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Sleep question

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Paul_UK, Jan 6, 2008.

  1. Paul_UK

    Paul_UK Guest

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    For some reason it seems like I only get one chance to go to sleep properly each night.

    If I am just dropping off to sleep but get woken (such as by the cat jumping on the bed and meowing loudly at me), I often then end up lying there for ages unable to get back to sleep even though I an tired. And when I do get to sleep I only really doze and keep waking up again.

    If I don't get disturbed as I'm dropping off I can sleep right through with no problem.

    This is maybe once every couple of weeks. Of course it is normally when I have work the next day so can't lie in.

    I am tempted to get some sleeping pills for those occasions but when using them (Nytol I think) several years ago I woke up feeling thirsty and tired.
     
  2. Ty

    Ty Guest

    May i suggest shutting the bedroom door or leaving the cat outside at night? Eliminating potential wake-up's would be best. Only go for sleeping pills if it gets really bad.

    /Ty
     
  3. Hollywood

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    If it gets any worse go to a sleep study clinic. At least in the states, they hook you up to a bunch of stuff to monitor you while you sleep and you spend the night at the clinic. i know people that its helped.
     
  4. EthanS

    EthanS Guest

    ooo never seen you paul ask a question b4 :grin:. Yer that happens to me sometimes when i get woken up, then i try to sleep i cant sleep but if i dotn try i get sleepy.. :S, just try and not think about things that helps. Or just listen to calming music
     
  5. Paul_UK

    Paul_UK Guest

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    If I do that he sits outside the door meowing at full volume and scratching at the door. Nobody sleeps then!
     
  6. Ty

    Ty Guest

    Okay urm... How about keeping him in a certain room of the house (kitchen) and locking in there? Give it a little bed and maybe it won't meow and complain >.> I've never had this problem with my cats.
     
  7. JayHew

    In Loving Memory Regular Member

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    Not an unusual happening as we age Paul. The same happens to me quite frequently and if the second sleep attempt is interrupted, I am pretty much had dad for the next 4-5 hours, so usually get up and read or do something. Some days it seems more of a problem than others. Suggest if you are able to get hold of herbal solutions, give them a try. Valerian helps, taking up to three tabs. Also melatonin can be tried along with the valerian. Melatonin comes in 1, 2 or 3 mg tabs. Depends on the person, but it is a natural hormone produced by the body during sleep and helps us remain in the various stages of sleep a bit longer.

    Can only suggest you try with the 1 mg tab and see how it affects you as with some doses if it is a bit too much, you will have a bit of a "hangover", slight drowsiness, but it will not make you feel wiped out. You will have to work out your particular dose. Use it only on occasion, but it will be helpful because as we age we produce less melatonin ourselves.

    Overall, the suggested meds won't hammer you to sleep and if need be, you can awaken and function properly without worry of being under the influence of something negative.
     
  8. s5m1

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    If I can't fall back asleep, I usually leave my bedroom and watch TV elsewhere. After about 30-45 minutes, I can usually go back to sleep. If I stay in bed when I wake in the middle of the night, I rarely will fall back asleep. I am not sure why but changing my environment seems to help.
     
  9. hawkeye685

    hawkeye685 Guest

    Yeh that happens to me sometimes. My cat comes and wakes me up half way through the night and i just can't seem to get back to sleep. All i do is just watch TV and dose off gently with it still on. Or I put some music on in the background. It really does help!!!
     
  10. gabriel1

    gabriel1 Guest

    Same thing happens to me also Paul. Nothing like a 16 pound cat throwing himself against my bedroom door. But he rarely wakes me anymore, usually I wake up with a nasty sinus headache and go sit up on the sofa and sleep there. if I really can't sleep, sometimes I take Alka Seltzer plus cold tablets and those knock me out.
     
  11. beckyg

    beckyg Guest

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    In my case, its not a cat, its the husband. He stays up way later than I do and always makes alot of noise coming into the bedroom. I suck on MoonDrops, a homeopathic sleep aide.
     
  12. Steam Giant

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    Be very careful with those pills. It is very easy to underestimate the likelihood of dependency, and the people I know who've been hooked by them didn't realize that they were until it was far too late. Keeping conscious of exactly when you've taken exactly how much, with a running record of at least a month, is a very good idea. I wish I could recall exactly what it took for my friends/family to get hooked on them, but I do remember that it was different for each person.

    I'm sure you're well aware of this, but it's important enough to underline.
     
  13. Kimi

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    How about using earplug??

    hearing this problem makes me less want a cat:icon_sad: :rolleyes:
     
  14. otc877

    otc877 Guest

    I used to struggle with insomnia (apparently I still do given the time... :slight_smile:) but here are some tips that helped me.

