really bad time trying to sleep. The way which was effective to me, aside from taking medication, is that every time I would have a difficult time sleeping, instead of just flopping around the bed like a salmon, I would just stand up and do things around my room. Reading a book I like, some tidying up, checking up on my dog, looking at the moon and stars outside, etc. I think if you force yourself to sleep it actually makes it more difficult. Especially so if you are an anxious person because you tend to reach this state by mulling over things too much.
You mention a sedative, so are you being seen by a physician for this problem? I understand completely, as I have always had trouble with my sleep. I would follow up with the doctor anyway so that he/she could adjust or change your medication.
I can empathize with you on the racing and anxiety (I am both ADHD inattentive and hyperactive). Anxiety can present itself as being Bi-polar, but I found the core issue that was causing the anger/frustration that looked liked syptoms of bi-polar type 2 was my racing mind causing anxiety. I take Dextro-amphetamine(Zenzedi/dexedrine) during the day to keep my mind from racing and getting angry and distracted. Ironically I take Dex-methylphenidate(focalin) to help me sleep.(right handed stereo-isomer of ritalin) The right handed isomer of these drugs targets the dopamine channels/CNS without much increase in adrenaline unlike other ADHD meds. Something that you might want to talk to your doctor about trying... But he might be hesitant as stimulants can cause bipolar episodes for people that truley have BPD. Try to avoid taking benzo's as a sedative as they are highly addictive and habit forming. Hope I gave you some food for thought.
Well I seen my regular health care doctor the other day. She seems to think I may have sleep apnea. She said that my waking up to pee several times is probably my bodys way of actually waking me up because I have stopped breathing. She is going to schedule me for a sleep study so I will see how that goes. I see a psych dr for my bipolar/anxiety/ptsd. She prescribes the sleep medicine because I suffer with bouts of insomnia due to my medication. I take Lamictal/Paxil, Ativan for anxiety, and Ambien for sleep. I have been on these for probably 6+ years. The really bad sleep problems just started a few months ago. I also suffer from Spinal Stenosis/Degenerative Arthritis so Im in a lot of pain, mostly at night. Its hard to get comfortable. So, the mixture of these things makes it hard to sleep. Falling asleep and staying asleep. Im hoping the sleep test will rule out apnea. If not at least that will explain a lot of it. We shall see! Thank you guys so much!
I switch between the Ambien and Melatonin. Dr said that way my body doesnt get immune to the effects of the Ambien since people who use it as a long term sleep aid still get sleepy from taking it. I will def try the other since I havent. Anything is worth a shot.
