Can anyone advise me what would help with my sleep , sometimes I can be awake for hours , and then I am constantly waking the rest of the night
My thyroid is slightly over active but the doctor doesn’t want to change my dosage , I’m on 75 levothyroxine
I can’t remember ever having a good nights sleep for months ,
Is this normal with thyroid problems
Hi Rufus, it's more of an adrenal/cortisol problem and also a melatonin problem. Melatonin is developed in the daylight, perhaps being outdoors and cortisol is developed by the adrenals when you are stressed which keeps you awake. You could try one of these.
Personally I would try magnesium first. Most of us are deficient and your adrenals really need it and use a lot during stress. Take it at bedtime. Some practitioners suggest just 1 mg. of melatonin. It's actually good for your brain. If neither works for you I also like Gaba. I saw one review on a vitamin website about Gaba:
" I have had major problems with insomnia my whole life, but I have finally found the products that put me back to sleep. My problem is that I wake up in the middle of the night, and I can't get back to sleep afterwords. I now take 500mg of GABA, with PS (Phosphatidylserine), 100 mg, and 250 mg of Magnesium Glycinate, and this knocks me out for the rest of the night, without feeling drowsy in the morning. The magnesium is so important, if only you are to take 1 supplement , Magnesium Glycinate is the one!"
I totally agree with that.
Sometimes a small amount of calcium helps relax muscles and works with magnesium.
Unplug your wifi every night, darken the room and keep it cool.
Great advice Heloise as always . I would just add a few more nutrients that seem to help with good sleep . If the cortisol levels are a bit high at night trying to take a small dose Zinc too and see if this can help settle one down and give one a good nights sleep. B-12 is also very helpful with good sleep . What I also found very helpful is to take a tsp of peanut or almond mutter before going to sleep or even a tsp of raw honey .
Do you take these right before bed and with food?
I took them without food but if calcium bothers your stomach you could take it with a little protein or fat. Back then I took 500 mgs. of calcium/magnesium with water.
I hope it helps you.
I have had the same problem for years, takes ages to actually get to sleep. I mean 3 or 4 hours. I recently have been on a course of Matula tea, to eradicate H. Pylori. Part of this month long course was to cut down drastically on tea. So, after my 1/2 cups of Early Grey in the morning, I have gone onto herbal tea or Redbush non caffeine tea. Well, what a difference, I would never have believed my drinking tea late evening would have had that effect. I now sleep like a top and go to sleep within half an hour of going to bed. Long may it last. Now, I will always keep away from caffeinated drinks after lunch.
p.s. I had all my thyroid gland removed 20 years ago and take 125 mcg Levo.
Yes it is, I am the same and my TSH is 0.70 so in range but slightly low.
I am also somebody who suffered with this problem most of their life. But I am now sleeping much better thanks to the following protocol.
I get up much earlier than I used to. 'Early to bed, early to rise' is very good advice. I get plenty of exercise in fresh air too (although I always did that and it didn't work on its own).
I take Selenium after my meal in the evening.
I eat something sugary before going to bed. I have been doing this for a while after realising that if I had something like ice cream before I went to bed, I slept better, and woke up more refreshed. Recently somebody on this forum posted this link
that helped explain why. I now usually take a small glass of fruit juice with some sea salt in it.But I also find it better to have had a small amount of fat close to bed time too.
That’s interesting. I avoid sugary things before bedtime as I’m convinced they keep me awake!
Looking through your previous posts it seems that you’ve had a reduction in your Levo. Is this correct?
Poor sleep is a hypo symptom and it sounds as though you were still having other hypo symptoms on your higher dose. It’s possible that you need an increase. Do you have any recent test results?
I found that my sleep quality was very poor, even though I was exhausted in the day, before my dose was correct - and by correct I mean optimal, not just “normal” or “in range” according to the GP.
Have you had your Vit D checked. D deficiency can cause many issues including restless sleep and staying awake for hours.
I had a lifetime of poor sleep going back as long as I can remember. From being a hyperactive kid to worn out adult.
Had all sorts of sleep studies & was eventually sent to have my Tonsils & Uvula lasered out in my 40s, due to snoring. That helped for 2 years, until the snoring came back. Now have a CPAP machine, which I struggle to use.
Spent thousands over the years on beds, pillows, tried all every medication from melatonin to zopiclone to stuff I won’t even mention (the latter couple work, but definitely not advisable or a long term plan).
Earlier this year I decided to try Plant Based (vegan) diet. I’ve never felt better & don’t even think about meat, dairy, eggs. Never felt so energetic & sleeping like never before.
Very interesting as I am like you so have had 50 years of it. I don't eat red meat but I am not entirely vegan. It's difficult to do though when you are in a marriage.
Why would marriage make it difficult? 😂
I’ll admit that I first went vegan due to vanity following watching the film The Gamechangers.
I then saw the films :
What the Health
Cowspiracy
Forks Over Knives
All on Netflix. I urge anyone to watch these.
