Sleep problems again. Not getting sleep even though I really need it. Scared.

[NoraB]

Plus, my job has me working 2 pm to 11 pm 4 days of the week, then 1 random 7 am shift. It's hard to change gears like that.

Shift work plays havoc with your circadian rhythm. I worked noons like you (and with the occasional early morning on a Saturday) but this kind of stable shift pattern is the better option RE sleep so that's one good thing..

That said, I want to believe I was sleeping during those lapses in time. It just didn't feel like I was sleeping but I don't recall being awake either if that makes sense. If I was awake for those periods of time, I probably would have known it. Also, I feel fine so far today. I just have some light pressure in my head, eyes don't burn but they always have this weird feeling around them.

You were sleeping...

I don't usually advocate Googling to HAers so I've done it for you (because my HA is under control) and typing in 'Feeling spaced out on Benadryl' shows that loads of people are reporting this so I suggest that your 'spaced out' sensation is more to do with the medication than anything else?

[Seaster]

Yeah, that would make sense as to why I don't recall much or feel like I was sleeping. Just out of it really.

As far as last night goes, I went to bed around 10:45 am. I made an effort not to check time last night or at least not as much. I remember being up for a while as it usually takes me a while to get going. I was still up around 12:30 am when using bathroom but I remember getting up at 3 am, then 4:30 am. I took some ZZZquil around that time and aside from laying in bed for a while, that's all I remember. When I did get up for the day, it was 8:45 am. My eyelids were a little bit sticky as I was opening them. I assume that's a good sign I was sleeping. ("sleep" in the eyes usually forms during sleep from what I remember reading on it.)

Not sure how to feel but I think I did okay last night. I had my phone in Airplane Mode and in night mode as well. One thing that does bother me is not knowing for sure where the sleep I am getting is. I'm going to assume not recalling anything between 4:30 and 8:45 aside from laying in bed for a little bit is a positive sign.

[NoraB]

One thing that does bother me is not knowing for sure where the sleep I am getting is. I'm going to assume not recalling anything between 4:30 and 8:45 aside from laying in bed for a little bit is a positive sign.

It really doesn't matter. You are sleeping and you feel OK.

Maggie Thatcher ruled this country on about 4 hours sleep!

You're fine. Stop focusing on it. It's not the issue you think it is...

[Seaster]

It really doesn't matter. You are sleeping and you feel OK.

Maggie Thatcher ruled this country on about 4 hours sleep!

You're fine. Stop focusing on it. It's not the issue you think it is...

Other than pressure like feeling in my head which gives the illusion i'm unsteady when up and walking at times. I'm not sure why I have had that the past few days but my alertness is fine.

My fear stems from an episode of insomnia years ago where I went all night without sleep and did not feel bad at all the following day. I remember the night very well because I was tossing and turning all night long. Regardless of if it is irrational or not, it makes me feel like I might not feel effects of no sleep until way later than the normal person. Even at night when it's time for bed, I never really truly feel sleepy.

I'm guessing that's normal though. There's just so much I don't know but I'll try to let it go. It's not easy for me because I get anxiety real easy when it comes to health related issues.

[NoraB]

My fear stems from an episode of insomnia years ago where I went all night without sleep and did not feel bad at all the following day. I remember the night very well because I was tossing and turning all night long. Regardless of if it is irrational or not, it makes me feel like I might not feel effects of no sleep until way later than the normal person. Even at night when it's time for bed, I never really truly feel sleepy.

With my own experiences of believing I had no sleep when a sleep test proved that I did, I respectfully suggest that you didn't go all night without dozing off. You remember tossing and turning but that doesn't mean you didn't sleep. The mind can play all kinds of tricks on us but it's my experience that when people say that they didn't 'get a wink of sleep' - generally, they did.

If you don't feel sleepy before bed, maybe you haven't discharged enough energy throughout the day?

I'd be looking at your lifestyle and in fine detail..

Do you exercise? If so, when?

Do you get any fresh air?

Do you smoke or drink?

Do you drink coffee, soda drinks or eat chocolate and if you do, when is the last time of the day where you consume it? A lot of people only think about coffee with caffeine but caffeine is in lots of other drinks and food, and it's also in decaffeinated drinks!

What are you doing in those hours before you're trying to go to sleep? Are you using social media? Watching stimulating videos? Gaming?

The Benadryl is undoubtedly responsible for some of those sensations and I remember this from when my hayfever was bad and I had to take antihistamine medication.

Is you bedroom colder (or hotter) than about 19 degrees?

Do your curtains block the light?

Do you live in a noisy area?

All these things have a direct effect on sleep..

Some people struggle to go off to sleep whereas others go to sleep quite quickly, then keep waking up (that's me)

It's not easy for me because I get anxiety real easy when it comes to health related issues.

It's not easy for anybody who has anxiety. It hasn't been easy for me either..

Re your health anxiety.. what are you doing to address that?

