Please Help - Edna,TX

I hear you! The only thing I that helps me (and drives me nuts) is to not have anything fattening in the house. Esp. chocolate. That is what I usually crave.

Melatonin is good. Also, someone suggested avoiding caffeine after 6 p.m. If you're caffeine intolerant, then you should not drink caffeine after noon. It affects me. Even one Coke will keep me up all night.

You may need an anti-depressant which will help you sleep though the night. They take awhile to work, but do consult your doctor. You need professional help. It'll be a very slow process. So, don't expect anything to work overnight. Anti-depressants can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks to start working. But, don't give up. Continue with your treatment if that's what you need.

You may have other issues. They will want to do blood work first to make sure that there's nothing wrong with any obvious interal organs or diseases.

Klonopin helps people with anxiety and helps you sleep through the night. You may want to talk to your doctor about that too.

Best Wishes to you!

HI J.
Have you considered professional help. I also have bouts with ensominia and it is miserable. I am sure you have tried all the normal suggestions like herbal teas, etc- but if this has gone on for this long I would suggest professional help from your dr.......
good luck and blessings

J.,
I don't know if your at the age that you might need hormones or if you've possibly had a hysterectomy? But If so it could be that. I did the same thing for years! Finally I discussed this with my doctor & he told me I needed to get on hormone pills. (I had a hysterectomy when I was 22) He said lack of proper hormones will do many things to you, & lack of sleep & waking up eating was one of the symptons. Once I got my hormone level straighted out, I stopped doing that.Then again like the other readers stated it could be anxiety (or depression) Good Luck in finding the cause & the solution. I know how miserable you feel.

Been there, too. It lasted a year for me. I went to a doctor and had all of my hormones checked. I was 35 and menopausal....all hormones way lower than they should be, thyroid out of whack, etc. A little progesterone and some melatonin got me sleeping again and lifted my depression/anxiety and all the other issues I was having. I went to a doctor who worked w/ bioidentical hormones. I now see a naturopath and prefer that holistic method of treatment. Let me know if you want more info. I could fill a whole book, but won't do that here!

Make an appointment to see your doctor ASAP. Have your hormones and thyroid checked, and make sure you don't have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Also, check for diabetes.

All of those are common problems that contribute to women not sleeping well.

Lack of sleep can make you absolutely miserable and it becomes a vicious cycle. Be open and honest with your doctor, and if you don't have one you like, find one!

Best wishes from a fellow poor-sleeper!

your sleeping problems are beyond mommasource. you need a doctor. try a sleep clinic. also exercising durring the day can wear you out. stress causes sleep walking in some cases.

hi J., if you can message me your diet i can help you to find the right things to eat.

R.

J., I think I can help you. I am a Nikken Wellness Consultant, and what we are all about is balance, and total wellness. We recognize restful sleep as part of our vision for total wellness, and offer an all-natural sleep system that utilizes magnetic and far-infrared technology. It's amazing how quickly I was able to go to sleep, and how well I slept all night when I first got mine. I used to wake several times a night, but with my sleep system, I slept soundly all night, and woke up refreshed. After a while, I didn't need as much sleep as I used to, because I was resting so well at night.

Please visit my website at www.nikken.com/brendaramsey and click on the videos that describe the sleep sytem. Feel free to contact me through this forum if you have any questions.

I'm the same way. I have bought Tylenol Night Time and started taking that when I remember too. As long as I take it by 9pm, I will usually sleep through the night. If I forget to take it by 9pm, I'm up all night. If I take it later than 9pm I end up oversleeping the next day. I've actually gained so much weight that I can get gastric bypass now. It's pretty bad. I don't like sleeping pills because they are habit forming, where as the Tylenol is not. Once you get your sleep pattern down again, the depression will probably fad out. If it doesn't, I high suggest you see your dr, and start taking something that will help you.

Hi J.,
I went through a terrible phase of not sleeping through the night, I later developed a lot of other issues as well. Turns out my problems stemmed from food sensitivities. Once I found out what the problem foods were and eliminated them from my diet all of my issues resolved themselves, including my sleeplessness. Now I have no trouble sleeping, unless I cheat and eat something I shouldn't, especially sugar or gluten!
I have put a lot of info about food sensitivities on my blog
www.eatingwellbeingwell.net
It's something to think about,
A. :~D

Could be your thyroid. I have the same problem. Go to the drugstore and get a bottle of melatonin. It comes in a purple bottle you get it near the vitamins. Take 2 30minutes before bed. It will work. If this doesn't then go see your doctor and ask for Ambien. Maybe it is anxiety you may need Lorazipam to relax you. Either way I've been dealing with this and this was my course of action. Now I'm on Ambien and sleep like a baby. But check your thyroid. It can really drain you!!!

