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How much sleep do you get?

Posted , 14 users are following.

LayneTX
LayneTX

I'm wondering how much sleep do you get?

Frustrated when the scientist or medical society say we should get or need atleast 8 hours a night. I've always functioned better with 6-7.  Now days I'm lucky to sleep 2-3 hours then get up to pee then 2 more hours, then up, then 2 more.  Sometimes I can't get back to sleep so I'm awake for 2 hours in middle of night.

I often wake from the new pain in my should blade area or the pain in my middle back. 

When I decide to get up for the day and try moving around, go for walk, then I get tired again. Yesterday was good day since I could go back to sleep after my pee breaks, so I was able to function more, but back to the ole "did I do too much for my PMR to handle"? 

1 like, 33 replies

33 Replies

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  • artfingers
    artfingers LayneTX

    Posted

    Layne, I am in the same boat.  I think too that some of us have other issues, where sleep is important. For me, I have been trying Melatonin which has helped some.  However, the nights I am restless with little REM sleep are the days my Fibromyalgia flares (which I also have besides PMR).  FM is often exacerbated by lack of deep sleep.  I tried various things, but side effects were worse.  I have recently discovered if I do deep breathing, relax and think of my favorite place (relaxing in the sun by a beach) then it helps - sometimes. By the way I tried waking up to take Pred during the night at 2 am but then, of course, could never get back to sleep.  So now I'm going to try the Rayos (coated pred) that releases in middle of night per EileenH's earlier comment somewhere, hoping that will help.  I start that tomorro.  Oh, as an aside, I was diagnosed, finally, two months ago and since going up to 10 mg pred my sed rate dropped to 5 and my c-reactive to 1.6 whereas they were sky high before.  My rheumy told me yesterday she was very pleased with that!  So yeah.  Happy trails.
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy artfingers

      Posted

      artfingers, I will be interested to see what you think of Rayos. I have found it is easier to reduce with, rather than my previous pred. Also I think the side effects are reduced too, although I may just be imagining it. 
    • artfingers
      artfingers ptolemy

      Posted

      Well Ptolemy, it has been almost a week now on the Rayos (coated prednisone).  I take 5 mg in am with breakfast and the other 5mg at 10pm at night.  I seem to be sleeping more soundly - that is I wake up maybe 3 or 4 times instead of constantly but more importantly am able to get back to sleep.  I have noticed more nightmares but luckily the T-Rex never seems to catch me or the tornado never reaches my house, smile.  I have discovered upping my Bcomplex pill helps reduce nightmares again, thankfully.  I'll have to see how this goes in another couple of weeks.  Weight gain, interestingly, has leveled off, yeah but I am watching my diet.
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy artfingers

      Posted

      Artfingers, that is interesting. I always had lovely friendly dreams until I started pred, then they got quite violent. They have calmed down a bit now, in fact are quite boring, but I think I am now dreaming in black and white not colour. 
  • VickieS
    VickieS LayneTX

    Posted

    I've never been a great sleeper, but since I started on prednisone (at 6.5 mg now) 14 mos. ago, I have trouble falling asleep at night, then I sleep fitfully, and wake up about every 2 hrs. Then I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning. I've never been a napper & find it almost impossible to even try to nap during the day. You'd think that with as tired as I am with my PMR that I'd sleep more, but I can't seem to do it no matter how tired I am.
  • Mrs_CJ
    Mrs_CJ LayneTX

    Posted

    I too am awake many times during the night. I usually sleep well until about 4 am and then sleep lightly. Also am more achy after about 4 which fits in with the release time of the cytokines that we read about on this forum. 

    One thing I did that has helped is to buy a 3" memory foam mattress for our bed. It is a softer surface and I have less aching from it so I am sleeping better. 

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy LayneTX

    Posted

    I read somewhere that on average people have six hours twenty minutes sleep. Goodness knows if that is enough or not. It might explain why the whole world seems to be tired all the time. Apparently feeling tired is one of the main reasons people go to their primary doctor. 
  • Anhaga
    Anhaga LayneTX

    Posted

    For what it is worth, I have found since I started taking a calcium supplement with a small snack at bedtime (11ish) I have been sleeping so soundly I need an alarm clock to get me up at about 6:45 to start the new day's worth of medications.... Of course the shorter days help.  Been like this for a wek now so I hope it isn't a fluke.
    • Mrs.Mac-Canada
      Mrs.Mac-Canada Anhaga

      Posted

      They say calcium is natures own natural tranquilizer.  Maybe that's why people used to drink warm milk??

      Glad you're sleeping better!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Mrs.Mac-Canada

      Posted

      Of course, as I 've posted here and on HealthUnlocked, I have a pretty laid back attitude towards sleep and its dark side, insomnia, anyway.  
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Mrs.Mac-Canada

      Posted

      I also have a memory from distant childhood of having to drink warm Horlicks before bedtime, which I hated.  I think it rotted my baby teeth, too.
  • maid_mariane
    maid_mariane LayneTX

    Posted

    I have to agree with mac canada and some others as to the need of sleep and however you get it.

    As i said I've tried SEVERAL sleeping pills and this last one temazepam is working. Since on it i feel more rested and PMR Symptoms are more in control if not diminished because I'm more rested.

    I truly belive your body has problems healing without rest. I have had sleep PROBLEMS for 20 years and the other meds use to work but not with PMR.

    Most of all I'm a happier person with sleep and a happy me means a happy husband 😆 means a happy marriage. This disease not only effects us but our partners and some pmr patients have lost partners thanks to the effects of PMR.

    So why not take 1 more pill however it's your right not to but there are many advantages of doing so.

    Mariane

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy maid_mariane

      Posted

      Maid Mariane, I can understand you wanting a sleeping tablet but do be careful taking Temazapam for any length of time. It is one of the benzodiazapine group of drugs  and is addictive. I must admit I am not sure I would want to take it too often.
    • maid_mariane
      maid_mariane ptolemy

      Posted

      As i said I've had problems for 20 years and wirh PMR total exhaustion with lack of sleep. It exaserbates the PMR.

      Imovain use to be what i would use if desperate but didn't work. I am very aware that this is addictive and the recommendation is to use every other day. I can tell you my right arm was in pain last night from again over doing and if i had my normal non drug sleep i would still wake up in pain. I woke up a million bucks today.

      Worked with an EX. DIRECTOR here in Canada and he just happened to do major research into sleep and it's correlation to health and mental health. I was invited by him to sit in on one of his inhouse training sessions for his staff, absolutely facinating what sleep and lack of can do to the whole body.

      If sleep helps me heal and i have to wean of this drug i will be an expert from prednisone. In the mean time it's nice to sleep.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy maid_mariane

      Posted

      Temazapam does act like an elixir for sleep. As long as you know the problems with it though, but do be careful. It is strange why we need sleep. I read about a woman in Spain who was watching some procession and she suddenly had the most terrible pain in her head. She then discovered she did not need any sleep at all. I am not sure I would like not to need any sleep, on the other hand I would have a lot more time to do things.
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