[Cptdebbie]

I’ve struggled with insomnia from time to time. It sucks!!!

The thing that helped me most was going to a sleep therapist. I had no idea there was such a thing. My cpap doctor told me about her. She was awesome and helped me a lot.

I still have bad nights from time to time, but it doesn’t happen often. You might want to see if you have a sleep therapist in your area. Mine provided help specific to my needs and issues. Again, she was awesome. 👍

[Seaster]

So the last few nights have been a mixed bag but it did show me something. Friday night, I was asleep for two different periods of time that night and I knew I was sleeping based on things like how I felt, strong urge to use bathroom, and lifting head off bed like I had been dozing off. Last night? Not so great but it was mostly because my stomach decided it was going to be upset and that left me making trips to the bathroom.

I don't really know how much I slept last night, if at all, but anywhere after 5 am is where I'll say I slept. I don't remember much past that time. I just remember it being 9:30 and maybe being in/out of sleep between 5:30 and 9:30. I haven't felt sleepy today but then again, I've had a decent amount of caffeine this morning (just felt like drinking some soda). So it's hard to say if the caffeine could really mask how I SHOULD REALLY be feeling right now. I was not sleepy upon being aware of seeing the time in the morning so I got up.

I guess I'm learning to just not worry about it. It's all in my head about the not sleeping at all thing. And even if i'm not sleeping a ton during the night, so what? Normal for me is 6 hours anyways. My body will let me know when it's time to sleep. Hopefully I'm right on that? I mean, I was always told you'll sleep when you really need to. I'm not trying to stay awake or anything so I can't imagine my body wouldn't want to sleep when I'm in bed at night.

[Seaster]

With my own experiences of believing I had no sleep when a sleep test proved that I did, I respectfully suggest that you didn't go all night without dozing off. You remember tossing and turning but that doesn't mean you didn't sleep. The mind can play all kinds of tricks on us but it's my experience that when people say that they didn't 'get a wink of sleep' - generally, they did.

If you don't feel sleepy before bed, maybe you haven't discharged enough energy throughout the day?

I'd be looking at your lifestyle and in fine detail..

Do you exercise? If so, when?

Do you get any fresh air?

Do you smoke or drink?

Do you drink coffee, soda drinks or eat chocolate and if you do, when is the last time of the day where you consume it? A lot of people only think about coffee with caffeine but caffeine is in lots of other drinks and food, and it's also in decaffeinated drinks!

What are you doing in those hours before you're trying to go to sleep? Are you using social media? Watching stimulating videos? Gaming?

The Benadryl is undoubtedly responsible for some of those sensations and I remember this from when my hayfever was bad and I had to take antihistamine medication.

Is you bedroom colder (or hotter) than about 19 degrees?

Do your curtains block the light?

Do you live in a noisy area?

All these things have a direct effect on sleep..

Some people struggle to go off to sleep whereas others go to sleep quite quickly, then keep waking up (that's me)



It's not easy for anybody who has anxiety. It hasn't been easy for me either..

Re your health anxiety.. what are you doing to address that?

I pretty much exercise before bed in a way on work nights because I work a physical job and come home around after midnight. Normally, I would wind down and go to bed. This had always worked for me but when insomnia strikes, it doesn't. I used to be on my laptop or watch tv, drink a soda and be fine. It'd never be a problem for me. It's just strange that it's a problem at random.

As for your questions, none of those things are a reason. I do have curtains to block light. I don't smoke/drink. I cut out caffeine by 2 pm, etc. I

I slept better Friday night doing nothing different than any night this week and I KNEW I slept. This was despite coming home late but still got to sleep in just over an hour. Last night was different. I struggled for at least 5 hours. There was one point where I might have been out because an hour and a half passed and I had eye gunk in my eyes when getting up in middle of night. Wasn't there before I went to bed.

I had stomach cramps at the worst time and so after relieving that to restroom after 5 am, I don't recall much until getting up out of bed around 9 am. I PROBABLY was in/out of sleep during that time but i'm uncertain. All I have to go on is feeling fine during day. Though I decided to enjoy trying new sodas today so had a couple more sodas in morning than I normally would. I did not drink them because I needed them however.

I'm going to assume the same routine of Benedryls before bed and if i'm somehow still up around 4-5 am, I'll take zzzquil to knock me out. That usually works most nights for me. As for my anxiety, it's been less of an issue as of late because of the good night that I had Friday. I think that if I can know I am sleeping, that goes a long way in reassuring that I can and will get sleep at night. After all, my biggest worry is going multiple days without sleep and perhaps things like caffeine, eating meals, etc keep me awake during day so I don't know how tired I should really be. (idk how that works. I'm assuming if someone was that sleep deprived, they'd be tired no matter what?)

[NoraB]

I pretty much exercise before bed in a way on work nights because I work a physical job and come home around after midnight. Normally, I would wind down and go to bed. This had always worked for me but when insomnia strikes, it doesn't. I used to be on my laptop or watch tv, drink a soda and be fine. It'd never be a problem for me. It's just strange that it's a problem at random.