My daughter has been vegan for years & we have been trying to cut down for a while, but following these films & research, the whole family are vegan, including our 21yo lad.
I have Cpap machine now too and absolutley hate it. I sleep 4 hours with cpap 8 hours without I think it's a scam.
Do you get enough protein with that knackersyard? Do you stay away from any grains?
What helped me was a fitness tracker (garmin) worn at night. I realised I got more sleep than I thought (not great but 5-6 hours). When I stopped worrying about it I started getting 8 hours. I do shift work so use promethazine to get back into a normal pattern again. I also use magnesium either capsule or the magnesium oil applied to skin. Plus lavender oil blend to my pulse points.
Have a look at BetterYou magnesium sleep spray.
Agree - fantastic product
Agree I was going to suggest it, brilliant stuff and doesn’t interfere with any meds
Low vitamin D and/or low magnesium
Low FT3.....especially if you have had dose reduced
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Ask GP to test vitamin levels
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins
Cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3 £29 (via NHS private service )
monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
Also what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)
All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels
GP will only prescribe to bring vitamin D up to 50nmol. Aiming to improve by self supplementing to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better .
Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.
Ideally test twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk
Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function.
It's trial and error what dose each person needs. Frequently with Hashimoto's we need higher dose than average
Local CCG guidelines
clinox.info/clinical-suppor...
Government recommends everyone supplement October to April
gov.uk/government/news/phe-...
Poor sleep .....
If vitamin D is low, B vitamins may be too. As explained by Dr Gominack
Hi, magnesium would be great, try mg citrate.
Also, Ashwaganda - Withania somnifera. Have a hot plant based milk drink during the evening and add about 1/2 teaspoon of powder or break open a capsule. You can get powder from Indigo herbs for eg. You add add a little nutmeg, cardamom. It is safe to take with medications. Try it, I’ve had good feedback with this.
Since I have started taking T3 and taking my T4 at night rather than in the morning I am sleeping much better, worth a try?!!
Magnesium has been extremely helpful for my sleep.
Hi Rufusfill, can you say a bit more about the issue? E.g., what is it that keeps you awake, do you get sleepy certain times but not others, are you sleepy during the day? Is it that you just don’t get sleepy or tired at night or that you’re sleepy but your anxious or racing mind keeps you awake? etc. That might help us figure it out.
I have always had phases of insomnia but since thyroid problem it’s got much worse
I tend to go to bed around eleven, but can still be awake most nights till at least 3
I’ve monitored my sleep with my fit bit and over a week my deep sleep average around 25 min
I always feel tired every morning and sometimes feel sleepy around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, but I don’t have a sleep during the day
I usually wake several times during the night but can get back to sleep , the problem is getting to sleep to start with
Dim the lighting in the evening at home.
Have low lighting in the bedroom.
Try a hot shower half hour before bed.
Take magnesium (as suggested above).
Read an easy book for a little while before you settle down.
Stick to a routine.
I sm exactly like you pattern wise I'm still undiagnosed hypo and menopausal so they overlap but in the 7 years I'm not slept til 4am I've literally tried everything from medicines to herbal to old wives tales...all sleep issues I read are about staying asleep I can't get to sleep. I don't nap daytime I use blue block glasses read no screens from midnight and take magnesium and 0.3mg melatonin. some nights I can be asleep for 2am but usually 4am and up at 8.30am. I am bone tired but not sleepy if that makes sense. it has ruined my already fragile health and the only thing I know has changed 7 years ago was the start of perimenopause and the low t3 t4 tsh. if my cortisol is high what can help? that's the one thing I haven't taken supplements for ( I take Vit D a good B complex iron magnesium)
well, I am a chronic insomniac and I used melatonin with the blessing of my GP. I am British, It can be prescribed here but I get it sent from Vitamin grocer in America and it is quite cheap there and available over the counter despite the FDA having high requirements for safety..This is the natural sleep hormone. Of all sleep aids I think it is the most harmless, indeed some researchers think it has an anti ageing effect. It means I can cope with my days if I sleep at night.
hi there I'm in the UK and actually seeing my doctor Friday to get Circadin on prescription as like you I buy from abroad. after lots of advice and searching I was told microdosing was best I take 0.3mg at 10pm. it's not helping I tried 1mg tablet no different can I ask what dose and when you take it ( I was told anything above 1mg is too high ?? ) thank you
Hi Rufusjill
Please try these techniques -pick anyone that suits you and after you do it for a few mins and then start yawning then the vibration in your body has changed and you can toss off to sleep.
I myself do # 2 and # 5 - the # 2 you can just hum like a bumble bee
they will bring down the blood pressure as well
I agree with previous posts. Deep breaths that fill your body with oxygen which I have learnt from following advise of Wim Hoff ( the Ice Man). There is supporting science behind it.
I cannot remember the last time I had a full nights sleep. I have been listening to music .... I am listening to "Let Me Sleep" by Texas. ;o)
Sleeping
Overcoming sleeping proplems
trouble sleeping 
Still not sleeping?
