Insomnia (boo!)

[Maradona10]

Common problem with the meds, I know. But 6 weeks after my stent was inserted ("cardiac incident") and I can't grab more than four hours uninterrupted. What meds will the doc put me on to get some sleep? I read regular sleeping pills are risky for heart patients. Any Intel? Thanks in advance! 👍

[BeKind28-]

Hello

We are all different on similar meds but still can make a difference to what is safe for us to take

Maybe in time the Doctor might be able to change your meds that are giving you insomnia it is still early days or maybe there is something that with your own personal medical history they can come up with something to prescribe

Make that appointment with them and have a good talk with them and fingers crossed they will have a safe solution so you can get some sleep

Let us know how you get on x

[Maradona10 in reply to BeKind28-]

Thanks I will. On the plus side, I'm racing through a pile of books that were gathering dust.

[BeKind28- in reply to Maradona10]

Hello

There you go always a positive somewhere x

[MelB51 in reply to Maradona10]

That sounds like me. Thank goodness for Kindle. I get a maximum of 1 and 1/2 hours unbroken and then bits and bobs throughout the night, My problem is respiratory and I can’t breathe properly being bunged up due to being on oxygen 23 hours a day. It is SO horrible so I sympathise with anyone who can’t sleep no matter what the underlying cause. I intend to ask about sleeping pills when I am back in the UK.

[10gingercats]

I have had sleeping tablets on/off for years.There may be some people whose heart condition needs careful considerationr re. sleep. tablets but I have taken Zopiclone,( on prescription) still here at 85.I have an enlarged heart plus non functioning tricuspid valve and various other heart issues.If I have slept even passable well I have so much more energy.Zopiclone is usually advised for twice weekly use as it can be addictive in some people but I have not found it to be a problem.

[Yumz199725]

I'm on an anti depressant that helps me sleep cause with out it my mind is going like 100 miles an hour and can't get no sleep. Hope you can find one that helps x

[Maradona10 in reply to Yumz199725]

I was going to title this post "can't get no sleep" 😄

[Blearyeyed in reply to Maradona10]

Believe it or not a milky drink or snack in the evening isn't an old wives tale. It can be normal dairy or lactofree.Although my sleep study does say don't eat or drink, except water during the 90 minutes prior to lying down to sleep it does recommend this 90 minutes before participants go to bed. There are scientific studies to back it up.

Dairy is a good source of Trytophan, and this is what is required in the body to help Serotonin and Melatonin improve relaxation , low mood and sleep because it helps their transportation around the bloodstream and across the blood / brain barrier.

Dairy products ( including lactofree ones) also contain an essential peptide called Casein Tryptic Hydrolysate (CTH) which is instrumental in muscle and nerve relaxation . It can also help settle your stomach if you have acid reflux.

A study by the international Sleep Foundation using different warm milk drinks at night found that over a quarter of all respondents fell to sleep quicker and slept longer drinking it. In the study group which also had half a teaspoon of honey in the milk more than a third dropped off within an hour of settling down and also slept more soundly during the night.

I don't like milk on its own but have got into the habit of having a ramekin bowl of natural yoghurt or warm porridge and honey recently.

Getting more oxygen during the day, and an evening stroll in fresh air can help too.

They do also say don't do vigorous exercise for three hours before you go to bed , and stop all exercise at all for an hour before bed , even gentle stretching or yoga .

It's because these cause the body to set the nervous system into increasing your core temperature and fat burning mode . This makes your body react by increasing your heart rate which in turn keeps you alert and stops the brain wanting to sleep. I've found this to have had a significant impact on how quickly I go to sleep.

[Maradona10 in reply to Blearyeyed]

Interesting, thanks. I may try coconut or almond milk. Or a yoghurt. 👊

[Blearyeyed in reply to Maradona10]

Yes , nut milks can work too they also contain trytophan, but almond milk has a lot of Magnesium.Unfortunately, nut milks don't contain Casein Tryptic Hydrolysate so aren't as effective as animal based dairy products in aiding sleep.

Some soya milk has added casein , but I'm not a great fan of the taste and men often need to eat less soya .

[Survivor1952]

I was like that until 8-10 weeks albeit I had a lot more surgery than you and it is possible mine was induced by the hospital routine for 5 weeks.

[Blearyeyed]

Do you know why you wake up or have trouble going to sleep? Sometimes it helps to work that out with a sleep diary and also use some methods to improve your comfort and position in bed to help you to sleep.

Breathing techniques before bed and allowing your body to relax and be at rest is also good. Body rest is very beneficial, feeling tense about not going to sleep often keeps you awake.

I'm 18 months into being a participant in an insomnia and Migraine study at the moment and have found creating a good sleep programme has helped me.

I'm getting 3-4 hours a night now instead of 2 hours , but I'm also more rested because of just being deeply relaxed even when I am awake.

I have a few friends whom take prescribed antihistamines for sleep instead of sleeping tablets. They say that those have worked better for them dropping off to sleep than their previous medications did.

I'm a life long insomniac and my Tachycardia makes it worse.

