Ptsd and sleeping

[TheResilientOne]

Who has any Best shared practices with their sleep hygiene ? I am getting restless leg syndrome bad! And it feels like I can’t ever get comfortable! For an example , I’ll get comfortable in my bed and all of a sudden I can’t sleep in my bed and go to the couch and then I switch back and forth .... any Best practices someone can share ?

[willingtoheal Volunteer]

Hi TheResilientOne sorry you are going through this. What works for me is I find that I sleep better if I sleep in cotton clothes because cotton material breathes. Then if I fall asleep when I'm cold I sleep better than when I'm overheated. I find if I drink more water throughout the day my legs don't cramp up, then I think of something relaxing when I lie down to sleep a flower field or anything that is relaxing to you,

Take care,

[TheResilientOne in reply to willingtoheal]

Thank you !! I will do that

[SavingGrace Administrator in reply to willingtoheal]

OMG. I discovered this last week. Although, it was still cotton, but not loose cotton.

I felt so suffocated and bound like a 'mummy' .....

I will try the water/leg cramp suggestion - thanks XXXXX

[Agara33]

i listen to guided relaxations before sleep

[SavingGrace Administrator]

Hey there.

I have to have a good climate - fresh air - either by airing the room during the day, or in summer keeping the window open during the course of the night.

I find that I can not sleep with socks on [!!!!!] as it brings back bad dreams aswell as overheating. Finding comfortable sleep clothing is important. Last week I slept two nights in a cotton jersey, and it drove me nuts! It needed to be loose. It wasn't and it made me feel confined.

All these factors may be related to my original trauma.

But I do recommend:

Sleeping in a well aired room.

Comfortable sleepwear.

Unwinding at least one or two hours before going to sleep. Including stopping computer/phone/tv - technology.

I started a regime also 11 years ago of getting to bed by 10pm. I've stuck to it this whole time. I hate even going to sleep at 11pm. Just honour your sleeping time.

When you find that it is too hard and you fidget, then don't ignore this. Get up - make a cup of tea - pick out a book to browse - cuddle teddy/person.....

Make sure you have three set meals per day. Don't snack to pass time. Set your time by mealtime.

And most of all, to avoid insomnia - I made myself a promise that I would not try to resolve any issue that came to mind as evening settled. I would take that issue and acknowledge it; signal to myself that I would deal with responding to this issue in the morning., By then, it would feel insignificant most times by then anyway..

Best of luck x

[TheResilientOne in reply to SavingGrace]

I love this! Thank you !

[Philip]

You need to get some Qunine from your GP, or get some Indian tonic water but read the label to make sure it’s got Quinine on the ingredients. Or go to bed and go straight to sleep, should be as right as the rain.

It is a horrible thing to get.

Philip

[AussieNeil Moderator in reply to Philip]

Restless leg syndrome is indeed a horrible condition to have and prescribed medications tend to lose their effectiveness over time. While quinine is commonly used to reduce the incidence of leg cramps and restless legs, it can be dangerous (even fatal) for some individuals very sensitive to it. For this reason, quinine was banned for uses other than malaria by the FDA in 1994 - because 'This drug can cause headache, rash, ringing in the ears, nausea, dizziness and blurred vision': peoplespharmacy.com/2010/10...

medscape.com/viewarticle/77...

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/q...

TheResilientOne, if you decide to try quinine (and many people do continue to use it - with some finding the small amounts in tonic water sufficient), just be alert for these possible side effects.

Neil

[Philip]

Wow, I learn something every day, thank you for the information. We don’t know these things if we don’t get told lolcheers