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For the past 2.5 weeks I have been operating on 4 or so hours of sleep a nite. My average is 6 - 7 except on weekends wherein I usually pull 8.

Alot is going on, but I can't really determine what I am fighting or rebelling against, so thought I'd see if others can relate.


Thoughts- random as they might be - are welcome.

How have you dealt with bad sleep patterns?

What seems to be behind it?

How have you overcome it?

I end up with screwed up sleep patterns a couple three times a year. When I get out of whack, I find that 25 mg of Trazodone is enough to put me out so I can get the sleep I need. Then after a few days on the Trazodone, I quit taking it and instead take melatonin for a week or two, a half-hour before the time I want to go to bed, since it seems to help me reestablish a sleep pattern. jim

This title caught my eye. Lack of sleep has been the story of my life for the past few years. About 3 years ago I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy and it's been screwing me up ever since.

Two sleep studies are what confirmed the diagnosis. I used to fall asleep during the day a lot. Now, though, I have trouble with night-time sleep. I fall asleep okay, but wake up after a few hours and then can't get back to sleep.

I'm in different medications to help me sleep. It's very difficult to tweak them and I see my sleep doctor every few months.

Are you seeing a T? If so, I would discuss this with your T. Also, try to chart how your sleep is going. If things don't get better, I would suggest going to a Sleep Doctor to try to get to the bottom of it.

Some things to consider would be - do you fall asleep easily but then wake up in the middle of the night? Or do you have trouble falling asleep?

There are various reasons for having sleep difficulties. It could be changes in medication. You might suffer from sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. Does your SO snore? For me, my H's snoring is a big factor in my sleep problems. Or it could be psychological and you need to discuss this with your T.

As I said, chart how your sleep is going. You might start with making an appointment with your family doctor - that's what I did. Then he/she may consider giving you a referral to a sleep doctor.

I hope you get to the bottom of this soon. I know from experience that it's no fun to have sleep problems. I wish you well!

I also suffered for years with bad sleep habits. It was a vicious cycle of knowing that when I did sleep, I'd have bad dreams or nightmares and wake up having panic attacks, which meant I was afraid to go to sleep in the first place. I got into a routine of being awake most of the night and napping in the day to catch up. The main thing behind this, for me, was not dealing with stuff in my day-to-day life, in a conscious way - distracting from it and avoiding it because it was all too hard; so my brain would go into over-drive during my sleep and unconsciously try to process then. What helped me in the end was high doses of medication to slow down my thoughts at night - Seroquel. As I learned how to better process the stuff consciously during the day, the need for medication at night became less. I still wake up once or twice in a night, but am able to fall back to sleep fairly quickly.

Jim -

Interesting that your sleep pattern changes somewhat regularly (ie 3 times or so a year). It's great that you've found a combo that helps you deal with it effectively.

This recent bout of sleep disruption is new to me. And I only somewhat know what it is about.

Last year I asked talked to my doc bout anxiety and she gave me a prescription. I seldom use it, but did, finally last week and managed 2 decent nites of sleep which felt sooo good !. I did not want to stay on it, as many here have said it is quite addictive and not so nice to get off of.

BG -

Ty for acknowledging the difficulty with lack of or poor sleep. I think many experience such, but not to the degree you do.

Years ago I did have problems with waking from a sleep and having the racing mind. With help from my T, I learned to do a few things differently- like writing thoughts down; like not staying in bed for more than an hour of non-sleep; and trying to wind down before bed.

I think what I am experiencing is temporary. I've been non-stop for months and things have been pretty intense lately, so I think the combo has bitten me.

Amanda -

Ah ! yuck re nitemares and panic attacks. Glad you are mostly past that. I don't experience this much, but can when extremely stressed. It may be why I am in this current state- of staying up extremely late. I do think I am avoding having my sub-conscious do it's thing and waking me. I seem to do a lot of processing when I should be resting.

As I mentioned above, I use to wake consistently because of such, however, mostly I am past that except for occassional bouts.

