I saw my NL Friday and mentioned that I've had quite a bit of trouble sleeping lately, both from pain in my head, and from just plain not being able to find a comfortable position that won't aggravate any symptoms. He definitely sympathized, and said he could help with the pain part, but that positions were something that tends to be unique to everyone. Does anyone have any tips they'd care to share? I don't wanna keep disturbing hubs' sleep.
Thanks!
Question - is the not being able to sleep part of the symptoms? I have had trouble sleeping for 3-4 years and thought it was me. I have meds to help but most of the time they don't work and can go days with just a few hours of sleep. This was an issue a few years before I found out about my chiari. I sleep with about 4 pillows most of which are down pillows my grandma made years ago - can't sleep without them :)
Hi Queen Vic...
Oh, how I can feel for you....I had to go back and read your profile...I wasn't sure if you had surgery or not....Correct me if I am wrong...you have not...
Lori Hackett-Shanks brought up a wonderful point....sleep issues being a symptom....See, before decompression, I could not sleep at all...seriously, it was bad....I was on all kinds of meds for sleep but nothing really helped. Anyway, after the operation that was one of the 1st symptoms to greatly improve and THANK YOU GOD...3.5 yrs post op and I still do not have that same kind of insomnia as I had before.
When I do have trouble sleeping these days I burn essential oils ...aromatherapy...I use many different ones...I have cut down on my coffee intake too.
Have you ever tried meds??? Trazodone works wonders for me..it is not marketed as a sleeping pill and does not give you a 'hangover'...doctors give it a lot to the elderly for sleep for that reason. Just a thought.
Let us know how you are doing.
Peace,
Lori
I took Trazodone 2 years ago and the first time I took it I slept for 2 days straight. Then I cut the dose in 1/2 still slept to long decided after that to never take it again. Ambien gives me nightmares, Restoril I have been taking for almost 2 years and even at 60mg I can not sleep. Lunesta worked the best years ago but my insurance won't pay for it. As you will see by the time-stamp on the post I'm awake!!! :(
Yep-all good tips there, Beeba. My daughter does a good work out and bath. No drinks after dinner (so no bathroom later) and stretching after bath. Then, a number of mind-clearing, relaxation techniques in bed. Plus no naps ever during the day...ever. No sleeping in on weekends either (not more than and hour) to keep the pattern or rest close to the same. Plus one of those ergonomic pillows and the cold-eye pack thing. All seems to be helping her have more peaceful sleep. Wakes up to CM pain but nights are now nicer.
I take Hops-Valerian, 2 herbs combined together in a capsule and its awesome for me. I don't take any other meds, so I don't know if it would react with anything else you already take, so read up on it before you try it. :) Also, when I wake up at night and it seems like my brain hasn't shut down and my mind keeps going, I just repeat (in my head) clear mind, clear mind, then this takes over my thoughts and im back to sleep in no time!
Beeba gave great suggestions! The only other thing I can add is trying a Boppy pillow. Twitch suggested this awhile back and I went and bought one. It has worked well for me. A Boppy pillow is the moon shaped pillow used to nurse babies. I am a side and back sleeper and it cradles my neck just right.
Good luck!
Monique
i use seroquel at night it helps with my depression but helps me sleep, plus i find sleeping on the couch with a body pillow helps alot too. and when my neck hurts at time i fall asleep with ice pack
i know this may sound kind if hokey (?) but it works great for me - my DH and i invested in a grounding sheet for our bed - i also have fibro so i have gone many years with very little sleep at night and never went into a good deep sleep - tried the natural and prescrption meds, neither worked for me - once we tried the grounding sheet on our bed i have slept all night (propably one night a month i have a desrupted night) i'm even going into the dream sleep which i haven't done in years - we put my dad on one, he has vascular parkinsons and dementia, after sleeping on it for a few months he had my mother remove it because he was sleeping "too deeply" - something to think about without putting anymore chemicals in us then we already are
Hi,
I am sorry you are having insomnia. I also have insomnia
unless I take 100 mg of Trazadone & 75 mg of Amitrirtyline.
I love aroma therapy also but it drives my allergies crazy.
Tracy Z.
i find the body pillows are too much i have one of those ones by dr lisa fr jcp- and i have another one to bring head up higher as iam too flat with just one pillow. then i lay on my side, and i have a standard pillow more or less hugging pressed up under chin to hold head right..if i dont do this i wake with a horrible headache...the one twitch talked about sounded like it may be helpful as well-but i have not tried.
as for the suggestions above about caffiene that doesnt do anything for me( wether i stop at 12pm or 10pm it doesnt matter) ..neither does the electrocis. but the hot bath actually does the opposite for me, so i can not take a hot bath, any excercise is good as i said to my son any movement is good movement and at the end of the day it helps more then it did the day before when you done nothing.
as for naps during day i no longer fight them if i do i just feel worse so i have accepted that some days i just require them and take them but i DO NOT sleep passed 2 pm no matter what time i laid down.
i know for some people they enjoy a cup of hot tea or hot coco, on occasion i enjoy a 1/2c of cheerios before bed (w/milk) and i always sleep so well....but it never makes me fall asleep any faster.
In reality though I havent found the trick to make me fall asleep when my head hits the pillow like my husband can do(no matter what ive done throughout the day)