HELP!

[WannaBeGrumpy]

I can't sleep or eat...
(well i can but not that much)
...my sleep schedule is all messed up...
and i don't know how to fix it!
I'm practically going crazy!

[kat_kringle]

1. maybe...

a sleep aid if it's a chronic problem? All I know for sure, is that absence of sleep and food can be detrimental to ones health.
talk to a doctor!
-peace

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Welcome to DU, my dear kat_kringle!

The Lounge is friendly, and a great place to begin posting!

:hi:

[kat_kringle]

23. aloha!

thanks for the warm welcome! i'm sure i will have a good time here!

[WannaBeGrumpy]

5. I know...

I've been kinda forcing myself to eat...i'm just lonely an dmissing my SO who is in Australia for 2 weeks and I'm worried you know!

Welcome to DU!? :hi:
you'll love it here!

[kat_kringle]

24. hrm...

i'm sorry you're worried! i am a worry wart, and have gad (general anxiety disorder), so I know the feeling.

good to hear that your eating! even if it is forced.

thanks for the welcome! i hope to talk to you in the future!

[Lex]

2. I take a melatonin supplement about 45 minutes before I want to be sleepy.

Works like a charm. Sleep through the night too, and not groggy in the morning either.

[WannaBeGrumpy]

6. Where can i get that?

I think I'll be OK in a little bit..I'm just worried and lonely!
thanks! :hi:

[Lex]

8. Eh, at any drugstore or at Whole Foods. In the vitamin aisle.

Beats the heck out of having to get a prescription med for insomnia.

:hi:

[WannaBeGrumpy]

9. Yeah i try to...

stay aay from prescription drugs unless i absolutely need them thanks!

[Lex]

10. One other thing.

A 30 minute walk, a brisk walk even, at some point during the day really seems to release some kind of relaxation hormone or endorphin, and I sleep much better and it just kills the "worries" sometimes.

I wouldn't have believed it until it worked with me.

[WannaBeGrumpy]

11. I will definitely try that...

I am up for anything at this point!

[Rhiannon12866]

12. That works for me, too! Great advice!

My acupuncture doctor actually recommended it to me, and you're right, it's not a drug. He said that I could take up to 10 mg a night, I think. It's been awhile, but thanks for the reminder. And I was thinking I got this at the health food store, but you're right. The last time I got it, at was at my nearest CVS drug store. :-)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. keep that up, and you will be grumpy

your wish will come true, and your body will get the rest it needs eventually

[WannaBeGrumpy]

7. I think I will be fine...

It's just annoying..once I stop worrying and stuff I think I'll be OK! :hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

13. The other thing is to make sure you're not clenching your jaw.

I know that sounds silly, but I watched a documentary on insomnia once, since I have it too, and I remember that it said that that's the most important area to relax. And I've found it to be true. I fall asleep more easily if I'm not clenching my jaw or gritting my teeth, LOL, easier said than done, sometimes. The melatonin is a great suggestion, since it resets your clock, is recommended for people crossing time zones, also focusing on your breathing, slowing it down. I really do sympathize, since my worries keep me awake, too.:hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

14. Also, about the eating, you might try drinking Ensure, if you can't eat.

I had that problem really badly last year, was such I wreck that I couldn't eat at all. My doctor thought of hospitalizing me, since I couldn't eat and lost a lot of weight. When I get upset, that's the first thing to go, for me, loss of appetite, and I find it frustrating that I run into diet ads everywhere I go, when I can't eat. But I do find that I'm more apt to be hungry during the day if I eat something, anything, and Ensure gives you nutrition. I like the coffee or chocolate, but they've got lots of flavors. Don't go crazy, my friend, since DU's always here for you, any hour of the day or night.:-)

Rhiannon:pals:

[WannaBeGrumpy]

16. thanks for the advice...

i just want to stay healthy...and i'm all messed up right now!

[Rhiannon12866]

26. Anytime. We're all in this together. And so am I, my friend.

You might benefit from going over this all with your doctor. Mine gave me meds, since I'm low thyroid, and I was supposed to have an appointment with mine tomorrow, but put it of for a week, silly me, since I feel kind of cruddy. You need to take care of yourself, as I do, but you'll get the best advice and support from folks on DU. We care, my friend. Please let us know how you are.


