| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| moose1 |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 12:22:56
Hello all,
Recently my TMS has decided to take the form of severe insomnia. For two weeks now I've been waking up about an hour after falling asleep, my mind racing and my body overheating...essentially a variation on what the medical community refers to as generalized night-time anxiety. I toss and turn the rest of the night and wind up with maybe three hours of real sleep, feeling wiped out for the rest of the day. It's a real drag. The most annoying thing about this is I almost always wake up with some really annoying song looping endlessly through my head. Is this some kind of OCD?
Unfortunately, my usual TMS strategies have not proven effective in improving this current spell, and even doing breath meditation to elicit the relaxation response has not done much. This is clearly a flare up as a result of some work-related stress which will most likely taper off in the coming weeks, but in the meantime I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to lessen the effects of an acute attack of insomnia? I had almost forgotten how disruptive insomnia can be. I'm in that classic insomnia mode where I'm starting to eye my bed like some evil adversary that I need to passify, which is not a good trend to get into.
Thanks in advance.
Moose1 |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dave |
Posted - 04/20/2005 : 09:37:56
One thing about melatonin: the dosage usually available is way too high. The optimal dose is 0.3 mg, but it is typically found in 3 mg tablets.
Also note that melatonin is not a sleep aid; it is a hormone manufactured by our body to regulate our internal clock. If you take it on a regular basis (especially at high doses), your body will adapt and it will be less effective. Typically melatonin is used in short-term situations (i.e. jetlag) but it is not necessarily effective in the long-term. |
| Logan |
Posted - 04/20/2005 : 09:27:34
Just thought I'd tell you all that I remembered the name of that natural sleep aid I was trying to tell you about - melatonin - and that I've been taking it for about a week, not every night but on nights when I know I'm anxious.
I have to say I am surprisingly happy with the results. I have been falling asleep quickly and sleeping very soundly. No song lyrics swirling though my half-conscious brain and, most impressively for me, no "sleep writing" of school papers.
When I wake up in the morning, I feel rested and not hung over in the least. I feel a little reluctant to wake up but only because I am sleeping so well. |
| Colleen |
Posted - 04/15/2005 : 10:05:52
Laura,
Like you, I have had many a sleepless night the past few weeks and have walked around in a fog. I will NOT take anything either due to the whole anxiety/panic attack issue. With two daughters, the same age as yours, who like to stay up later than I do and a husband who is a night-owl....probably due to all the coffee he drinks....getting sleep is a challenge even without my insomnia. I finally felt so dragged out that I told my Gyn. who believes it is due to menopause (had a hyst. one year ago). She has run blood work on me to check iron level and thyroid and I am now waiting for results.
Colleen |
| Laura |
Posted - 04/13/2005 : 09:34:25
Verdammt,
Thanks for the suggestion with the classical music. I know first hand that it really does relax you. I had a breast lumpectomy a few years ago and they wanted to put me out to do the procedure. I'm scared to death of drugs and being "put out" so I asked if they could do it under just the local anesthetic. They said it wasn't their usual practice but that if that's what I really wanted they would give it a try, with the anesthesiologist standing by in case he was needed. They put headphones on me and played Vivaldi and the sound of the violins made me feel so relaxed I was not nervous whatsoever. I've had dental cleanings that were much worse than that!
I think I shall go get myself a CD today and doze off to sleep with the wonderful sounds of violins this evening. Last night, I had Bon Jovi's "It's my life" pounding through my brain over and over and I don't even remember listening to it yesterday. I think you're right though -- the music is everywhere you go and it is "catchy" alright! I guess you don't realize how much saturation your brain is getting throughout the day.
Thanks again for the suggestion!
Laura
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| menvert |
Posted - 04/13/2005 : 02:30:25
hi all,
well i barely/rarely suffer insomnia....
partially because i have never ALLOWED myself to obsess about it.
when i do have trouble sleeping, i basically think of lying in bed as 'almost as good as actual sleep' after all i am physically reclined & very slowed in activity.
recently i used to goto bed at 3 am & wanted to modify my bed time to 12ish, I found reading fantasy(or whatever gets you involved) novels & that usually makes me tired enough to sleep.
