A sleep question..............?

Question

Latley for the past 2-3 weeks I haven't been able to get to sleep at a decent time. Sometimes 4-5-6 in the morning is when I am actually getting tired. And then sleep in till 2-3 pm. And I went one day without sleeping and that next night I was out like a light but the next day I satyed up late again. I thought I could fix my sleeping schedule like that but it didn't work. I also tried over the counter stuff like Tylonal PM and sleep aids-didn't feel sleepy though after the 3rd night of taking them. I dunno if I should go to the doctor and ask for prescription sleeping pills or what. What should I try? And or do to fix this sleeping schedule disaster!!!

Answer 1

Last month I recommend Trazadone to a woman who was having a similar problem. It worked for her, and it is a very safe perscription medication, with drowsyness as its major side effect. It also works pretty quickly.

The reasons for a sleeping disorder are many, but mostly they are due to stress. In my case it is Fybermaliga, a chronic disease with no real treatment. One of its major hallmarks is difficulty sleeping. I have seen hundreds and hundreds of doctors about this. I saw the VA Sleep Clinic twice. The head of the clinic told me that normal sleep assistance and sleep hygiene would not work for me. My case is way too advanced for that.

However, I do have some tips: possible Medications, and good sleep hygiene.
When you go to sleep make sure you do it in a dark room, a room that should only be used for sleeping, pull the TV out. Make sure it is a relaxing place to sleep as well. Hold off on any caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, and the exercise as well. One-half hour before you go to bed dim the lights a little, this will increase the body’s natural production of a sleep hormone called Melatoin. A glass of warm milk will do the same. When you go to bed compose yourself for sleep, relax and push out all thoughts of the day. If you cannot do this then think of something else, something that you like, even a sexual fantasy. If you don’t fall asleep in 20 minutes then get out of bed. Then do something quiet, like watch the TV on low volume or read, but don’t do this in the bedroom. After 20 minutes try to go back to sleep again. If it still doesn’t work then get up and do something quiet, and try it again in 20 minutes.

I run a fan all night in my bedroom. The mind gets used to the white noise, and it covers up the noise around you. Don’t put the fan on oscillate, where it blows over you and then elsewhere, that will distract you. If it gets too cold then point the fan into a corner. I have blocked my shade with a few posters, and made sure that as little light as possible enters my room. Put your alarm clock where you cannot see it, or just turn it away. If you track time then you will only get mad at yourself for not falling asleep. You might try playing some music, use a CD, not a radio. You want a constant level of music. Try something soothing like easy listening or classical. If classical music bores you then that would be the best to use.

If all this doesn’t work then you need more help. The sleep medications that you can buy over the counter are really a sham, and won’t do you any good. You can pick up Melatoin in the drug store or any major supermarket. It is fairly cheap and comes in 1 mg to 3 mg doses. Start at 1 mg a night and work your way up to a maximum of 4 mg, after that any more is a waste.

If you are still having trouble then a doctor visit is in order. Drugs like Ambien and Lunesta may not be what you want. They are good for a week or two, but they are habit forming. I don’t mean that you will get a craving; I mean that after taking these medications for a long time you will acquire a need to take the drug just to get to sleep. A good drug to take is called Trazodone. As prescription medications go this is a fairly cheap one. It is an antidepressant normally used for treating Cocaine treatment. It has a major side effect of causing sleepiness. It is a safe drug to take over the long term, it is not habit forming, and it has few other effects. It is a pretty poor antidepressant, but a good sleep aid. It is also available in a range of doses so your doctor can keep increasing it several times until you find a dose that works well for you. I took it for over 6 years. After that the ringing in my ears got to be a minor problem, so I switched to another drug. I am back on it, and have been for almost 2 years, and I have had no problems. There are stronger medications you can take, but if you need them, then you have a real problem: much more than just stress.
I recommend going to the Melatoin right away. It won’t give you any hangover and its effects will wear off after 4-6 hours, but by that time you should be sound asleep. Find a way to reduce your stress. Some things you just have to accept. Oddly enough it is the everyday worries that cause more stress. When you worry about doing something and just don’t get it done then that can create stress. You know that when you go to work you are going to face traffic. So get a book on CD or something that will let you use the time better; that way you will stress less about the traffic. Expect the idiots on the road to try and cut you off. They are out there and they are just hunting for guys like you to make angry. So don’t play their game. Remember that a traffic light is only 3 minutes long. I heard of a race once, it was held between an aggressive driver, and a law-abiding driver, over a 30-minute commute. The aggressive driver stacked up a dozen traffic violations and he only beat the law-abiding driver by only 8 minutes.

Sleep is very important to your body and mind. It is the time for the body to heal and for the mind to go over the things of the day. If you do not get enough sleep after a while (well over a week) it can cause hallucinations and later even result in death.

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep
Provided by: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Am2PMUriLj07OYvu6mao5zTDtcUF/SIG=1179t4bbp/**http%3a//www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm

Last Updated: July 1, 2001
Adapted from "When You Can't Sleep: The ABCs of ZZZs," by the National Sleep Foundation.
Set a schedule
Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.
Exercise
Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.
Relax before bed
A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime ritual.
Sleep until sunlight
If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.
Don't lie in bed awake
If you can't get to sleep, don't just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.
Control your room temperature
Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.
See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues
If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night's sleep you need.

