It’s 414 am , I’ve been awake for 22 hrs . If I wanted to stay awake for some strange reason ide find this impossible, my gp prescribes me zopliclone very sparingly about 14 every 4/5 months, which I find a bit daft given all the meds I take and only if I really have to I took a clonazepam what my dbs specialist prescribed to no effect. My balance is all over the place and im off when i should be on and on , on average 1 out three hours?, have to wait to see my dbs specialist hopefully next week when she’s back in work… this Sleep problem has been with me for around 5 out of the 7 yrs I’ve had pd , im 55 yrs old… it’s getting my down . Apologies to sound like a miserable so and so… any advice anyone please. Mike.
I had to give up all caffeine for medical reasons. I was astounded by the effect on my sleep. I was only supposed to avoid caffeine for 6 weeks, but the benefits are so great I’ll never go back.
If you have caffinated tea, coffee, cola etc it might be worth trying to abstain completely for a couple of months.
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Mirtazapine and melatonin worked for me.
Hi smudged.s
Like you I find it hard to sleep all night, it’s 1am and as usual I awake and drinking tea down stairs. I find it very hard to stay in bed when I am awake I end up shaking by self to bits and have to get up so as not to disturb her, she is quite unwell her self. She had a stroke 8 years ago and is quite disabled at the best of times. I am having very vivid dreams at the moment which does not help.
The only way I deal with it is by getting up have a drink look at my iPad newspaper when I get over tired I go back to bed and drift of to sleep usually for 3 to 4 hours.
The only way I can do this most nights is by catching up on sleep through the day. Nots like I have to go to work the next day.
PS as for the the miserable old sound so sorry but that’s a downside to this wonderful PD. Chin up and sober on.
Best wishes Davesan
thanks for the advice lemon ,i have 4 strong coffees perday a 1 tea on average, ill have to switch to decafe
snowy itake meletonin , but that doesnt seem to affect me ive tried mirtazapine , that helped but started to wear off , i upped the dose then got advised to stop . all the best, Thankyou
Davesan, that what i do ,i try to stay awake untill 11pm , then i go off to sleep but am wide awake an hour later…yes your right chin up and do our best… its still a pain though . onwards and upwards :
I’d suggest cutting out the caffeine. I drink a max of 2 cups of tea per day and not after 130pm.
Other things you can try: camomile tea (& valerian) before bed, magnesium glycinate. I also have a Mindfulness meditation app.
Thankyou snowy,ive done or am doing all them things, ill find a way .
Hi Mike,
I’m really sorry to hear about your struggles with sleep—it sounds incredibly draining, both physically and mentally. Sleep issues can really take a toll, especially when they’ve been ongoing for so long. You’re not alone in feeling frustrated, and there’s no need to apologize for sharing how you feel. It’s important to talk about these things.
I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had my own battles with sleep disturbances, and one thing that’s helped me is magnesium glycinate. It’s a natural supplement often used for promoting relaxation and improving sleep quality. Unlike other forms of magnesium, glycinate is gentle on the stomach and has calming properties that might complement your current treatment plan.
It’s worth discussing with your DBS specialist or GP to ensure it’s safe alongside your other medications. Sometimes even small changes like adding a natural supplement or adjusting routines can help, though I know PD adds an extra layer of complexity.
I hope your appointment next week brings some clarity and solutions. Sending you strength and hope—sleep deprivation is a tough fight, but you’re doing the best you can. Take care of yourself, Mike.
Best wishes,
I used to sleep soundly whilst taking Clonazepam, 7 or 8 hours a night.
Be careful if you are prescribed this though, my consultant took me off it which was very hard to do, and since coming off it i have had the odd hour of sleep during the night but thats all. I tried melatonin but i was not suited to it.
So, just be careful if you are prescribed Clonazepam, make sure to ask how long you can take it for because coming off it is horrendous