any advice for getting some sleep?

[amylynn]

Cant sleep since my diagnosis.  its been about a week.  sx is not till october if my insurance wiill pay for House.  any suggestions?

[Chris]

Nothing like starting with a hard question hey. Only 1 week since diagnosis. I imagine you are still in shock and trying to get as much information as possible. This site is great for you to listen and learn from others who have been through the same. I'm sure your doctor can point you in the right direction if you ask. Good luck and keep positive.
Regards
Chris

[Sefra22]

I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours for the first few weeks. Tylenol PM really helps me, but I only use it only occasionally. I can tell you it does get better after a month or so, but there are still times I toss and turn thinking about it.

[Captain Deb]

By all means tell your doctor about it. Lack of sleep stresses you out and can make you sick and cause your symptoms to worsen.  There are safe prescription sleep medications out there these days. No need to suffer. If these are not for you, melatonin, 3 mg is also a safe alternative, but still tell your doc.

Capt Deb

[msuscottie]

Tylenol PM got me through that fisr month after diagnosis. Probably not the healthiest route, but it worked!

[Brendalu]

Sleep?  I almost forgot what it is.  I've tried all of the prescribed meds and a few really older ones.....still no uninterrupted sleep.  I wake up every hour or so all night long.  The only thing I have found works for me is total darkness, total quiet and meditation for a while and I pray.  I try to catch a nap anytime I'm feeling like I need it and even if it is only fifteen minutes I grab it.  WHen I wake up during the night if I don't fall back asleep in five minutes I get up.  I relax in the recliner or on the sofa.  I am usually more rested than when I try to force sleep in bed.  I'm fourteen months post op tomorrow. BrendaO

[Battyp]

xanax for anxiety
ambien for sleep

Talk to your doctor! 

Melatonin will help you sleep which is an over the counter supplement.

[Patti]

It has been 5 1/2 years since my surgery and I still can't sleep unmedicated-I rely on ambien.  I have been taking it for years and I am worried about its long term effects on the body.  Does anyone think that an AN and the surgery could cause this?  Patti

[Captain Deb]

 How in the world has your doc kept you on Ambien for 5 years??   There's a new med called Lunesta which is supposedly less habit-forming than Ambien. And there's yet a new on which I forgotten the name.  I have always been a bad sleeper and I shuffle back and forth between Lunesta, Ambien and melatonin--don't want to "habituate" with any of the prescriptions.  It is really important to get sleep pre-AN surgery. Lack of sleep compromises your immune system and you don't want to go into major surgery like that.
Capt Deb

[Patti UT]

I never tried the ambion, the OTC stuff, tylenol ,excderin etc PM made me very groggy and unproductive the next day. My GP prescribed me Trazadone, which in low dose, 25mg, worked great for me. Kept me asleep through the night and I felt fine in the AM. I was told it was not habit forming, but just in case I went off. I do my best to stay off these meds. I still use it once in a while when needed but I could use it every night for months and skip a few nights and never feel like I had to have it.  Good luck, lack of sleep is no good for you, adds too much stress to the body when you already have enough. Do what you need to to get some sleep.
Patti UT

[Captain Deb]

One of the things I did pre-op was bump up my exercise. I had 2 months between diagnosis and Tx and I went into surgery in really good shape and I think it made a huge difference in getting back on my feet. I also helps with sleep.
Capt Deb

[nannettesea]

Drugs.  I mean meds.  Ambien works well for me, they now have timed-release.  Been on it for 8 months now, they don't usually recommend that.  And an anti-depressant boosts it, called Remeron.  Natural remedies don't work for me, unfortunately.
Nan (DD)

[Larry]

Amy

Sleep deprivation is a shocker. I have very strong "power of the mind" and can shut a lot of things out (except for some of the extreme headaches I get. My wife went through a rather serious bout of depression (non AN related) i think it was coz she was married to me!(LOL) seriously now, she tried lots of things - ended up seeing a shrink who prescribed her a cocktail of meds - she is now only on one and thats a mild dose and she sleeps quite well. She needed the drugs to help her.

When my worries get the better of me, I try two "non drug related remedies".

1. laughter - spontaneously laugh - this seems odd and especially if you are in a crowd or at work but get your mind swinging over to something funny. Look at a picture on a wall and change its shape into something else and just laugh. If you do this often enough, you will find that you can swing yourself out of the depressed mind set you have from time to time and may allow you the opportunity to close your eyes. It is much easier said than done.

2. Not sure about this one but you can by cd's titled sleep music. play it on continuous mode under your pillow or something. Most of them are water related. This helped a bit.

You are probably saying, how can i laugh about a surgery to remove this grotesque growth in my head? and you are right - but try. For a light mind relief, I also find the Good Morning thread terrific for my therapy. Especially if I am having a rotten headache day, if I don't post, i certainly look at old posts (coz there are 70 pages of posts) and have a giggle over some of the stupidity and silliness that exists on that thread.

message - divert your mind.

Laz

[tatianne]

im new here as well and i have not been able to sleep very much at all.
i have clonazepam which helps, or tylenol PM really works and im not too affected in the morning
with lasting affects.
You are not alone, if you ever want to talk please PM me, our situations are quite the same.
Take care of yourself,
T

[jacobs]

 I too found the time between diagnosis and surgery very stressful and had trouble sleeping.A friend brought me a yoga meditation cd .You lie down in the dark and the soothing voice tells you to breathe,and works through a relaxation of all of your limbs etc.
 The woman's voice put me to sleep every time...I'm sure similar cd's are available at local health food stores or yoga centers.
                                                                                                          Jacobs