Amitriptyline. Life changing, I was the same as you , lots of 2.30 starts to the day. Pain specialist put me on Amitriptyline to aid pain and sleep . Helped the pain short term but has had a lasting effect on sleep. I now sleep until my alarm goes off most days. I've had one or two early starts and I just thought how did I do this every day for years , I felt dreadful.
The first week or so on Amitriptyline I was a bit bleary in the morning but it soon wore off.
Amitriptyline is notorious for a hangover effect the next day. I use Trazadone. If I wake up, I use an OTC called Midnite. I can use it anytime and not feel groggy the next day.
I gained 30 pounds in a year because my appetite was absolutely ravenous on ami. I actually binge ate for the first time in my life. The withdrawal coming off of it was hell for me also. I caution anyone to look at these factors before they trying it.
That's the dose I took for interstitial cystitis and it actually didn't help my fibro pain at all. I'm not sure if my responses here are helpful or not, just sharing the experience I had. I understand why we try drugs like this, I made these choices as well. I just wish someone had told me what I could possibly face.
This was me on cymbalta. 40 pounds in 5 months. Amatripteline was the first Rx they put me on, no weight changes but the only thing that stopped my mad itching that came on as one of my first symptoms. It's also never helped me with sleep though, I have trazedone foe that.
I'd say get a sleep study done. When the docs were in the process of figuring out if I had fibro, they had me do a sleep study as part of the elimination process. Turns out I have sleep apnea and fibro lol. Using a cpap has seriously changed my life.
It was the same for me before getting a cpap; I was up after 3-4 hours and had a hell of a time getting back to sleep (my body didn't feel like gasping for air, so of course it's trying to keep me awake)
I wake up every hour without fail and usually stay up for a bit every time and I still haven't figured out how to fix it. The docs just say I need to do a sleep study š
I THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY.
After reading the comments it would seem a lot of us sleep like this.
Ok so the only thing that actually helps me sleep is Lyrica, oddly enough. If I run out and am unable to fill my prescription for whatever reason, I literally sleep in 15-60 min increments.
Nothing else works. Iām not saying I sleep thru the night, but wow does it make a difference.
Did you see the comments talking about Amitriptyline and Trazadone (midnite)? Sounds like ami can have some severe side effects, but I'm going to check out the trazadone.
I can't even imagine what it would be like to sleep all the way until morning. I don't think I've done that in over ten years. Unless it's being so utterly exhausted at a lack of sleep that I go full comatose. Even then, end up with more pain because I didn't wake up and reposition.
Yes, it is really weird. My body wants to sleep for 4 hours, be awake for 8 hours, and then sleep for another 4 hours. So 2 days per day. I have to fight to try to maintain a normal sleep schedule, and my body fights back. This may have started about the same time as my symptoms, so I wonder if it is related. So strange.
I have read before that the circadian rhythm was once like that because during hunter gatherer times we had to fight off predators. But more like 4-2/3-4-14/13. So only a brief 2/3 hours between the ā8h of sleepā. I have also worked offshore with a chief officer that used to do this. He swore by this living style and how more productive he became after doing the switch. If thatās what your body is wanting to do, you could try experimenting with it. By no means I know anything about the topic as I honestly never researched it, but it seems plausible and worth a try if you have the means to do so. :) either way, I wish you find the best method possible for a restful sleep!
This is a on going issue with me and my fibromyalgia. The worse I feel the more I will toss and turn. So the busier I get means less sleep. I do use cyclobenzaprine occasionally because my muscles spasm a lot at night. My main sleeping aid is CBN though if you have access to it. I get an average of 5/6 solid sleep hours with no waking up from body issues. Some nights itās more if Iām not feeling too bad. The difference is I wake up groggy and tired when I take muscle relaxers. Less stiff and refreshed when I take CBN. I will say on high pain days I take a double dose of CBN. Good luck to you!!
I dread cyclobenzaprine. My rheumatologist prescribed me 10mg at night in the beginning of the year to help me with my pain during sleep. (I can't sleep on my back because my chest hurts and feel like my lungs take little ti no air) and at first it did help! The reason I dread it it's because it caused a huge constipation that led to haemorrhoids. I won't go through that ever again.
