Anyone else have problems sleeping?

[BrAinPaiNt]

Whether it be getting to sleep or stay asleep?

At one time It would take me at least 1.5 to 2 hours to get to sleep each night. Mind would just be racing and could not get comfortable so I would toss and turn knowing it would take me a while before getting to sleep.

Now I take zyrtec for allergies and since taking that on a regular basis at night I tend to fall asleep pretty fast. I know it makes me a little sleepy although not like taking a sleeping pill.

However here comes the rub.

At one time I had a serious case of sleep apnea where for a week or so I really was worried as I kept feeling like I could not breath after I fell asleep. It was really scary for about a week before my body adjusted and I just started breathing with my mouth open through most of the night.

Now that presented another problem. Now I wake up multiple times a night drooling. This does not even include waking up multiple times to use the bathroom which come with age.

The drooling issue is a real pain. Although for a short period of time I found some other medication that caused Dry Mouth so it helped. Problem is after that was gone my Doctor did not want to give me other medications that could cause dry mouth.

She is only interested in wanting me to get a Cpap machine. I have told her multiple times I cannot wear one as I move around too much at night, so much so that it moves the mattress off the box springs most nights. Also I cannot lay flat on my back as for some reason it gives me a bad headache.

This has been going on for over a year.

It's funny, when I do go to sleep and then wake up do to the drool on the pillow or having to use the bathroom...sometimes I will load up the tablet and pay a few minutes of Candy Crush Soda game. Each time after Midnight (or in the game after a 24 hour period) it will give you a free prize to help with the game. The more days you go in a row within that time parameter the better free gifts you get and it keeps track of the number of consecutive days. There have been a few that I have missed over the past year and a half but as of right now I am over 200 consecutive days of waking up and playing the game to get the gift and every time is after midnight and before 5:30 am (5:30 is my normal wake up time).

Sometimes I have trouble staying away during the day. Sometimes at work I just nod off a little but don't get in trouble. I can not seem to make it through a full movie without nodding off at home, even if it is just a few minutes here or there.

Ok...I am babbling on.

Tell me about your sleep troubles. If you have found something over the counter that has helped with drooling (even tried Dramamine that someone suggested but it did not work).

Oh...so if I am occasionally grumpy, you never know...it might because I am tired.

 

[CyberB0b]

Are you obese? This is a huge cause of sleep apnea.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Are you obese? This is a huge cause of sleep apnea.

That WAS part of it. That is what I had a problem initially with sleep apnea,

However I am passed that issue. That is not what is waking me up multiple times a night like it did originally. It is no longer sleep apena waking me up. It is having to use the bathroom combined with drooling due to sleeping with my mouth open because I don't get enough air through my nose.

I am to get scheduled to get my deviated septum fixed sometime this spring and I hope that opens up my nasal cavaties a little more.

The weight issue is not going to go away anytime soon. I do not delude myself into thinking it will nor lie about it.

A few years ago when I quit smoking I gained a good deal of weight (40-50 lbs) but then later the wife and I went on an extreme diet and I lost 50-60 pounds.
Problem is the wife went from making salads every day to making everything under the sun (one extreme to the other) to now almost only take out food.
I am the type of old school person that eats what is given to me ( no dirty jokes).

Even when asking for salads from take out places, it is not doing much good. So I am over weight with not realistic chance of that changing in the near future.

That is not something that is going to change so no harping on it...just like the doctor continuing to talk about a Cpap machine...just is not going to go right now.

 

[nobody]

Yep, I've had sleeping issues since I was a baby. It sucks because prescription sleep aids take forever to work on me and when they finally kick in, I find it almost impossible to wake up when I need to.

Melatonin helps with that a little, but melatonin gives me a nasty headache the next day.

As far as sleeping on your back and getting a headache, that could be due to an oxygen issue or a pillow issue. You could try one of those wedges that people sleep on without a pillow and see if that works.

