I never wake up feeling refreshed anymore. Haven’t for years. I’ve tried a lot of things; relaxation techniques, only using the bed for sleep, eating, not eating, warm milk, various OTC and Rx drugs, mattress pads, different pillows - including a memory foam pillow, sleeping more or fewer hours, etc. Still, I toss and turn all night, grind my teeth violently*, talk in my sleep, occasionally sleepwalk, and generally wake up feeling more tired than I felt when I went to bed. I think it’s really dampening my quality of life and what I could accomplish in the mornings if I didn’t feel like a partially reanimated corpse. I have to wake up extra early because I’m worthless for the first two hours of every day - I can’t even eat breakfast during that time.
*I have a mouth guard but it only minimizes the damage, doesn’t stop the grinding.
See a doctor. You could have any number of things going on that contribute to poor sleep quality - apnea and Restless Leg Syndrome / Period Leg Movement Disorder are two that come to mind from personal experience. A sleep study is an annoying but painless test that can help pinpoint what may be going on.
Do you sleep alone? If you (even occasionally) have a bed partner, s/he might be able to offer some observations on what your sleep is like. A lot of folks with PLMD don’t realize it until their partner says “you were kicking me ALL DAMN NIGHT!”.
Tested for Sleep Apnea?
Time to get a better mattress or turn the old one?
I’ve probably been to a doctor 10 times for it over the years. They stop me halfway through trying to explain the situation to them and write an rx. It’s pointless to talk to general practice doctors anymore. They’re pharmaceutical reps.
No, I’m married. My wife is the one who really made/makes me aware of all this.
I’m in my 20s and not overweight at all, and my wife has never described anything that sounds like sleep apnea, so I don’t think I have it.
Our mattress isn’t that old, and I just turned it a couple days ago.
Well, that completely sucks :mad: Pharmaceuticals certainly have their place in dealing with sleep disorders, but any halfway decent doctor should realize that they’re a TOOL, and don’t address whatever the root cause of the problem might be.
Has any doctor investigated things that can contribute to fatigue in general such as thyroid problems (not my first guess as you’re male and in your 20s) or anemia?
Depending on your comfort level with experimenting, it might be a useful data point to see if using something (Ambien, Sonata or whatever) for a couple of days helps you feel at all better in the short term. But you may have to really PUSH to get them to refer you to a sleep specialist.
It sounds like you’ve done everything right, in addressing the sleep hygiene issues. Beyond that, you could surely benefit from help from a pro. The sleepwalking in particular would make me nervous, people have injured themselves doing that!
I do have to put a plug in to my primary care doc - when I first brought up the subject of apnea (which I have occasional, and seems to be more of a central vs. obstructive flavor) she was very insistent that I push for a sleep study. Wasn’t until much later that we began exploring pharmaceutical assistance (I have RLS/PLMD). So they’re not all pharma whores… though I certainly don’t discount the fact that some are.
It’s possible I’m more sensitive than most, but in my experience any sleep med that actually works (Ambien, Restoril, etc.) works beautifully for a while, quickly loses its efficacy, and (once discontinued) is followed by severe and prolonged rebound insomnia. So yes, you get a few nights’ precious sleep now, but it comes with a price.
I hear ya on that. Ambien caused horrible rebound for me after even a single night of use. If I chose to use it on a particular night, I had to weigh the fact that the next night I’d be sleepless (or would have to use it each night until I could afford a sleepless night). Oh, and I’d be a zombie the next day even with the stuff. I gather most people aren’t quite as sensitive (my doc was certainly surprised when I reported this). I’m glad I tried it, though.
Sonata is better for me for rebound. Still not something I like using all that often but it’s a useful tool for occasional insomnia.
You mention ‘relaxation techniques’ – what kinds? If you haven’t already, try a 30-60 minute yoga class a few times a week (the kind that stresses breathing, not postures). Deep tissue massages can be great, too, if your insurance covers them. Other kinds of exercise – group sports, treadmill, etc. – are also great for tiring you out and helping you rest.
if you’re gonna try a pill, don’t go with Ambien or any of those, try something like Melatonin which is more natural.
Another thing I’d recommend is to pick up some decently strong beer (above maybe 6%) and have one before bed, or a glass or two of wine or something. A little bit of alcohol has always helped me sleep.
As for waking up, do you try jumping immediately into a shower? Is it hot or cold? If I’m really groggy in the morning I like to hop into a cold shower to wake myself up, than I turn it hot so I can stay in there and actually, you know, shower. A healthy breakfast always helps, too, but let’s be honest, who has time for a real breakfast these days? If I can stop by a convenience store on my way to work and down a rice ball I consider it a lucky day
You don’t have to be overweight to have sleep apnea, and while your wife might be acutely aware of your sleep problems, she might not know what to look for. I probably had apnea starting in my 20s.
I had a sleep study done a few months ago. I now have a love/hate relationship with my CPAP. I hate wearing the mask, I hate fiddling with the machine…but I love to wake up and be AWAKE. I have a lot of energy when I wake up now, I’m bouncy and chipper and all kinds of new obnoxiousness. I still have an interrupted sleep pattern, that is, I sleep for a few hours and then get up and I’m active for a few hours, and this repeats two or three times over a 24 hour span, but my sleep is deeper and longer. Now that I’m used to the mask, it’s a sleep trigger for me. It’s much easier for me to fall asleep. You didn’t mention whether you have trouble falling asleep, but if you do, having a sleep trigger helps a lot.
You DO avoid caffeine in the afternoon? If I have caffeine after about 4 PM, I know that I’ll be up all night.
Sorry to hear that you’re having problems finding a doctor. There are some good GPs out there still. I go to one, and my husband goes to another.
I don’t know that I’d recommend alcohol, certainly not on a routine basis (and my concern is NOT over the abuse potential). Lots of studies have shown its effect isn’t ideal - may help you fall asleep faster, but your sleep the rest of the night may be worse (early waking etc.). - the handful of times I’ve used a drink at bedtime to overcome insomnia this has proven to be true anyway. The wikipedia page shows some interesting contrasts though - a single drink helping some people, more than that causes more problems overall.
Some cites (I googled “alcohol effect on sleep”):
http://www.sleepdex.org/alcohol1.htm
As it doesn’t sound like **Cisco’**s problem is falling asleep, but rather feeling unrested regardless of the amount of sleep, this might not be the correct approach for him.
As always, couldn’t hurt to try it for a day or three to see what happens.
You could try earplugs. When you’re sound asleep, your perceptual thresholds are very high (that is, only loud sounds, bright lights, etc., “get through”). The reduction of sound caused by earplugs mimics that.