Waking at 1:25-3:20-5:30 everynight...

[soxfan]

For the past at least 3 weeks my sleep has become very poor. I had been sleeping well for over a year or more. But now I have been waking up at the exact same times everynight. I am not sweating or hungry...I just kind of feel an inner vibration in my chest area but it is not my heart. More like cell phones vibrating in my body.
I am just curious if anyone experiences this..I think it is strange that it is just about the same times everynight.
I usually can fall back to sleep pretty quickly unless it is an adrenaline surge night...

Ideas anyone??? Thanks

 

[InChristAlone]

I often wake up at the same times every night. Normally, once I'm in bed, I'll sleep pretty soundly other than waking up two or three times a night (which seems to be normal for me). But then once it hits 5:00am, I CANNOT stay asleep. I'll toss and turn until it gets to the time that I would normally wake up, which is normally 7:00am.

Not too sure what that means and how it's connected to our CFS/ME but it would be interesting in looking that up and doing some research on it.

 

[soxfan]

It just seems strange that all of the sudden it is happening...probably means nothing. As for the adrenaline surges...that is something I never had problems with until this past month. Now those keep me up all night!

I normally get up around 7-7:30 because I like to try and stay on some sort of schedule so I don't get messed up even if I haven't slept well.

 

[InChristAlone]

I used to have that problem when I first got sick. I would wake up and wouldn't fall back asleep until...two or so hours later. First though, I would always eat something because my hypogycemia would often be the reason for me waking.

Oh yes, it's imperative that you keep a sound sleep schedule. Often I'll find that if I go to bed even a half hour later, I'm all messed and feel awful. So I get up and go to bed the same exact time every day, no matter what...even if that means laying in bed when I can't seem to fall back asleep.

 

[soxfan]

I am wondering about hypoglycemia...I am suppose to have a few almonds before bed but sometimes forget. I should put them next to the bed so I can remember. Then I will know if that is the problem.
I keep a strict bedtime schedule no matter what...I have to be in bed by 9:30 so I can wind down in time to sleep. Often if I am on vacation I still stick to it so I don't get totally messed up.

 

[urbantravels]

I've had that problem for years and years, basically my entire adult life. I'll wake up regularly at the same time - it'll be 3 am for a week or two, then it'll move a little later or earlier, and it'll take a long time to fall back asleep, sometimes hours. If it's too close to wake-up time that's it for the night. I would normally not have a problem falling asleep, it was the middle-of-the-night wake up with adrenaline surging that would hit me almost every night.

Ironically enough since I've been sick this has not been a problem once I got on the right combination of sleep meds. Ambien didn't work so well for this problem - I'd take one at bedtime, then get the normal jerking awake in the small hours, then take another Ambien, which would eventually get me back to sleep. On trazodone + alprazolam, I normally sleep through the night. I'm not sure but I think the trazodone is the part that's most effective for keeping me asleep as it's supposed to enhance the natural sleep cycle.

Without sleep meds, since I've been sick, I can neither fall asleep or say asleep, it's utter hell at both ends.

 

[Merry]

Hi, soxfan.

Cutting back on carbs I discovered helps my sleep. If I eat too many carbohydrates in the evening meal or close to bedtime I am more likely to wake at 2 or 3 or 4 am and may be awake for 2 hours. But you are waking multiple times, so perhaps you are experiencing a different problem. I hope the problem doesn't persist for weeks and weeks.

The almonds sound good!

Merry

 

[L'engle]

I tend to wake up 2-3 times as well. Even if I don't feel hungry, I think hypoglemia can be it. I have to eat at least twice in the night, or I wake up really hungry by six and have to make myself get out of bed to eat. You could set up some food before you go to bed, like a bowl of brown rice, so you can eat in the night without having to do much preparation. Snacks by the bed are good, too, then you don't even have to get up, if you are lucky. I have to go to bed and rest, no reading or movies, by 9pm. I usually stay in bed for 10-12 hours from then, getting up for breakfast at 7 then often going back to bed until 9am. I don't seem to nap much in the day on this schedule, so it makes the most of the daylight. I sleep about 8-9 of the hours and the rest are just lying down time, which is also important.

 

[rlc]

Hi Kim I think i've found your answer, I don't think it's hypoglycemia because it's usually has other symptoms with it like sweeting, info on more symptoms of night time hypoglcemia here http://en.diagnosispro.com/disease_information-for/nocturnal-hypoglycemia-insulin/17196.html

Here's what i think is happening, during the night your cortisol levels go up and down depending on which sleep cycle your in, REM, deep sleep etc, because of the effects of the cortef and the way it supresses the pituitary often for a long time after you've taken it, i think your getting unusual spikes in your cortisol levels related to a certain part of the sleep cycle which is jolting you awake. Because you have regular sleep patterens it makes sense that your hitting that certain part of the sleep cycle at very exact times every night, and the cortisol levels are spiking and then your awake. Theres a whole lot of information on sleep cycles and the HPA axis here http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/pdf/NMJ_JUNE10_TC.pdf

I think the best thing to do is just wait it out until it balances out by itself, as the effects of the cortef disapear, hopefully it won't take to long, trying to medicate it might further complicate things. Hope this helps!

All the best

 

[*GG*]

I used to have that problem when I first got sick. I would wake up and wouldn't fall back asleep until...two or so hours later. First though, I would always eat something because my hypogycemia would often be the reason for me waking.