Two MASSIVE problems right here!

Exercising before bed - especially cardiovascular - will energise you (releasing adrenalin) and that's the last thing you need to be doing before sleep. Some light stretching would be a better choice..

When I was younger, I got away with lots of bad habits before bed but the body will let you know what it needs and right now it doesn't need these things because you're 'too wired'.

Exercise, soda (with or without caffeine - has sugar or other chemicals in it) and of course there's the melatonin disruptive blue lights from the TV and computer screen, and you'll no doubt be checking your phone too? If you do these things without an issue - fine - but you say you're struggling to sleep?

As for your questions, none of those things are a reason. I do have curtains to block light. I don't smoke/drink. I cut out caffeine by 2 pm, etc.

Is that ALL caffeine? What's in that soda you drink at night? Doesn't just have to be cola to contain caffeine. Do you eat chocolate? Lots of stimulants in these, plus sugar in itself is a stimulant..

A better option at night would be a turkey sandwich and a milky drink as both contain Tryptophan - an amino acid which stimulates melatonin and serotonin production.

Your body is a machine Seaster. Put the right fuel in and it works like a dream. (pardon the pun)

[QUOUTE] I struggled for at least 5 hours. There was one point where I might have been out because an hour and a half passed and I had eye gunk in my eyes when getting up in middle of night. Wasn't there before I went to bed.[/QUOTE]

I had a bad night last night. And the night before that, and the night before that. I know there has to be a reason and I've traced it to me lapsing with gluten..

[/QUOTE]I had stomach cramps at the worst time and so after relieving that to restroom after 5 am, I don't recall much until getting up out of bed around 9 am. I PROBABLY was in/out of sleep during that time but i'm uncertain.[/QUOTE]

If you were to record yourself, you'd be surprised. People tend to exaggerate about not sleeping and I've done this myself - and because it feels like I haven't slept, and then I did a sleep test lol

I'm going to assume the same routine of Benedryls before bed and if i'm somehow still up around 4-5 am, I'll take zzzquil to knock me out. That usually works most nights for me.

You need to be less reliant on the Benadryl as people can become dependant on it - albeit psychologically. You need to allow your brain to do what it's meant to do or it gets lazy..

Also, if you've been talking it long enough, and stop, that in itself can cause insomnia..

After all, my biggest worry is going multiple days without sleep and perhaps things like caffeine, eating meals, etc keep me awake during day so I don't know how tired I should really be. (idk how that works. I'm assuming if someone was that sleep deprived, they'd be tired no matter what?)

I think that you will see a big improvements in your sleep if you make some adjustments here and there. Be mindful of what you do in the hours before sleep. Lose the Benadryl unless you have to take it for allergies, and accept that you are sleeping. That's obvious to me. But I would say that you're not getting as much restful sleep that you should be, and that's where those tweaks will come in, right?

If you've been Googling and seen the fatal sleep disorder - forget it. That's so incredibly rare that the prevalence isn't even known!

The other way you can possibly die isn't from insomnia itself but from being too tired to drive - as in accidents. In which case, people don't die from insomnia; they die from an error of judgement by driving when they shouldn't have, you get me?

From what I can see, your biggest issue here (aside some unhelpful things you're doing leading up to sleep) is the irrational thought that you will not be able to sleep at all, and you'll die?

Not going to happen.

What I can see is that you are clearly sleeping more than you think and that your body isn't even showing significant signs of sleep deprivation. Every parent will tell you what sleep deprivation feels like and that's why you see new parents wandering around looking like zombies, and they don't die do they?

[Seaster]

So, I slept better last night but I want to say something in regards to the working thing. I work till midnight and my work is a physical job. So when I come home, I can be worked up but what's the solution there? I guess I could choose to stay up for a bit to wind down but that's just cutting down the amount of time I have to sleep at night. There are things during the day that could wake me if I am trying to sleep in to account for more sleep.

And I USED TO drink soda, etc before bedtime. I don't do that anymore. I don't watch TV before bed, I use night mode on my laptop and phone if I truly must use them in the hours before bed. Night mode eliminates the blue light.

I did sleep better last night and even fell asleep fairly early on in the night. I was out for a good 4 hours, woke up to pee, then proceeded to sleep at least 3 more hours.

The problem was the night before last night (Saturday night.) I got home from work shortly after midnight and like I said, my job is a physical job and I walk A LOT. I chose to come home, shower, go to bed. My only other option would be to stay up a bit and then go to bed but it's already late as it is. So this presents an issue for me on how to approach it. I felt winded/tired from work to the point where I felt it was keeping me from sleeping I feel. I obviously need time to wind down but I mean we could be talking 1-2 hours later. Going to bed at like 1:30 am or 2 am could work but if I don't fall asleep in a timely manner, it could be tough to sleep in because I have to be up to do things during the day.