Strange sleeping problem - Sleep Disorders Message Board

nochange · 06-29-2008, 10:50 AM

Hello to all. I'm new here and I thought i will post in this thread also since I have a strange sleeping problem.
I've been in an accident 3 years ago and since then I cannot fall asleep at all cause of sever neck pain.(Had a sever whiplash).
Everytime I put my neck on the pillow I feell the muscle strained(if that's what it is, that's what I was told it is. It strained so badly that I cannot fall asleep at all. I'm tired but cannot fall asleep. I feel some sort of pressure on the left side of my neck. A locolaized pressure.
I've been wide awake for the last 2 years and then started taking sleeping pills for the last couple of months. Now it's wearing off. I can only sleep for 2 hours a night.
Just a note, before the accident I could sleep full 9 hours and now it's 2 hours with sleeping pills.
I feel like a wreck with constant pain and also tired.
Your answers are greatly appreciated.

Sunnycal · 06-29-2008, 04:10 PM

Have you tried sleeping in a recliner? My husband's back hurts if he sleeps in a bed, so he sleeps sitting up. He also has sleep apnea and it seems to help that, too. (He still has not had good luck with his CPAP machine.)
Sunny

TexMom85 · 06-29-2008, 05:25 PM

Welcome, NoChange,

I am so sorry to hear of your pain and inability to sleep. What specifically have you tried to help with your insomnia? I am assuming you have tried all the special pillows and what not to try to alleviate the pressure on your neck. I have a bad disk in my neck and experimented like crazy before I found the right pillow combination to handle my neck as well as accomodate the slight change in my side sleeping caused by wearing a CPAP mask.

I'd be happy to provide you with some suggestions, both pharmaceutical and natural, that might help with your sleep onset issues. Let me know what you've tried and we'll see if we can help!

Blessings,
Tex

nochange · 06-30-2008, 09:31 AM

Hi Texmom, how are you? thx for your answer. The only thing I've tried is taking sleeping pills. I've started them couple of months ago. In the beginning I could sleep for 4 hours...and now it's wearing off. Now it's 2 hours sleep everynight. For 2 years, I thought I could be brave and not sleep but finally gave up to sleeping pills but 2 hours a night it's not enough.
Texmom, that's just a little note. I will never forgive myself of getting into the car that day and letting somebody else driving me. I've never thought something so bad could ever happen to me. I could not anticipate it, backing into the house. I don't drive anymore since the accident. I see cars and I'm getting furious and sick. 24 hours of pain.
Ibuprofen don't help in the neck pain. WHat can really make things easy for me to sleep and not suffer like this?