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

Me too Ive become more insomniac with the passing years and palpitations worse at night, sleep in shifts a few hrs at a time bursts of adrenaline every time I wake sets off palps change in med to this bisoprolol not helping but have just started eve magnesium supplement in last few days and a slight improvement so far fingers crossed

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

Yes , Magnesium Glycinate is the better option for sleep and it is the active form and more easily absorbed.You just need to be careful to make sure you can take it with your specific medications and symptoms.

If you get occasional night time low heart rate , or have Bradycardia or Hypotension you do need to check with a doctor before taking it. Often people with these conditions are advised not to take Magnesium because it can help to slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Advice is also that should leave two hours between taking Magnesium or a Multivitamin and your bisoprolol or any anticoagulants because it can affect the efficiency of the medications.

Hope it helps you soon , take care , Bee

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks Bee I got mag citrate as that's all my local pharmacist had but only have 1 not 2 just to start, I have hypertension and now this valve issue, the anxiety worsens the nights pharmacist said mag also helps nerves lol in hospital my mag level was very low and they gave me a chemically orangey drink, yuk !

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

Yes , MG Citrate is more common but its usually better for digestion . Magnesium Glycinate is usually better for nerves. Sleep and general health. All types of Magnesium will have some affect on your heart rate.Glad you checked with the chemist , many people don't. Has the GP said it's ok too?

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

our GPs are very elusive, trying to even get a phone appt is a mission! I'm seeing the practice nurse on Wed ill ask her

[Maradona10 in reply to Blearyeyed]

I can't take extra mag with my meds, unfortunately. Had been taking it pre incident.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Maradona10]

Yes. That's why I thought I'd better write a reply to check on it , a lot of people don't know and just take it.

[bee2 in reply to Blearyeyed]

I have Bradycardia so just take Glycine without the magnesium

[Maradona10 in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks for the comment and thoughts. I go to sleep very easily. But I wake 3-4 hours later and the rest of my sleep shift is very fitful.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Maradona10]

Ah. Well just be aware that sleep medications are meant to help you go to sleep quicker , not to sleep longer so you may find that you still wake up even if you take them.If you wake up and don't need the loo, it's good to just stay in a relaxed comfortable position and breath deeply with eyes closed. Try not to think about wanting to go back to sleep but just think that you want to keep resting.

If you can't sleep and find you are still fidgeting lying down , you should have a sip of water , get up and have a little stretch and some big breaths of air and settle down again to rest and use relaxing breathing. If you don't sleep your body and brain still gets rest.

They do say you shouldn't decide to sit up and read or go on devices. As these things activate the mind to be more alert and prevent you from going to sleep. Reading before bed is only usually of help because it relaxes the body before we choose to lie down but it doesn't aid in the last step of going to sleep.

[benjijen]

I hadn't slept well for many years even before my stents and subsequent medication. I read until I feel I can go to sleep but if I have more than 3 hours at one time I feel lucky. Usually doze on and off after that. Less than the 3 hour block and I'm useless the following day! Was more difficult to deal with before I retired but now I don't worry about it. Some people find taking a nap during the day helpful; I can't do that. Your GP will probably be able to prescribe something for you. Good luck.

[Echo24uk]

there is an app called CALM I put that on with AirPods in and I normally drift off in seconds

Normally takes me ages!!

When I wake up on night (every night at 2.30am for some reason) press play again and drift off !

Felt much better in the mornings since doing this rather than laying there for an hour trying to get back to sleep

Or relaxing music might work !

Might be worth a try

[Blearyeyed in reply to Echo24uk]

I'm just getting a free test of an app called Sleepio as part of my Sleep Study participation.Can't say it's made me feel much different.

The first half of the study taught good sleep practice.

One of the main things was to makes sure you turned off all devices and music for an hour before settling down to sleep so using an App seems to be the opposite to that.

But I suppose that's the point to compare the two.

[bee2]

I used to use Sleepwell Tea from Lidl not sure they do it anymore as now use Glycine which gives me a really relaxed sleep.

[LaceyLady]

Try camomile tea, or few ie 2/3 drops of essential lavender oil.

[LaceyLady]

Breathing Exercise for P/AF

Find a comfortable chair, place feet on the ground, close your eyes, breathe normally.

Start by scrunching your toes, and let go.

Tense your calves, let go

Tense your bottom, let go

Tense your arms, let go

Then your hands and fingers, let go.

By doing this you can see and feel what tension and relaxation feels like.

Next, breathe in through your nose to expand your belly for the count of

6, hold the breath, breathe out of your mouth like you’re blowing through a straw for the count of 8.

Keep doing the breathing for as long as you wish to help relaxation.

You need to concentrate on the process which can stop you from thinking about

Your P/AF

©️Angela Rawlins

[Nikinromantic]

Exactly same problem I am facing, it’s been 6 weeks after my stent. So just started homeopathic medicine. Little better 👍🌹

[Maradona10 in reply to Nikinromantic]

👍

[valeriep]

Put on Max Richter's Sleep, lie back, try to relax and immerse yourself in the music, breathing to the same rhythm. Works for me!

[Maradona10 in reply to valeriep]

I'll try it, thanks.