I'm a chronic side-sleeper so I have a side-sleeper specific pillow. When I do sleep, it's really nice.

 

[FloridaRob]

I deal with the same issues. Just had the discussion with the wife this week. I usually dont have a problem falling asleep but I wake up after 4 and 5 hours having to go to the bath room. Dr prescribed Zrtek for a rash I was having and while it took care of the rash it also knocks me out until noon hte next day. I cant take it anymore. I work from home so like last night/today I went to bed at 11:30, slept for 5 hours, got up and worked two hours and then went back to bed and slept for an additional two hours. I feel constantly tired tho even with every vitamin known to man being taken. That is the best case scenario for me right now. I am hoping it is just a phase I am going through. I find that if I stay up a little later and go to bed around 12:30 or 1:00 I typically can then sleep 7 hours straight. The problem is staying up to 12:30 or 1 tho.

I also sleep with a fan blowing on high two inches from my face and the noise from the fan tends to help. I can not sleep with total quiet. Not even remotely possible. My fan travels with me wherever I go. It could be 10 degrees outside but my fan is still on and blowing on me.

 

[cowboyec]

same here.
takes me about an hr to 2hrs to fall asleep.
and I randomly wake-up around 2 or 3am...sometimes I can get back to sleep but mostly I just "surface sleep".....or sometimes I tell my wife I was just driftin'.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I've been taking Lunesta for years now with no issues. I'm still only able to sleep about 5-6 hours a night, but it's better than it was. I'd stay up late until around 11:00 then climb in bed and stare at the ceiling for hours and it drove me freaking crazy. With Lunesta it only takes me about 20-30 minutes to fall asleep and I usually get about 5 hours before I start to toss and turn, but I sleep sound for those 5 hours. My usual sleep routine is a small glass of whiskey every night, just a couple of fingers, take my Lunesta, and read for about 30-45 minutes. I've had no side effects from Lunesta and the only issues I've really had is if something goes on during the 4-5 hour period after taking my pill. Tornado sirens, smoke alarms, etc... I can't hear anything at all during those 5-6 hours.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I deal with the same issues. Just had the discussion with the wife this week. I usually dont have a problem falling asleep but I wake up after 4 and 5 hours having to go to the bath room. Dr prescribed Zrtek for a rash I was having and while it took care of the rash it also knocks me out until noon hte next day. I cant take it anymore. I work from home so like last night/today I went to bed at 11:30, slept for 5 hours, got up and worked two hours and then went back to bed and slept for an additional two hours. I feel constantly tired tho even with every vitamin known to man being taken. That is the best case scenario for me right now. I am hoping it is just a phase I am going through. I find that if I stay up a little later and go to bed around 12:30 or 1:00 I typically can then sleep 7 hours straight. The problem is staying up to 12:30 or 1 tho.

I also sleep with a fan blowing on high two inches from my face and the noise from the fan tends to help. I can not sleep with total quiet. Not even remotely possible. My fan travels with me wherever I go. It could be 10 degrees outside but my fan is still on and blowing on me.

I too sleep with a fan but I also downloaded a few youtube videos of ocean waves and or sounds like that and play them on my tablet next to the bed.

 

[Runwildboys]

That WAS part of it. That is what I had a problem initially with sleep apnea,

However I am passed that issue. That is not what is waking me up multiple times a night like it did originally. It is no longer sleep apena waking me up. It is having to use the bathroom combined with drooling due to sleeping with my mouth open because I don't get enough air through my nose.

I am to get scheduled to get my deviated septum fixed sometime this spring and I hope that opens up my nasal cavaties a little more.

The weight issue is not going to go away anytime soon. I do not delude myself into thinking it will nor lie about it.

A few years ago when I quit smoking I gained a good deal of weight (40-50 lbs) but then later the wife and I went on an extreme diet and I lost 50-60 pounds.
Problem is the wife went from making salads every day to making everything under the sun (one extreme to the other) to now almost only take out food.
I am the type of old school person that eats what is given to me ( no dirty jokes).