Answer 2

You don't say how many hours you sleep or give many details. Do you have caffeine? Try stopping 12 hours before you want to sleep or cut way back or stop altogether. Do you exercise? It can help you to be ready to sleep. What do you do that keeps you up?
Try turning off the lights and being really bored until you drift off.

I have sometimes used a small amount of liquid Benedryl. It is an antihistamine which makes you sleepy. It is the ingredient in many of the over the counter sleep stuff. It will dry your nose, mouth and throat. I use a half dose. I use the liquid because it is absorbed faster than pills or capsules, which need to dissolve.
Try meditation or prayer as a ritual to help you have a sleep routine. I often focus on my breath and it gets boring and I am asleep.

Answer 3

I'd stay away from pills. Maybe you might want to try afternoon exercise and a nice hot bath before bedtime.

Go to bed at a reasonable time. Don't worry if you don't get to sleep right away. Stay in bed anyway. Rest your eyes if nothing else. Get the routine going.

I really do think a light meal, a hot bath and maybe a glass of warm herbal tea or warm milk could be just the ticket for you. Also, take up reading. Get a nice thick book on a subject that interests you and read it as you are getting ready to go to bed.

It will channel your mind and maybe lead you to the relaxation you need.

I would definitely avoid sleeping pills as you can develop a dependency on them where you can't sleep without them.

Answer 4

You received some good suggestions Go to bed everynight at the same time, with the same routine, shower, glass of milk, snack, just make it the same every night. Do whatever worked for you on the nights you sleep. Make sure the bedding is clean, you have clean jammies, the room the right temp and darkness for you. Make sure you are tired, that you had enough physical activity earlier in the day to make you tired. Do something that relaxes you before your bedtime routine, watch TV, play a game on Yahoo!, whatever works to take your mind off your troubles, so you can prepare for bed. No caffeine after suppertime, or at least 6 hours before bedtime, and do not load up on it all day, then stop it abruptly. Cut down on the caffeine a lot if you suspect you are dependent on it. . You did not say if you smoke, but if you do, limit the cigs before bedtime, and do not get up and chain smoke. It will keep you awake.
A doctor would ask you if, once you go to sleep, do you stay asleep. If the answer is no, try to figure out why. Do you snore, do you have sleep apnea, do you have to get up to use the bathroom, do you cough, or have clogged sinuses? If you have allergy symptoms at night, it could be dust mites. Try a plastic mattress cover, pillow covers, or buy some allergen Febreeze, and spray the bed and pillows heavily with the stuff, and let it dry, and repeat frequently. I do not cough at night anymore. And buy new pillows if you suspect allergy.
Warning, most medications last @ 4 hours. If you take something like Benadryl, you might wake up in 4 hours.
Can you tell I have had trouble sleeping? I got a new job, and took a sabatical from work after I quit the old one. I am a new person, no stress, and I sleep at night. I am up tonight due to some dental work that hurts, and the headache that it is causing.
When I used to be desparate to sleep, I would take some NYquil pm. , it knocked me for a loop, but I could only take it for a night or two, because it then starts keeping me awake, and I could only take it before a day off, because it caused me to be hungover.
Which brings up the subject of alcohol to sleep. It can disturb sleep patterns worse, especially if you are not used to it[Nyquil has alcohol in it]. If you must drink, limit it to a couple of ounces of red wine earlier in the eve to make you tired. It doesn't do much to make you sleep.
If you suspect you have a physical or a mental problem [like anxiety or depression] that is keeping you awake, or you get up during the night, see a doctor, he might recommend sleep studies to see what the problem is. Otherwise, try some of your fellow insomniacs suggestions.
And be patient, it takes time to readjust a messed up sleep schedule. Anyone who works shift work can tell you about that. Like me! Good luck, and good night.

Answer 5

Is there any other factors involved in you staying awake? You should probably see a doctor on it, but try to hold off from taking any sleeping aid (over the counter or prescription) if you can. Anything can become addictive if you feel you must rely on it, plus those don't always give you the best quality of sleep.

Answer 6

Tips to Sleep Well
http://tips-to-sleep.blogspot.com/2006/09/tips-to-sleep-well.html

Answer 7

A glass of warm milk an hour before bedtime often helps. Other natural remedies can be found in a web search for "natural sleep remedies".

Answer 8

reduce stress set a routine same time everynight to sleep . I read just before bed zzzzzzzzzzzz

Answer 9

Try some warm milk or read a while it will help. If not ask a doctor what you should do.

Answer 10

i like to eat chili,i mean spicy food!...that's why i always have a good night sleep... but remember !!!one meal of chili is not enough...try one week...dont always hear what the doctor say...doctor also want to earn some money from u...

Answer 11

You need to go jogging for one mile (or half a mile and back or more if you can) every day and take a "unisom" or ask your doctor for ambient (or is it ambien...i don't know) anyway you probably need more excersize.