Sleep…

[VK]

I know how it feels. I have never slept an entire night without waking up at least twice. As if that weren’t enough with the fact my body needs more time to re-oxygenate even if I did sleep the entire night.

Please take care of yourself and your own sleep (and oxygenation) needs first. Your husband will understand.

[jen-cueva]

Thanks VK,
Ohh my hubby definitely don’t mind, I just feel as I’m moving all over the bed and getting up and down so much, some nights it is easier for me to go to the living room and eventually try and get to sleep…my choice, definitely not his, lol

And yes, some days even with a good night sleep, I wake up tired….sure I’m not alone there …just another perk of PH…

Have a great night everyone 😴

[Brittany Foster]

Hey Jen,
That used to happen to me all the time. Do you notice anything else that accompanies the waking up? Like fast heart rate? Do you have a blood pressure monitor where you can see what could physically be going on? I use a bipap mask because they found I have sleep apnea. I probably have asked you this already (i apologize for the brain fog) but have you had a sleep study done? Sometimes there are reasons sleep related why you wake up. If it’s something that’s new for you it could be even stress related. The body and mind are connected. If you have gone through a physically difficult time lately like an acute illness or flare up of symptoms. Sometimes this effects my sleep quality and stress level! Have you notived any changes like that? If so, and if it continues don’t be ashamed to go to your doctor and ask about medications or supplements that you could take to help you sleep better. Sleep is SO important for our bodies AND mind!

[jen-cueva]

Hey Brittany,
Thanks for your comments and support.

I have definitely times when a rapid heart rate has been the cause, the other side effects from meds I mentioned as well have also been culprits. I run pretty low on my BP, I don’t check it too often at home, but have in the past, I am able to check that( BP machine) as well as my O2 and HR on my pulse ox.

I have had a sleep study and use 02 at night as well.

You are definitely correct as our bodies and minds are truly connected and amazing at what affects our minds! I have Ativan for anxiety and restlessness , I’ve troed that at bedtime and sometimes it helps. I’ve also used sleep meds when in the hospital, and have had bad side effects, so now even at the hospital they will give me my Ativan with night meds to help me sleep. I do use lavender and other relaxing oils in bath products at night and well as oils for rubbing on my body.

I like the point you make as not being ashamed to talk with our doctors about things such as sleep, anxiety, etc, because I was for years, but much better with this the last several years. Great to remind the others reading as well. I find my body needs lots of quality sleep to function.

Thanks again!

[Brittany Foster]

Hey Jen,
glad I was able to be of some support to you. It sounds like you are really on top of your health and a good advocate for yourself which is great ! Sometimes the machines themselves like blood pressure and pulse ox monitors can even get me nervous when my anxiety is high ! You really are doing a lot for your health and trying to help it the best way you can. Sometimes ativan has given me weird dreams when I take it before bed ! Has that ever happened to you when taking anxiety meds before bedtime? Like SUPER vivid dreams!

[VK]

Jen,
I wasn’t sure if you’d mentioned it because imagine Britt in 7 more years – that’s my brain fog – but do you still co-sleep (same bed as your partner)? A lot of case studies have shown that splitting your bed while keeping in the same room helps with sleep because you can keep emotional companionship without snoring in each other’s faces/kicking each other/etc.

My parents are both on BIPAP (dad is older and has cardiac disease, mom has TIS like I do) and use that sleeping arrangement.

[jen-cueva]

Hi VK,
Thanks for sharing that info.

I have CRS , too .lol

I do sleep in my bed with my hubby , we have an adjustable bed as well( for my breathing and his snoring lol . He snores loud , so loud I can hear him in the living room when I get up and try the couch . He doesn’t like when I get up and go on the couch , but I feel like he needs to sleep so he’s ready for work , so just courtesy on my side. Thankfully I can get in a nap or two during the day .

[Brittany Foster]

VK and Jen,
I find sleeping next to my boyfriend sometimes really difficult because of his snoring hahaha! Sometimes I think to myself “we should both be on this bipap!” hahahaha! I end up going to the couch some nights because it just is a better place for me to sleep. If I could sleep alone I TOTALLY would!!!

Jen, The adjustable bed sounds awesome. I saw a newer model of that where you could both adjust the sides to your comfort and it was super expensive but definitely something I would look into when the time comes to get a new bed ! It would be an investment but I’m sure well worth it !

[jen-cueva]

Brittany,
I have had Darcy dreams with other sleep meds, but not with Ativan, but I’m on a very low dose and don’t take it every night.

As far as the adjustable bed, we only have a Queen so just the feet and head elevates, the King is required to get the split adjustable, is what they told us. We looked fir a few years and this year in Jan., for his birthday, they had a big sale and we got ours. We has our old mattresses forever, and the sadly the hospital beds started to be more comfortable then ours, that’s bad, lol

[Brittany Foster]

I totally get it, Jen ! I wish my bed at home could be adjusted at the feet and head the way hospital beds are ! But I totally don’t want to sleep on a hospital bed lol! Something that would be big enough for my boyfriend and I would be great and I could just put his side up more when he starts to snore hahaha!

[jen-cueva]

Sorry I typed too fast, meat vivid dreams and even nightmares …

[VK]

Meat vivid dreams are extremely vivid. Almost as bad as nightmares. :-\

Anyways, it’s 3AM local time as I’m typing this, which should give everybody a hint.

