Noise sensitve - easily woken

[donnie1234]

How many of you guys are really noise sensitive and wake up at sudden, loud noises and cant get back to sleep? Ive been sick for 15 years, hit a really bad stage, have worked my way back up shaking off many unpleasant symptoms, but i cant seem to shake this one just yet. Ive tried ear plugs and white noise and melatonin etc., but its more important for me to be sleeping a relatively quiet place free from sudden loud noises like close vicinity screaming kids or barking dogs. Once i hear it, im shocked awake and cant get back to sleep. I assume it is adrenal related--i have severe adrenal fatigue (fluctuating body temp and HIGH cortisol) and my body clock is arwy despite my efforts to get up early and sleep early. I try and exercise during day -walks and muscle work- and i try and relax and mediate before bed, but when im woken, i mediate to sleep and then, im woken again. Its so distressing and mediating can be so hard sometimes when exhausted.

anyone else have this at the moment?

note: been offered sleep pills but i hate them!

 

[sianrecovery]

me too. I'm afraid I dont have a curative answer. Getting too hot exacerbates it, so I changed my bed clothes. Bizarrely, anti-dust mite covers also seemed to help a bit, as did having a truly darkened bedroom. My cortisol is low, but I guess adrenal involvement could play either way. Whatever I have the energy to work on calming my sympathetic nervous system, yoga, meditation etc I do better with this. Dr Myhill reckons low blood sugar at bedtime and sustained release melatoin help. I use melatoin, valerian, 5 HTP, but I also make sure I have some nights off everything. And, very laterally, it also improved when I got an airfree unit to reduce air born molds.
I have a very strong startle response when awake as well - back to the dial set to high theory - which I guess would exacerbated by immune system dysfunction and endocrine irregularities. I will read other responses to this with interest.

 

[donnie1234]

hi, what do you mean by "back to the dial set to high theory" ?

Are you also following dr myhills protocol? thats the basis of my treatment. Ive tried many other docs and hers just makes sense to me. I just recently cut out wpi protein and fruit juices (of which i drink A LOT-i started drinking a lot of fruit juice because i didnt have the energy to eat properly.) In the initial stages of the treatment (and i must say, im not under her care directly, i just came about her through a doc her recommended her protocol), i didnt even haev the energy to consume all the supps (i even ried snorting them!) Now im at the stage where i can eat relatively normally and take all my supps. Im starting to really put the pieces of the puzzle together so hopefully after 15 years, 2012 is my year.

re the allergies, that, just like my poor sleep/loud noise relationship, became an issue for me as my health deteriorated, but is a lot better since ive improved. hopefully the sleep does too

also, im so sensitive to bright lights. always wear sunnies and a cap wherever i go

 

[Ocean]

Yes, I have this problem too and it's much worse when I take ambien for sleep. I think since taking magnesium I seem to be more able to go back to sleep when it happens. Not always but more than before at least. Keeping a fan and earplugs nearby helps too. If, when I get woken by noise, I can turn the fan on and put earplugs in without waking myself too much and without opening my eyes at all I'm much more likely to be able to get back to sleep. Once I open my eyes though, usually chances of falling back asleep are much more slim.

ETA: I also try to do some sort of relaxation technique right away if I wake early, like counting backwards or imagining myself in a peaceful place. If I'm tired enough a lot of times this will work, as long as I've not opened my eyes and not let my brain start having a bunch of thoughts. It's hit or miss, but I do better with these techniques than without.

 

[sianrecovery]

the dial set too high theory is just my observation that ME patients tend to have exagerated responses to external stimuli, a bit like my friend with MS. Yes, I'm working with Dr Myhill and have found her very helpful

 

[Valentijn]

I've found N-acetylcysteine taken around dinner time to be helpful for falling asleep and not staying awake for hours if something does wake me up. It probably has this effect due to lowering excess glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter) by combining with it.

 

[ukxmrv]

Donnie,

Something patients with high cortisol use is the supplement Seriphos. Rivotril can help with this but some people find it addictive (I'm fine but appreciate that others aren't).
I've got low cortisol and suffer badly from noise and light intolerance.

For me exercise makes this problem much worse. Exercise increased most of my symptoms (including the viral and sleep ones). Also I try to sleep during the times my body wants to sleep. Years of trying to change my sleep patterns left me far worse off physically.

 

[hurtingallthetimet]

ive become sensitive to everythign..sounds..lights...movement..traffic...overwhlemed by everything...its very scary...it seems that alot with these illness go through this type stuff...i hate it...its scary and overwhelming....

other than anitanxiety medications nothing has really helped me with htis problem..it is always there but sometimes worse than others...

 

[justy]

I have had this prob;lem on and off. Magnesium and other supps have helped me a bit i think. Also i do the no eye opening if i do wake rule, which strangely does help a bit. A friend of mine with M.E suggested that i try concentrating on the dream i had just woken up from and he was right - it sends me quickly backk to sleep ( i have mad dreams all night long so this isnt a problem for me)
I also have the very exaggerated startle reflex, but for some reason it is much worse at night - i presume this is adrenals but i dont know why it would be worse at night - any thoughts?
All the best, Justy.

 

[Tia]

You sure hit the head on the nail here! I have had this for several years now, have this crazy neighbour who keps opening and slamming the door and her door is just next to my bedroom windows so I wake up with a bang every 30 minutes, she keeps going all day, have talked to her but she only gets agressive. I now don't sleep at all in there but on my couch. I also use earplugs and try to catch her in the act by standing otside and waiting for it so I can knock on the door and talk to her but when she sees me standing there she seems to get afraid becasue then she doesn't do it. I think she suffers from OCD or something.. Anywho it's VERY emotionally painful because I can't sleep for longer periods without being woken up. And when I tell people about it they just reply that I'm "sensitive". Dunno what to do, if any of you can think of anything, please, let me know..