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
joe34587 derek76
Posted
Hi Derek have you ever had a sleep study? Perhaps there is something else going on that keeps you up that they might perhaps find in a sleep study? Snoring or sleep apnea possibly?
Good luck to you mate.
Joe
derek76 joe34587
Posted
No, I don't snore nor have sleep aponea. I can't get a sleep study at our local hospital and would have to travel for it and the NHs has long waiting times for appointments. Travel is now difficult for me due to a form of neuropathy affecting my lower left leg and foot and causing balance problems. Almost certainly Flouroquinolone toxicy syndrome caused by it and cipro for prostatitis but difficult to prove/diagnose. Certainly after each soon stopped treatment I developed the most common effect of it tendonitis within a couple of days. It then laid dormant for a while until a couple of other medications were prescribed that triggered it.
It also can cause muliple other problems including insomnia. The subject has come up with other Forum members. Miriam has posted many helpful posts to members. If you are interested in more on it google floxie hope.
I went to see a neuro physiotherapist today who I doubt will be of any more benefit that the one two years ago. Spine and head MRI's have not found any reason for my walking problem.
derek76 joe34587
Posted
It always seems to me that putting an insomniac into strange surroundings with wires attached would make him even less able to sleep. When we used to travel around America or Canada six or seven hours behind English time I always seemed to sleep well. Same in Australia and N.Z.
My wife is totally different and has always been able to sleep at any time. She told me that the first time we went out. Closed her eyes and went to sleep on the Tube train. I always tell her I should have got off and let her go on to Watford Junction.
jim94474 derek76
Posted
I use 50mg of Trazadone for sleep. It is the smallest dose and so some people need a higher dose. I also use a noise maker off my iPhone through one ear plug and a mask when my wife is reading a book in bed or when it starts getting light in the early morning hours.
It works for me.
PS: I also tried using an anti-histamine like Zertec but found it caused me to cough a lot.
tom86211 jim94474
Posted
Jim,
How long are you able to sleep on the Trazadone? What was your situation before? I got a prescription for it but am only taking 1/4 of a tablet before bed - makes me feel really drugged up and doesn't seem to make any difference. I can only sleep in 1 hour to at most 1:30 segments, despite the trazadone, and I also take some melatonin and a bit of benadryl. No difference.
Tom
jim94474 tom86211
Posted
We all know medicine works differently for patients and side effects vary.
Six months ago I was taking 1/2 of a 50mg tablet of Trazadone along with a Zertec before bedtime that helped me sleep. I found that Zertec (an anti-histimine) was causing me to cough so I went on a full 50mg of Trazadone which is the minimum dosage. Before this I tried PM Tylenol, Benadryl, Melatonin, and Zertec at different times. It helped but the long term side effects of some of those scared me so I asked my doctor and he put me on Trazadone. Trazadone is an anti-depressant but can be a sleep aid which I use it for. I have heard 50mg is safe and wonder what a higher dose might do for me.
I must say Trazadone helps me sleep better but i wake up to turn over in another position during the night and if there is any sensation to urinate i get up and go. I usually can go back to sleep OK. Again, a noise maker and mask help me a lot to get a good nights sleep.
Hope this can help.
tom86211 jim94474
Posted
Jim,
I am taking 1/4 of a Trazadone tablet along with 1/3 of a Tylenol PM and .5mg of melatonin. This formula seems to knock me out, but I still can't sleep more than about 1:15 to 1:30 at a stretch on the average, so I don't know if these pills are doing me any good. I will up the Trazadone dose a bit. I am very careful when I take anything and start with the smallest amount.
Tom
jim94474 tom86211
Posted
You are smart with your medicine but I am sure your doctor would be OK with increasing your Trazadone to 50mg which is the minimum dosage. I find I can easily go back to sleep if I wake up, unless I start thinking about something that bothers me.
My wife and I are in our late 70s and we both try to be careful with medicine; however, our family doctor tells us to take care of our pain and suffering at our age and do not worry so much about a higher dosage that will comfort us. I kind of agree with his thinking since a good quality of life is important in old age.
tom86211 jim94474
Posted
Jim,
Good advice. It doesn't seem that anything I take or any dosage is helping me with my insomnia. I can fall asleep after spending 5-10 min in the bathroom clearing my bladder, but just can't seem to stay asleep for longer than 1:15 to 1:30. Once in a while I can sleep for 2:00 hours, but that's rare. I don't want to get dependent on pills to knock me out, but I may have to increase the dosage. Sleep is very, very important.
Tom
derek76 tom86211
Posted
I'm rather like you as most nights I get to sleep quite easily but waken after one hour forty five minutes to two hours. I get up for while but have trouble getting back to sleep again and awake not much more than an hour later, Then more of the same until if 6.30 or 7.00 I just get up.
tom86211 derek76
Posted
Derek,
In an average night I get to sleep about midnight and am up at 9:30am, but, I estimate I am awake about 1.5 hours during the night going to the bathroom then trying to get back to sleep. So, my total sleep is about 8 hours - maybe. Before this insomnia my average sleep was about 7.5 hours. I still have to take a 30 min nap in the afternoon in order to feel OK, so the lack of long sleep segments is definitely wearing on me. Your sleep segments are a bit longer than mine, but it's the same issue.
Tom
derek76 tom86211
Posted
Mine is usually a total of four to four and a half hours. I did once this year sleep for seven hours and felt worse the next day. For a couple of nights last month we both had a bug and coughed all night and for two nights I did not get more than two hours in total. I had hoped for some catch up after that but it didn't happen.
My wife on the other hand will sleep until I eventually waken her though if she is going swimming I have to waken her about 7.45.
tom86211 derek76
Posted
Derek,
My wife also sleeps soundly all night and wakes up at 7-7:45. Because of my many trips to the bathroom during the night I have been spending the second half of my night in our guest room so I don't bother her and she doesn't bother me when she gets in in the morning. I don't know how you can feel even reasonably OK on only 4-5 hours sleep, unless you are naturally a short sleeper. I hope something helps you to resolve your situation.
Tom
derek76 tom86211
Posted
Tom, I can only say that it Ain't easy. Awake now after 1 hour 45 minutes and not because I need the toilet
tom86211 derek76
Posted
Derek, I recently began taking 5-HTP, a serotonin booster, and it has been helping a bit to relax, and I believe has helped my sleep a bit. I am only taking one capsule in the evening, but perhaps two would work better. There is scientific research that serotonin is a precursor for melatonin and helps sleep. Many positive reviews on Amazon. Worth looking into.
Tom
derek76 tom86211
Posted
I tried melatonin without any benefit. I've read in the past about sertonin but was dubious about much of it,
tom86211 derek76
Posted
I take a small amount of melatonin and a 100mg 5-HTP capsule before bed and they seem to help me sleep a bit longer before waking up. Any improvement is good.