Trouble sleeping - anything I can take?

jenniewb

I have chronic sleep problems, I've had mine as long as I can remember- even as a child I found it hard to sleep. My sleep problems are and always were as a result of anxiety thus setting up a bad "habit" so where there were less anxious times, I just couldn't fall asleep.

I went to my GP after following the suggestion of other medical people as I have mental health problems but my GP refused to refer me to a sleep specialist because they don't treat "psychological issues".

What was suggested by initially a neurologist (long story) and eventually prescribed melatonin. It is very expensive! It costs the NHS around £30-£45 a box, yet in the US it can be bought from Walmart for around $10 (or closer to £5). That sickens me- I am somehow allowing a selfish greedy pharmacutical brand to effectively leech the NHS. I hear of people being pulled of pills which cost much much less yet there is nothing similar to melatonin and it is a long term take every night pill.

What I am noticing though is that I do get a hang-over effect. I didn't used to, and if I drink any alcohol now it's much worse the next day. If I don't take a dose, I wont sleep.

There are also now some nights where I can't sleep as well. Before taking the pill, I'd easily have 1-2 nights and sometimes 3-4 nights a week where I just wouldn't sleep (and I could write the books on sleep I've read so many of before anyone assumes I didn't try) I used to sleep every night when I first started taking melatonine, now I seem to find most nights I sleep very lightly, its taking me longer to fall asleep and for the first hour or so I wake up every 20 minutes or so. I don't feel as refreshed as I used to.

I don't like the idea of taking pills, I hate how much it costs the NHS and it makes me feel bad. I am considering coming off the pills but am being advised by my psychiatrist to take more. At the moment I'm on the look out for other treatments, just would have liked to been referred to a sleep clinic or something more specialised as I can't understand why pills are the only answer. I'd ask for a referal to a specialist if I were you.

jenniewb

And just a few suggestions on things you've probably already tried, but just in case you haven't.

Feeling drowsy:
Reading- but not on anything with a backlight (so no computer screens, TV screens, digital displays/Kindles..etc and ipod/ipads...etc. Try to keep colour to an absolute minimum, reading a magazine or newspaper will not work. Reading a book will work.

A hot bath- you can make this warm rather then hot in the summer, but the effect of it being warm is that your body relaxes, anything cooler is more likely to make you more alert and less drowsy. Showers don't work, baths do work. I'd avoid washing your hair because you leave the bath and become colder thus making yourself feel more alert.

Hot water bottle.

Sipping (not glugging) warm milk. Don't add sugar-or honey or sweeteners, you just end up with a hunger dip when your blood sugar levels drop making you feel more alert. Milk has a little protein in which when drunk without sugar tends to be enough to avoid the same dip.

If you feel stressed, write down how you feel in a separate room, in a note book. Make sure if there is anything to be dealt with that you deal with it the next day: build a level of trust with yourself where you understand that things written down are dealt with and so you find it easier to switch off.

Exercise during the day, but not within 2 hours of sleeping. Remember that some forms of Yoga can also wake you up, choose carefully what you do.

Don't eat within an hour of sleeping (the milk doesn't count).

Caffiene is OK but not 6-8 hours before you sleep. Caffiene has a half-life of 6 hours, if you have a 350ml can of coke, your drinking around 120mg of caffiene, you drink a cup of coffee it can be anywhere from 150-300mg of caffiene, you drink a red-bull or other high energy drink that can go up to as much as 450mg so be careful what you pick. Don't forget some brands of medication (paracetamol and etc) have caffiene added. Also remember some foods have milder forms of stimulants in them, maybe you'll be OK, maybe your a bit sensitive so eat carefully. I know for me that ginger for example keeps me awake so no ginger beer late at night

samsmoot

Relaxation techniques can help a bit.

This might work if you are able is to leave the radio (telly can get too loud or too quiet) on a low volume talk programme throughout the night. You should just about be able to hear it. When you wake up immediately turn your concentration to the radio and repeat in your mind whatever you hear on the radio. You don't need to hear too clearly, and if you don't just guess or move to the next phrase you heard. Just repeat the last phrase or few words that you heard. Perhaps a little slower than the speaker. Don't try to keep up with the words being said, there will be plenty more. Hear the words as you breath in, say them to yourself as you breath out. Maybe between four to ten words at a time. You may eventually drop off.

This is one aspect of the relaxation methods I have been using over the course of nearly two decades and I like it a lot. Simple to do, easy to describe and effective.

xMonsoonx

Not sure if its a mind over matter but after watching the food hospital on TV. I started eating 2 kiwis every night before bed and my sleeping has improved immensely!