Sleep problems

Janine, hi, I have been told to step up my exercise regime ( well actually I dont have one as yet)My sleeping habits are terrible I was asleep yesterday afternoon at 4pm until 5pm (just can't keep awake) then off to bed at about 10pm only to be wide awake between 3am amd 5am or sometimes as early as midnight.I am reluctant to take any more drugs as I take enough now so any help would be appreciated.I am going to try and walk on my treadmill today, albeit slowly.Apparently, my physio says that dancing can help too
morning sugarpud.
i think my probelm is that ive had 3weeks off work ill and ive got into a habit of doing nothing but sleeping at the wrong times ,may be when i go to work on weds thing will change and i will get back into my routine.also im like you very reluntant for more pills i take enough.i used to take strong painkillers to get me to sleep but thats not the answer i know.
i take the dog out 2 walks a day nd enjoy it and i must startin useig my pass for the timeshare down the road,for swim and jauzzi.i used to have a crosstrainer but only could last a minute.sold it on ebay.

have a good day and take it easy on the treadmill,dont want any accidents!!!
Hi all, I used to have really bad sleep problems but I now take a Natrasleep tablet at bedtime with a warm drink. it seems to do the trick. Also if I find that my brain is going over things constantly I take a Natracalm which also helps. I now sleep pretty well.Both products are readily available over the counter as they are herbal.

Hope this helps somebody.

regards
Glenchass
Glenchass; quick question. Do these products affect you in the mornings, ie do they leave you drowsy, and do they react with Ropinirole?
Hi again, Janine,

Amitriptyline is a prescription drug which has been around for many years and is most commonly used to treat depression. In recent years, it has also been prescribed, usually in relatively low doses, to treat nerve pain along with painkillers. A common side-effect is sleepiness. In fact, when I first started taking it at night, I would feel sleepy till nearly lunchtime. After several weeks, it no longer affected me in the mornings and I've been on 10mg at night for about two years. I went from waking up at least a dozen times a night to just two or three times.

Hope this info is helpful.
Natrasleep & Natracalm, eh?

Do you get them from the pharmacy?
i thought i go into town today and while i was there i would nip into boots to see if there could recommend anything to help with sleep.went through all the herbal remedys and came across a product called sominex herbal.(passion flower,hops,valerian) asked if this was okay with pd drugs i was taking and told yes it was fine.
tonight i will try and see if my money was well spent!let you know tomorrow how i get on.:smile::smile:
I rememberd hearing or reading some time ago a Dr advising that your bedroom should be a room for sleeping, not a cinema, a library, a disco, a cafe or an office. I duly removed TV, Hi-Fi, biscuit tins & computer. Result? Awake & bored all night.
Janine - I would be interested to know how the valarian compound worked
Hi Ab
gosh,the valarian compound i did invest in some but were not very helpful im afraid,if i rightly remember i was still waking up all hours and getting to the point of worn out permanentley.
so gp here i went, and persuaded her to give me a non-additive sleeping tablet called zopiclone 7.5mg it was only to be short term but when i saw pd nurse which ive not got one now ,i asked until my pd gets some sort of pattern where i can cope with on a daily basis,the zopiclone went on to repeat prescription.i hope im a little helpful in your request.
Hi Janine and AB

That is what my o/h takes. It knocks him out for 4 hours and he wouldn't be without it.
Hi jc
does o/h take every night or occasionally?
Hi Boba just read your post on sleep problems, I too suffer badly from lack of sleep and like you Im on ropinirole XL and Propanarol I was averaging about 3/4 hours sleep (and that was me up and down all night) I tied Nytol and Boots own make Sleepeze which did help for a while and then my Neurologist suggested Clonazepam which have worked brilliantly (apart from the odd night) I am going into a deeper sleep and sometimes averaging 5/6 hours. Maybe you could ask your Dr about Clonazepam, I hope this info helps you.
Jan xx
Hi Janine. Sorry too cold to get onto PC last night. Yes o/h takes them every night
he gets about 4 hours sleep and there is no hangover effect.
Chewexpert

Do you have details of the improvement plan? I can't remember the last time I had more than 3 hours at a time. I hate it. I feel I am the only person aawake.It's dreadful. Got a 6' x6' bed and at least I don't wake my o/h when I get in and out of bed. I feel sick just thinking that the night is coming nearer. I feel so frightened.