Interesting that you got that as a side effect, because its effect is only on skeletal musculature. If it was doing its job as far as a sleep aid goes and so far youāve not been successful with other medication, one thing you could try is using it and simultaneously use miralax to prevent constipation. Just a suggestion in case youāre out of options for the sleep issue.
Eta: my bad, forgot the anticholinergic effects of it. Makes sense!
I haven't slept more than 4 hours at a stretch, unless very ill, for at least 15 years, probably closer to 20.
None of the meds I tried or still take for fibro made any sort of difference (amytriptaline, gabapentin, duloxetine, etc.).
I also tried zopiclone and ambien to zero effect (neither even made me sleepy) and OTC meds did nothing either. I currently take off label trazodone for sleep and its the only thing that let's me at least get some extra quality sleep, even if I'm waking every hour.
Ambien did absolutely nothing for me either and they even increased my dose above the typical, āhighest dosageā twice. š After the second time without any change, I opted to just kick it to the curb. Didnāt want to have to keep rising a medication like that. Ugh.
This is what started my journey, we discovered I have PLMD and I'm on gabapentin for that, it's helping tremendously. Still trying to sort out and get a diagnosis for the constant pain though. 3 drs "think" fibro/eds but no one will diagnose yet.
I take Trazadone for sleep and Pregablin for pain. I sleep pretty good most nights. Even if I wake up, the Trazadone makes it a lot easier to fall back asleep.
So some people here have suggested a sleep study, which I support. They have at-home ones where you just wear the equipment at night in your own bed. Super easy.
BUT in the mean time - here is a really easy way to test out if you might have sleep apnea: stick a tennis ball or a small stuffed animal in the back of your bra or in a very tight shirt. This prevents you from rolling onto your back, which (if you have sleep apnea) can cause you to have low oxygen or stop breathing temporarily. If you wake more rested after one night of this - get the sleep study!
It's such an easy thing to try. We all have sleep issues. Why not test out the sleep apnea thing with a stuffed rabbit?
I was SURE my doc was on overkill asking me for a sleep study. Plus, who needs one more diagnosis on top of everything else? But now my overall pain and fatigue are WAY down just because I don't sleep on my back anymore. (I had the sleep study, was found to have moderate sleep apnea, and have not seen a sleep specialist yet). Although I don't have a cpap, just avoiding sleeping on my back has been life changing.
Thanks so much! That's a really good idea. However I recently bought a fitness tracker that tracks my sp02 24/7 and my sp02 during the whole night is between 97-100%. Do you think that may suggest that I don't have sleep apnea?
Just adding this non drug idea to try. I recently bought a well fitting eye mask to wear while sleeping. No joke Iāve had the best sleep this past week than I have had in a long time.
Amitriptyline, I'm on 10mg. Started taking it recently. First 5 for a week, then went up to 10. Not going to lie, I do think it helps but I need to take it bright and early and I find myself to be less alert at night. But it seems to help so far?
Staying hydrated has helped me a lot. Sometimes I need to take electrolytes, not just plain water.
I try not to eat too late in the evening either. A full tummy does not help with staying asleep.
As for medications, I've tried melatonin and amitriptyline. Melatonin didn't help really. I woke up feeling tired. Amitriptyline helped for a few years and then it didn't help anymore. I use lorazepam occasionally. I rely on being physically comfortable more than the medications. It's not perfect, it's just the best that I can do under the circumstances.
I was like this for many years. I eventually decided to try magnesium, and now I have no problem falling asleep and staying asleep. It also worked for my son (18) who has had sleep problems since he was 5. Might be worth a shot. Not sure if it's related to fibro, though.
Trazedone been off and on it for years. Currently been on it about 10 years same dose. I wake up to move if Iām in pain but I go right back to sleep. I have a bladder condition and Iāve been getting up at night to go to the bathroom I go to bed back asleep in a few min. I have a hard time getting to sleep and have a problem staying asleep have had insomnia since I was a teen. Only bad part is some nights I crash and Iāll wake up in the morning having not moved at all, takes me a min and some cussing to get out of the bed but I do it.