I frequently have songs going through my head ALL NIGHT.... they dont effect whether i sleep well or not. Its your attitude to the songs that interfere with sleep.... I am fairly laid-back when it comes to such things & i trained myself not to obsess about lack of sleep/weird thoughts when i was a teenager...
but i never was a continual insomniac.
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| verdammt |
Posted - 04/12/2005 : 19:58:22
I also toss and turn at night with song lyrics churning and churning around my brain. This has been a big problem for me in the past few months too. Logan
I've been bothered by this many times. It comes from listening to pop songs. They're called "catchy" tunes for a reason. Each one has a "hook" that grabs you and won't let go. They're everywhere: radio, TV, elevators, stores, telephones (when you're put on "hold"), etc. If you want to clear your head, you have to fight fire with fire - in this case music with music.
Here's my advice. Find some instrumental classical music and listen to it with headphones when you go to bed. Everybody has different taste, so find what's right for you. Orchestral or solo, whatever. Piano is nice. So is classical guitar, cello or lute.
Just make sure it's instrumental (or if there's singing, choose something in a language you don't understand) because:
Lyrics = words = thoughts = mental activity = wakefulness!
Avoid anything too upbeat or rambunctious. You don't want to be blasted out of bed by crashing cymbals or blaring horns just as you're nodding off. Ask your kid to mix and burn you a custom CD.
IMHO, classical music works best because it's infinitely rich and intricate. Sometimes the "hook" will last for 5 minutes instead of a few seconds. Difficult enough to hum from beginning to end, so it won't loop in your head and drive you nuts.*
Try it. With any luck, you'll fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. Wake up culturally enriched, too!
*My personal favorite for over 17 years: overture to the opera Parsifal, by Richard Wagner. 12-1/2 minutes of heaven.
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| moose1 |
Posted - 04/12/2005 : 17:49:39
quote:
Originally posted by Laura
Yes, it's L-Tryptophan.
Laura,
In the past I tried supplements like L-Tryptophan, HTP-5, St. John's Wort, Valerian root and others for insomnia and they all either made the insomnia worse or did nothing. Sometimes I think that if I attempt to treat one of my TMS symptoms it just pisses it off more and makes it worse.
For example last night I took a Xanex to get to sleep. It worked OK, but I woke up this morning with intense wrist pain in my left wrist. Actually, it's not pain as much as it is a maddening, funny-bone type sensation...like an awful itch that you can't scratch. Anyway, it just goes to show that TMS just never quits.
Moose |
| Laura |
Posted - 04/12/2005 : 10:59:30
Logan,
Yes, it's L-Tryptophan. It was taken off the market years ago and has since been proven safe and is available once again. I looked at it at my favorite health food store last week. My naturopathic doc. says that it would be fine to take it. However, he was explaining to me that "the body is a complete pharmacy" in other words -- it manufactures L-Tryptophan (the amino acid) all on it's own, and that I really don't even need to buy a supplement. My doc wants me to get these amino acids naturally by eating certain foods such as turkey (especially dark meat), dark green vegetables, avocados, barley, brown rice, cottage cheese, fish, beef, chicken, milk. peanuts and soybeans. He also told me that you can't get too much Tryptophan from natural sources to cause any type of adverse reaction. He explained that Tryptophan functions as a building block of all proteins.
If you want any info you can e-mail my naturopathic doc at jpickerell@aol.com. Just tell him Laura told you about him and he would answer any questions you have. He is a really nice person.
Laura
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| Logan |
Posted - 04/12/2005 : 09:30:43
I also toss and turn at night with song lyrics churning and churning around my brain. This has been a big problem for me in the past few months too.
