What do I tell my doctor? - Sleep Disorders Message Board

leslie0784 · 05-17-2005, 04:19 AM

Hi everyone. I need advice with my sleeping schedule. The problem is I can't get any. I just got done with my third month of using Ambien and I love the stuff but my doctor says she won't give me anymore. I've been off for a week and I can only sleep from six until eleven, if I'm lucky. It was like that for a good six months before I got put on Ambien. I'm so tired all the time and when I do sleep I wake up four or five times. Do I have insomnia? I don't know what's wrong with me or what to tell my doctor. Please help! Thanks for all the replies

Nixona · 05-17-2005, 10:08 AM

Have you had a sleep study done yet?

leslie0784 · 05-17-2005, 01:11 PM

no should I?

dackard · 05-18-2005, 03:00 AM

Yes, insomnia would be the right word for it. I'm sorry you're going through so much, I've been there. Insomnia can be caused by a large variety of things.

In order to help your doctor, you need to be able to explain exactly when your sleep problems started, including any insight into why you are unable to fall asleep. Are you particularly stressed, depressed, are there any physical symptoms which you think are responsible for you waking up so often? For me, it was my bladder waking me up, sadly it took me a long time to realize this. I thought it was 'just insomnia'.

Some general things I can suggest are cutting out all caffeine from your diet (I know this is hard), reduce your consumption of sugar, and generally improve your diet. If I have caffeine in the morning, it affects my sleep at night. If I have any sugar after dinner, I have trouble falling asleep. Also, taking melatonin can really help, it is something to try.