Rhiannon:hi::hug:

[Connonym]

15. and watch for caffeine

I've got a terrible problem with insomnia so I've tried just about every remedy. Cutting out any caffeine within 8 hours of bedtime helps, chamomile tea helps, the scent of lavender helps, a warm (not hot) bath or shower, guided meditation, melatonin, exercise during the day but not too close to bedtime. Try to stick to as regular a pattern of sleep as you can, even on weekends. A soothing white noise in the background can help mask out sounds that are keeping you awake (I keep a fan running next to the head of my bed 365 days a year just for the sound it makes). There are lots of things to try before you need to even think about prescriptions. And quite honestly? I've been on several different prescriptions for sleep and all of them have potential drawbacks the worst being that you become dependent on them to be able to fall asleep and it just makes matters worse. Seriously, I'd use prescriptions as a very last resort.

Appetite, I'm afraid, has never been a problem for me so I can't help you with that. Sorry.

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Stay off the internet at 2 AM...

and get the kitten to behave and you're all set.

[lizziegrace]

18. Hehe...

:rofl:


:hug: Laura. How are you?

[WannaBeGrumpy]

19. I'm only on the internet at 2am....

because i can't sleep and i'm lonely! :(

[marzipanni]

29. What your mom said.

From National Sleep Foundation website-

One contributing factor to daytime fatigue in adolescents might be excessive use of computers, especially late at night when they are still alert. Teenagers use computers to do homework, to communicate with friends, and to play video games. Most sleep experts advise against using a computer for any purpose immediately before bedtime, because a bright computer screen is believed to affect the biological rhythms that govern sleep.

However, it seems that adding an exciting element to a computer task has an even greater effect. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that performing an exciting computer task such as a video game on a bright display actually suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, which helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin production is triggered by the dark.
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=huIXKjM0IxF&b=2427705&content_id={F22E6338-8F5D-4867-9DDC-7EF8BF8C43F3}¬oc=1

[applegrove]

20. Fix that sleep problem right away. Lack of sleep can lead to depression and other ailments.

Go see someone right away.

[PassingFair]

22. She's sleeping alright....

like a VAMPIRE!

[ScreamingMeemie]

25. Yes... there is definitely sleep.

Just of the wake up at 2 PM kind.

[applegrove]

28. Well that is better than nothing. I was worried there for a second you

weren't getting any. Time to train yourself back to waking up at a decent hour so you can get all the sunshine you need. (I woke up at 2PM today...I'm between jobs and it just happened).

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. This is WannaB's mama, not wannab.

I am, currently, sleeping when I should be. :)

[PaddyBlueEyes]

31. uhhh

you type when u sleep?? You are more talented then I thought.

[PassingFair]

21. I think it's CONTAGIOUS!

Try WAKING UP BEFORE NOON!

I have heard that THAT is the miracle cure!

Take two alarm clocks and call me in the MORNING!

(Like A.M.!)

[crimsonblue]

27. Flog the dolphin...

you know, clean the pipes, choke the chicken, spank the monkey.

[The Doctor.]

32. Actually, if your cycle is really screwed up....

Most people think that if they get up early, they'll go to bed earlier and wind the cycle back.

What actually works is to wind it forward. Stay up as far into the next day as you possibly can (provided you don't have to operate heavy machinery or have any other responsibilities hindered by sleep deprivation), and go to bed as close to your optimal target bed time possible. You should get a normal night's sleep after that (7-10 hours), and be able to stick to your appropriate cycle.

Once fixed, make sure to get some exercise every day, even if it's not alot, drink plenty of water, and it sometimes helps to visualize the exact time that you want to fall asleep a few hours before hand and treat those hours like a countdown in the back of your mind. That way your body and mind have a better chance to wind down.

Also, although there are caloric intake issues, some foods boost seratonin production. Pasta, rice, grain sources (even beer) boost serotonin which helps calm the mind. Stick to the multi-grain, low-glycemic stuff.

I go through this periodically myself, and this does work... the cruddy part is forcing yourself to stay awake after your body's finally conceded. Melatonin induces drowsiness, but it shouldn't be used over too long a period. There is one really neat side-effect of melatonin though, as a friend put it best; 'you wind up having big funky dreams'.

Good luck to you.