Lois’s answer to “You've mentioned dealing with insomnia, do you ever write during that time? If so, have any memorab…” > Likes and Comments
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I'm sorry to hear about this. I'm 66 and no longer get the 9 or 10 hours of sleep that were normal when I was young; but I usually get to sleep quickly, unless I'm unusually worried about something. Going to bed, I try to think of some pleasant and relaxing fantasy: not the stuff of which publishable fiction is made, just something to go to sleep by.
Have you considered having a sleep test I had insomnia for years, so I know it can be nothing more than it is, but if it's sleep apnea you could get relief. (I'm asking because fatigue, headache, and body ache are symptoms of both.)
@ Tom --
Yeah, I tried the sleep test, which mainly seems to be for selling folks apnea machines. I had very mild apnea; not enough, I judged, to overcome the annoyance of wearing the mask etc.
For quite a while I blamed menopause -- hot flashes, curiously, seem to run on the same 90-minute cycle as sleep patterns, and at least one doc I talked to was surprised to learn I woke up a minute or two before the flashes, not consequent to them. I wish someone could interest researchers into exploring that connection. But I don't think I can blame that anymore.
L.
I find melatonin supplements gives the best relief for my insomnia with no side effects. I don't know if you have tried that already, if not it may be worth looking into.
@ Maya --
Melatonin is part of my arsenal, but I use it sparingly because it gives me unpleasant dreams. The melatonin plus L-theanine seems marginally better on this. Benedryl 25 mg. (diphenhydramine) is also sometimes useful, sometimes not.
L.
You might consider Trazodone, which I have found helps. It's an older anti-depressant with a sedative side effect, now widely used for sleep. No drug hangover, that I have noticed, just restful sleep. Need an Rx for it.
@ Pat --
Yeah, I've tried that one, along with several others. I'm very wary of the prescription meds due to what they may do to my creative brain. The one that works best, but alas not continuously, is a low dose of Ambien.
It's all maddeningly random. I want Miles's perfect sleep-timer, which knocks you out for whatever time you select, and delivers you back to consciousness perfectly slept.
L.
Yes, I dream of that, too. Robyn - sorry you had a bad experience. :-(
Hah! As soon as I clicked send that occurred to me.
(Maybe because my husband is watching a PBS show on LSD now and it led to a discussion of -um- our younger years.)
I'm in my late 60s and went through a longish bout of insomnia a few years ago. For some reason taking an acetaminophen or ibuprofen would help a lot, after a 20-minute lag time. I'm sure there a million individual tricks and you have tried them all. Sympathies.
As I've sometimes had difficulty in finding a comfortable sleeping position, I've wondered whether I could get used to Larry Niven's sleeping plates, between which the sleeper rests in zero gravity. But of course I don't have the opportunity to try. A water bed may be the nearest we can get to it for now, but I've never tried that either. Probably an acquired taste.
Miles wasn't impressed by the grav-bed in Komarr, but maybe it would be worth a try! Someone get inventing! (Sounds seasickness-inducing to me... maybe that contributed to Miles not liking it.)
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Jonathan
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May 15, 2020 07:48AM
I'm sorry to hear about this. I'm 66 and no longer get the 9 or 10 hours of sleep that were normal when I was young; but I usually get to sleep quickly, unless I'm unusually worried about something. Going to bed, I try to think of some pleasant and relaxing fantasy: not the stuff of which publishable fiction is made, just something to go to sleep by.
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Have you considered having a sleep test I had insomnia for years, so I know it can be nothing more than it is, but if it's sleep apnea you could get relief. (I'm asking because fatigue, headache, and body ache are symptoms of both.)
@ Tom --Yeah, I tried the sleep test, which mainly seems to be for selling folks apnea machines. I had very mild apnea; not enough, I judged, to overcome the annoyance of wearing the mask etc.
For quite a while I blamed menopause -- hot flashes, curiously, seem to run on the same 90-minute cycle as sleep patterns, and at least one doc I talked to was surprised to learn I woke up a minute or two before the flashes, not consequent to them. I wish someone could interest researchers into exploring that connection. But I don't think I can blame that anymore.
L.
I find melatonin supplements gives the best relief for my insomnia with no side effects. I don't know if you have tried that already, if not it may be worth looking into.
@ Maya --Melatonin is part of my arsenal, but I use it sparingly because it gives me unpleasant dreams. The melatonin plus L-theanine seems marginally better on this. Benedryl 25 mg. (diphenhydramine) is also sometimes useful, sometimes not.
L.
You might consider Trazodone, which I have found helps. It's an older anti-depressant with a sedative side effect, now widely used for sleep. No drug hangover, that I have noticed, just restful sleep. Need an Rx for it.
@ Pat --Yeah, I've tried that one, along with several others. I'm very wary of the prescription meds due to what they may do to my creative brain. The one that works best, but alas not continuously, is a low dose of Ambien.
It's all maddeningly random. I want Miles's perfect sleep-timer, which knocks you out for whatever time you select, and delivers you back to consciousness perfectly slept.
L.
Yes, I dream of that, too. Robyn - sorry you had a bad experience. :-(
Hah! As soon as I clicked send that occurred to me. (Maybe because my husband is watching a PBS show on LSD now and it led to a discussion of -um- our younger years.)
I'm in my late 60s and went through a longish bout of insomnia a few years ago. For some reason taking an acetaminophen or ibuprofen would help a lot, after a 20-minute lag time. I'm sure there a million individual tricks and you have tried them all. Sympathies.
As I've sometimes had difficulty in finding a comfortable sleeping position, I've wondered whether I could get used to Larry Niven's sleeping plates, between which the sleeper rests in zero gravity. But of course I don't have the opportunity to try. A water bed may be the nearest we can get to it for now, but I've never tried that either. Probably an acquired taste.
Miles wasn't impressed by the grav-bed in Komarr, but maybe it would be worth a try! Someone get inventing! (Sounds seasickness-inducing to me... maybe that contributed to Miles not liking it.)
