Im having real trouble sleeping

As the title says over the last week or so iv had real trouble sleeping.

I have had occasionally had this problem but this time it seems to be worse.

I am tired when I go to bed, all of me is tired body and mind, but lately I just cant get to sleep. I know im tired because after a while I get a headache. Not only that but when I eventually get to sleep I toss and turn so dont feel like I get a restful night.

Im not working atm and im also being treated for depression and anixity attacks. My partner also works away four days aweek.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas/suggestions that might help?

I go on holiday in 16 days so will get plenty of rest then im hoping but I NEED SLEEP NOW. I cant function on less the 8 hours a night so im starting to ge grumpy and feal unwell.

Thank you for reading

Have you tried taking any melatonin? Found with the vitamins. I would take 3-5mg a night and it seemed to help keep me asleep.

I have some Rx meds that make me sleepy as a side effect, but I try to "save" those meds for when I really need them.

Things like Tylenol PM, Benadryl, Unisom, etc. sometimes work and sometimes they don't. Half the time it seems like either I feel like I never really got to sleep - just stayed in a fog with lots of thoughts and not much sleep - or the worst nights are when it seems to have the opposite effect and I feel like I have to keep shaking my legs - almost like it makes my head tired but my body hyper.

My suggestion would be 3mg of melatonin about 30 minutes before bed to see if it helped.

Quote - Half the time it seems like either I feel like I never really got to sleep - just stayed in a fog with lots of thoughts and not much sleep

This is how I am atm takes ages to get to sleep then feel like I never get much.

Would the tablets interact with anything else im taking?

Thanks

No idea about interactions since I don't know what else you are taking. Never had it interfere with anything I have taken for depression or for PCOS. You may want to check with your Dr. to be on the safe side.

Here is a link that might mention some interactions.

MELATONIN - ORAL side effects, medical uses, and drug interactions.

Im heading up the town on Wednesday so il go to the chemist and speak to the people in there, they should be able to tell me.

Im trying a warm bath with lavender tonight, fresh sheets on the bed and fresh pj's to see if any of that helps.

Im also doing alot of housework today aswell.

I have to wait for a percel tomorrow, a sewing machine so I will have something to distract me tomorrow playing with my new toy

exercising helps LOADS. seriously. if you're not doing anything in the day, try to get at least 20 mins of exercise, or go out on a short walk, just so you're out of the house and using up energy. if you're just getting up, not doing much and then going back to bed you won't be physically tired, even if you feel you are.

over the counter medicines that have helped me were nytol and this thing called nite herb, which is a herbal supplement. check with the pharmacist if they interact with your other meds but they shouldn't.

also- i'd really bring this up with your doctor anyway, trouble sleeping can be a side effect of anti-depressants, it might be time for a change in what you're taking. big hugs, hope you feel better soon.

Thank you, Im actually due back to see my doctor soon, this time round if we both think the time is right he is going to start weaning me off them.

Im also hoping spending some time away from home relaxing with my oh will help. We have had the year from hell and need some serious tlc and relaxing time.

Good luck Vicky. When I was taking Zoloft, we added in Trazodone to try to help with the sleeping. A bit of help, but not that much. Ended up doing two sleep studies. On a hunch, the sleep dr. gave me a Rx for a med called gabapentin that is almost like a nerve blocker. He decided that maybe pain was keeping me from getting good sleep.

Haven't taken the zoloft or trazodone in years now, so I know mine isn't a side effect of the medication. My primary dr. does not believe in sleeping pills like ambien and will try most everything else first. There are lots of options out there. Still haven't found anything that works 100% of the time though.

I agree it could be related to your medication, so talking to the pharmacist might be a good idea, or pop in your doc's office if possible.

Meanwhile, do everything you can to relax. A lavender bath is good, a lavender sachet under your pillow, a herbal infusion. Exercising helps too, just do some basic yoga poses, you can even meditate. You can also try music to help you relax, classical music can work (like Debussy's clair de lune, works anytime for me) or special relaxing/meditation cds (take those with nature sounds). I like to shut out everything else, so there's just me lying on my bed or sitting, listening to my music.

You can also go for a walk. Do you have a cat ? I find mine very relaxing when she's purring next to me

Also, pamper yourself, especially if you've had a rough year. Allow yourself a massage at a beauty salon, or get your nails done by a pro, anything you'd like as long as someone else does it.

I actually did some light execise, yoga and meditation this afternoon about 40 mins. I was enjoying myself.

My bath is running as we speak, I drink a reasonable amount of tea so iv decided no more tea after 8pm having hot choccy instead.

I do have a cat and he loves lying next to me in bed when my oh is away, i too find the purring very relaxing!

I actually need a hair cut which I love having done. I was thinking of booking in for a facial aswell as a head, neck and shoulder massage.

Im also looking online for relaxing music. I adore the sound of rain so going to see what I can find aswell as rainforest noises.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Im going to try the non medication route first.

I was having troubles sleeping for the last few weeks and found out it was because I was so cold that I'd toss and turn myself awake, and not get a good night's sleep even if I never woke enough to become fully conscious. I used a heating blanket a couple nights ago and got my first night of good rest in a few weeks.

Considering you're on medication for depression and anxiety, you really want to talk to your doc before taking any sort of meds or oral treatments (A glass of wine will put me to sleep really easily but you don't want to mix that with meds.) Some people use a glass of warm milk or hot cocoa, which should be okay with meds though.

I avoid the sleeping pills because I'm overly sensitive to anything that causes drowsiness (it gives me 1 night of sleep, but then I get insomnia for the next 3-5 days which overall isn't worth it for me)

A night time routine can help too. If you get into the same routine every night, your body gets used to the idea that those motions means that you're about ready for bed, and psychologically helps you to get tired. (For a few months, I played this DS storybook-like game for a half hour before bed time, and now I have troubles playing it during the day cause it'll make me sleepy! But when I was little, I always read a book before bedtime, so it might be a habit from childhood. But reading is a good suggestion too! A long novel, not a magazine so you're immersed into a small part of a big story instead of lots of little stories that cause you to change subjects often in your mind.)

With music, you might try with the big earphone things so it drowns outside noise out too.

Dim the lights at least an hour before bed. Humans' internal clock is affected by light, so if it's really bright, your body still thinks it's awake time, so if you're surrounded by more dusk sort of light your body can get used to it being night time.

I stirred a few time last night but I was back to sleep withing mintues. I feel I got a reasonable nights sleep. I had to set and early alarm this morning and I so didnt want to get up. I also didnt have too much trouble getting to sleep.

Its nice out so if my parcels turn up early im gonna head out for a walk, if not il exercise in the house, I felt much better for it.

Golden Lotus from the Buddha Bar

Amazon rainforest relaxation sound

Buddha Bar - Angelic voices

Buddha Bar - Ocean

Delicate rain

Gentle rain

My favorite relaxation/meditation music is Ocean Rhapsody by Thierry David (you can find it on amazon).

Other suggestions :

Ommadawn by Mike Oldfield

To relax : Amarantine, Wild Child, Orinoco flow, Anywhere is by Enya. I will add Samhain night by Loreena Mckennitt.