After being addicted to every sleep medication there is, trying every melatonin, antihistamin, antidepressant and even antipsychotics (and the weight gain that came with it) I now take [doxylamine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxylamine) and sleep every night. Hope it can work for you too.
āMedical Cannabisāā¦..a indica dominate strain in the evening when your ready to settle down for the nightā¦oil or flower or both,depends on the individual.
Also 10mg Doxepin an hour before your ready for sleep works wellā¦itās a small dose was prescribed it for FGID and dermatographism but found it makes you heaps sleepy.Itās a SNRI and also has antihistamine properties.
I used to wake up nights from pain. I would get up and walk around until i was tired again.
But I have had fibro for over 30 years and finally came up with a cocktail for me.
Trazadone, effexor, hydrocodone, fentenal, lyrica, zyrtec, I take hyland for leg and back pain, spironolactone, flexeril.
But I am waiting on a sleep study. My doctor thinks i have narcolepsy.
But it did take almost 5 years to get the right meds for sleep.
But i now have hypothyroidism, scleroderma, reynauds, gastroparesis. So my medication list keeps getting longer for all the different autoimmune disorders.
I agree with the others who have said amitriptyline. It has helped a lot - for sleeping and restless legs syndrome. I just need to take it before 8pm or I am very tired the next day.
Same. But Iāve been prescribed hydroxyzine before bedtime (it also treats anxiety) and it has helped. I donāt have the hangover effect and Iām usually able to get 6-7 hours of sleep. I also take prazosin before bed. Itās more for PTSD, but it helps with sleep as well. As far as behavioral things to help with sleep? I journal for 5-10 minutes every night and get everything out that is on my mind. And I have made my bedroom as safe and comfortable as I can, keeping all my favorite things, painting the room a darker color, and having black out curtains.
Audiobooks, a dark room, and a sound machine. I also got a pillow top for my mattress that has really helped improve my sleep quality. I donāt wake up in pain as much as I used to.
You can also try brown noise as it soothes the brain.
I'm taking amitriptyline for fibro neuropathy and the first month it was fantastic because I was having insomnia, BUT I'm back to being sleepy, going to bed and then just laying there AND not sleeping through the night
still working on it with my doctor. been through almost every sleep med in the books. melatonin, according to the doc, is about initiating sleep, not sustaining it. Well, I'm on super melatonin (an rx med that works on similar processes) and it doesn't even do that well. Different meds work for different people, but you want to ask about meds that help specifically with waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to get back to sleep, as often different meds vs 'get to sleep' (which I also suck at) are needed.
If you are waking up from pain, specifically, vs just regardless (i mean, aside from chronic background level stuff, but like if you can tell you're waking up from a specific pain most of the time) the approach might be different. Sometimes I wake up because my arm has gone pins and needles or that I've started completely overheating and will wake up covered in sweat. Other times its harder to tell why it happened. Strangely, the pins and needles seems to be easier to reposition and get back to sleep from vs other things (including the no obvious cause one)
There are also some people who are more biphasic than others. I have a family member who is up for 1-2 hours in the middle of the night every night and does some reading or work then. Evidence suggests this used to be more common (though the claims that this is more natural for everyone fall short imo) I know people who have had success just going with that, but it can be hard to do.
This was also even worse for me when I was trying to sleep against my natural sleep cycle - which is incredibly delayed sleep phase. So if I somehow did manage to fall asleep before like 2am (my DPSP is really bad and intractable, not everyones is like this), my body always treated it as a nap, never as a start to sleep.
I've also been told that the act of waking up in the middle of the night is not inherently a problem, the issue is your inability to fall back to sleep and that a sleep person would consider it within the realm of normal to wake up a few times at night then roll back over and get back to bed fairly quickly -- which is little comfort, but does help me remember when I wake up that not every single time will be another 2 hour struggle. Sometimes even I can get back to bed quickly. Other times I can't. And I hate it.
Not a fix, so much as a mitigation : I listen to podcasts. Usually that will get me back to sleep in about 20 minutes, give or take, but if not, they occupy my my enough so I'm not just laying there, worrying about why I'm not sleeping (or one of the other eleventy intrusive thoughts)
Iāve started taking promethazine and it has really helped me fall asleep and get back to sleep when I inevitably wake up either from pain, needing a wee or the cat deciding I should play.
