Sleeping Problems with PTSD

[madjon]

long term sleep cycles, over the years have noticed in myself longterm sleep cycles, in febuary i cant sleep till daybreak and sleep is irregular from sep-dec, this is due to events in the gulf and adaptation my body has made over the years, at night i was on alert monitoring for gas and keeping an eyeon comms while there were incoming raids, so theres a connection between night time and air raids=danger, although i know of these patterns now it took a while to work out so keeping a log over time can help spot long term sleep patterns and trends in general, bad sleep can be a problem , one way of helping to deal with bad dreams is a technique where you try to become aware that you are in a dream scape and try and deal with the dream by steering its content away from bad things, this takes practice and will see if i can find a link but it can help, sometimes something as simple as leaving the light on can help with sleep, dark=bad in some cases so leaving the light on helps, the other is finding a way to deal with sleep related issues , for those sharing a bed a seperate bed can at times be a good idea if sleep problems are causing a strain, also means you have more room,

 

[doobie]

thanks again i am going crazy with relief...i am trying so hard to get some one to relly acknowledge the fear in going to sleep that i suffer badly...another print out....wow

 

[carpediem2006]

I may not be able to sleep from reducing & coming off meds. They leave me so emotionally flat and I think incapable. However, you have also made me realise that perhaps I have a fear of going to sleep. I have realised I am now disturbed more by street noise (could also be concussion related), but I think it is to do with also being more alert. I often do not go to sleep until first light, and for the first time am also finding myself sometimes leaving a light on like we do as a young child. I also realised someone else I know who was abused as a child nearly always does this. So this is making sense to me.

 

[Nam]

I always sleep better when the sun starts to come up. If I hear birds chirping then it's time to go to sleep. I always attributed it to my night schedule that I kept from working the health care field, but I know it's a lot deeper then that. I sleep the best between five in the morn to noon. It works for me. Lately the kids have been getting me up early (which is late by most people's standard), about 9:30. So I take a nap around two. I'm really lucky I'm able to do this, but I hope to have a normal schedule soon. My doctors took me off the sleeping pills. I'm still trying to learn how to go to sleep on my own. During the worst times, when I'm exhausted, drained, but can't sleep, I hear voices. That does sound crazy, but even sane people who are deprived of sleep hallucinate and hear voices or things that aren't there. (It was a releif to read that!!) Usually when that happens, I resort to benedryl or sleeping pill of some sort. The only downfall is that I feel crappy the next day, but it's better than hearing patronizing voices in my head.

 

[pastordave]

I know you say that your DR has taken you off of your sleep medication, but mine has given me Lunesta and it seems to b helping me in being able to sleep a little better at night

 

[anthony]

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the forum.

 

[carpediem2006]

Lack of Sleep

This is so frustrating. First, I thought, OK this is a side effect of withdrawal, and it still feels better than living in medicated cloud.

However, it remains and doesn't seem to want to go away. I sleep better if someone is in the house I have discovered. I also sleep better if I have been out and had a drink or two (as does anyone else). However, those days are not that frequent.

It also has to be said that when I wake up without medication, I can actually appreciate the feelings I have when I wake up...there is less mornings of waking up with immediate feelings of impending gloom.

I do know though that I cannot continue to have periods of wakefulness where in their extreme I may get 3 hours sleep in 2 and a half days. I seem to sleep little for about three days and then loads in one. Obviously, I am not holding down a job with that.

I will see my doctor today, but thought we could possibly add our own sleep aids here....which reminds me of memory loss...I have one in my own cupboards and haven't used it in ages, forgot it was there...so have just placed one pack by my PC monitor and one on the bed. Brains were good, I remember those.

As sleep is a problem for many I thought we could make some (non-endorsed)recommendations I am thinking about pills/potions/foods/witchcraft/voodoo or whatever else works for you that does not cause dependency or reduce REM sleep (which often causes nightmares as part of withdrawal as the brain 'catches up' on lost REM sleep, and we have enough of those already without added assistance.) I thought we could add our own and make a list, and perhaps even run it up in a poll with marks out of ten for each one. I want to have a normal pattern in my life and don't quite see how to get there in terms of sleep unless I get a job on afternoon shift ideally from around 3pm-3am, that would fit in nicely.

In my case and for many I think there is a subconcious anxiety thing going on for one of two reasons. First, going to bed and lack of security while asleep (when noise really bothered me I would use earplugs, but then found myself taking them out as I was dropping off to sleep). Now I think I just have fallen into bad habits as well as that. Then there is problem 2, it is now so late I worry nothing will make me wake up and I will miss my appointment. However, I have to do volunteer work as well today so will try to get in some sleep between around 6-9am. Great stuff. And I know I will feel totally groggy coming out of that one...it will be a caffeine celebration in about three hours (I don't drink much of the stuff normally, but will be busy til 8pm today...I just don't really see how I am going to be able to hold down a job like this as I will fall asleep on the desk.

 

[carpediem2006]

Sleep Recommendations (Please add your own)

So now I have had my gripe, and remembered I actually have pills in the cupboard the recommendation is:

1- Nytol Herbal (UK branded)- the non herbal one is an antihistimine that I think also leads to tolerance being developed, but am not sure...

Let's see if I can get some normal sleep going on. If I don't add a mark out of 10 in the next two weeks hassle me for it! (drop me a mail )

 

[No-Twitch-Tabitha]

Ack! I have been sleep-deprived for years! I was never a good night sleeper (I work better on an inverted schedule), but lately (last 3 years or so) it has gotten worse. My PCP put me on Lunesta which works, but has a nasty metallic aftertaste that lasts all the next day.

I listen to audiobooks or music to get myself to go to sleep, but I still wake up several times a night if I don't take the Lunesta.

 

[GR-ass]

sleep? what's that?

I get about 2 hours sleep, wake up in a panic spend 3 hours calming myself down and then sleep for 2 hours. . . . . . . . . . and it continues
No wonder I don't have a RL.

 

[Deleted member 93]

During the worst times, when I'm exhausted, drained, but can't sleep, I hear voices. That does sound crazy, but even sane people who are deprived of sleep hallucinate and hear voices or things that aren't there. (It was a releif to read that!!)

You have no idea how much better that makes me feel! When I am cutting meds, and I get all the lovely withdrawals where ANYTHING is possible and I am so sleep deprived I get that too. The patronizing part really hit home, I would feel like I would finally be starting to doze off to hear a woman's voice say "you are not going to be able to do this" and the sort. Shot me wide awake all over again.

Once when I was driving cross country I was very sleep deprived and should have pulled over to nap. When I saw a huge stately oak in the middle of the interstate appear I did! Lack of sleep can screw you up bad.

 

[cookie]

i have trouble with voices too, and it seems worse when tired. i think that's why i fight sleep so, though, my mother's voice wakes me up saying my name, and then flashbacks start. when you have been asleep, it is more confusing. the only other stuff i hear is my grandad saying "hush now" and then flashbacks start most of the time, but not always. it can sure make you feel crazy and depressed. it does seem like when i do sleep for 4 or 5 hrs. that all the physical symptoms are less severe.i think i am sleeping more nights,even though not for more that 4-6 hrs. and it helps me feel a little better about myself too, i hate looking like a heroin addict all the time, just because i haven't slept for wks.