Oh yes, it's imperative that you keep a sound sleep schedule. Often I'll find that if I go to bed even a half hour later, I'm all messed and feel awful. So I get up and go to bed the same exact time every day, no matter what...even if that means laying in bed when I can't seem to fall back asleep.

I used to have that problem also, but I don't think a sleep schedule is going to solve this. I would say you need to see a Dr that can give you meds to help put you to sleep and keep you asleep! I think that has helped my condion greatly! I used to drag myself out of bed and do whatever, but now if I wake up and feel more horrible than usual, I stay and bed and rest some more, and I usually fall back asleep for an hour or 2!

I mean how can you expect to get better if you don't get enough rest? That is when your body repairs itself!

GG

PS I used to have night sweats also, but not in the last year or 2, been sick 7 years.

 

[soxfan]

I think I am just going through a bad sleeping period..I mean I sleep really well most of the time but almost always wake up unrefreshed. It doesn't seem to matter how long I sleep. If I even take my sleep meds too early or too late they won't work so that is why I keep to a schedule.
I ate almonds last night and still woke up several times and even staying awake for 2 hours so I don't think hypoglycemia is the problem here. Just going through a rough time sleeping.

The other thing I have alot now is the feeling like my body is vibrating or buzzing very slightly but enough so that if I put my hand on my stomach or chest I can feel it. It will go on most of the night....

 

[InChristAlone]

I used to have that problem also, but I don't think a sleep schedule is going to solve this. I would say you need to see a Dr that can give you meds to help put you to sleep and keep you asleep! I think that has helped my condion greatly! I used to drag myself out of bed and do whatever, but now if I wake up and feel more horrible than usual, I stay and bed and rest some more, and I usually fall back asleep for an hour or 2!

I mean how can you expect to get better if you don't get enough rest? That is when your body repairs itself!

GG

PS I used to have night sweats also, but not in the last year or 2, been sick 7 years.

Definitely. Seeing a doctor is imperative if you really want to get to the bottom of what's really going on with your sleep.

Quick question, have you had a sleep study done recently?

 

[soxfan]

I have had a sleep study done in June...nothing abnormal. No RLS..no apnea..

 

[leaves]

I was looking how to stabilize blood sugars and found this site http://www.alexbarton.co.uk/nutrition-and-CFS-ME.htm helpful

 

[urbantravels]

soxfan, you didn't say what sleep meds you are on, but if they don't maintain your sleep through the night, it may be worth discussing trying something else with your doctor.

For instance, as I posted earlier, I found Ambien doesn't work for me at all for sleep maintenance - it only helps me fall asleep, and seems to wear off in a couple hours. Ambien is designed to last only a short time in the body, with the intention of not making you groggy in the morning, but for some of us that means it doesn't last till morning. It took a couple go-rounds of different meds to find a combo that worked for me. (and for a long time it DID make me groggy in the morning, but I didn't care because I'm disabled anyway and don't have to go to work - but now that effect has lessened.)

 

[soxfan]

I take Lunesta which has worked very well for me...I usually sleep through the night. I have tried alot and I mean alot of other meds but I was either too hung over in the morning or they just put me in that half asleep/half awake state. It might be time to switch though..can't take ambien cause it only keeps me asleep about 4 hours..
It was a little better last night although when I did wake up it took me a long time to fall back to sleep..I think because of the internal buzzing/vibration I was having last night.

Thanks for the site on the blood sugars...great article!

 

[Frank]

Soxfan,

First off I know from personal experience what kind of hell this can be. I've found following to be helpfull to me:
-knowing that everyone is awake several times a night, be it unconsious, that made me less anxious about it
-(low dosage) of tryciclyc AD's: Trazodon, Amytriptilline, especially for prolonged sleep
-check out PR sleep pages, if you haven't: http://aboutmecfs.org/Trt/TrtSleepIntro.aspx

hope that's helpfull

 

[*GG*]

I had a sleep study done in 2005 or 2006, only thing noted was very little REM sleep. I had a major flare up last fall with Insomnia, hard to sleep when your pain is 7+! So I had another sleep study done and was found to have obstructive sleep apnea. I now use a VPAP and this year added Oxygen as a treatment.

GG

 

[SOC]

. On trazodone + alprazolam, I normally sleep through the night. I'm not sure but I think the trazodone is the part that's most effective for keeping me asleep as it's supposed to enhance the natural sleep cycle.

Without sleep meds, since I've been sick, I can neither fall asleep or say asleep, it's utter hell at both ends.

I was told by my previous ME/CFS specialist that I had sleep problems at 2 points, falling asleep and staying asleep. I would wake up at the same time, several times every night. I guess the only "point" I don't have sleep trouble is the waking up part, lol. This has been true all my life.

The specialist told me to take Tylenol PM routinely to initiate sleep, and trazodone to sustain sleep. Worked like a charm. I haven't had sleep problems since -- it's been several years now, so I think it's not a short-term fix for me, anyway.

I also take Cymbalta, which helps me with muscle pain. I don't know if that helps the sleep issue....

 

[urbantravels]

I always wonder why so many people including doctors recommend Tylenol PM. I would never take acetaminophen on a regular basis because it is so dangerous for the liver. The sleep-inducing ingredient in Tylenol PM (diphenhydramine) is available in the formulation called Simply Sleep; the acetaminophen itself does nothing for sleep. If I needed something for pain I would take something other than acetaminophen anyway.