[Brittany Foster]

VK,
SO WEIRD !! I actually wake up around 3 AM almost every night like clockwork ! This has been something I did since I was younger. Isn’t this supposedly “witching hour?” Always spooked me out !

[Gayle Meagher]

I just bought an adjustable bed base so I can sleep elevated. I have to sleep almost sitting up. I switch between the bed and the recliner all week. My husband zonks out in our sleep number bed. It just got too uncomfortable to prop up in bed and be on my tail bone. We have to what works to get sleep. Oh How I wish I could lay flat to sleep, but all my fluids drain up and stop up my nose and I can’t get 02. I had read that waking up at the same time might be your cortisol kicking in due to blood sugar dropping and you need to eat something. I try to have a few nuts or something high fat before be to stabilize blood sugar. I had also read it could be your liver detoxing around 3 or 4. Google it and see what you fine. Liver detox is so important, tho.

[Brittany Foster]

Interesting about the blood sugar and liver connection to waking up like that around the same time. It definitely could be the blood sugar being low for me because every time I wake up at 3 AM I go straight for the nutella in my cupboard LOL!!! Definitely some type of sign that my body is craving something sweet.

As far as the sleep goes, I hope that you are able to get better sleep. I have difficulty laying flat too because it is nearly impossible for me to breathe laying down. my chest just doesn’t rise at all when I’m trying to breathe laying down flat. I sleep propped on a few pillows but I think my neck muscles pay the price for that in the morning !

[jen-cueva]

Crazy as I almost always wake up between 2-3:30AM every night…maybe we are all part witches lol

Happy Halloween and Good Night 💤

[Vanessa Vaile]

So do I — tend to wake up around 3 am — and even more on the CPAP. Remember body temperature cycles and how 3 pm is highest temperature of the day? Guess what 3 am is?

Blood sugar and liver detoxing as contributing factors makes sense too. Waking up then with hot flashes and a lower than usual temperature can also indicate a zinc deficiency.

❤ the witch 🧙‍♀️ theory too

[Brittany Foster]

Vanessa,
I like the witch theory . I real life Sanderson sister from Hocus Pocus movie hahaha! But yes, thinking about certain vitamin levels and levels in the body that might be contributing to this is important too! Interesting that it’s a commonality among some of us!

[jen-cueva]

Gayle ,
Thanks for the information.
My sugar runs on the low side so that may be a possibility for me as well.

In regards to the adjustable bed, yes, I slept on 3 pillows every night or more and so now it’s just one or two , and head is always elevated or I feel I’m suffocating, even with my oxygen on. So I know most of us tend to sleep better upright and/or on multiple pillows.

@brittany-foster, I love the Witch theory and my Daughter and I love Hocus Pocus, I think this was the first year we did not watch it ….lol

[Judy]

I also wake up once or twice between 3:00 am and 6:00 am — but with mildly shortness of breath. I sit up striaght in bed and the shortness of breath passes in 10 to 15 minutes, leaving behind chest pain and wheezing? mucus that I need to cought up? Eventually I can get back to sleep.

[Brittany Foster]

Judy,
That’s such an unsettling feeling to wake up with shortness of breath like that. Have you brought up these symptoms to your doctor and do you take any inhalers for the wheezing? Have you ever had a sleep apnea study done?

[Judy]

Yes to alll your questions, Brittany. I use an inhaler for asthma, have talked with my doctor, had a sleep study and use a bi-PAP. However, the biPAP pressures need to be adjusted and I will have another sleep study soon.

[Brittany Foster]

Hi Judy,
I also use a bipap so I know that it can make a huge difference when they get the settings just right for you! I’m hoping that with the adjustment you won’t have as much waking up feeling short of breath or wheezy in the middle of the night. It’s such a scary feeling when that happens ! I hope your other sleep study is scheduled soon so they can get it right for you and you can have better sleeps and wake up feeling more rested.

[Jimi Mcintosh]

I say now “ what is sleep” cannot go to sleep, stay to sleep and mild sleep aids do not work. Sometimes it is worry over what tomorrow holds, how am I going to meet the physical, mental and financial obligations. I drink cherry juice, to detox before bed. Try not to watch tv, cellphone or read the paper.
Warm bath in epsom salt or rubbing the aches with ginger oil. Meditation is very effective, if I get 4 hours, it is a great night

[Brittany Foster]

Hi Jimi,
This is the first time that I am hearing about a cherry juice detox. How did you hear about that? Is it something that is specifically used to help with sleep or stress or is it just a general body detox? It sounds like you are taking the right steps in helping your sleep using natural methods and even sleep aids. My doctors have always told me that it is better to take medication to get sleep vs staying up and not having enough. After one of my surgeries I had a few years ago, I relied on ambien for a few weeks just to help my body heal from the surgery. I know you don’t get the exact same sleep and I felt very unrested when waking up after taking it, but it was still a heck of a lot better than nothing ! My theory is, whatever works for you and whatever you need to do to try to rest your mind is okay ! Some people are able to use just natural methods while others do take medications (I take anti anxiety medications before bed to help stay asleep and have had to accept that about myself) . I hope to one day not need them, but for now, it gets me by !