HELP !.

Any Tips to help with Sleep Deprivation ??.

My Wife ,some nights may sleep for 2 hours then she is awake for the remainder of the night.
Last Night She was awake All Night, and was completely knackered all day.

She will ( NOT ) go to the Doctor for Medication, she says ," I don't want to be Addicted To Sleeping Tablets !!".

Has Anyone on GC had a similar Problem regarding Sleep Deprivation ?.

If So, how did you Treat It ?.

Was It successful ?. Thank You. Music.

 

I won't suggest mine & Jack Mc H's remedy for obvious reasons.

A hop pillow is pretty good, hops can make you go to sleep if you put too many in beer even.

 

I've been in that situation. Sleep deprivation is a symptom rather than a fault in itself. Its important to find out what's up. Stress? Anxiety? simply an overactive mind?

I can't possible solve it for all cases, but for me, I figured a long time ago that mind and body have their own distinct energy levels. Unless both are matched, you aint going to sleep. Your body can be exhausted but if your mind isn't, you'll stay awake. Conversely your mind can be exhausted but your body is itching to go, so you aint going to sleep. For me, I guess its why I like gardening. I do a 'thinking' job for a living, sat in front of a computer all day barely moving, so I come out mentally tired but physically ready to go. If I don't at least potter for a few hours when I get home, I aint going to sleep.

 

Eventually she will go to sleep from sheer exhaustion, but lack of sleep affects the nervous system and can make you ill. Allowing time to wind down, watching TV for a while (it's boring enough to send anyone to sleep) and having a glass of something, wine maybe?

Val

 

When I was young, for two years I suffered as badly as she does. I had to go for a long walk every night before bedtime to get anywhere at all. But it did not improve much even so, till I discovered the real reason: I did not like my job. It was a 'good' job, but did not suit me. When I finally realised this, I quit and my insomnia disappeared.
It has been back regularly, but never as bad anymore.
These days I have a little jar by my bed with a hankie drenched in lavender oil. When I can't sleep, I put it under my nose, which often helps. Also it makes a difference what you eat/drink: lavender tea helps, and for ideas about what to eat see my food blog http://thoughtforfood-aw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/june-2011.html.
But in the case of your wife, it sounds as if she is unhappy about something, which she may not be aware of yet. I hope she finds it!
With love, Annemieke Wigmore.

 

Hi has she tried Nightol? It is a herbal remedy you can get from pharmacists. I often struggle sleeping.I have now stopped having tea/ coffee in the evening and have either a glass of wine or a hot chocolate.Also a bath late at night helps me to relax.

 

Poor thing!

I agree on the mental energy vs physical energy aspect (clue's concept).

Also, routine plays a role. Mrs Music may benefit from a "wind down" routine. Unfortunately, TV and wine are stimulants so I wouldn't recommend those.
A warm (not hot) bath, followed by reading/listening to calming music for half an hour while drinking a warm drink (nothing with caffine though); spritz her pillow with a lavender oil solution (or a hop pillow as per Zigs).
Progressive relaxation (Marley Farley) is very good but some people cannot get the hang of it quite soon enough and become impatient and think it must therefore not be effective; in which case, something a little quicker would be "triangle" breathing, very simple and effective:

• breathe in to the count of three
• hold for the count of three
• breathe out to the count of three
• (repeat 3 times for a quick fix; continue for longer if you need it).

What is also important is what Mrs Music *does* when she wakes up: toss and turn? Get up and watch TV? Busy herself on some task? Getting irritated by waking up would be enough for her body to go into a higher stress mode. Perhaps a repeat of some of the above would help; read, warm drink, return to bed, repeat triangle breathing.

Another thing to consider is: could it be her age? Women 'of a certain age' can experience sleep disturbance which is related to their hormones. In which case, a trip to the GP might be advisable (and that does not necessarily mean sleeping pills ).

Once she finds a way to achieve a good few more hours, she may then have the energy to reflect on aspects of her life which may (or may not!) be a contributing factor.

Sleep is vital to our overall health and I really hope she finds a way to regain her equilibrium

 

I do sympathise music. I can't remember the last time I slept all through the night without waking up. For at least the last 5 or 6 years I wake up anywhere between once and four times a night. Most of the time I don't have any problems getting back to sleep, but on a few occasions it's impossible. Relaxation techniques like the one MarleyFarley's mentioned do work if you can stop your mind from wandering, as does deep breathing. Passiflora, one of the ingredients in the Nytol herbal version (there is one which isn't herbal) has also worked for me. It's better as drops as the effect is quicker.
If none of these work, then the worst thing she can do is lie in bed tossing and turning. It's better to get up, make a drink of something relaxing, and do something like read or watch tv until she feels sleepy again.
The reason why she's waking up could be physical, for example hormonal, but what keeps her awake after that is probably psychological - the mind kicks in with worries and thoughts which put us in a state of tension and it just snowballs from there. A very simple thing which I heard a psychologist on tv recommend is just to repeat to yourself, "I'll deal with that tomorrow".
And it may also help to remember that it's quality of sleep rather than quantity which counts, and sometimes deep relaxation is actually more beneficial than light sleep where you're having stressful dreams.
Good luck to Mrs Music and all the best!

 

Read and read and read until your eyelids refuse to open again. that works for me.

 

I Thank you all for your informative information. Some she has tried but they have not worked for her.
I Know what is causing the Sleep Deprivation,(although she will not admit it).
Her sister is suffering from Dementia and my wife is in attendance almost every day
even though we have home helps,Doctors,Bedding Down People,Meals delivered, Breakfast, Lunch,Evening Meals all arranged for her.
I do all the Gardening and Decorating,our Daughters look after all the Finance,but my Wife still thinks of other problems,and this she takes to bed with her.

I Am hoping that soon she will realize that we are all doing as much as we can for her sister, and ( Back Off), and Relax and realize her Sister is NOT being left alone and is being looked after by many people who care for her in the family.

 

I have sleepless nights due to diabetes with numerous trips to the lavvy, the can, the loo or the toilet. Now I'm troubled with muscular pains to add to it. Sleeping tablets get you to sleep, but they do not KEEP you asleep. I find listening to the radio through a single earpiece (usually a quiet chat show or a discussion- so L.B.C. is out) helps me to get to sleep and eases the racing thoughts when I wake up once more.

Hope this helps? Cheers, Tony.

 

Everyone is different, and what I'm about to say is based on my own experience, which might be different for others, but here goes.

You seem to be saying that everyone is doing all they can to not only look after your sister-in-law, but also to take the load of you're wife's shoulders. Very commendable, but could this be making your wife feel helpless, which in turn could lead to stress and anxiety?

I suffer from anxiety attacks these days. I'm not entirely sure why, not got to the bottom of that yet, but I know that if I feel there is nothing I can do, I just get worse. For me, it helps if I can feel like I'm doing something positive. It doesn't have to be anything in particular. It could be tidying a room that I've been meaning to sort for a while, or doing a project in the garden that I've been putting off, or even just contacting an old friend that I've been meaning to catch up with for a while but haven't seemed to have the time. I guess what I mean is it helps, in my case, if I do something that makes me feel like I'm back in control to some extent. That works for me, but like I say, different things for different people, but could it be that if you ask your missus to help you with some stuff, might that make her feel like she still has some control, which might help tackle the anxiety?

Just a thought. I hope you and your wife find something that works soon.