Sleep (aka. desperation)

[ob2016]

I need any and all advice when it comes to sleep. My other symptoms are controlled enough that they do not interfere with my ability to function as a human being. HOWEVER, I cannot sleep during normal times and I am DESPERATE. I go from sleeping between 9am and 4pm some months to 3am to 11pm. Either way I can't get a job or finish school because of it. I am desperate to have a job or internship this summer but I need to be confident in my ability to get to work on time.

Here is what I am already doing...

-Magnesium (pills and epsom salt baths)
-Blue light filtering glasses a few hours before bed
-Natural light lamp in the mornings for about a half hour
-No electronics a couple hours before bed
-High protein snack a few hours before bed and then nothing after that
-Trying to keep a schedule (hard to do when it is nearly useless and I have to get work done at some point)
-Waking up with sleep cycle instead of a set alarm
-Forcing myself awake (even if I do I am done for for a week after)
-Cool room, sleep mask, (have tried) no noise and white noise
-Have tried therapy and acupuncture in the past to help with sleep too
-Took amitriptyline and gabapentin in the past and it didn't help at all
-This isn't even an exhaustive list

Literally anything you do...medications, wacky tips, alternative medicine, any suggestions.

 

[Lou38]

Hiya. Sorry you're having such a bad time with lack of sleep. My sleeping hasn't been great for years, I would take a while to fall asleep but if I was woken up I could never get back to sleep or if I didn't fall asleep by a certain time I couldn't fall asleep at all. I'm the opposite now, I take Amitriptyline every night and am usually so sleepy before I go to bed, I don't have too much trouble falling asleep. I think some medications take a wee while to build up in your system before they have any effect? Amitriptyline is usually started on a low dose but can be increased if necessary. I hope you find something that helps you soon, it's horrible walking around feeling like a zombie all the time.

 

[p14175]

I read somewhere that a weighted blanket might help in some cases. But for me it's just the opposite; I feel like I'm being crushed by anything heavier than a sheet. For cold nights I made a light blanket out of a piece of flannel and even that seems a bit heavy.

When it comes to supplements, some only work for a while for me so I rotate through them. I rotate through melatonin, valerian, and chamomile tea in various combinations. I just added hawthorn berry for my blood pressure and it's making me very relaxed almost like CBD oil does. CBD oil and hawthorn berry might be worth a try if you already haven't. Handy hint: bioperine (black pepper extract) magnifies the effects of some herbs.

Final recommendation is exercise.

 

[Marvis]

When my sleep cycle was really bad, I took both a fast acting and a slow-release melatonin (douglas laboratories pr), one to help me fall asleep and one to help me stay asleep. Eventually I was able to just use the slow release, and now I'm not needing to use either. I found since being on the effexor that I sleep really heavily (even though I take it in the morning - it kept me awake if I took it at night), but now I have weird, stressful dreams. lol.

 

[Forgetmenot]

Well I didn't sleep for so long.but mine turned out to be depression and bi polar .i couldn't turn my brain off.it was like I was talking to myself all night long.
Maybe see your dr and make sure your not depressed.dr also put me on amitripolyne which helped with fibro pain and sleep.

 

[Forgetmenot]

Well I didn't sleep for so long.but mine turned out to be depression and bi polar .i couldn't turn my brain off.it was like I was talking to myself all night long.
Maybe see your dr and make sure your not depressed.dr also put me on amitripolyne which helped with fibro pain and sleep.