Imogen
Hello Boba and all with sleep difficulties - it is 3.10am and I have come downstairs to google "sleep problems and parkinsons" - i found that almost every medical website in the world can tell me that 50 -70 % of PD'ers have problems sleeping and it is due to symptoms or medication - but not one site could give me a solution other than see your GP.
I thought I would have a look at the Forum for any tips - and they are much better than the internet can offer !
Since i am at the begining of the search (having not realised that my sleep issues could be caused by the PD until now) I am very sorry that i cannot offer any help and selfishly wanted to hear any updates or tips. As a working mother of boys aged 10 and 12 getting 2 -3 hours of sleep 2 - 3 days a week is not ideal.
.
I'm lucky in that I have no kids here, and have retired, so my sleep "problem" isn't really a genuine problem at all. I tend to sleep in chunk of 1.5 to 2 hours at a time, round the clock. So I get my 8 hours a day, but in random bits. It suits me fine, though.

I find the biggest preventer of sleep is stress, and the worst of all is stress caused by the perceived lack of sleep! You MUST empty the frontal, thinking part of your mind, and let gentle darkness encompass you. If you CAN'T get the stressy thoughts out of your head, force some PLEASANT thoughts into your mind, and let them slowly take over, gradually pushing the worries away.

Use any pleasant thoughts which work for you, as long as they're restful and calming. The sound of the ocean lapping, perhaps, or a piece of music by Vaughan Williams. Maybe a gentle breeze, or a baby kitten.

Off you go now. Zzzzzzzz.....

.
Hi Lexi,
Just read about your sleeping difficulties and remembered making a similar appeal for help and information at end of last year. My post was early Nov.
I got some very helpful advice , more about what to do on a practical level.
If you can find the thread , its some way back , in 'Daily Life ', and entitled 'Sleeping arrangements ', do I need to change my mattress or drug regime?
I was having mobility and stiffness problems , and the advice given to me has really made a difference.
I don't go to bed now until really tired , which is usually early hours of the morning. I probably now only actually lie down for about 5-6 hrs, most of that time asleep , I think!
I realised the mattress was maybe too firm , and as one person advised , I often put a folded quilt just under the sheet , which makes the surface feel more cosy and just a bit softer.
I now , can get out of bed easily , which is wonderful. Bonus to staying up later , i've read more, watched films on my own which other sleeping members of my family didn't want to see, played games on this site , alongside others in similar boat to me , and most of all have learned to accept that this is probably the right amount of sleep for me !
Hope you soon find some answers , and sleep well again !
Lexi - i also manage about 2 hours sleep about 2/3 times/week. The thought of doing that when my boys were young is horrifying. My GP is loathe to prescribe anything - no douubt he has his reasons. Lke Lorna I go to bed only when I feel sleep coming on. One thing I have found to help me nod off is listening to an audio book - Richard Burton's Under Milkwood sometimes does the trick. Have you tried any of the over the counter sleep aids based on valerian? They are supposed to be good, but please check with your GP/nurse/pharmasist first
Hello Boba & Lexi,

I had trouble sleeping, and found it was sleep apnea. I now have a cpap machine, which gives me oxygen while sleeping. It has helped tremendously. But, like Ray O', I think being able to calm the mind works wonders too. You might want to pick up a book on meditation, and try that. Some books can really teach you how to get into it, and since its not medication, you don't have to wait for a doctors approval to try it! Hope all our suggestions can help you all.....

busy day ahead here.....teaching granddaughter to sew......hope everyone is having one of their better days today....:smile:
thank you so much everybody for your kind thoughts and advice - I will try to empty my mind which if you could have seen me yesterday would not have been hard to imagine. I was all over the place - could not hold a conversation for longer than a few minutes without forgetting what it was about,trying to find even a simple word to describe something was so hard and could not get my childrens names right!Anyway its 9.50 and since I only got 2 hours sleep last night I am going to get ready for bed. Nite nite.