sleep advice and being well x

[fibrogirl41]

hi I had a bad night last night and I feel very tired 😴 this morning, I don't know why. I kept getting up to go to the bathroom and felt restless. I cried a bit but I got a little bit of sleep at after 3am in the morning! ❤️ 😭 I hope I get a better night's sleep tonight x I appreciate any help or advice x thank you for your kind words and comments about anxiety x much appreciated x ☺️

[Welshcatlady]

Waking during the night and lack of sleep is another burden we must bear. I often don't go to sleep until about 3 am or if I go to sleep around midnight, I wake in the early hours of the morning. I take 50mg Amitriptyline a couple of hours before I go to bed, it normally gives me about 3 hours sleep, which for me is becoming the norm, but because I am retired I do lay in some mornings, just dozing.

I use a weighted blanket which makes me feel cosier in bed, also lavender spray on your pillow may help.

I hope you manage to sleep better tonight.

[fibrogirl41 in reply to Welshcatlady]

hi thank you for the advice x I hope I get a good night's sleep tonight x 😊☺️

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Similar to Welshcatlady, my sleeping pattern is either fall asleep around midnight and sleep till about 4am, or it takes me till the early hours to fall asleep then I'll sleep about 4 hours

I take a sleepy tea most nights, do some meditation and a reiki self treatment and generally try to relax as much as I can - even if I'm not sleeping, my body is relaxing and resting

[Arymretep]

Me too, I rarely sleep through the night, but I’m retired too so can lie in or sleep when I want to, it’s part of fibromyalgia unfortunately

[Astra67 in reply to Arymretep]

I’m the same can’t sleep it’s silly hours when I do but sometimes it’s 6 in the morning before I sleep

[Hidden]

That is exactly the night I had, but I am now used to this kind of night. Lately, it has been less frequent. It happens once a week or fortnight. I weaned myself off sleeping pills. I sleep when I can and when I don't, I hope to catch up in the following days. I just don't let it bother me the way it used to. I hope you have better luck tonight.

[fibrogirl41 in reply to Hidden]

hi thanks for your kind message x I am very glad to say that I slept well last night thank goodness x I was so tired 😴 I hope that you are ok and we don't have any more nights like that x 🌈 💗

[Gigiruth]

Sorry to hear you are having these problems.I have bath with bath salts. Pillow spray and use a dodow sleep metronome. It is a tiny unit the pulses a faint light you breathe in time with to slow the body down.

I have my bedroom a little cooler than I did and very dark.

When you wake,don't feel alone. I imagine the sky as a dome above me and others looking up at the stars feeling as I do.

You do not suffer alone.

Take care

Gigi

[Meh22]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. I haven't had a proper night's sleep for a while now, if I manage to fall asleep at a decent time I wake at about 4am.and can't get back to sleep. Or I struggle to fall asleep and am then exhausted when i have to wake up. I hope it helps to know that I do have periods of time when it improves and I manage a few good hours. Unfortunately I never wake up feeling refreshed or awake, I always wake up feeling completely drained and tired. I remind myself that although I feel tired, my body has actually had a few good hours of sleep/rest. Try to be kind to yourself and rest later if you can. Take care

[fibrogirl41 in reply to Meh22]

hi thank you for your kind message x ❤️ it's a horrible thing when you struggle with sleeping x I slept well last night as I was so tired 😴 it is very draining when you feel like that x I hope you are ok x I hope you get some sleep x

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to fibrogirl41]

Sleeping problem are extremely common with Fibro, I've read around 90% of sufferers experience problems, either falling asleep or more commonly frequent waking and not being able to get back to sleep.

Scientists dont know what came first, the poor sleep resulting in the pain, fatigue, stiffness and all the other joys of Fibro life. Or Fibro causing changes in the central nervous system making it hyperactive and hypersensitive, meaning its never at rest or relaxed, which then means deep refreshing, restorative sleep is virtually impossible.

If its becoming an issue maybe a chat with your GP about some medication might be a good idea. Over the years I've tried most of them, from antidepressants like Amytriptyline to more natural remdies like Melatonin, which you can get on the NHS. These days I get Phenergan antihistamines on prescrition. They are quite sedating, and help me get back to sleep quickly. I found a lot of sleep medications had adverse side effects for me but I can tolerate Phenergan.

I found rubbish sleep the most difficult and persistent symptom to manage and everything else like pain, low mood and fatigue was much worse if I slept badly.

[Mystique23 in reply to Meh22]

I could have written this response. Totally me too. Just accepted if I manage to get 4 hours then it's a good night. X

[JoseT]

I am sorry you struggle with sleep.

I take ambien (zolpidem) and helps me to sleep through the night. Unfortunately i think in the UK it is hard to get a second prescription but i can tell you that many fibro patients worldwide are regularly taking ambien or some other hypnotic in order to get some help for sleep.

You can also try any of these natural combinations, i heard it works for some people:

- Melatonin, L-Theanine and tryptophan or HTP5

- GABA with a high dose of passiflora

- GABA along with L-Theanine and HTP5

- GABA with vitamin B6

good luck

[Wobblygirl]

Same here. Rubbish sleep pattern! I continue sleeping towards midday when it happens but then sleep routine is totally disrupted and I miss many hours of daylight!Life becomes v topsy-turvy but I do manage to do 1 or 2 errands as planned each day to provide a sense of achievement. If I leave the errands + go to bed instead I feel 'disabled' and my mental health is affected in a v negative way.

So, I persevere with my topsy-turvy world and recognise how wonderful SLEEP is feel so glad I have the opportunity to sleep whenever...

My GP is always talking abt sleep hygiene but all too often it's impossible to maintain with fibro symptoms! Hence my nocturnal contributions here...

Goodnight to everyone reading+hope you're coping w your sleep issues?

Gentle hugs Wxx

[Wobblygirl]

Try and not feel the guilt...We all have so many other burdens... x