Tell your Dr. he can give you something to help the depression, been there and it works. It will also help with the sleep.

Poor thing! As for the eating, go through your house and throw out EVERYTHING! Then cut up some carrots and celery and put them in baggies in the fridge. When you get up and want snacks and that's all there is, you won't want to keep getting up! As for the sleeping, I can't give much advice, other then I take Unisom pretty regularly. Melatonin gives me nightmares, so I can't take that. I do have a ritual that helps me. After I eat dinner and take a unisom, I watch a totally relaxing rerun (it has to be a rerun so I don't find myself too involved) and then I take a shower. I then read or have my husband read aloud a totally non-intense book like a romance and it helps me relax enough to sleep. It sounds like you are not having trouble falling asleep though so much as staying asleep. Keep a pen and pad beside your bed for those thoughts that keep running through your head and buy a book light and try to not let yourself get out of bed. The truth is, sleep can be really illusive for a lot of people and there aren't any really good answers except medication. Even exercise and meditation only do so much. I think there is a chemical imbalance that we just don't have all the answers to yet. Good luck.

Dear J....I empathize! I recently went through the same nightmare. I was extremely fatigued, depressed and not sleeping. Unfortunately, I took my doctor's advice and checked into a mental hospital which only made things a whole lot worse. Plus they got me hooked on Ambion and gave me antidepressants which made me feel more sick. My life was a nightmare. I knew it was my hormones but no one would listen to me and the MDs only wanted to give me a quick fix. I decided to try acupuncture and holistic rememdies and am now better. It took me forever to wean myself off Ambion. It does knock you out but then only for about 5 hours. Once you've taken it for a while you can't just stop it as it will keep you from falling asleep. I started taking 5HTP and melatonin. Nyquil also is a good sleep aid especially if you have allergies. Until you fix your sleep you'll be depressed and fatigued. A body can only handle so much! Feel free to contact me if you need to talk. And hang in there!

Try melatonin, to help you go through all the stages of sleep so you can awake feeling rested and refreshed. After about 5 hours, I am wide awake and feeling so rested! Melatonin is a natural hormone in your body, and sometimes it needs a little boost.

I advise you to see your family doctor or ob/gyn. I had anxiety issues that kept me from sleeping as well and eating seemed to be something I did without being aware of at times. (I once ate a 3 doughnuts and couldn't remember doing so). My gynocologist diagnosed me with post-pardum depression and I have been on a mild treatment for over a year. I have found that it has helped, but talking about my issues and doing a lot of research has helped me and my husband in dealing with this issue. It affected us as a couple, but his support and my treatment has made a huge difference in how I feel.
Depression comes in many forms. I do not have the crying or out of control feelings, but anxiety does fall under one of the many symptoms or faces of depression.

I believe I can help you if you want to respond to this and give me permission.

J.! Omg! I have the same issue.. What works for me is to do exercises.. Especially yoga. For me, i practice yoga everyday for at least 30 minutes. After my shower and once my body is relaxed i'm out like a light.

I've also tried using a lavender scent in my bedroom to help me sleep. Anything from candles to body sprays. At bath and body works - they have this lavender scent spray that you spray lightly on your bed sheets and pillows. It works for me every night.

*hope you find something that works for you - nothing is worse than staying up and eating.

Good luck

Hi J.,

I can sympathize. I also have not slept through the night in many years. I average 3 hours a night. Although I don't eat when I get up, I am starving. My doctor told me I am depressed! No meds yet, but that's coming. He did put me on Lunesta for sleep, which I love because I fall asleep easily, can stay asleep, but will wake up if needed and am not groggy or "druggy" the next morning. They seem to work for exactly 6 hours, then wear off immediately. He also said that there is SOMETHING that's bothering me and I need to figure out what it is. So, I suggest seeing a doctor. Explain that you're not sleeping and also see if you can pinpoint something (or things) that's not right in your life. Interrupted sleep is almost worse than no sleep at all. Try warm milk before bed, make sure your room is the right temperature (cooler is better), block all sources of light that might be waking you up (hall light shining in your eyes, light from windows, etc), put a small fan or other "white-noise" device in your room, try new pillows, new jammies, etc. No caffeine after 6pm. These things can help immensely. If you can manage it, get out and walk at least a mile a day. You'll be surprised how much it will help. The main thing is to find out what is bothering you. I can guarantee something is. Good luck and let me know how it goes. K.

With me, it was the opposite. I started losing weight. I went down to 103 lbs. My normal weight is 125 for my height. My dr. prescribed an antidepressant that gave me an appetite. You would need something to help you stop eating and feel better about yourself. I take my meds. at night before bedtime, because they make me drowsy. I sleep very well throughout the night. It's hard for me to get up in the mornings, because of my deep sleep.

You need to go see your dr. ASAP!

Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon. Contact me for more advice and support.