# Sleeping Issues



## kbuska (Jan 2, 2012)

So I've been having a bit of Insomnia lately. Going to bed at 10:00 waking up at 1:00 and not being able to go back to sleep till 6:00 or so. Needless to say, I've been grumpy and tired for a while. Not that you all are my shrink but I think my Insomnia is caused by stress of unemployment and all the "stuff" that accompanies such life altering events. 

I started using my CPAP machine again and wow what a difference a couple days on it has made. I feel much less tired then usual and I don't feel like I have to take a nap mid-day. I'm still grumpy but I think thats due to the fact that the kids aren't back in school yet and this holiday break seems to be lasting FOREVER!!! GO BACK TO SCHOOL ALREADY!!! 

So if you have a CPAP and you aren't using it, I recommend starting to use it again.

I hope you all had a great holiday season and I will you all the best in the New Year.

Cheers,
Ken


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## Healinya (Jan 2, 2012)

Lol, I saw the title 'sleeping issues' and I thought 'ya need a cpap machine'... Those things are life changers...


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## Relle (Jan 3, 2012)

Dh has one and doesn't ever not use it.


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## Maythorn (Jan 3, 2012)

What is a CPAP machine?  I have insomnia and take pills for it.  I try not to but if I've been laying there trying to sleep for more than 2 hours I give in and take them.


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## ChrissyB (Jan 5, 2012)

I'd like to know what this thing is also?
As for insomnia, ugh don't get me started. Every night...awake all night. My ideal time to sleep is late afternoon...that's when my body wants to rest, of course that is not at all practical.


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## Deda (Jan 5, 2012)

Try living at my house.  I've had a house full of rowdy young men, no less than 4 and as many as 7 each night since 12/14.  The last one left this morning.  

They don't sleep at night - they drink beer, play cards, watch movies, pretend to be elephants.  Of course they sleep all day.  

I can't wait to get back into a normal sleep rhythm.  I'm going to use SleepyTime tea, warm baths and a white noise app.


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## Healinya (Jan 5, 2012)

Cpap stands for continuous positive airway pressure. Sleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in the US.. its when your heart stops while sleep (different factors cause it,  from genetics, to obstrustion in he nose, to being overweight... Not everyone will need the machine - there's a 'magic number' ) When your sleeping and stop breathing, it interrupts the REM cycle.. so u never feel rested.... Basically, anyone who snores, or if u feel like you could fall asleep at a stop light most likely has it... The machine keeps the airflow so you don't break REM cycles... 

Insomnia isn't the same thing (I don think).... but if your insurance covers the machine you should get tested... I can't explain how amazing it is to understand what a restful night sleep feels like after a lifetime of feeling more tired when I wake up than went to bed.


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## carebear (Jan 5, 2012)

CPAP is a machine that helps people with sleep apnea breathe at night.

sleep apnea is pauses in breathing at night (loooooong pauses) or very shallow breathing.  often related to weak or fatty tissue in the throat (yes, weight loss helps a lot of people) or enlarged adenoids, but there are other reasons too.

you might have it and not even know - tho snoring is a huge symptom (related causes) and the pauses are noticeable if someone is listening.  But one of the most obvious symptoms are waking often during the night, and  waking up exhausted.


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## SoapyD (Jan 5, 2012)

My nephew was diagnosed with sleep apnea a year ago, got a cpap machine, and it literally changed his life.  

He has a young wife and two little kiddos, a steady job, good house, life was grand, and he was feeling suicidal.  Turns out he wasn't depressed.  He's been functioning with serious sleep deprivation for so long it was making him half nuts, and he thought it was normal.

Fast forward a year, and he's lost weight, quit smoking, and is a very happy man.  He attributes the huge change in his outlook and health to his machine.


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## kbuska (Jan 5, 2012)

I don't think its because the heart stops but because either your air closes because of a few reasons or your brain simply doesn't send signals to breath. I think they call it obstructive and central or something like that.

Anyways it constantly puts pressure in your airways to keep everything open. I'm not sure how it helps if your brain just forgets to breath though.

-Ken


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## ChrissyB (Jan 5, 2012)

Very interesting.
I don't think I have that (apnea), my mind just doesn't let me sleep, it's at night that my mind goes a million miles a minute. I really need to learn and engage some (perhaps) meditation techniques, and I'm going to look for the sleepy time tea that Deda mentioned, I'm pretty sure I have seen it somewhere.


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## kbuska (Jan 5, 2012)

Have you tried Melatonin?


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## carebear (Jan 5, 2012)

sleepytime tea is just celestial seasonings, I think.

we have relaxation aps on the ipods, which my son finds helpful.


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## kbuska (Jan 5, 2012)

I recommend heavy muscle relaxers


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## ChrissyB (Jan 5, 2012)

LOL @ Kbuska
I'm sure they would work great but I don't think I'd like to deal with the drug hangover the next day. I suffer from really bad allergies and when it gets really bad I have to use phenergan...wow that stuff knocks me out but for the whole next day I feel like a walking dead zombie that's been hit by a train, it's like I am in a fog and can't see through it, it's really not pleasant!
I think I'll try to tea first!!


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## kbuska (Jan 5, 2012)

nice.. I take that for nausea from Migraines and its nice!

