Insomnia

[maungwin56]

I am having trouble to stay asleep. Tried Temaze 10mg, Circadin 2mg. Both are not working for me. At about 10 p.m, I am dozing to sleep but after 11 or 12.30, I am awake and not going back to sleep. Trying hard to stay asleep but get about 15 minutes sleep every hour before 5a.m and that is for the night. Last year, I started taking coconut oil and it was helping me to sleep at the beginning, but not working now. I still take it though. My neurologist increase Sinemet to 4 times a day and also added Sifrol 3 mg in May this year. I exercise and follow John Pepper's fast walking. But, insomnia is driving me crazy. Please share your opinion or experience. Thank you.

[M_rosew]

Nothing will keep you awake better than 'trying' to sleep.

Make your bedroom completely dark (no visible clock or standby lights), quiet and not too warm. Make sure you are not thirsty. Go to bed at midnight, think about something nice, but not about sleeping. You will either sleep or not sleep, and either way you are resting. Enjoy. Repeat nightly.

[maungwin56 in reply to M_rosew]

Thank you. I will try.

[tid1]

Hi - did you try Benadry? If I take 2 Benadryl (or the generic version) I am asleep in 20-30 minutes. Before Benadryl was an OTC medication, I was prescribed double this dosage for allergies. So you might be able to take more too if it is OK with your doctor.

[maungwin56 in reply to tid1]

I haven't tried yet. My problem is hard to stay asleep. Easy to fall asleep, but after a couple of hours, I wake up and hard to go back to sleep. I will ask my GP about Benadryl. Thanks for your suggestion.

[Boscoejean in reply to maungwin56]

there can be issues with Benadryl

"This medicine may raise your risk of having a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. This is more likely in people who already have heart disease or in people who use this medicine for a longer time. This medicine may cause bleeding in your stomach. This problem can happen without warning signs."

[ion_ion]

I avoid medication for sleep because even if I get asleep I do not sleep well. Every evening I add half of onion to my food and go to bed about the same time every day. Many times I wake up in the middle of the night and sometime is hard to get asleep but I void (empty my mind-I think of nothing) or eventually count slow with the speed I breathe and at certain moment I just repeat the last number. For example, I count till 250 and then just repeat 250 and I think of nothing else. Very, very rarely I cannot get asleep and I have no choice and take two pills of valerian but the sleep is as good as without valerian.

So for me the best medicine is half of onion; I eat it like an apple and I sleep very well and have colored dreams.

[maungwin56 in reply to ion_ion]

Thanks for Sharing.

[maungwin56]

Thank you. I will try.

[rodrickp411]

Happens quite often with me too. I have learned to just go with it. If I cant sleep I get up and find something to do. Read watch television or maybe even go out on the front porch and play my guitar to the critters. I ran across an interesting article about a 1st and second sleep. It actually takes the sting out of having insomnia . slumberwise.com/science/you...

[Eliza-Jane]

I fall asleep ok but after 5 hours I'm awake. Often awake from 3am or 4am. Alarm goes off at 6.30. Here is the weird bit. Often I think of horses. I'm not a horsey person in any way, but if I start to think of being near a horse, all of a sudden one is there in my mind and bumping or shoving me for a pat. It's not as I thought or imagined, it seems to take over. I mentioned this to a psychic friend once and she said that horses are strong animals in peoples brains or something. Can't quite remember, I just know that if I think of riding a horse, next minute in my mind one will come from behind or something and give my shoulder a nudge. The nearness has a very calming effect and I usually fall back to sleep. I must remember to try it again tonight. It won't cost you a cent to try.

[maungwin56 in reply to Eliza-Jane]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting.

[maungwin56]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting article.

[Tilly56]

I was a course of sleeping pills, trying to sleep it's difficult

[movinngroovin1]

Pure, organic CBD Oil has eradicated this problem. I don't even get up to pee!

[maungwin56 in reply to movinngroovin1]

Thanks

[Motherfather]

well its quite simple maun buy some sleeping tablets called entrip they are generic as well cheaper from your doctor they are very good,they are the 25 mg ones.u will enjoy a good nights sleep.

[maungwin56 in reply to Motherfather]

Thanks

[jackedmonston]

I sleep in one- to two-hour chunks. About a year ago started finding it hard to get back to sleep. Tried melatonin, valerian, Advil PM. No success. Doc suggested dissolvable cardidopa/levodopa at bed time and that helped a lot. I get about five to six hours, get up early (5 AM), eat, read paper and take an hour's nap. Doc thinks that's good.

[maungwin56 in reply to jackedmonston]

Thanks

[Kevin51]

Just finished "why we sleep" by Mathew Walker" (you can buy it online if you want a good bedtime read!). Take aways I found really helpful:

1. just give yourself the opportunity of 8 hours sleep every night - don't angst about when you sleep or how often you wake up

2. hot bath is great for lowering your core body temperature (sends blood to the skin surface which promotes rapid cooling) - it needs to drop by 1 deg C for you to sleep - set the bedroom temperature to 18 deg C so you stay cool and avoid heavy nightwear

3. every hour of sleep counts differently so don't feel bad about sleeping in if you have a restless night - its not lazy its healthy.

4. caffeine (coffee) has a 7 hr half life - (50% still there) - so no coffee after lunch. It blocks sleep - its a no brainer! Don't eat late - a good two hour gap is important.

5. sleeping tablets don't help you sleep - they sedate you (anaesthetise) - you really need good natural sleep. Melatonin can help -it is not a sedative = it sends a sleep signal to the brain. But this is getting into sleep medicine and you should take advice.

I do 1 2 and 4 and it works ok most nights - I found the book reassuring as i now understand why and how we sleep and that I just need to stop interfering with my body's natural rhythm. Sadly stopped the malt whisky nightcap since alcohol is a sedative - but not good with PD anyway!

Hope this is some help

[maungwin56 in reply to Kevin51]

Thanks a lot. I follow that,still it is a struggle.

[Wheatgirl53]

I suffer with really bad insomnia.

I've taken Melotonin, but find that it stops working.

Excercise helps a bit, but around 12 I wake up and am up all night.

I believe Stress and Unresolved issues in my life are keeping me restless.

[maungwin56 in reply to Wheatgirl53]

Anxiety too.

[alexask]

The problem may be that you are a light sleeper and are being jerked awake?

I think Mannitol helped me sleep (as well as resolving constipation issues). Watch some meditation videos and see if they help ( don't bother trying too hard to mediate). I also downloaded a free hypnosis relaxation mp3 and that also helped.

[maungwin56 in reply to alexask]

Thanks, I'll try.

[Wheatgirl53 in reply to alexask]

Thx. I'll look into it.

[Boscoejean]

magnesium, glycine, tryptophan may be helpful