Sometimes I think it's a totally random song but other times the song lyrics reflect what my unconscious is chewing on. Like this morning, I woke up with an 80s song in my head, no idea what it's called or whom it's by, but the chorus goes like this:
"That's what my heart years for now - love and pride."
I occasionally take 1 Tylenol PM if I'm working on a school project that my mind won't let go of, 2 gives me a "hang over" but 1 seems ok every so often.
I've heard of a homeopathic thing that is supposed to make you nod off quickly and deeply with no side effects or risks of addiction but I can't for the life of me recall what it is. It's not valerian root, it's like an amino acid or something...
Anyone know what it is? |
| verdammt |
Posted - 04/11/2005 : 19:50:15
"Make believe you never heard the word "DeQuervain" and that you have no idea where the "braxial plexus nerves" are. As long as you keep thinking physical, the symptoms will continue."
This quote is from Dave's post about carpal tunnel syndrome.
The same approach can be used with sleep and insomnia.
That is, forget everything you've ever heard or read about sleep cycles, REM, the importance of dreaming, and the alleged trauma that results from being awakened during one of these precious cycles. It just complicates matters and gives you more material to fixate on.
Also, forget the importance of the number 8, as in, the 8 hours you MUST HAVE EVERY NIGHT in order to be healthy and to feel good!
Balls! You can get by with a lot less, and you can do it for days or even weeks on end. Your body will adjust.*
One of Sarno's key messages is worth repeating in this context: the human body is incredibly tough, resilient and adaptable. Don't underestimate yourself.
*I know the 8-hour rule is BS because my former chiro was so adamant about it. He was just creating another distraction while he emptied my wallet.
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| Laura |
Posted - 04/11/2005 : 13:33:32
Moose,
Wow! I read this post and couldn't believe it. The thing you mentioned about the annoying song going through your head - well, I have that too! I almost posted about it the other day. I've had horrible insomnia for the past three or four weeks. I'm walking around like a freaking zombie all day. I don't do well taking meds and will NOT take anything (panic attacks - it's a loss of control thing). I did hear about the B vitamins and have been trying to get more of those every day. Also, the advice about the clock - take it! I was going to suggest that too. Like Verdammt says, if you start thinking about how many hours you have left to sleep you are screwed. I don't even turn the clock away from me anymore. When I wake up to pee (every night at least three or four times) I just DON'T look at the clock. It really helps. As for the song thing, I wish I could explain that one cuz it's really weird. I just recently put a new song on my cell phone (Take Me Out is the name of it) and it has one of those beats that really sticks in your head. That one comes up frequently but other times it's some other stupid song that I must have heard once during the previous day. It drives me crazy. Nobody, except you, has experienced this and I was really starting to feel like a freak!
Good luck, Moose. Keep me posted on your progress. I've had about three or four good nights (only waking up a few times and not being up ALL night) in the past month so I feel for you. My stress is my daughter's up and coming bat mitzvah. I wake up thinking of all the stuff I didn't get done the previous day and what I need to do and who I need to call, etc. It's insane!
Laura
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| Susie |
Posted - 04/11/2005 : 09:56:01
Get some 10 mg. Ambien. You can cut them in half and save alot of money instead of buying 5 mg. They are a life saver if you have to get some sleep. |
| Fox |
Posted - 04/11/2005 : 09:14:50
Read the book listed on this web site regarding insomnia. It's fantastic (I have had severe insomnia since college). The book is all you need plus a prescription of Ambien for occasional use. There's no hangover from Ambien and it's very short-acting. |
| moose1 |
Posted - 04/11/2005 : 08:41:19
Thanks for all the replies. Gonna try a few tricks to lick this thing and I'll post a progress report in a couple weeks.
Thanks,
Moose |
| Stryder |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 20:17:32
Hi Moose1,
I've been lucky to rarely have insomia, usually its the other way around, I sleep too much.