Last nite I managed an ok nite and have had a relaxing day today- tennis early this morning then out to a movie. Upon my return I came home and slept for an hour or two; rested another couple and now am back to unwinding. Hoping I get a decent nite in tonite. Quite exhausted but at least I am not too keyed up!

I think for now, since things are returning, I hope, to a bit more calm and not so much on the go, I may try to deal with occasional treatment of meds.

Has anyone found exercise to help? Whlie I've been in this sleep disruption, I have also gotten off my exercise routine. I think too I need to do my best to keep to a set hour for bedtime.

With family demands slowing up I should now have time to myself on the weekends and with my H back from training after 2 weeks being gone (except the weekends in which we had about 2 hrs together due to my schedule), I am hoping I re-gain the stability that will make the difference.

I am really hoping this is all temporary. Hard to say since work is still very chaotic and demanding.

A few non medicinal approaches I have found work for unwinding at the end of the day, to aid more restful sleep.

I like lavendar, (not for everyone I know) Its a great oil that can be applied to the skin (unlike others that cant directly) The body shop /possibly others do various products and even a room fragrance. The oil can be applied to a cloth that you can keep close by, or it can be used in a burner. It has great stress busting properties to it. I used to keep a spray in my bag when I was suffering from panic attacks a few years back and it really helped with them also.

Chamomile tea is great for relaxing. If you don't like chamomile on its own you could try the ones mixed with other fruits.

Listening to soothing music in the evening can be good. I prefer orchestral music, pipe music as the words in other music can have the opposite effect of stimulating rather than relaxing.

I have a CD also of water / ocean type sounds which I can use to drift me off to somewhere nice and soothing. I often use this one when I am uptight and anxious. Playing them through headphones helps me tune into the sounds rather than them just being background noise.

Something else I have found pretty good is to focus on relaxing the muscles in my body starting from my feet, tensing and relaxing individual areas and working my way up my body. Oftenn focusing like this will have me asleep before I have finished.

The key for me is the less I focus on actually sleeping and more on relaxing the more able I am to drift off. Sometimes thinking I wont / can't sleep builds more anxiety and the knock on effect is much worse.

Other than that. I personally don't find they work but I know some that do are the over the counter sleep aids. Not as knock out as the prescription drugs, but seem to aid relaxation and induce calm sleep rather than the sedated med induced kind.

Just some ideas!

Tracy -

Thanks for all the tips in trying to sleep better.

I can be pretty stubborn so trying new things isnt necessarily the way for me to go. Plus, I am rather sensative to smells- I absolutely hate this one hand lotion my H uses and it takes me 10-15 min to be ok around him after a fresh application. Point being tho lavendar is a wonderful smell, not sure I want it near my bed; but it is something to consider.. perhaps in small doses and perhaps awhile before bed - to get use to vs at bed time.

The chamomile tea; muscle relaxing and focusing on relaxing vs sleeping may assist me.

I read where one should prepare for bed 1 hr beforehand- no tv 30 min prior; and read a book (not one of those that capture you and you cant put down, but something a bit more moderate) for 15 min beforehand.

And, as always, they claim that the bedroom/bed should be kept for sleeping vs watching tv or computer (guilty here) or crafts etc. I am somewhat better about this, but not great.

I think my sleep was disrupted by all that was going on- the family stuff is now in a more emotional state since the work is over; work is chaotic and stressful w/ a lot of demands on me atm; and H was away. As much as I am not dependant on him for basic needs and emotional things; I am very comfortable with him and use to having him at my side. Even in less stressful times, when he is away I tend to stay up later and sleep with the TV on.

I also think that I was so sure that I'd wake middle of the night pondering all that was on my plate and judging myself about such, that I was chosing not to sleep until it was necessary- and even then I was fighting it.

I'm still dealing with this, but now that H is home (which helps regulate bedtime in and of itself) I seem to be doing a little better. No longer up till midnite 3-4 nites in a row which was a killer when waking up at 4-5 am.