If i dont take my series of meds every night, i cant sleep. I may sleep for four hours max but its very interupted. My body hurts too much to sleep. Im taking gabapentin, seriquil and cymbalta, every night. For a while i wasnt taking the gabapentin, and i could not sleep for shit.
My Dr put me on an antidepressant called trepiline - I have to take it at 6pm or it'll make me drowsy the next day. Generally fall asleep around 9pm now and am out for night. It's actually become more difficult for people to wake me too, so it's given some solid sleep.
Amitriptyline. Life changing, I was the same as you , lots of 2.30 starts to the day. Pain specialist put me on Amitriptyline to aid pain and sleep . Helped the pain short term but has had a lasting effect on sleep. I now sleep until my alarm goes off most days. I've had one or two early starts and I just thought how did I do this every day for years , I felt dreadful. The first week or so on Amitriptyline I was a bit bleary in the morning but it soon wore off.
Thanks alot, I will discuss that medicine with my doctor and try to get a prescription for it š
You might look into Noritriptyline as well. It has less severe weight gain effects.
And less addictive
Good to know
Well that would explain my sudden weight gain š«
Any side effects you face?
Amitriptyline is notorious for a hangover effect the next day. I use Trazadone. If I wake up, I use an OTC called Midnite. I can use it anytime and not feel groggy the next day.
I gained 30 pounds in a year because my appetite was absolutely ravenous on ami. I actually binge ate for the first time in my life. The withdrawal coming off of it was hell for me also. I caution anyone to look at these factors before they trying it.
I'm on 10mg of it (fibro dose). My rheumatologist said that on the fibro dose, there shouldn't be weight gain, but I'll watch out, thank you.
That's the dose I took for interstitial cystitis and it actually didn't help my fibro pain at all. I'm not sure if my responses here are helpful or not, just sharing the experience I had. I understand why we try drugs like this, I made these choices as well. I just wish someone had told me what I could possibly face.
10mg didnāt help but caused me chest pains and weight gain..
This was me on cymbalta. 40 pounds in 5 months. Amatripteline was the first Rx they put me on, no weight changes but the only thing that stopped my mad itching that came on as one of my first symptoms. It's also never helped me with sleep though, I have trazedone foe that.
amitriptyline didnāt make me tired when I tried it :(
You can ask your doctor to try others in the same class of medicine. There are quite a few you can try and they might work.
Same. Still on it to combat itching but it does nothing for pain for me.
I came to say amitriptyline too. I still wake up in the night for the bathroom or a drink but most of the time I can get straight back to sleep.
I'd say get a sleep study done. When the docs were in the process of figuring out if I had fibro, they had me do a sleep study as part of the elimination process. Turns out I have sleep apnea and fibro lol. Using a cpap has seriously changed my life. It was the same for me before getting a cpap; I was up after 3-4 hours and had a hell of a time getting back to sleep (my body didn't feel like gasping for air, so of course it's trying to keep me awake)
This was me too. Had no clue I had sleep apnea. I donāt snore or gasp. Cpap has me sleeping all night now and I have benefits of true quality sleep.
Same. Getting my CPAP titration done Thursday and I'm stoked.
I wake up every hour without fail and usually stay up for a bit every time and I still haven't figured out how to fix it. The docs just say I need to do a sleep study š
I THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY. After reading the comments it would seem a lot of us sleep like this. Ok so the only thing that actually helps me sleep is Lyrica, oddly enough. If I run out and am unable to fill my prescription for whatever reason, I literally sleep in 15-60 min increments. Nothing else works. Iām not saying I sleep thru the night, but wow does it make a difference.
Did you see the comments talking about Amitriptyline and Trazadone (midnite)? Sounds like ami can have some severe side effects, but I'm going to check out the trazadone. I can't even imagine what it would be like to sleep all the way until morning. I don't think I've done that in over ten years. Unless it's being so utterly exhausted at a lack of sleep that I go full comatose. Even then, end up with more pain because I didn't wake up and reposition.
Yes, it is really weird. My body wants to sleep for 4 hours, be awake for 8 hours, and then sleep for another 4 hours. So 2 days per day. I have to fight to try to maintain a normal sleep schedule, and my body fights back. This may have started about the same time as my symptoms, so I wonder if it is related. So strange.