Even when asking for salads from take out places, it is not doing much good. So I am over weight with not realistic chance of that changing in the near future.

That is not something that is going to change so no harping on it...just like the doctor continuing to talk about a Cpap machine...just is not going to go right now.

I used to toss and turn for 2-3 hours before falling asleep, every night, because I couldn't stop thinking about everything. Now I'm usually asleep within a half hour, and if not, I try to tell the same story in my head each time it happens.
Because I'm telling the story the same way, there's nothing to really make my mind stray, so it stays quiet. At least that's my theory, and it seems to work.

As for your breathing, have you tried Breathe Rite strips? It's surprising how much they open up your nostrils.

 

[Stash]

That WAS part of it. That is what I had a problem initially with sleep apnea,

However I am passed that issue. That is not what is waking me up multiple times a night like it did originally. It is no longer sleep apena waking me up. It is having to use the bathroom combined with drooling due to sleeping with my mouth open because I don't get enough air through my nose.

I am to get scheduled to get my deviated septum fixed sometime this spring and I hope that opens up my nasal cavaties a little more.

The weight issue is not going to go away anytime soon. I do not delude myself into thinking it will nor lie about it.

A few years ago when I quit smoking I gained a good deal of weight (40-50 lbs) but then later the wife and I went on an extreme diet and I lost 50-60 pounds.
Problem is the wife went from making salads every day to making everything under the sun (one extreme to the other) to now almost only take out food.
I am the type of old school person that eats what is given to me ( no dirty jokes).

Even when asking for salads from take out places, it is not doing much good. So I am over weight with not realistic chance of that changing in the near future.

That is not something that is going to change so no harping on it...just like the doctor continuing to talk about a Cpap machine...just is not going to go right now.

I want to say this in the proper, constructive way, so I'll do the best that I can. Just know that this is where any advice is coming from.

I think you need to be more open to things to help you to find better results.

From your comments, there's too much "this is what I do" and "this is what I won't do", and I'm not seeing much in the way of flexibility. There a wise old saying - "if nothing changes, nothing changes".

My first suggestion is to start there.

My second suggestion would be to have some sort of an exercise program. Anything you like or anything you're physically capable of. Exercise can help a great deal towards normal sleep patterns. And it would certainly help with any weight issues.

My third suggestion would be to get away from any mental stimulation in your bedroom. Stop watching TV there if you are now, and don't reward yourself getting up with games and gadgets. That only reinforces negative patterns. Make your bedroom your area for sleep and not entertainment.

Hopefully that helps, and again, I hope it comes across as the helpful, positive message I intended it to be.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

That WAS part of it. That is what I had a problem initially with sleep apnea,

However I am passed that issue. That is not what is waking me up multiple times a night like it did originally. It is no longer sleep apena waking me up. It is having to use the bathroom combined with drooling due to sleeping with my mouth open because I don't get enough air through my nose.

I am to get scheduled to get my deviated septum fixed sometime this spring and I hope that opens up my nasal cavaties a little more.

The weight issue is not going to go away anytime soon. I do not delude myself into thinking it will nor lie about it.

A few years ago when I quit smoking I gained a good deal of weight (40-50 lbs) but then later the wife and I went on an extreme diet and I lost 50-60 pounds.
Problem is the wife went from making salads every day to making everything under the sun (one extreme to the other) to now almost only take out food.
I am the type of old school person that eats what is given to me ( no dirty jokes).

Even when asking for salads from take out places, it is not doing much good. So I am over weight with not realistic chance of that changing in the near future.

That is not something that is going to change so no harping on it...just like the doctor continuing to talk about a Cpap machine...just is not going to go right now.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I want to say this in the proper, constructive way, so I'll do the best that I can. Just know that this is where any advice is coming from.

