Sleeping tips

[juneau]

Just a quick post here asking for tips and remedies to aid sleeping as it would appear I've collected yet another chemo side effect in Insomnia. I had it around this time last year but didn't put 2 and 2 together and realised it could have been a side effect. For the most part I'm good at getting to sleep (barring last night), but I just can't seem to stay there, waking up usually 2-3 times a night with a record of 5 times.

Next week will be week 8 since it started and tbh I'm starting to feel like utter crap. So any help before I contact my trials nurses for advice? Really don't want to be put on sleeping tablets.

[baconoclock]

Sometimes altering your routine helps. Avoid caffeine 3 hours before bed, have a set time to go to bed (and stick with it), and a set time to get up. Other than that try something calming before bed possibly? I try to read about 30 minutes a night.

[juneau]

I'm 100% caffeine free and have been for a while. Tried Camomile tea as my evening drinks but they've done nothing.

I'm always getting to bed within a rough 20min timeframe but I could do with trying to make it a little earlier. I've tried reading before, but found that it was making my mind a little active. I guess I could try listening to some waves or something for 30mins before going to sleep lol.

[goldenfooler]

I'm 100% caffeine free and have been for a while. Tried Camomile tea as my evening drinks but they've done nothing.

I'm always getting to bed within a rough 20min timeframe but I could do with trying to make it a little earlier. I've tried reading before, but found that it was making my mind a little active. I guess I could try listening to some waves or something for 30mins before going to sleep lol.

remove the TV from the bedroom maybe. Have more sex with someone else and be very tired afterwards

[juneau]

remove the TV from the bedroom maybe. Have more sex with someone else and be very tired afterwards

Tbh I don't have the energy to lift a 42" TV right now. The same goes for the sex too lol.

[Apache Warrior]

I am no help. I do not have trouble going to sleep. I lay down close my eyes and I am asleep. I wake up instantly too. I go from being asleep to standing up wide awake. My wife hates me for this.
Apache

[Sirex]

Also avoid the bedroom for anything other than sleep, dont read in bed or listen to music or watch tv in the room anytime.
It takes a while to reprogram your mind but if you do activities like reading etc in bed, the mind links bed to doing stuff.

[Trooper110]

Try something like Niquil for nights when you just can't get to sleep? I know it's still a drug but it's staying away from the crazy knock you out drugs for the most part. Other than that unfortunately I usually get to sleep pretty quick unless my blood sugar is high (diabetic). Probably not related, but may chemo is doing something ot blood sugars?

[juneau]

I do have blood sugar issues (reactive hypo) but my blood sugars are fine when when I get into bed. It's definitely the chemo which in turn makes it harder to fix.

On a good note I slept through last night without a single wake up! I'm also feeling really tired right now which is a good sign as for the past 7 weeks I've not felt a single ounce of tiredness. It's like I've been on a constant caffeine trip. Fingers crossed that my sleep is now fixed again.... until next time.

I'm guessing that Niquil is like our Nytol.

[ImTheeBubbleTea]

I don't know much about sleeping, but you could try some zzzquil! Heard it works great! (Unless you are taking any hard/prescription drugs that interfere with it)

[Nilesjones]

I know what got me to sleep the other night. I downed about 50 acetaminophen, 3 Benzo's, 40 Bayer, and I'm only estimating about 35 ibuprofen because well I just kept taking hand fulls of them. Woke up about 5 hours later at the toilet puking my brains out. Then I dry heaved for another 3 hours next to the bed. I think I'm going about sleep the wrong way ROFL...

By the way, this is a serious incident. Apparently they don't make over the counter medicines powerful enough to be fatal. Even when you mix them. *sigh*

Anyway, thanks for the tips June, I'll definitely try that out. I've been sleeping on my chest as well for oxygen reasons. Sleeping on your back can cause oxygen issues which makes you sleep longer than you should be. Since I've been sleeping on my front side, I've woken up more refreshed.

[Qicmee]

Niles - It's good that you lost your cookies. Otherwise, you might have been bleeding out your ears.

For acetaminophen the toxic adult dose is about twenty 500-mg tablets.

[Nilesjones]

Niles - It's good that you lost your cookies. Otherwise, you might have been bleeding out your ears.

For acetaminophen the toxic adult dose is about twenty 500-mg tablets.

I'm honestly surprised I survived it. Knowing my luck, I would probably survive a gunshot to the head. lol

[juneau]

I don't know much about sleeping, but you could try some zzzquil! Heard it works great! (Unless you are taking any hard/prescription drugs that interfere with it)

A lot of things interfere with my Dasatinib sadly lol.

I woke up once last night. It's better than 5 times but I'm still not "fixed".

[paceman]

Avoid "night caps". It's an old wives tail that a drink before helps you sleep. While it can help you get to sleep, it interferes with staying a sleep and sleeping deeply.