Hi, if you have PD or a caregiver, what are using for good sleep? I mean uninterrupted sleep for 8hours or more if possible? Please don't tell me valium or drugs in the same class, I have tried them and I hate the side effects. I am currently on Mirtazapine 15mg and Melatonin 3mg,which worked for a while, giving me 5hours uninterrupted, and 8hours interrupted. But now, I only get about 4 hours sometimes with ridiculous dreams, including nightmares . If I can get at least 6hours deep sleep, I would be glad.
So please help.Thanks.
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Hi Levod You hit the nail on the head right away. I have something on my mind lately, which might be the stressor. I understand that most anti depressants work for a while and then stop working. Maybe, it is time to try something else. I will talk to my doctor. Thanks for your input.
Levod, do you mind my asking how much Zoloft you take? I take 100 mg and I don’t have any kind of positive sleep effect. However, I have taken 50 mg for years; maybe that’s made a difference.
I do suffer from anxiety. But mine is more of a social panic disorder type thing that’s been exacerbated by Parkinson’s. It doesn’t really keep me from sleeping I don’t think. Although probably I have more generalized anxiety now too. I’m trying to think of when I wake up how I feel. I probably am thinking of issues and various horrors, So I suppose it does affect sleep. I think Zoloft helps with the social anxiety, but I don’t think it does with the generalized feeling. That makes me wonder if I’m not taking enough or if it’s worn out for me, because I would think if it’s helping with Serotonin levels, I wouldn’t be bothered by any kind of anxiety.
I use 10 mg melatonin. I used to use 5mg. Since upping the dose my sleep quality and quantity appears to have improved But it might just be coincidence.
Hi Kia17 this is an area that I haven't really thought about as it relates to sleep, i.e diet of a pwp, except eating animal protein at night only to manage c/L. I consume small sugar everyday in a about 1/4 teacup of fruit juice. I drink a cup of tea once or twice a week in the mornings depending on the weather. Eat some dairy three times weekly in butter. No coffee and moderate carbs with small gluten daily. Do stationary bikes 15mins daily, lift weights moderately and walk 10 to 15miles per week. Any advice please.
I have removed all the foods mentioned in my earlier comment from my diet.
There is no difference between too much and a bit of Gluten, Dairy. In my opinion they are the main risk factors to our health. A good source of magnesium and B6 has also helped me.
Walking fast every morning and every day is another factor to my well-being. I avoid sleeping during the day. I take minimum amount of carbohydrate and animal protein.
Leafy green vegetables like Kale have amazing health benefits for us.
I’m terrible about doing this because it’s cold outside now, but morning sun exposure is supposed to help sleep. I guess it sets up the body to produce its own melatonin in addition to whatever you add.That and turning off electronics early, and sleeping in a room that’s as dark as a cave is supposed to help. I do sleep better when my room is really dark. It helps but it’s not perfect; I still wake up a few hours after I go to sleep.
Certain types of magnesium are additive to the melatonin as is zinc. If you carry significant tension in your chest and shoulder areas, applying mag oil to those areas will relax them fairly quickly and also be synergistic with the melatonin. B6 can also improve sleep and you will find some melatonin supplements with small amounts of B-6 in them for the purpose of helping the melatonin to help improve sleep. Here is something I wrote about this problem.
My husband takes melatonin. It has helped tremendously with his nocturia worsened by BCG treatment for bladder cancer. He was waking more than 10 times a night. After 10 weeks he wakes 3-4 times now. Melatonin also helps him get back to sleep faster. He currently takes 35 mg of melatonin and I am hoping to get him back to 2-3 times which was how it was before the last BCG maintenance aggravated it.
No caffeine after midday. No sugary things after dinner. Bright morning sun and enough exercise to physically tire you too. If you’re not tired it’s hard to sleep.
Melatonin works quite well for many. I've found to be very helpful. Before I hit the clonazepam (which is heavy duty) I try the melatonin first, a combination pill of 5mg instant release\5mg extended release. If I wake up early,, I take a small instant release pill then the next night I will take 2 of the 5\5 pills at bedtime. If I wake relatively late, a few hours before rising, then I take a regular 3mg at that time does the trick fine. Very ssfe at larger doses than these.
Now if agitation or stimulation were strong anxiety is the problem for you, low dose clonazepam is very effective and not harmful.
I do 5 mg melatonin and 5 ml cbd oil before bed and I am able to sleep between 6-9 hours every night. I do sometimes have nightmares but believe that's PD related rather than from any supplements or meds I take. I'm almost always able to go right back to sleep after these nightmares. I am sugar free, lactose free, and gluten free. I also never expose myself to intense TV, reading, etc in the evenings. I stay off my computer and phone for at least an hour before going to bed and read in bed to fall asleep. I work out HARD at least five days a week and try to get out in the sun every day for at least a few minutes. All these actions have helped to exacerbate my PD and also enable me to sleep better. IMHO, you can't do "some" of these actions, but need to practice the whole package. I think the working out piece is especially hard for some people (I know it is for me!) but I think it slows down the PD, helps me sleep better, and expands my life.
I take 10 mg of Melatonin and 50 mg of Clonazapam. Works for 6-7 hours most of the time. Last night less; sometimes more. I was on more Clonazapam but found that it had a negative cumulative effect during the day-I was completely exhausted. This amount seems right.
I learnt to contiously turn my brain of and learnt to tell my body to relax, hard to do but well worth the effort. I got better sleep from also a red light hat . I went from tremors- up every 1.5 hours about to pee myself to now sleeping thru some nights maybe 1 get up not busting to wee, turning over in bed, straight back to sleep - minimal tremors. No supplements although I have used magnesium throughout my life on and off. I do find if you wake within an hour of going to sleep the brain must be doing a clean out dump kind of thing, because that is when I notice i am absolutely out of dopamine and that time really is hard to go to the toilet or turn over etc.
whatever your sleep remedy, add an epsom salt (aka. magnesium) foot bath to the bedtime ritual, soak for 20 mins or more. Wonderfully relaxing, adds another layer of benefit to sleeping rituals.
Hi i found taking 350mg magnesium 2hours before bed and 500mg of Inositol 1/2 hour before bed works for me but because it is natural body products it takes about 2 weeks before good results happen , also i am 5mg of melatonin to get me to sleep faster 5 minutes before in go to bed but only if i am still not feeling sleepy .i hope this helps
I take herbal sleep supplements from a vitamin company called "Now". I also take 20:1 THC to CBD drops before bed. I sometimes do some yoga breathing as well. I used to vape THC before bed, but I didn't like how I felt the next day.
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