Can't Get To My Doctor Soon Enough...another sleepless venting

[SiouzQ.]

Ugh, this has been such a hard couple of weeks; I will finally get to see my doctor tomorrow and hopefully she will get me on some meds that will allow my body to shut down and rest. It is very weird to feel like you are on a merry-go-round and the operator will not let you off, no matter how many times you beg!

I've been working like usual (pretty busy and intense as things are picking up in the store), and when I am not working I keep trying to rest and get some sleep. It is illusive, my body chemistry is on a horrible jag and I can't fix it by myself at this point.

The other night I got off by 7pm and I spent the evening relaxing, just putzing around the house quietly with plans to go to bed at 10:30 so I could have a "normal" amount of sleep before work the next day and wouldn't you know I had this crazing drifting off dream in that I was on a basketball court trying to make a free throw and just as I flexed my knees to make the shot, my body actually jerked really hard and it felt like I was falling and my heart was pounding so hard (you know, I just realized I may have written this in a different thread but I am too tired to remember it...) it took me hours to fall asleep after that.

So yesterday after I got off of work at 2:30pm I forced myself to NOT take an after noon nap because then it would set my body clock awry even further - I went to the MALL and shopped (see, the things I do when I get way exhausted)?! In my defense I absolutely need some new clothes and some things that actually fit that aren't from the thrift store. Anyway, I again arranged the night so I could wind down and relax and go to bed by 10:30. I am pretty sure you are supposed to fall asleep within 30 minutes of taking an Ambien (only the third time I've tried it since I got the prescription - it worked a little on the second time). Well, it took me a lot longer than that to fall asleep, and then I would wake up about every 45 minutes to an hour the entire night.

All I know is this cannot go on like this for much longer...I am so way exhausted that my memory is suffering and I don't feel like myself and that I am not grounded at all. I know if I can just reset my sleeping cycle somehow everything else that concerns self-care will fall into place like it always does. I don't know if I should try to nap today (I have today and tomorrow off) or not because it could totally screw up tonight's attempt at sleep...but it didn't work yesterday like I thought it would.

Like I said, I just needed to vent; I don't expect any new answers, all of which have been totally valid for the future, but I am afraid this is going to require more intervention in the short term.

[julia]

I really sympathise. I have sleep problems and when it's bad it's unbearable. I hope your doctor can help xx

[pinkytoe]

I have jags like that too - don't laugh but I've noticed they happen in the week after a full moon. Or after particular restaurant meals. And then worrying about it only makes it worse. For me, I have learned to accept those few days when sleep evades me as I know that eventually it works itself out. Can you take a day off and just relax for the day?

[ApatheticNoMore]

Hope the doctor helps. Incidently although I don't consider myself as having major sleep problems most of the time, I can't just go to bed at like 10pm and sleep, I can't just sleep at any time that might be convinent to someone's schedule. I stay up until midnight or so (wake up 8-9). I know going to bed earlier might be healthier and blah blah and would mean I didn't have to stay so late at the office, but I've failed everytime I tried and gotten tired of trying (11pm might be the earliest I could program myself for). In other words serious night owl, maybe you're the same way and can only really sleep well at certain times of day (whether it's can't go to bed too early, or can't sleep too late). Any deviation for me leads to sleepless nights.

[SiouzQ.]

It all boils down to my dang work schedule, really! I can train myself to be a morning person or a night owl if I can do it consistently - however, being asked to do all three shifts in the space of one week is just asking too much of a poor, menopausal 51 year old lady. I really hope my doctor can write me some sort of note to get some resolution about this. Obviously, my quality of life is suffering...

[Zoe Girl]

I used to notice that with the full moon as well. When we homeschooled I just planned on the kids not getting to sleep early at all, and a later start the next day. However I am so in my routine now (at only 46) that I have a hard time with changing schedules any more so I sympathize. I understand why retail places do the types of schedules that they do but even my daughter who is 19 is greatly affected by the changes to working at 4 am one day and until 10 pm another.

I hope they can get you some stability and relief, I think you could re-set with a little help.

[iris lily]

Oh I'm so sorry, lack of sleep is the worst thing. There is a reason why they use it as a torture device.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I sure hope something works out for you and that you can get some kind of schedule and sleep pattern going for you that works for you.

Iris Lilly is right. Lack of sleep is the worst thing. I don't like the reduction in thinking and functioning that comes with it and I hate, absolutely hate, being in work environments where I am supposed to act like this is OK that I am this tired a great chunk of the time due to scheduling issues.

I remember once one of the harder stretches of my life was back in 2004 before my first season at the Grand Canyon, South Rim. I was in a financial bind that was very stressful and was not sleeping due to that. The week before I left I maybe slept a total of fifteen hours. Then I left and went to Flagstaff on my way up there, spent the night, didn't sleep. Arrived there the next day, started two days later, did not sleep for another two days, then started getting around two hours of sleep a night.

I was a zombie living on fumes of fear basically. I wonder now in amazement that I got through that. It took about two months for me to see that I had money coming in and that I was making some progress and then I started actually sleeping once again. Amazing as there are before and after photos of me during all of this, and I can sure vouch that just the act of sleeping alone makes a huge difference in quality of life. I wish more employers understood this.

But I digress - here's wishing you deep deep deep sleep. Rob

[SiouzQ.]

Lo and behold, I actually slept almostnormal last night. KB was back home so it was a little hard to fall asleep at first, but I STAYED ASLEEP all night for the first time in about two weeks and woke up around 7:30-ish. I feel like almost my normal self, imagine that! Now I have to deal with the fallout of being a physical and mental wreck for weeks on end and try to regroup and get back on track with my life, and somehow make sure this doesn't keep happening over and over again.

[Gardenarian]

So glad you finally got some rest siouzq.
I hope that resets your system and you have another good night!
Did you not have any sleep problems before the shift work?

[Sagewoman]

Siouzq, I had problems (big time) staying asleep during peri and premenopause. At that time, I found that taking 5-HTP worked wonders for me. It is a tryptophan precursor and tryptophan had been taken off the market. I now use melatonin instead. Just the lowest dose seems to work for me.

Also, the dream you describe sounds possible that you have a sleep disorder. I've heard that description of waking in distress like that from other people who have them. I have one, sleep apnea. So I've learned about various ones in reading up on it and talking to people. I actually solved the problem with the 5-HTP but still had a (life long) sleep disorder. I was totally unaware of it. "Sleep deprived" was my normal, I never knew anything different. (I am not reported to snore, either). Once I was treated, my life changed dramatically. Shift work may not be the whole problem. Menopause may not be it. If you have a sleep disorder and can get it treated it could make a huge difference. It could be several problems at once. Only a sleep doctor can properly diagnose it.

But yes, the shift work sounds horrible!