Just me or is anyone else here sleep deprived?

[CindyH]

I noticed a significant change in my sleep patterns about 8 years ago. Nothing major happened in my life to possibly cause this change. The few hours a night I might get are always interupted (and not due to coughing). I've been through a sleep clinic 6 years ago, the doctors couldn't find any out of the ordinary. They feel that all things considered, "it's not in my make-up to enjoy steady sleep".

Therefore...is anyone else taking prescription sleep medication and if so what kind? How do they make you feel (heavy chested)? Any side effects? Thanks.

 

[anonymous]

I have just recently started having problems sleeping, not really sure why. Usually I just have problems falling asleep or wake up frequently during the night.

My doctor perscribed Ativan (a tranquilizer), which I can take or not take based on whether I feel like i wont get to sleep or if i'm waking up frequently.

I also find that having a cocktail or glass of wine before bed helps even more so that the ativan.

 

[CindyH]

I can see how the Ativan might not do much, that one is on my long list of pills that don't help me. I can usually tell early on in the evening that I probably won't have a good sleep. I've been prescribed 6 different sleep aids over the years, none worked well, they usually just wired me. For the past 5 years I've been on Surax (45mg). Even with all of that I'm not guaranteed a good night's sleep.

As long as you don't need to absolutely take the pills for sleep, don't...the obvious will eventually happen...you'll need to take larger doses when your system becomes use to the regular doses.

By the way does the Ativan make you heavy-chested? Affect your breathing?

I'm interested to know how the Ativan will work for you in the long run, good luck.

 

[anonymous]

I have major sleep problems, I take Remeron, (wich is an antidpressant),since they don't like giving you too many scripts for sleeping pills because they are habit forming. I've just finished ambien and will probably go back to sonata.Sometimes it helps to switch back and forth but in the end I rarely get a full nights sleep. Sometimes I wake up and take another one and I'm still wide awake a few hours later. I haven't tried ativan, and having a drink doesn't help either, and I end up with a headache the next day so I avoid it most of the time. I've never done a sleep study but maybe I'm like you and am not programed to get a good nights sleep. I think sometimes my brain is too busy and I can't get it to be quiet, sometimes I have songs stuck in it and while I like music I get tired of hearing the same one all night. I'm 46 with cf

 

[anonymous]

I've tried Ambien, and it's ok. BUT you have to take it and actually go to bed and try to sleep. It doesn't make you sleepy. If you stay awake you trip your balls off!
I have horrible sleep, If I'm not coughing, I'm tossing and turning. I feel like I've been beaten up when I wake up.

I have found that when I exercise regularly, 3-4x a week, I sleep better.
Debbie
24 w/ CF

 

[anonymous]

Ambien is crazy. It works good if I take and go right to bed, like the directions say, but if I take it and wait to get sleepy I go nuts. I literally hear voices all around me that aren't really there. I had the brilliant idea that I would "trim" my hair--not good; I tried to paint a room, etc... It messes with your head.

 

[anonymous]

Ha! My Ambien haircut came out nicely: You know: that hip, just-cut-my-own-hair look. Of course, I only think this because I just took Ambien. One time, after an all-nighter, I took 10 mg of Ambien and settled in for a restorative all-day nap. Problem was, 15 minutes later I had to take a conference-call I'd forgotten about. To this day, the call is only hearsay to me. I fell asleep in the middle of it, and when I awoke I had no idea the call had even taken place. Apparently, I spoke nothing but gibberish before my fade-out. Both the other parties are still convinced I'd opened a bottle of whiskey and thrown away the cap. But at least I got some good shut-eye.

I read a rather depressing study in which they linked sleep disturbance in CF patients to diminished cognitive function the following day. They found that the CF group scored 60 percent lower on simple grammatical, mathematical, and other skills tests -- ones the study claimed require alertness rather than innate smarts or educational background -- than did the non-CF group. So it seems the illness takes not only your body, but also your mind! Is this why I find myself stranded in the middle of the kitchen trying to recall what I came into the kitchen to get? Maybe it's not the Ambien after all.

Q

 

[anonymous]

Let me ammend that. I believe the CF group got the correct answers 60 percent <i>as often as</i> the control group. But still.

Q

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>Let me ammend that.<hr></blockquote>

It also accounts for bad spelling. -- Q

 

[Emeraldmirror]

I rarely sleep the whole night without waking up at least once.. it's a curse... but when i was in the hospital last time they gave me these little blue pills to help me sleep... they were awsome, i actually stayed asleep all night, they didn't put me to sleep they just kept me asleep. It was great. I didn't get to ask them what they were because i kept forgetting.


Ashley 21 w/cf

 

[ClashPunk82]

I have trouble sleeping too. I wake up many times during the night since I have diabetes I wake up constantly with low bloodsugar. I keep OJ and oher drinks and things by my bed so when it happens I can act fast.

 

[CindyH]

Ditto. Same here with my CF/diabetes...<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

I saw some similar info from a study. Saw something else interesting as well. It said that one of the causes of restless sleep in CF'ers is the body reacting to troubled breathing. Healthy people breathe slowly and evenly while sleeping and have an increased respiratory rate when awake. People with CF have to work harder to breathe at night than they should and this tricks the brain into thinking you are awake and you wake up.

I've had trouble for the last few years. Like some others here, no sudden change in my health that would explain it. I recently started doing my vest treatment again about 20 minutes before bed and it has helped a little.


Just on Today show right now...less than 30% of all Americans get recommended amount of sleep, 6.5 hours on avg v. 8 hours ideal.