Hi, I can't sleep at night. Before afib I took Tylenol pm every night but since my abalation I take Benadryl when I can't sleep which is every night. Any suggestions to help me keep my mind from thinking all night so I can sleep without causing afib again.
Thanks
I'm going through the same thing myself. I used to take Benadryl but was told not to take it Because it affects the heart. So I'm now looking into natural remedies like melatonin and relaxing teas before bed. I've found that anything with sugar keeps me up too. And my worst habit, and one that I can't seem to break, is sleeping in too late. This has me on a cycle that is so out of whack but I can't seem to get past this jet lag like problem with my rhythm. They say that you need to set a time and not sleep past it to set the rhythm straight. As it is, I am wide awake at night and my eyes burn for sleep all morn. So I would like to hear what people suggest to you too because my doctor has not been able to prescribe any sleep aid that doesn't affect the heart.
Pat try an acupuncture trick for jet lag. When you wake in the morning press quite firmly on your ear lobes, about the position you would have a piercing, hold & stimulate by rubbing between finger & thumb for a few minutes. You can do this after changing time zones - helps to reset your internal clock when your rythm has been disrupted.
See Donna Eden on YouTube.
Thanks! I try that
Benadryl is a definite no no for me but I am the opposite do not have any trouble sleeping staying awake is the problem
We had a post about Tylenol quite recently and apparently is is a US drug based on paracetemol. Not sure if there are any other bits and bobs in there but paracetemol is fine for people with AF. DO read the small print and discuss with your medical practitioner or pharmacist.
I use Rescue Remedy night and I always listen to audio books to fall asleep. You can use a cassette player or MP3 player. You need something not too exciting. I started with Michael Palins Round the World in 80 days.
The Night Rescue Remedy helped me.
Thank you. I am in the US and have not heard of night rescue. Could you'll me more and where to get it. Thanks
Think relaxation techniques and protocols rather than using drugs. If you are overthinking you would benefit from training your brain to switch off.
Having been through insomnia these are the things that worked for me:-
HeartMath practice - loads of free advice and downloads but you must practice - it is not a quick fix - heartmath.org
I liked using a technique called aggressive muscle relaxation which helped enormously - I had a CD which came as a freebie from a hotel stay along with a pillow spray etc which I found very helpful. There are a lot of sleep/relaxation audios to download - experiment.
Once in the habit of falling asleep - it is a habit you need to nurture - I found audio books work brilliantly as part of my routine. Only down side is that if it is an exciting book I hadn't already read or listened to i stopped myself sleeping to hear the next bit so..... A boring book which you know seems to work like 'white noise' for the brain but relaxing music may work for you also - seems to stimulate me.
Having been through sleep clinic protocols these were the biggest things to do:-
Prepare your brain for sleep by going to bed at a regular time, when you are feeling sleepy, forget about what time it is - you need to be feeling sleepy. Know your usual time for feeling sleepy and then stick to that time to go to bed.
Have a regular routine and don't look at any screen for at least 30 mins before going to bed. It prepares your body for sleep.
Keep bedroom as dark as possible and free of television, gadgets etc and switch off mobile phone.
Do NOT nap during the day - however sleepy you feel. It may feel hell for several days but it will work. If you rest during the day - do something.
If you don't fall asleep within 20 mins of going to bed - get up and do something - if you have worry thoughts - write them down in a journal - keep writing them over and over even if you repeat them 10,000 times. Eventually your mind will get bored and then go back to bed, take some deep breaths and fall asleep.
Hope some of above helps.
Best wishes CD
Tylenol PM is actually pretty strong - it not only has acetaminophen 500 mg but it also has a sedative diphenhydramine hydrochloride which, personally, I would avoid with AF. After taking this every night long term, you would have developed a dependency, so it will take a while to readjust to sleeping without a tablet. In general, I find sleeping tablets are not great for AF.
It is hard to improve on CDreamer's brilliant advice on sleep. Great post! The most important techniques for me are (1) total ban on any computer work for two hours before you plan to go to bed; (2) no television for as long as possible before you plan to go to sleep (e.g., 45 min if possible); (3) regular reading in bed, like a novel that you can get lost in. I'm sure audio books work just as well.
And all the other excellent advice by CDreamer & LindaDaisy! 
There was a programme on ITV last night all about sleep. I have not watched it yet think it was called nightmare of Britain don't know if it will help.
Rescue Remedy is one of the Bach Flower remedies. There is an entry on Wikapedia about them. Like homeopathy there is no scientific evidence that it works, I just know it helps me and millions of others. The night one has an extra essence which is supposed to help stop repetitive thoughts. It's harmless so you have nothing to lose by trying it.
You should be able to get it in the shops in the U.S.
Thank you.
+1 for Melatonin. I have used 5mg quick release (under the tongue) Melatonin for years now. Fifteen minutes and I'm asleep and 99% of the time sleep through the night, despite my bladders best efforts. I find 10mg to leave me a bit groggy in the morning, where 5mg does not. The groggys pass within an hour.
Thank you. I will try that.
There is some great advice above for sleep routines and suggestions. Let me just address the Benadryl part of the question. While it can make you drowsy, it causes rapid heart rate and should be avoided with AF. It is the active ingredient in Tylenol PM and Advil PM as well. My sleep suggestion is concentrated relaxation and deep breathing and there are some great yoga positions for sleep. Sweet dreams.
Do you have BBC world service in the U.S.? if so I find it is a great 'putter to sleep aid'. I have my radio beside the bed and use it to help me get to sleep and if I wake in the night I switch it on straight away, on the snooze button.
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