Sleep patterns flipped 180 degrees - trying to flip it back again

[6Blues]

Hello friends.

Over the past few months, I have had increasing problems with sleep. I would feel tired and exhausted at nightime, but could not drift off to sleep. I would be up until all sorts of hours of the morning, 2, 3, 4 or even 5am.

Then, depending on what time my meetings start, my alarm would go off at 8am or 9am and I would log onto my work computer and while I was supposed to working, I would try to catch cat naps all day.

It was awful. I was always cranky. If I did manage to catch a few ZZZ's and then something woke me up, well I was just the most ornery thing on earth.

I tried all sorts of things, but they didn't work. I tried Lunesta and it worked once.

It came to a head this past Wednesday when, once again, I tried to sleep but tossed and turned all night until 5am. Like before, I woke up in the morning when the alarm went off, logged into work, and napped here and there all day.

That night, I drove my kids up to thier dad's house and came home. I took a Lunesta and waited. Nothing happened.

I was up all night until 11am (!!!!) Thursday morning before I finally got to sleep. Holy cow - that's more than 24 hours of being awake.

I finally slept from 11am till 4pm, woke up, got a glass of water, went to the bathroom, called my parents to say happy thanksgiving. etc.

My mom wasn't too happy to hear from me. I got a lecture on how I don't excersise and that's why I can't sleep.

I still felt drowsy so I went back to bed and slept till 6:30pm.

I decided to try to flip my sleep patterns back to normal, so I stayed up until 9:30pm and took a Lunesta on an empty stomach.

I think it worked better on an empty stomach (I actually took the time to read the info sheet on it - it says right there in black and white to take on an empty stomach - why hadn't I bothered to read it before?! sheesh).

So, I think the Lunesta worked, I felt very drowsy and fell alseep around 10:30pm last night and slept all the way through till 7:30am this morning!!

So that's almost 24 of hours of sleep after being awake for 24 hours. What a mess my body is.

I feel Ok right now; not groggy. I logged onto work and I think I'm only one there today.

I feel a bit guilty for not taking any meds yesterday, but skipping a day won't hurt. I really really hope that I flipped my sleeping pattern back to normal.

I know others here have had this happen where they just can't sleep.

Jeanne, Marsha ... you've struggled with this issue. Any advice?

I hope my experiment worked and I can get to sleep tonight at a decent non-******* hour.

Peace and health and good sleep to all,
Mickie

[Pearlscale]

I have gotten some relief from Ativan. It slows down the thought process which is why I can't get to sleep. My mind is running a mile a minute. I was able to switch from ambien to ativan with no problems. (I had been told that I would probably be addicted to ambien after taking for many years) I still take a ambien once in a while, but for me Ativan has helped.

You might want to check into this Mickie. But to be truthful, there is no easy answer. I still don't sleep good. But it is better than it was. I can usually get to sleep faster. But I still wake many time during the night.

But I am feeling so much better. It is amazing how much I have improved in the last few months. I still have some bad days, but I am winning this lyme war. I can see it happening. I hope that when the lyme bacteria is gone from my body (especially my brain) then I will no longer have sleep problems. I can hope.

I don't see many of the old timers post much. Where is everyone, and how is everyone???????????????????????????

Prayers....Marsha

[dorkdad]

Any of the sleeping pills are best taken on an empty stomach, fat especially interferes with the pill. Jeanne also uses Lunesta. She hasn't been able to get off of it yet, but is (mostly) now sleeping through the night.But remember where she has come from, months of getting up in the middle of the night and walking the streets in her desperation. As Marsha said, there is no easy answer. The hypothalamus (in the brain) controls sleep. And since the nuerotoxin of Lyme is ammonia, this interferes with the brains ability to heal(and sleep). And the brain is slow to heal. Jeanne was told it could be 1-2 years before her brain competely heals, but she continues to get better and better. Her parents treated us to a week in Hawaii to celebrate her recovery. Her dad kept her in tears because he was so excited to show her Ohau and to take her out to great restaurants and to lay by the pool with her and to see her feeling so much better. These tears, unlike those of the past, were tears of joy. She was exhausted after the trip, but nothing like the crashes of before.

So hang on, remember no gulilt!! and remember to keep that stomach empty at night.

DD

[dorkdad]

Marsha,

Jeanne just wanted to say Yahoo!! that you are doing better.

DD

[jojo]

Dork Dad...thanks for the update on you and W.W. I have tears of happiness in my eyes....What a wonderful gift her Dad gave to you both!

BIG HUGS!!!!!!!