I think you need to be more open to things to help you to find better results.

From your comments, there's too much "this is what I do" and "this is what I won't do", and I'm not seeing much in the way of flexibility. There a wise old saying - "if nothing changes, nothing changes".

My first suggestion is to start there.

My second suggestion would be to have some sort of an exercise program. Anything you like or anything you're physically capable of. Exercise can help a great deal towards normal sleep patterns. And it would certainly help with any weight issues.

My third suggestion would be to get away from any mental stimulation in your bedroom. Stop watching TV there if you are now, and don't reward yourself getting up with games and gadgets. That only reinforces negative patterns. Make your bedroom your area for sleep and not entertainment.

Hopefully that helps, and again, I hope it comes across as the helpful, positive message I intended it to be.

I don't mind the constructive criticisms so I don't take it the wrong way from you. I however also know that it is not a realistic option for me right now. Unless the wife decides she wants to start fixing healthy meals like she USED to do...it is not going to change. That was the crux of the issue initially. We went from losing all kind of weight from extreme dieting during the winter months. When the spring came about I started doing yard work and was getting light headed from not having enough calories. So I told the wife we need to start increasing the calorie intake but not go back to how much we used to eat. Well she went from one extreme to another by us eating everything and she is a GREAT cook. She makes some killer stuff but now she does not want to cook hardly ever and our Monday through Friday meals are all takeout meals. So we went from one extreme to another.

However as I stated above that it was how the apnea started...my body adjusted to me sleeping with my mouth open all the time now. I know longer wake up gasping for air or doing that during my sleep. I just wake up because of drooling. And if I have some form of medication that causes dry mouth...the drooling is not a problem. The problem now is I am out of medication that I did have that caused dry mouth...and the doctor does not want to give me medication just for the side effect of dry mouth. So now I need to find something over the counter that has a dry mouth side effect or a RX pill for something that causes it. So it is not a weight issue now.

As far as the mental stimulation in the room. I don;t have a problem falling asleep anymore. That was something that was in the past. I think the Zrytec really helped with that problem. Where I used to sit, toss and turn for a couple of hours before falling asleep, now I normally only take half an hour at most. .

Actually I might need to take the Zyrtec earlier. Someone earlier mentioned that it made them sleepy in the first part of the day even if they took it at night...and Normally I don't take it until 10 PM or later. Maybe I need to start taking it around 6-8.

 

[Stash]

I don't mind the constructive criticisms so I don't take it the wrong way from you. I however also know that it is not a realistic option for me right now. Unless the wife decides she wants to start fixing healthy meals like she USED to do...it is not going to change. That was the crux of the issue initially. We went from losing all kind of weight from extreme dieting during the winter months. When the spring came about I started doing yard work and was getting light headed from not having enough calories. So I told the wife we need to start increasing the calorie intake but not go back to how much we used to eat. Well she went from one extreme to another by us eating everything and she is a GREAT cook. She makes some killer stuff but now she does not want to cook hardly ever and our Monday through Friday meals are all takeout meals. So we went from one extreme to another.

However as I stated above that it was how the apnea started...my body adjusted to me sleeping with my mouth open all the time now. I know longer wake up gasping for air or doing that during my sleep. I just wake up because of drooling. And if I have some form of medication that causes dry mouth...the drooling is not a problem. The problem now is I am out of medication that I did have that caused dry mouth...and the doctor does not want to give me medication just for the side effect of dry mouth. So now I need to find something over the counter that has a dry mouth side effect or a RX pill for something that causes it. So it is not a weight issue now.

As far as the mental stimulation in the room. I don;t have a problem falling asleep anymore. That was something that was in the past. I think the Zrytec really helped with that problem. Where I used to sit, toss and turn for a couple of hours before falling asleep, now I normally only take half an hour at most. .

