Insomnia and over sleeping

Ive been awake for 2 days i am tired but im so tired im not? lol this constantly keeps on happening I just cant seem to get a sleeping routine as soon as i do my chronic fatigue kicks in making me want to sleep lots so then i have to stay awake all night and i end up being awake for days and round and round i go. My doctor wont give me any sleeping tablets either. I also asked if he could prescribe anything to regulate my sleep and he said no :/ Any ideas on how to get to sleep?

[Hidden]

Hello' Sarahuk26,

i'm sorry to hear of your problem, it must be awful for you, have you tried having a warm bath before bedtime, followed by a warm drink and reading a book ? i'm sure you must have tried that but i thought i'd state the obvious.

Are you worrying about something can you talk to anyone about this other than your doctor ?

i'm sorry i can't be of more help to you, but i do hope you get on the right track.

all the best, Goldielocks.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the response goldie, And yes I have tried a warm bath,reading,mind games before bed,exercise,meditation,relaxing music. Nothing seems to help I feel like I have to be exhuasted before I can sleep. I do have alot on my mind but I can't bear to talk about my problems these days,it gets. Me in such a state x

[Amy01]

My suggestion would be to try and rest in bed, even if you're not sleeping. Fit some exercise into your day, maybe a couple of hours before you put yourself to bed. If your whole body is physically tired, it may be able to persuade your mind to slow down, so you get some shut eye? I had a friend at school who's mum had this, and the poor woman looked so dog tired all the time. I felt so sorry for her, as she had 6 children to look after-1 girl, and the rest boys, all varying ages. I do have issues with sleep, but thankfully not on such a large scale.

Hope this may help,

Amy x

[Hidden in reply to Amy01]

I have tried all of these and now with the chronic fatigue it makes exercise a danger to me. I suffer for days up to weeks in pain just after light work outs these days. but thank you for the response x

[locktight]

Hi Sarah,

Read an artical on Fatigue. it says many factors can contribute to fatigue, including mental & physical tension,a nutrient-poor diet, lack of sleep or exercise & improper breathing habits. Fatigue can also be a symptom of blood sugar disturbances, low thyroid function, or a chronic illness, so consult your doctor if it persists.

Get enough sleep- How much sleep you need depends on many things, including your age and levels of stress & activity. As a general rule, most people need about 8 hours a night.

Clean up your diet- Eliminate caffeine & all concentrated sugars from your diet as they stress your adrenal glands & drain your vitality. To rebuild adrenal health & energy , eat a balanced whole-food diet that includes two to three servings daily of lean protein foods ( chicken, fish, eggs or legumes ) and a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Exercise daily- Even if you feel tired walking will relieve tension , oxygenate your cells & build up endurance. Try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every day. Meditative, flowing types of exercise such as yoga & tai chi, enhance organ & gland function as well as build energy.

A few things for you to consider, good luck Jim

[Hidden in reply to locktight]

Hi Jim, I am now starting to clean up my diet. Fruit only as snacks now in the house. But I do love a good cup of tea but I think illl have to cut them out at nigh time from now on. As for the sleep currently I'm awake for 48hrs then sleep for about 10hrs. As for the exercise I can only do very light exercise like stretching or walking. I use to exercise regurlarly but the chronic fatigue has put a stop to that. I'm going to sound like a child now..its not fair! Lol thanks for the advice Jim x

[locktight]

Ha Ha, its not fair babe, but if you can sort yourself out it will be worth the struggle, I look forward to the day you start judo lessons!! Take care x

[Hidden]

Hi, I agree with the other replies. I used to eat lots of chocolate then wonder why I was tired. Also at times ate lots of carbs like crisps, similarly wondered why. Excercise is great, getting out and about, but when you feel exhausted it feels impossible to move about with any energy, a viscious circle, and anyway I hate excercise! Are you depressed? Sometimes the only sign of depression is an overwhelming desire to sleep. The fact that you stay awake despite feeling so tired suggests maybe you are anxious. That might have a physical cause like thyroid or fibromyalgia (any joint pain keeping you awake?) or may be due to other factors like relationships problems, work problems or losses from the past that remain unresolved. If the GP hasn't been helpful why not ask for a referral to a sleep clinic where they can find out whether there's a physical cause? I just did that and it was helpful to clarify that my tiredness and oversleeping, the opposite problem to you, has no physical cause but is linked to my having fibromyalgia and a long history of trauma, loss and depression. At least now I know what I am dealing with! Hope this helps and good luck.xx

[brutalexcess]

Normally when people mention they have trouble sleeping, it is really just the fact that they can't keep their eyes closed when resting - which is basically me summed up. I thought I had sleeping problems or some form of insomnia, but even with a high intake of caffeine on a daily basis, I can still fall asleep at the right time and wake up at around the right time, and it is hugely dependent on how active your mind is at the time.

If you use a computer a lot, or you watch a lot of television, it would be essential to either take regular breaks from them or avoid them entirely. Drink a lot of water (at least 2 litres per day).

[Starfield]

I'm surprised your GP didn't prescribe Amitriptyline if you're not already taking it. It's an old fashioned antidepressant which helps regulate your sleeping cycle. I had the same problem as you and it's really helped. It won't make you drowsy like a sleeping tablet and it's not addictive.