Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Horrible sleeping - kind of a whine

Night before last, I got 2 hrs of sleep. Not really sure what made it so elusive. Pain wasn't terrible. Temp in bedroom wasn't too warm, maybe just a little. May have eaten too much at dinner, but wasn't refluxing. But after going to sleep around 2:30am (relatively normal for me - remember I work evening shift and get off work at about midnight), I woke at 4:30am. Didn't feel extremely tired actually thought it would be about 6:30, per my 'body clock'. Took a pain pill and went back to bed when it got to 6:30am, but by then, I was writhing in pain....let it get past the time I should have taken the pill. Then it never really kicked in well. Gave up in bed and went to the guest room to a bed with a 3" memory foam topper. Gave up and got up at 10:00am without getting any more sleep.

Milled about all day since I didn't have to go to work. Did a couple loads of laundry, did a lot of reading, resting. Never took a nap.

At 10:30pm, I took all my nighttime meds and went to bed. Laid on my side to read and fell asleep that way. Didn't move for 7 hours. At that point, I could BARELY move. Struggled up and took pain pill, then slept on back for 3 hrs more. My lumbar and SI are killing me all day. Hard to straighten up tall and work was exceedingly trying tonight. It was about 50/50 on the decision to go to work--was going on the assumption that moving around would possibly loosen me up some while laying around at home wouldn't (since it didn't help me the day before).

Heading back to bed soon and hope I can do the usual tossing and turning, because sleeping like a log is certainly not good for me. Anyone have any magic for going to sleep? (already took tizanidine--magic for me, usually)

Tricks to sleep:

1. Get so overtired from not sleeping a few nights that I'm bound to finally fall asleep.

2. Like you, the muscle relaxant will at least put me to sleep.

3. ultrasound before sleep if the neck and upper back area are flared or the SI joint is flared.

4. sleeping with ice on the SI or upper back if they are flared.

5. hot bath or shower before bed.

6. one "perk" to diabetes: eat too much, especially too much carb and its snoozeville....but only for an hour or so, then I'm awake.....

7. If laying in bed, will tell myself, OK, get up, but then don't....trying to get up, usually puts me to sleep....trying to sleep usually keeps me awake

8. turn tv on, turn heating pad on, doze off in recliner.....when wake, either stay there or stumble to the bed.

9. I used to worry about lack of sleep, but eventually my body gets tired enough to fall asleep...

1x 15mg MIRTAZAPINE.....I think you guys call it REMERON...it's an anti depressant

originally marketed as an anti histamine it ensures a good sleep

failing that, ANY film with Jim Carey and you will be asleep in no time

I use 2 1/2 mg.s of amytriptiline to sleep. A very low dose but it works. If it doesn't, I use cannabis candy but I know you can't get that there Rumble. I always take a bath before bed to relax my weary bones.

Sorry to hear about your evening, sounds awful.
I just wanted to chime in and say that magnesium supplements make me feel tired and sleepy and I fall asleep within a half hour of taking them.
Just a note: One of the side effects of magnesium is that it lowers cortisol in the body, so if you had a steroid injection it might make it less effective. I don't feel well if I take too much magnesium for too many days in a row, but one or two days here and there is fine for me.
Hope you get some rest.
Take care.

I have horrible sleep issues. I wake every 60-90 minutes. It's awful. Every time I wake I crave food.

When my AS was not under control I was happy if I could get 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Always had to take a nap right after work.

Hope things improve.

Tim

I feel like I totally get it.... It's awful..... You poor thing 😫

I have been told it doesn't get much better, it's jut part of the disease, unfortunately..... 😂

I think that's why the doctor prescribes muscle relaxants..

Hope you get a fairly decent sleep soon ☺

Never did figure out what the problem was that night, but since then it's been better. Two mornings, I slept till 9 or 10 without having to get up for a pain pill (usually hits around 6-7am after which I go back to bed). Go figure. (12 days till next rheumy visit)

Horrid night at work tonight. New instruments online for the first 2 days and I have to do daily maintenance on them. Have only done it alone once (tonight) after being taught by someone who had only done it with help once himself. Tomorrow, I will have to do it again, but my coworker will have to cover the rest of the department by herself while I slog thru the maintenance. It's going to get ugly.

<finishing camomile tea and going to bed (where I'll likely worry about tomorrow night at work) >

I am so glad you got some rest. You know I had such a long stretch of not sleeping. It is not fun to get so tired then that you just can't relax enough to go to sleep. My sleep has kind of worked it's self out now. I have learned to not take a pain pill later than about 7:30. They really keep me awake and I avoid tea or any caffeine from lunch on.

How is your husband doing? Mine is beginning to get relief from the Arava already. We are both happy over that.

Rest well tonight, friend.