Actually I might need to take the Zyrtec earlier. Someone earlier mentioned that it made them sleepy in the first part of the day even if they took it at night...and Normally I don't take it until 10 PM or later. Maybe I need to start taking it around 6-8.

Again, and don't take this the wrong way, but it seems that you just want a "magic pill" to fix all of your problems. Don't get me started on the whole "pharmaceuticals thing"!



Have you mentioned your sleep issues to your wife? Ask for her help.

And also, do your part. Change what you can change. You have power here and you're not helpless.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Again, and don't take this the wrong way, but it seems that you just want a "magic pill" to fix all of your problems. Don't get me started on the whole "pharmaceuticals thing"!



Have you mentioned your sleep issues to your wife? Ask for her help.

And also, do your part. Change what you can change. You have power here and you're not helpless.

I don't want a magic pill to fix all of my problems.

I just want a realistic pill that causes dry mouth.

I know it works because it has worked in the past.

Now it does not help with having to use the bathroom at night but I am closer to 50 than 40 so I can't turn back time lol.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Have you done a sleep study? Also, my brother-in-law had similar issues. His Dr. prescribed thyroid test for hypothyroidism. Don't know full details but was treated and bragged about having twice as much energy and sleeping a like a baby.

 

[Stash]

I don't want a magic pill to fix all of my problems.

I just want a realistic pill that causes dry mouth.

I know it works because it has worked in the past.

Now it does not help with having to use the bathroom at night but I am closer to 50 than 40 so I can't turn back time lol.

Yeah, sorry can't help you with that!

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Have you done a sleep study? Also, my brother-in-law had similar issues. His Dr. prescribed thyroid test for hypothyroidism. Don't know full details but was treated and bragged about having twice as much energy and sleeping a like a baby.

They attempted to schedule one last year but it got so screwed up over three different places trying to schedule it for me and I went through that problem a few different times and just got so irked over it I cancelled it all together.

It was like someone was playing a practical joke at one time just to see how mad they could make me and it worked. lol I remember I made the mistake of initially using my Home number on the form instead of my cell. The home number goes to my wife's cell. She did not answer it when they called three different times. If they can't reach you after three times they consider it closed. I would call and say why have you not scheduled an apt. They said they called three times. I said, ok change the number to my cell phone. So we go another round. After a month I call again...why did you not schedule my apt. They said we did call three times and nobody answered. I asked what number they used...they used the home number again even though they told me they changed my number. So I have them change the number to my cell again and waited until they confirmed my number in the system. Wait some time with no calls. Call again...they say they called three times and nobody answered. I asked them to tell me what number they had in the system for me...the repeated MY number this team...I say well I never got the call, can you double check to see what number they called to make sure it is the number you have in their system...they had my cell phone number in the system but again called the other number.

I gave up...it was like a who's on abbot and costello routine. I was so angry...it's funny thinking of it now but was not back then.

 

[Runwildboys]

I don't want a magic pill to fix all of my problems.

I just want a realistic pill that causes dry mouth.

I know it works because it has worked in the past.

Now it does not help with having to use the bathroom at night but I am closer to 50 than 40 so I can't turn back time lol.

Smoke a joint.

 

[CyberB0b]

I find the only way to stop peeing at night is to start dehydrating myself. 2 hours before bed, I don't drink anything.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I find the only way to stop peeing at night is to start dehydrating myself. 2 hours before bed, I don't drink anything.

It can be really bizarre.

There are times I might get home from work and not even drink a full can of root beer or other similar type beverage..but at night it will be like I went out to dollar beer night and drank a keg with peeing multiple times at night.

Other times I might drink loads of water or other beverages and think, I am going to be up all night and only go maybe once.

I do know not to drink any cranberry type drinks or apple juices after a certain hour...made that mistake and thought I was going pee out a keg lol.

I complain about it but I think it is just one of those things where it boils down to getting older. And by saying peeing multiple times it might be 5 max which is a good deal when you used to only have to go once if at all during the night.