    1st. The bed is for sleeping and sex. Nothing more nothing less. Do not watch tv, read, use a laptop whatever. Your body needs to identify bed with sleep.

    2nd. If you wake up and are lying there for 20 minutes or more with no success. Get up. Go read. Watch TV. Have a snack, preferably something lightweight. Milk and cereal is a good choice. Nothing too strenuous as it will do no help. When you're doing these activities it'll hit you how tired you really are. Return to bed when you're sure you'll fall asleep with ease.

    3rd. This probably isn't a problem with you, but try to go to bed and wake at the same times to get your circadian rhythm (biological clock) normalized.

    4th. If I cannot sleep and I know I won't be able to sleep I change the environment a bit. Sleep at the foot of the bed, in a guest room, on a couch. Anywhere that's different from where you can't sleep.

    5th. Tylenol PM! It's non habit forming and really works. Although I would only recommend taking this every once in a while.

    I've also read that aligning yourself with the Earth's gravitational pull (facing north), supposedly it'll help you sleep. I haven't tried it but if you're desperate I guess it's worth a shot.

    If all else fails, go to a specialized sleep clinic, where they monitor your sleep to help diagnose a problem and find a treatment.

    Hope this is helpful, let me know how it works.
     
  15. beckyg

    beckyg Guest

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    I was booted from the sleep clinic. :icon_redf I had a panic attack when they put the mask on my face and tore it off. They didn't like me very much there. :roflmao:
     
  16. Paul_UK

    Paul_UK Guest

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    Thanks everyone. Markie will get me some herbal sleeping pills, which I will use just on the nights when I have real trouble sleeping - so probably once or twice a month.

    During the week (and sometimes at weekends to) Markie sleeps in the other bedroom. He tends to roll around a lot and I snore, so we end up waking each other up. Also with different working hours I am usually up earlier and go to bed earlier. By using different rooms we can both get a decent night's sleep.
     
  17. Astaroth

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    Yeah, I saw a program on TLC once (don't I always!?) about sleep disorders, deprivation, and insomnia. They had one lady on who was sleeping two hours a night for over a month when she came on the show. She did surprisingly well on those two hours, I must say, but her temper was atrocious (as you might expect). She tried three different treatments. The first was to practice light yoga during the day. The meditation allowed her to learn ways of relaxing when the frustration of not getting to sleep crept up during the night. However, the effect was minimal for her (but great for another person on the show). The second fix was to set up a strict daily schedule including morning exercise, timed meals, and a fixed bedtime every day. Regardless of whether she could sleep or not, she forced herself to stay in bed until it was time to get up, even if her eyes were just closed. This didn't do much for her either.

    Ironically, the thing that worked like magic for her was to fung shui her room. She rearranged all of her furnishings and moved her bed into a different position. I swear I'm not making this next part up, but the night before she rearranged her room, she was sleeping just under two hours a night. The night she fung shui-ed everything, she slept for almost ten hours. When she woke up, she was in tears of relief. They did an update at the end of the show and it said she'd consistantly had about eight or nine hours of sleep every night since then. Who would have thought you could get magical results from something so mundane!?

    So, while everyone's sleep patterns are obviously different, I would highly recommend at least trying to rearrange your bedroom. It may just do the trick for you as well.
     
  18. Paul_UK

    Paul_UK Guest

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    We actually rearranged the bedroom yesterday!

    The reason is that the head of the bed was by the dividing wall to next door, and at night when it's quiet I can hear him through the wall a bit. Only quietly, but it could be enough to just keep me awake. For the last week or so I think he's been unwell as he has been coughing a lot (either that or he smokes and I've only just noticed the coughing).

    The head of the bed is now under the window. Not ideal but it was the only other possible place it could go. I don't hear him at all now.

    Last night I slept very well, but that's because the night before was a bad night (which is why I posted this thread originally).
     
  19. Astaroth

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    Glad to hear you at least got some sleep tonight! :icon_bigg

    Sadly, I woke up periodically throughout the night yesterday and woke up with back pain this morning that's still there 6 hours later. I know the reason why, though. For the last week, I've been sleeping on the couch since I had company over and kind of got used to sleeping on my side with my head on the armrest. In fact, I plan to take a nap on the couch after I get home from work today because I know I'll fall asleep in seconds once I lay down. Now, if only I could just retrain myself to sleep on a bed! :roflmao:
     
  20. gabriel1

    gabriel1 Guest


    Have you ever thought of Feng Shui? I know it sounds silly, but I rearranged my apartment a few years ago as close as possible to the Feng Shui for apartments book that I read, and it seemed to work.