why can't I sleep?? help needed!

Emerald Lass

Hi all,
its 6 am and I am still awake. not even feeling tired. I have a few things on my mind, but usually even when I am stressed and worried i sleep a bit. i haven't been to bed at all, and don't really feel tired. By tomorrow of course Iwill feel like I hit a brick wall.

I get this sometimes since I got CFS - I'm either dog tired for 23 of 24 hours of the day or can't sleep at all.

I know disrupted sleep patterns are part of CFS for some people, but dies anyone know what causes it? and any solutions to help it? I just want to get back to a normal sleeping pattern (of 15 hrs a day! lol) but at the moment despite being bone weary I can't sleep at all. The best I am getting is a nap of sorts, resting my eyes really - I am still aware of what is going on around me, and don't 'wake' up feeling refreshed or any better afterwards. Its driving me doolally, and I know that if it continues it is only going to provoke a CFS crash.

Like I said I do have a few things on my mind, but not so serious that they would normally give me sleepless nights (i'm not a really panicky stressy person - maybe one sleepless night the odd time but this is nearly 2 weeks now and i haven't slept one straight night through, and when I do sleep its only for a couple of hours, or its not quality sleep).

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Hivemind187

As far as recall (and its been a while since I studied the biology of it) but sleep and wakefulness are based on specific chemical combinations in the brain. Chances are your CFS is interfering with one or more of these chemicals during a flare up (likely due to metabolic reasons).

Other than speaking to your doctor (which you should certainly do) the best advice is to eliminate all caffiene from your diet, reduce any heavy sugar foods that you would be eating, dont eat after about 6pm, try to be active for most of the day but when you get in try to sit and do nothing for a while - literally bore your brain into sleeping.

Sleep is a very poorly understood area due to the difficulty of research with unconscious subjects though modern technology is making strides at the moment. The trouble with insomnia is that it is even less well understood as is rarely down to one specific factor - the anxiety caused by lack of sleep alone can prevent one from getting a decent nights kip!

Perhaps your doctor can perscribe a tranquilizer or anti-anxiety drug to help you sleep. Its worth mentioning it anyway.

Emerald Lass

Hi there - thanks for the reply. with it being the holiday season I think I will wait til next week to see the doc. I am off work so at least I don't have to work after staying up all night.
Not too keen on the tranquilisers thing though - but if it continues I might just have to give it a go. The last few days have been eating my evening meal around 6 or so, and then don't eat anythig else after that. BEfore bed I have a milky hot choc or just warm milk. Have also been going for a walk after dinner to tire me out, then coming home and just vegging. I ca usually manage to fall asleep for a few hours now, but its still max of only about 3 hours or so, then I wake up, still feel exhausted, eyes feel gritty, but I just cant get back to sleep. If I do sleep I dream a lot, and its not a deep sleep.

Visiting the doc next week. If he gives me any good answers I'll pass them on!

thanks for the reply

Splendour

Emerald Lass wrote: »

Hi there - thanks for the reply. with it being the holiday season I think I will wait til next week to see the doc. I am off work so at least I don't have to work after staying up all night.
Not too keen on the tranquilisers thing though - but if it continues I might just have to give it a go. The last few days have been eating my evening meal around 6 or so, and then don't eat anythig else after that. BEfore bed I have a milky hot choc or just warm milk. Have also been going for a walk after dinner to tire me out, then coming home and just vegging. I ca usually manage to fall asleep for a few hours now, but its still max of only about 3 hours or so, then I wake up, still feel exhausted, eyes feel gritty, but I just cant get back to sleep. If I do sleep I dream a lot, and its not a deep sleep.

Visiting the doc next week. If he gives me any good answers I'll pass them on!

thanks for the reply

Try have an egg or some other protein just before you go to bed.
Most of us don't have problems falling asleep but we wake up ater afew hours. Our bodies need protein every couple of hours hence the waking up.
Also go to bed preferably at 10 p.m. or 10.30 at the very latest.

kangaroo

Sleep problems are very common in CFS or ME.
CFS organisations would have information that might be of help to you.