I hope the tea works well for you. I take Melatonin every night and will often give it to my kids if they are having trouble sleeping.

-Ken


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## Relle (Jan 5, 2012)

Don't forget its not only the people with CPAPS who haven't got any sleep for years, what about the partners  :roll: . Thats how dh found out he needed to be tested with me nagging about the noise.


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## kbuska (Jan 5, 2012)

Very True... now my DW says she has to get used to the machine instead of my snoring.. lol


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## Soapy Gurl (Jan 5, 2012)

ChrissyB - you might want to try Ambien (prescription only).  It basically knocks you out and is for people who have trouble falling asleep, not staying asleep.  I have taken it for years, no hang over issues.  It lasts 5 hours max.  I unfortunately have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.  My body is just on a different clock.  Not really treatable, I wasn't happy when the Dr told me that!


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## ChrissyB (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks Soapy Gurl, I will ask the dr about it next time I go. I am usually loathe to take a pill if I dont need to, but some sleep would be really really nice Lol


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## Elly (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi Chrissy you may want to try a herbal remedy called ReDormin by Flordis.  It contains valerian and hops and has been specifically formulated for insomnia, it is very effective just like a valium but without the side effects.   It is a practitioner's only product but you can get it from a health food store that has a naturopath on site or you can get it from any naturopath.  hope this helps you  :wink:


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## Soapy Gurl (Jan 7, 2012)

I have tried valerian.  It left me hung over, quite a lot actually.  I also tried melatonin and had no luck with it.  I would certainly give the natural way a try though.  If you are taking any meds, make sure they don't interact.  

The only thing that works without hangover for me is regular Ambien.  They have a CR (controlled release) version to keep you asleep longer, it has a 2 stage release.  I haven't bothered with that one.  I have several family members who have tried Lunesta and it doesn't cycle through the system very fast.  I like knowing I can get up in 5 hours if I need to.


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## Cuckoo Bananas (Jan 18, 2012)

Isn't Ambien the stuff that got some bad press a few years ago for making people go do stuff in their sleep, such as go driving in their car or shopping and then fully not remember what they did afterwards???? 

I love the smell of sleepy time tea and sometimes just drink it anyway, not for sleeping (can't say it's ever made me nod off). I've heard it can help to just write down any things that keep going around in your head and list them to be dealt with the next day, it's suppose to help your mind let them go for the night. 

Plus a bit of exercise and getting outside in the sunlight first thing in the morning is said to help regulate all your internal clock settings.


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## Fragola (Jan 18, 2012)

Ok, learned something new today - this machine ...

Sounds wonderful, but ... how do you get used to it ? And this is a real question, because I really can't imagine being able to sleep with a mask on my face huffing and puffing away.

Another question, why would you say that stress is aggravating your problem ? Having sleep apnea, doesn't mean that you sleep equally crappy each and every night and that you should use that device regularly ?


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## BakingNana (Jan 18, 2012)

Questions on Melatonin for those of you who've taken it...

What dosage do you use?  I'm desperate to try it, but I'm confused since there is such a difference in the strength between brands.  I tried valerian once, but the pills stunk so badly my husband put it out in the garage.  Smelled worse than the stinkiest feet.

Glad to hear I'm not alone in the night!


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## Bubbles Galore (Jan 19, 2012)

ChrissyB said:
			
		

> Very interesting.
> I don't think I have that (apnea), my mind just doesn't let me sleep, it's at night that my mind goes a million miles a minute. I really need to learn and engage some (perhaps) meditation techniques, and I'm going to look for the sleepy time tea that Deda mentioned, I'm pretty sure I have seen it somewhere.



Don't go to bed until you're dead tired.  :wink:


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## nurse_75 (Jan 21, 2012)

I had terrible insomnia as a teen and into my early 20's. Mine was stress related. I finally started to sleep better once I started to work through my worries. I wrote things down before I went to bed (as Cuckoo Bananas said) and had a notebook at my bedside so that if i woke in the middle of the night worryign about something I could write it down, reassured that I wouldnt forget. I stopped reading in bed... bed is for sleeping. If i woke at night I would get up and go out into the living room, make a cup of tea (sleepytime or chammomile) and read until I felt tired. I started to exercise more, eat less pure carb types foods in the evening and no caffeine after midday. I found out I am extremely sensitive to caffeine and was having anxiety attacks and heart palpitations from as little as 2 cups. You do need to find what works for you.

Sleep apnoea is a condition where you obstruct your airway due to a saggy soft palate or enlarged glands (tonsils) and your oxygen levels drop briefly as your carbon dioxide rises.. once your CO2 level is high enough your body is triggered to take a deep breath. You then breathe normally for a few minutes before it starts again. It is usually associated with people who are overweight and smoke, although skinny minnys can get it too. If your partner tells you that you snore and pause breathing in your sleep then you have sleep apnoea. It is diagnosed through having sleep studies done at your local hospital. A CPAP machine supplies a constant flow of air (not oxygen) through a small mask over your nose or nose/mouth that helps keep the soft tissues from occluding. It is definately worth getting checked and as other members have said getting treatment can make a big difference to your quality of life. Losing weight is also recommended. oh, any quitting smoking


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