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Sleep, Insomnia, Lack of Quality - ways to manage

I have sleep apnea. Stop breathing on average 20 seconds per minute, which really means if I sleep my midnight to 6, it’s almost as if I slept from midnight to 4. I use a CPAP and it’s helped a ton, until my cat tried to kill the snake (hose from the machine to the mask) and put bite holes in it. I need to make another appointment. Most of my sleep apnea is from being a big dude, but also the way my throat is genetically. As the doctor put it, I had tonsils the size of baseballs, and a gigantic tongue. It blocks my air way if I’m sick. My advice to you is to cut off the phone an hour before bed. Screens (TV included) activates something in our brains that prevent it from totally shutting down allowing restful sleep.

To cope with it while I’m awake is a full pot of coffee before work and a cup or two through out the day.


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It took me a few days to get used to it, but it's been quite helpful.

DNice26 said:
Order placed! See how it goes. Another tool in the arsenal. Lol


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Something I've struggled with as well; a couple of suggestions:
- when it's time for bed, make a list of work related items that you've been thinking of/need to do tomorrow. Putting them to paper should clear them out of your subconscious so that you're not thinking about them over and over
- drink lots of water throughout the day. When you think you've had enough, have another glass. It doesn't take much to cause mild dehydration, and our brains run on water.....
- routine your lights out time - same time every day, including days you don't work. We are creatures of habit, even ones we don't realize. Same time every day tells your body/brain it's time to sleep
- I found a podcast that helps me get to sleep when my mind races; it's called 'sleep with me' and it's basically a guy telling a really boring story. Even if I wake up in the middle of the night I can throw it on and be out in minutes...
- talk to someone; your partner, a friend, a coworker, anyone that will listen. It doesn't have to be like a therapy session, but it's amazing how just verbalizing something relieves the mind
- try a magnesium supplement before you go to bed. You can also add in zinc. Like water, we don't get enough and it wreaks havoc with our systems.
 
Sound like you need to drink more before you go to bed? ?

Your asking the wrong guy here, I get about 4-5 hours a night. I doesn’t matter when I go to bed.

Good luck! I hope you find a remedy.


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Sorry to hear about that. I’ve been a light sleeper for a long time. Tried a lot of different things but wanted to avoid prescription meds to assist. I recently tried Zzzquil and got great results. Solid night sleep without feeling groggy in the morning. I take the pill form. They have alcohol free versions too. Good luck in whatever works for you!


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My first thought was sleep apnea also.
I did the following:
No soda after 6 pm
I won't eat after 7PM at the latest ( I do have a cup of milk at 8 or so)
I rarely every sleep in past 6AM unless sick. Even on days off I get up at 6

Your insurance might cover the cost of the sleep apnea test, you might look into it. I know mine will and the doc suggested I do it just to find out. I have 3/10 of the markers for it.
 
DataDude said:
I know this is taboo, but my wife and I brought some weed gummy bears back from a recent trip to California. When anxiety or stress start to rear their head just taking 1/3 to 1/2 of one mellows me right back out. My best coworker recently quit and took another job so the 3 folks left on our team have been way overloaded for the last 4 weeks and my stress has been high because I write code and my other 2 coworkers are much slower than I am so I get a lot of the work. I think with anxiety it kind of builds on itself so when you don't nip it it can just keep winding us tighter and tighter. Also put your phone away and read a book before bed. No coffee after noon. Limit booze intake as drunk sleep is not very high quality.
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Would be nice if it wasn't taboo. I have found weed medical or not works as good or close as ambien with none of the side effects and 5 x better than unisom.
 
There is an app called "Calm."

Sleep music, stories, meditation..
 
I’ve found that routine in the evenings seems to help. And doctors say that too. See if you can establish a good routine and stick to it.

Another thing, if you’re a “list builder” like I am and have trouble disengaging your brain from the day/work. About an hour before your set bedtime (routine) make a list on paper of all the things nagging you that you need to accomplish tomorrow or even for the week. With your brain acknowledging these tasks on a list, it’s free to let them go...and sleep. It works.

About 30 min prior to bedtime, read a book (on paper, no devices). That helps calm you and tells your brain it’s almost time for sleep.

Lastly, check your vitamin D levels. Mine were low once and my sleep was a mess. Low vit D can cause restlessness. With regular vit D supplements my evening restlessness has diminished greatly.
 
i have my runs of poor sleep for sure. Lately i have been in a good groove. I drink a lot of liquids during the day and slow down on the water at night attempting to minimize bathroom visits at sleep time. I try to lift weight, heavy full workouts 3/4 days a week. no food after a certain hour. i no longer set an alarm on the weekends. that doesnt mean that i sleep past 6 or 630 but it does mean if i am out, i want to stay out. And contrary to common thinking, no alcohol after 7 o'clock. A guaranteed wake up for me is cocktails at night. That results in sleeping like a log for 3 hours then wide awake for the rest of the night. good luck as i know sleeplessness sucks
 
My wife stopped drinking wine during the week after work and she sleeps so much better. She only would have glass at the most but it makes a difference.
 