If you now consider your bed and bedroom the enemy, try sleeping in another room, or on the couch. Sometimes just the change of venue can help.
Also, if you have a significant other that is a noisy sleeper, or is disturbing your sleep (covers hog), try the soft foam earplugs, they block out almost anything. However, don't use earplugs if you are alone, in an emergency you won't hear the fire alarm.
Take care, -Stryder
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| verdammt |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 19:36:30
I came up with a theory about insomnia during a sleepless night last summer, while staying with my in-laws.
I came to the conclusion that I was keeping myself awake because I WANTED to be tired the next day.
Now, why would anyone want to be tired?
It's simple. If you're visibly tired, you have a convenient excuse to avoid doing all the things that make you uncomfortable:
- you don't have to be sociable ("...please don't talk to me, I'm beat..")
- you don't have to be enthusiastic about anything ("naw...I just want to go back to bed")
- you have a great excuse for failure, i.e. for not being perfect ("..oh, man, I was so-o-o tired, no wonder I sucked...").
I've been through these scenarios dozens of times, on the home front and at work. It's all a smoke screen. A pathetic defense mechanism. |
| weatherman |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 18:48:56
Amen to "verdammt" - if you're having trouble sleeping DO NOT look at the time. I try to keep my clock where I really can't see it from the bed.
I have occasional insomnia which I'm positive is some type of TMS thing. The only time I ever have it is when I absolutely have to be somewhere or do something the following day. On an "average" workday I always know I have the option of calling in sick (though I haven't done so in over 2 years), so have little trouble sleeping. But when I'm on travel for work - where taking the day off is absolutely not an option - that's when it tends to get me.
At someone's suggestion I've taken to taking a vitamin B supplement when I have trouble sleeping. Seems to help, but could very well be a placebo.
Sarno etc never mention insomnia much but I'm sure that the traits related to TMS also relate to insomnia. |
| verdammt |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 13:09:37
I wake up a lot, too.
Here's my advice: DO NOT LOOK AT THE ALARM CLOCK!
If I see what time it is, I start doing mental arithmetic: "let's see...I have to get up at x and it's now y, hmmm...x-y = z... that means only z hours of sleep... @#$% It's less than 8 hrs!!!I'm gonna feel like crap all day! (not true)
Panic and depression set in and just make things worse.
To prevent this, I turn the clock to the wall without looking at it. I tell myself it's 12:30 a.m., even if it's really 5:00 am. Usually works wonders (unless I peek!) |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 04/10/2005 : 12:46:21
Hi Moose.
One thing I have never been very patient with is insomnia.I have had it my whole adult life,pre-TMS(if there is such a thing..which there isn't actually)
I've seen as many Mds about it as I did for pain.I tried anti-depressants(stupid...triggered anxiety attacks),tea,reading,meditation.....
I received any number of reasons(past drug abuse,anxiety,OCD..yada,yada,yada)
It became a safety issue when I began to work up high(ladders,aerial lifts,power tools etc.)
I now have NO qualms about using meds carefully.
That is,If I have a bad night(and subsequent nodded out day) ,I take a sleeping med(sonata,valium,restoril) and it generally gets you back on the good track.I alternate them so I have never develpoed a tolerance to any of them(or dependence )
On the morning after I've gotten rest,I know it's time to write,evaluate ,investigate,re-consider.Usually,taking the med one night is like the 'reset' button and I am fine the rest of the week.Good sleep equals good energy equals good sleep.
I might take something 6 times in a month MAX and only when I absolutely,positively have to sleep.
I've noticed that sunday night is always tough...thinking about the work week etc,so I KNOW it is psychological,but just as Sarno suggests painkillers for acute TMS attacks,I can't risk my safety or the safety of others while I figure out what's bugging me.
I don't know about the body overheating,but the mind racing???
Hell...mine's like the daytona 500 every night and day of my life.
Not trying to sound like a drug rep,but if you're miserable,don't be a Martyr...
peace
Baseball65 |
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