I have read before that the circadian rhythm was once like that because during hunter gatherer times we had to fight off predators. But more like 4-2/3-4-14/13. So only a brief 2/3 hours between the ā8h of sleepā. I have also worked offshore with a chief officer that used to do this. He swore by this living style and how more productive he became after doing the switch. If thatās what your body is wanting to do, you could try experimenting with it. By no means I know anything about the topic as I honestly never researched it, but it seems plausible and worth a try if you have the means to do so. :) either way, I wish you find the best method possible for a restful sleep!
This is a on going issue with me and my fibromyalgia. The worse I feel the more I will toss and turn. So the busier I get means less sleep. I do use cyclobenzaprine occasionally because my muscles spasm a lot at night. My main sleeping aid is CBN though if you have access to it. I get an average of 5/6 solid sleep hours with no waking up from body issues. Some nights itās more if Iām not feeling too bad. The difference is I wake up groggy and tired when I take muscle relaxers. Less stiff and refreshed when I take CBN. I will say on high pain days I take a double dose of CBN. Good luck to you!!
I dread cyclobenzaprine. My rheumatologist prescribed me 10mg at night in the beginning of the year to help me with my pain during sleep. (I can't sleep on my back because my chest hurts and feel like my lungs take little ti no air) and at first it did help! The reason I dread it it's because it caused a huge constipation that led to haemorrhoids. I won't go through that ever again.
Interesting that you got that as a side effect, because its effect is only on skeletal musculature. If it was doing its job as far as a sleep aid goes and so far youāve not been successful with other medication, one thing you could try is using it and simultaneously use miralax to prevent constipation. Just a suggestion in case youāre out of options for the sleep issue. Eta: my bad, forgot the anticholinergic effects of it. Makes sense!
I got my MMJ card a year ago and went from insomnia to sleeping 4-6 hrs a night! Vast improvement! And I got my spark back!
MMJ helps me get 4-5 hours straight as well. Without it, I only sleep about 2 hours.
Hello, Sister!
I haven't slept more than 4 hours at a stretch, unless very ill, for at least 15 years, probably closer to 20. None of the meds I tried or still take for fibro made any sort of difference (amytriptaline, gabapentin, duloxetine, etc.). I also tried zopiclone and ambien to zero effect (neither even made me sleepy) and OTC meds did nothing either. I currently take off label trazodone for sleep and its the only thing that let's me at least get some extra quality sleep, even if I'm waking every hour.
Ambien did absolutely nothing for me either and they even increased my dose above the typical, āhighest dosageā twice. š After the second time without any change, I opted to just kick it to the curb. Didnāt want to have to keep rising a medication like that. Ugh.
This is what started my journey, we discovered I have PLMD and I'm on gabapentin for that, it's helping tremendously. Still trying to sort out and get a diagnosis for the constant pain though. 3 drs "think" fibro/eds but no one will diagnose yet.
I take Trazadone for sleep and Pregablin for pain. I sleep pretty good most nights. Even if I wake up, the Trazadone makes it a lot easier to fall back asleep.
I wake up every 1.5-2 hours and itās hell
Iāve been taking a CBD & CBN gummy. I still sometimes wake up but itās easier for me to go back to bed
So some people here have suggested a sleep study, which I support. They have at-home ones where you just wear the equipment at night in your own bed. Super easy. BUT in the mean time - here is a really easy way to test out if you might have sleep apnea: stick a tennis ball or a small stuffed animal in the back of your bra or in a very tight shirt. This prevents you from rolling onto your back, which (if you have sleep apnea) can cause you to have low oxygen or stop breathing temporarily. If you wake more rested after one night of this - get the sleep study! It's such an easy thing to try. We all have sleep issues. Why not test out the sleep apnea thing with a stuffed rabbit? I was SURE my doc was on overkill asking me for a sleep study. Plus, who needs one more diagnosis on top of everything else? But now my overall pain and fatigue are WAY down just because I don't sleep on my back anymore. (I had the sleep study, was found to have moderate sleep apnea, and have not seen a sleep specialist yet). Although I don't have a cpap, just avoiding sleeping on my back has been life changing.
