Effects of too little sleep
Posted , 14 users are following.
I'm 85 and I've never ever had enough sleep. Too many late nights all my life for differing reasons and for
years because of prostate problems making me go to the toilet several times
during the night. Laser surgery partially cured that. in 2012 heart surgery
made it difficult to sleep for a few months because of having to lie on my back.
I now probably but who can diagnose it have Fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome due to treatments from those drugs for prostate infections and it is the cause of neuropathy that makes
walking difficult and can have many other effects including sleep problems Most
nights I get off to sleep OK but I leave it late to go to bed usually between
12.30 and 1am. Every night I waken after two hours and can't get back to sleep
again so I get up for about 40 minutes. They say that one should not use a
computer then but I do to read Emails and news articles. It takes a bit to get
back to sleep and about 90 minutes later I'm awake again . This happens once
more and then I'm awake for good.
I have tried melatonin that did not help. Many years ago in the 1970s and early 80's I took sleeping pills the name escapes me at the moment. I started off with one and increased it to two
and often took another two at 4am. Surprising that I still functioned well
during the day. I gradually weaned myself off them. More recently I tried Nytol
that did not help. My GP prescribed Furosemide that I did not take as
it is an anti-histamine and I did not want to chance it in case it affected my
prostate. He then prescribed Zolpidem that said not to take unless you could
sleep for seven or eight hours. I could not see that happening.
Recently for the first time I feel physically tired at periods during the day and it seems to have added to
my walking problems. I have of course tried different sleep routines as the
media has a lot about this at the moment ad going to bed earlier but that has
not helped either.
I now cannot see this ever getting better. How many of you are in a similar situation ??
If I do manage to sleep until about 7am I am wakened by a very noisy street cleaning vehicle that goes down our street and eventually comes back on the other side before turning into the
street behind our block of flats. That even wakens my sound sleeping wife but
she promptly goes back to sleep for another few hours. Don't you just hate
people like that 😃
0 likes, 52 replies
lester90053 derek76
Posted
Do you fall asleep while watching TV during the day? If so you may try going to bed in the morning and staying awake at night.
derek76 lester90053
Posted
I don't really watch TV apart from horse racing and I'm not going to sleep during that 😃
What life would it be to sleep the daylight away. I imagine there would be too much outside noise to sleep any way.
doug04815 derek76
Posted
I think there are sleep apps for a mobile phone. I've never tried them, but I imagine they might have soothing sounds and possibly a hypnotic voice.
Another thing which might work would be neurofeedback where you train your brain to produce the proper sleep-inducing brainwaves. The brainwaves have Greek letters to name them and some are associated with relaxation and sleep and others with having an active mind.
There is a (relatively, compared to scientific grade) low-cost ($250) device on the market, which you can find by searching for "low cost neurofeedback" (without the quotes). It's mainly used to improving meditation (a claim I'm skeptical about), so before buying I would research what it can do to improve sleep, if anything.
kenneth1955 derek76
Posted
Good Evening Derek
What you are saying is very true. You have had a lot of problems with your prostate. I know of 3 procedure that you have gone through. This is a lot to put your body through. But as we get older that is what most men have to deal with.
You have to do what you can to get by. Yes they tell you that you should not be on your computer at night What else are you suppose to do stare at the walls.
I have to say I do the same thing but right now after I got rid of my infection. THANK GOD My problem is sleep. If I fall a sleep after dinner and sleep for a hour I can't sleep at night . Like yesterday I fell a sleep after dinner woke up at 8 pm and I am still up. My days and night are messed up.
I do the same thing on the computer trying to answer the men that PM me.
I know that every man that has had a procedure thinks it is going to fix there prostate problems but that is not always true. Some work and some fail and then you try another one.
I'm sorry but I have to say this again. You have to do your research and that is not just on the procedure that you are thinking of having. You have to do the same on your doctor. Ask question. Talk to other patients if you can. Look at his reviews.
I have research many doctor for a lot of the men on here. Some reviews are great. Patients love them. But I have also rend some reviews on some that are not so good.
Remember this is your life and you are the one that will have to deal with any of the problem that come up
God Bless you all....Ken
Derek at 85 you are amazing and you have a wife that loves you and stands by you. I wish we all could have that......
derek76 kenneth1955
Posted
Hi ken, don't add one to my score. I've only had two procedures GL in2004 and Thulium/Holmium in 2013 and it seems to be lasting. There must be a time when that weed stops growing. The last URO suggested that I take Avodart to prevent further growth. I asked if at my age it would have time to grow again. He glanced at his screen and said 'Perhaps not'
I had an additional reason for not sleeping two weeks ago. We thought than my wife had her usual hay fever when she started sneezing but it was much more than that and we both ended up with chest infections and the mother of all coughs. I think that is why I'm feeling so badly affected by lack of sleep at the moment.
I had a dermatology appointment today and the doctor could hardly speak. I do hope it is not a different variety to hours. We had not had colds or flu for about three years before being hit by this. We seem to get this in the summer instead of the winter. I can remember traveling around Turkey, Canada and Austria in a similar state. I had more joy with pharmacists speaking English in Turkey and Austria than I did in Quebec where they try to be more French than the French apart from smoking English cigarettes as Gitane and Gauloises seemed to be too much for them.
kenneth1955 derek76
Posted
No Problem
I thought is was 3 that better 2 is enough. I have a brother- in-law from Canada he spoke French
Hope you both get better soon. Yes if you do not feel well you don't sleep right.