Sounds like your job stress is the culprit. Having worked in pharma most of my adult life I know it can be a 24/7 gig and its easy to let it control your life. For me I used to turn off all my devices at 9:30 PM and not look at them till the next morning. I had a dedicated stereo room in my house where I would go for an hour before bed, turn the lights on down low and listen to jazz to chill me out. I also got up at 5:00 AM to workout which helped wear me out by the end of the day. You can also try all the basic insomnia fixes: your bed should be for sleep & sex only, no reading/TV. Keep the room cool and dark and have some type of white noise like a fan or noise machine. Good Luck!
 
I'm kinda opposite, as I cannot go to sleep. Many of nights its 3-4am, and I'm still up... I figured I never knew how to go to sleep, I just knew how to pass out. Sad I know, but thats the only way I could be asleep before midnight at one time.
Now I use a few methods when I really need to get asleep (which may help you when you wake up in the middle of the night).
First is I count, starting from 1, but also picture the number 1 in my mind, then count 2 also picturing the number 2. Continue until asleep. I never get to 100.
Second is listening to deep sleep music such as yellowbrick cinema has on their youtube channel; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQ6t4yPIM0 I can fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon when relaxed and listening to that, lol.

Hopefully that helps, or you find a fix for your insomnia.
 
I've heard those weighted blankets are awesome for insomniacs, something about it's like being swaddled like as a baby.. good luck!
annsguy said:
My wife stopped drinking wine during the week after work and she sleeps so much better. She only would have glass at the most but it makes a difference.
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Sounds like her brain was hypersensitive to the rebound effect . The alcohol may make her relaxed and drowsy but when it wore off an hour or two later her brain was more revved up


Side note, I was the director of a detox and people would always say that their drinks would make them actually sleep, but it was more of a "no you knocked yourself out with enough booze for it to really be anesthesia".. technically they were in a near coma

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Reading this, I should really go for a sleep study. My stupid white coat syndrome keeps making me put it off. The thought of having to sleep with a mask on does not appeal one bit, but as 2 separate people have informed me I stop breathing in my sleep, and I’m permanently ****ed when I’m awake, I guess I really should book myself in.


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Mark_UK said:
Reading this, I should really go for a sleep study. My stupid white coat syndrome keeps making me put it off. The thought of having to sleep with a mask on does not appeal one bit, but as 2 separate people have informed me I stop breathing in my sleep, and I’m permanently ****ed when I’m awake, I guess I really should book myself in.


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I know two guys that went in and got tested for sleep apnea and they both said the cpap machine changed their lives. One guy had serious health issues due to the apnea and the other guy almost crashed his car falling asleep at the wheel.

If you have it, do yourself a favor and go get checked out.


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Giving this a go tonight...


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DNice26 said:
I know two guys that went in and got tested for sleep apnea and they both said the cpap machine changed their lives. One guy had serious health issues due to the apnea and the other guy almost crashed his car falling asleep at the wheel.

If you have it, do yourself a favor and go get checked out.


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I heard that CPAP will change your life as well, so I went to get tested and found I have mild-moderate apnea. Have been on CPAP for 2-years and don't feel any difference at all! Like all treatments, there is no therapy that works for everyone.
 
DNice26 said:
b4a43f5fcc41c982586666364894daf4.jpg


Giving this a go tonight...


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Interested in hearing your thoughts on it. My nightly goal is to get two consecutive REM cycles (about 2.30 hours straight for me) as I wake up almost hourly. I've seen these blankets before but since I am almost always overheating in bed I've been wary of buying something that may retain even more heat.
 
Has anyone tried one of these under-sheet fans?

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I have major issues sleeping and I was recently talking to my therapist about it. I now need to do a sleep study - she thinks I have sleep apnea.
 
Man, I have the hardest time falling asleep for as long as I can remember, so much so that I got addicted to Nyquil/Zzzzquil in my late teens. Rule of thumb for me is that it takes at least an hour from the time I get in bed until I can even try falling asleep. I try and watch some videos on my tablet with the blue light filter active as well as reading. So far, reading has been the most successful non-medicated remedy in cutting down that hour to around 30 minutes. I'm a night owl, my normal rhythm would be bed at 1am to 9am wakeup, but that's not how life works!
 
greekelite said:
How'd it go?

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Hard to say for sure, as my 4yr old was sleeping next to me and I got a good few karate chops and kicks through the night!! Lol, maybe that is my other issue!!! The blanket is a good bit heavier than I imagined.... it is also more breathable than i figured it would be. I slept fairly well last night, so I’ll say the first trial was pretty darn good. I feel good...although that could be the afternoon delight...lol! TMI...sorry. Lol


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It is heavy right?! Sometimes quite a workout! I was also surprised at how breathable it is. Hope it continues to help.
DNice26 said:
Hard to say for sure, as my 4yr old was sleeping next to me and I got a good few karate chops and kicks through the night!! Lol, maybe that is my other issue!!! The blanket is a good bit heavier than I imagined.... it is also more breathable than i figured it would be. I slept fairly well last night, so I’ll say the first trial was pretty darn good. I feel good...although that could be the afternoon delight...lol! TMI...sorry. Lol


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