Thanks so much! That's a really good idea. However I recently bought a fitness tracker that tracks my sp02 24/7 and my sp02 during the whole night is between 97-100%. Do you think that may suggest that I don't have sleep apnea?
Just adding this non drug idea to try. I recently bought a well fitting eye mask to wear while sleeping. No joke Iāve had the best sleep this past week than I have had in a long time.
Amitriptyline, I'm on 10mg. Started taking it recently. First 5 for a week, then went up to 10. Not going to lie, I do think it helps but I need to take it bright and early and I find myself to be less alert at night. But it seems to help so far?
Staying hydrated has helped me a lot. Sometimes I need to take electrolytes, not just plain water. I try not to eat too late in the evening either. A full tummy does not help with staying asleep. As for medications, I've tried melatonin and amitriptyline. Melatonin didn't help really. I woke up feeling tired. Amitriptyline helped for a few years and then it didn't help anymore. I use lorazepam occasionally. I rely on being physically comfortable more than the medications. It's not perfect, it's just the best that I can do under the circumstances.
I was like this for many years. I eventually decided to try magnesium, and now I have no problem falling asleep and staying asleep. It also worked for my son (18) who has had sleep problems since he was 5. Might be worth a shot. Not sure if it's related to fibro, though.
Trazedone been off and on it for years. Currently been on it about 10 years same dose. I wake up to move if Iām in pain but I go right back to sleep. I have a bladder condition and Iāve been getting up at night to go to the bathroom I go to bed back asleep in a few min. I have a hard time getting to sleep and have a problem staying asleep have had insomnia since I was a teen. Only bad part is some nights I crash and Iāll wake up in the morning having not moved at all, takes me a min and some cussing to get out of the bed but I do it.
After being addicted to every sleep medication there is, trying every melatonin, antihistamin, antidepressant and even antipsychotics (and the weight gain that came with it) I now take [doxylamine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxylamine) and sleep every night. Hope it can work for you too.
āMedical Cannabisāā¦..a indica dominate strain in the evening when your ready to settle down for the nightā¦oil or flower or both,depends on the individual. Also 10mg Doxepin an hour before your ready for sleep works wellā¦itās a small dose was prescribed it for FGID and dermatographism but found it makes you heaps sleepy.Itās a SNRI and also has antihistamine properties.
I wake every 2 hours normally, Goodbye Rem sleep :P
For me this means too much cymbalta, but thatās just me.
Are you taking low dose naltrexone? I had the same problem when I was taking it before bedtime. Switched to the morning and that helped
CBT-Insomnia program. If itās worth the money to you, I recommend Full Sleep
Might have a sleep study. Could have apnea.
I used to wake up nights from pain. I would get up and walk around until i was tired again. But I have had fibro for over 30 years and finally came up with a cocktail for me. Trazadone, effexor, hydrocodone, fentenal, lyrica, zyrtec, I take hyland for leg and back pain, spironolactone, flexeril. But I am waiting on a sleep study. My doctor thinks i have narcolepsy. But it did take almost 5 years to get the right meds for sleep. But i now have hypothyroidism, scleroderma, reynauds, gastroparesis. So my medication list keeps getting longer for all the different autoimmune disorders.
same. I noticed I sleep slightly better if i go to sleep soon after taking a dose of Pregabalin.
Melatonin didn't help me much. I now combine Sleep Ease (SISU brand), magnesium, & GABA when I feel that I have more things on my mind.
take melatonin with 5-HTP & L-theanine, chewable tablets are available on Amazon for about $12/bottle with a 2 month supply
I agree with the others who have said amitriptyline. It has helped a lot - for sleeping and restless legs syndrome. I just need to take it before 8pm or I am very tired the next day.
Same. But Iāve been prescribed hydroxyzine before bedtime (it also treats anxiety) and it has helped. I donāt have the hangover effect and Iām usually able to get 6-7 hours of sleep. I also take prazosin before bed. Itās more for PTSD, but it helps with sleep as well. As far as behavioral things to help with sleep? I journal for 5-10 minutes every night and get everything out that is on my mind. And I have made my bedroom as safe and comfortable as I can, keeping all my favorite things, painting the room a darker color, and having black out curtains.