Be safe. Hope you sleep well tonight. I'm going to try to stay up as late as I can so I can get back on track.
All the best.Ken
derek76 kenneth1955
Posted
Even the owner of the small hotel we stayed at in Quebec did not speak English. When I wanted to know anything she got one of her kids to answer or give us directions. Apart from that we loved Quebec,
arlington derek76
Posted
HAHA! Yes - I do!
I've had some luck by:
going to sleep very early
not eating for at least 3 hours before bed
cutting way down on caffeine and alcohol
cutting way down on overall liquid intake
eating a handful of pumpkin seeds in the evening
drinking red tart cherry juice
getting a lot of aerobic exercise during the day
meditation
Best of luck!
derek76 arlington
Posted
At one time alcohol was referred to as a night cap. I used to add a good tot of rum to a mug of hot milk to help me sleep. Now it sadly gives me heartburn. The cherry juice is a natural source of melatonin . When I tried the tablets they did not help . My doctor also said that he found feedback from patients that it did not help with jet lag either.
derek76 arlington
Posted
Arlington ? Is that where you live . I remember an Arlington in Dallas and there is one here in Sussex a few miles from where we live.
arlington derek76
Posted
In the DC area. Near the new Amazon HQ.
derek76 arlington
Posted
I'd forgotten that I have been to that one as well to the National Cemetery in 1981.
DrHornyEve derek76
Posted
Not an uncommon issue at any stage of one's life. Everything that happens to us appears to appear our sleep as we get older.
I recently had a hip replacement (60 years old) . Prior to surgery, I was in horrible bone pain, awaiting medical clearance. The only thing that helped me was narcotics, which I never took prior to the hip issue. It was very hard on my bowels and I couldn't function in business effectively. So I sought out second and third opinions from pain specialists. I had a few neuropathies due to the hip issues, such as RLS, sciatica, pudendal nerve impingement and one or two others, not to mention muscle degeneration. We tried a number of medications and yes, side effects can be very dangerous and unwanted. Ended up, nobody could help me any further because it was 100% surgically correctable (which is a good thing, meaning most symptoms will permanently subside post-operatively) and the treatments they provide were in the forms of therapy (did that), TENS (did that) Neurontin (fall danger) NSAIDS(hard on your kidneys), can't have steroids or epinephrine, both which are in most pain medication injections for blocks.
Then I consulted an MD who prescribes medical marijuana. He started me off with Marijuana Oil at a low dose, taken at 7 PM, 8 PM and 9 PM each evening. It has a 3 hour onset and lasts about 6-8 hours this way.
All of neuropathies lessened by 80%. My sleep increased by 10% each time the dose was adjusted. My pain level decreased where I went from 20 mg. of oxycodone per day down to 2.5 to 5 mg per day. Post-operatively, the Marijuana Oil helped me titrate off of oxycodone as well. Post-operatively, I was in less pain than pre-operatively because the diseased hip was gone. However, therapy was brutal as I had periods of intense muscle soreness where I just had to lie there and just breathe slowly and stretch - until I could resume therapy (and trust me, therapy was easy). Again, the Marijuana Oil helped tremendously.
Now I swim almost daily in my pool. I did crash into the wall a few weeks ago which sent me screaming, but I just lay low, stretch, recover and move along again.
If you think you may benefit from Marijuana Oil, I can tell you more about it. I am not selling anything. I am a medical professional who started a related thread for other reasons.
Eve
tom86211 derek76
Posted
Derek,
I see that my earlier reply to you went through after being held up my the moderator for a day. Anyway, I have been researching sleep masks and there are some great ones for sale on Amazon. The one I use now is not very good. Also, I mentioned silicone ear plugs in my previous reply - can't tell you how important these are. I have used all types and most only dull the sounds a bit - but the silicone ones are really effective. After my bipolar TURP in April I was expecting my sleep to improve, but it didn't and I was very surprised - most here have improvement in their sleep after various prostate procedures. I mentioned my sleep issues in a few posts, but the response you are getting tells me that this is a very big issue for a lot of men. My recent sleep research tells me that we both have "chronic insomnia". I keep coming back to the bad habit idea - once a pattern is established in the brain it's hard to change. I keep trying various sleep aids and most either don't work or only work for a while. Big issue. Taking a 30 min afternoon nap seems to help a lot.
Tom
derek76
Posted
Back in my childhood afternoon naps were taken by many family members. I joke that many I know have said that they feel a little tired and will have a nap never wakened gain.
I honestly don't worry that I won't sleep and usually get off to sleep fairly quickly. My problem is that I suddenly waken after almost exactly two hours then after getting up for a while and going back to bed have trouble in getting to sleep again. When I do it is usually for no more than a hour and then awake again but this time feel tired. Up again for while and perhaps warm milk and a biscuit. At one time it would have been a cigarette but I stopped in 1993. By 6.30 or 7.0 it is not worth trying to sleep again so I usually getup.
I have sleep masks not as good as yours that airlines gave me that just feel uncomfortable to wear. Personally with sleep masks and ear plugs I would isolated from reality. Living on the coast we get flocks of squabbling seagulls and howling winds. Its rather like living in a light house and our building is an odd shape that makes the wind sound louder. Plus the loud street cleaning vehicle every morning.
Back when I was a child we lived on the corner of a main road with a bus garage down the street and that noise I never noticed. Buses came up the hill stopped at the traffic lights and then revved up to get away again while the Trams rattled up and down the main road.