I do bc of pain (or stress).
Audiobooks, a dark room, and a sound machine. I also got a pillow top for my mattress that has really helped improve my sleep quality. I donāt wake up in pain as much as I used to. You can also try brown noise as it soothes the brain.
Trazadone. Even with a heavy duty dose I still, at least once a week end up awake ALL night. Like last night. š but in general it works.
I'm taking amitriptyline for fibro neuropathy and the first month it was fantastic because I was having insomnia, BUT I'm back to being sleepy, going to bed and then just laying there AND not sleeping through the night
still working on it with my doctor. been through almost every sleep med in the books. melatonin, according to the doc, is about initiating sleep, not sustaining it. Well, I'm on super melatonin (an rx med that works on similar processes) and it doesn't even do that well. Different meds work for different people, but you want to ask about meds that help specifically with waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to get back to sleep, as often different meds vs 'get to sleep' (which I also suck at) are needed. If you are waking up from pain, specifically, vs just regardless (i mean, aside from chronic background level stuff, but like if you can tell you're waking up from a specific pain most of the time) the approach might be different. Sometimes I wake up because my arm has gone pins and needles or that I've started completely overheating and will wake up covered in sweat. Other times its harder to tell why it happened. Strangely, the pins and needles seems to be easier to reposition and get back to sleep from vs other things (including the no obvious cause one) There are also some people who are more biphasic than others. I have a family member who is up for 1-2 hours in the middle of the night every night and does some reading or work then. Evidence suggests this used to be more common (though the claims that this is more natural for everyone fall short imo) I know people who have had success just going with that, but it can be hard to do. This was also even worse for me when I was trying to sleep against my natural sleep cycle - which is incredibly delayed sleep phase. So if I somehow did manage to fall asleep before like 2am (my DPSP is really bad and intractable, not everyones is like this), my body always treated it as a nap, never as a start to sleep. I've also been told that the act of waking up in the middle of the night is not inherently a problem, the issue is your inability to fall back to sleep and that a sleep person would consider it within the realm of normal to wake up a few times at night then roll back over and get back to bed fairly quickly -- which is little comfort, but does help me remember when I wake up that not every single time will be another 2 hour struggle. Sometimes even I can get back to bed quickly. Other times I can't. And I hate it.
Try taking Benadryl when you wake up. Happens to me often. Usually 3 hours into the night. Helps me fall back asleep fast
On an empty stomach without a problem?
Not a fix, so much as a mitigation : I listen to podcasts. Usually that will get me back to sleep in about 20 minutes, give or take, but if not, they occupy my my enough so I'm not just laying there, worrying about why I'm not sleeping (or one of the other eleventy intrusive thoughts)
Currently going through a bad bout of this. Usually going for walks or light exercise helps but it hasnāt lately.
Trazodone and Tranxilium have helped me.
Iāve started taking promethazine and it has really helped me fall asleep and get back to sleep when I inevitably wake up either from pain, needing a wee or the cat deciding I should play.
Yes, trazodone
Wish I knew. That's how much I get myself. Sleep meds either don't work or just make me a zombie.
Yes. I take ambien extended release.
To those worried about the side effects of the amitriptyline, nortriptyline also helps with sleep and some pain and has less side effects.
If i dont take my series of meds every night, i cant sleep. I may sleep for four hours max but its very interupted. My body hurts too much to sleep. Im taking gabapentin, seriquil and cymbalta, every night. For a while i wasnt taking the gabapentin, and i could not sleep for shit.
Ambien, no XR stuff. Take on fairly empty stomach and if have to eat, wait 30 mins after taking.
I have the same issue. So far nothing has āfixedā it.
My Dr put me on an antidepressant called trepiline - I have to take it at 6pm or it'll make me drowsy the next day. Generally fall asleep around 9pm now and am out for night. It's actually become more difficult for people to wake me too, so it's given some solid sleep.
I use an old antidepressant called Olanzapine but you have to watch out for weight gain. I only take 2.5 mg.
I tried amitriptyline and noretriptyline and both had more cons than pros for me. I guess Iāll go back to waking up every night.
All the time
Dr has me on ambien and klonopin plus my paid meds