sleep issues

[beep]

i have had sleep issues now for some time   cant get to sleep n when i do i sleep all day till 4/4.30 pm mite fall asleep at 9pm wake up at mid nite n feel as tho i been asleep 10 hrs is this side affects of dialysis or is there anohter issue i got......ive been diagnosed with moderate sleep apnoea but not requiring the mask  is it kidney/dialysis related

[Charlie B53]

Do you know if you snore?

ANY sleep apnea is potential cause for concern, as is snoring.   My sleep study was done in-clinic.  I was wired for stereo, as well is microphoned and on camera.  I sure hope I wasn't playing with myself in my sleep!

Sometime during the night the Nurse wooke me up to put on the CPAP mask.  I went back to sleep.  I woke up a couple of times because of this THING on my face, but was able to get back to sleep again soon as I realized what it was.

In the morning the Nurse showed me some of the brain waves recorded during the night.

Without the CPAP the brain waves stayed very active, like the waves on a pond. Slowly calming down and barely settled when a Snort/snore, or an episode of apnea, holding my breathe until the CO2 became so high that I gasped for a breathe, and the brain waves immediately jumped into activity again.  Slowly calming down into a calm sleep.  Repeat.  Over and over.

Once the CPAP was on the brain waves calmed down and STAYED calm.  Then the eye rolls started showing I had finally achieved REM sleep.  And STAYED there.   This NEVER happened without the CPAP.

I've worn out two machines already and working on my third.  over 12 years already.

I won't take a Saturday afternoon nap without it.

A body heals best only during real rest.  You cannot rest with apnea or snoring.

Talk with your Dr.

[Michael Murphy]

I generallly have sleep problems the night before dialysis, it's almost midnight and I will need to be up by 3:30 to get ready for a fun morning at dialysis.
What really screws up my sleep pattern is coming home from dialysis and going to sleep for 4 hours.  It has also been made wors by a major heart attack. Currently any activity tires me out and I need a nap.

[Charlie B53]

I like naps.  I'm getting preety good at them.  Now where near as good as our Dog.  I swear he's a Professional.   We can be in the Kitchen and I'll tell him I feel like taking a nap.  And he'll take off full speed for the bedroom.  By the time I get there he's curled up waiting for me to pull the blanket over us both.

[beep]

LOL @CharlieB53   but are both of ya on Dialysis 3 times a week

[Charlie B53]

Dogs kidneys work just fine.

Mine, not so much.

[dialysisuser82]

   If anyone can endure dialysis as long as I do, trust me, sleep will be a major factor.

   As I said, it is my 35 years straight on hemodialysis, so I can only sleep during the morning and get up in late afternoon.

    No matter how I tried, still no solution.

[Simon Dog]

By the time I get there he's curled up waiting for me to pull the blanket over us both.

I stopped crawling under the sheets and just sleep on top of the bedspread when my dog made it clear he did not want to sleep under the covers.   Saves a lot of time making the bed.

[beep]

LOL@ Simon  but what about the wife any complaints from her ...where she sleep in the dog house   

[Charlie B53]

Bones Puppy is only about 30 pounds and short hair, not much of any under-coat.  Definitely not an outside dog in cold weather.  Always sleeps under a blanket or it least pulls it around him, sort of like a 'nest'.

I don't burn enough calories to stay warm.  Even just a nap fully dressed I pull at least a light blanket over my chest leaving my legs with jeans out.

[kristina]

i have had sleep issues now for some time   cant get to sleep n when i do i sleep all day till 4/4.30 pm mite fall asleep at 9pm wake up at mid nite n feel as tho i been asleep 10 hrs is this side affects of dialysis or is there anohter issue i got......ive been diagnosed with moderate sleep apnoea but not requiring the mask  is it kidney/dialysis related

When I was still pre-dialysis I suddenly developed some sleep-issues and it helped me a lot to drink a cup of camomile-tea in the afternoon and it calmed "everything" enough for me to sleep properly again. It also assisted me to slowly wind down in the evenings and listen to some relaxing music (for example: Haendel's harmonious Organ Concerto's, Albinioni's calming compositions, Purcell's dreamy Concerto's , Bach's Brandenburg Concerto's etc) before going to bed...
Best wishes and good luck from Kristina.

[kristina]

I like naps.  I'm getting preety good at them.  Now where near as good as our Dog.  I swear he's a Professional.   We can be in the Kitchen and I'll tell him I feel like taking a nap.  And he'll take off full speed for the bedroom.  By the time I get there he's curled up waiting for me to pull the blanket over us both.

Charlie, this sounds like an adorable, wonderful friend and companion ... 

[Riki]

I was told by a doctor years ago that people in kidney failure have melatonin issues, which will make it hard to sleep.  He suggested a supplement.  I tried it, and it didn't really work for me.  I've been an insomniac since I was a teenager, and since my kidneys failed when I was 12, I suppose the two went hand in hand.  Sleep is a learned skill, so I've been trying to teach myself how and when to sleep.  It's not easy to do, and it takes a lot of practice.  I fouled up over Christmas, and I've been trying to get on track ever since.

[beep]

used to go sleep around 9/9.30 pm every night   and sleep undisturbed for 7hrs   bfore dialysis  but now lay on my ved 9/9.30pm but find still awake 2am  probably get bout 4 hrs sleep   2am to 6pm   have brekkie take meds then back to sleep till 1/2pm   n sometimes till 4pm

[cassandra]

Hi beep, since I (re)started D I take 3.75 mg Diazepam and sleep nearly like a 'normal' person. Stops cramps and feeling f##d up too.

Love, Cas

[kickingandscreaming]

If medical marijuana (MMJ) is a legal option where you live, I would recommend it.  I replaced my nightly Xanax routine with a couple of puffs of Indica strain MMJ (especially for relaxation and sleep promotion) and now I sleep quite well.  I don't like Xanax.  It is highly addictive and a bear to detox from.

[Charlie B53]

I like the idea of medical marijuana also.  I much prefer the naturalness instead of having to rely on a pharmaceutical.

Wife has problems falling asleep.  I went with her to see the Dr about it and learned a couple of things I did not know.  She had a previous script for Ambien.  Dr informed us that Ambien is a short term medication.  Lasting only a few hours.  Designed to speed getting to sleep. HOWEVER it failed to keep the patient asleep.  If for any reason the person awoke, they could again have trouble falling asleep.  He then prescribed a new med.  Long name that began with a T.  This med is designed to last approx 7 hours, Not only helping to get to sleep, but to remain asleep for that length of time.  The patient is still able to awaken for whatever reason, but should also be able to fall asleep again.   However dosage could be different for the individual.  Some may need more, others may need less.  It simply had to be tried to see how it affected the individual.  If remaining half groggy in the morning to cut the dosage.  If still unable to fall asleep easily to double the dose.   Dr made a lot of sense.

Hope this helps.

[Riki]

One of the things I would suggest is not going to bed so early *G*  If you're not tired, there's no real point in going to bed.  My grandmother goes to bed around 9pm, but she reads till midnight, then sleeps till around 7am.  It's just a matter of finding something else to do that you enjoy.

Something else I just thought of, is video games.  There are online video games that are designed for relaxation.  It's just the way that they make your brain work.  Any game where you need to match colors, like Bejeweled, or Dr. Mario(for the Nintendo folks *G*), or anything along those lines.  If you play one of those games for 20 mins or so before going to bed, it may help.

[PrimeTimer]

Ambien, Ambien, Ambien. Makes you fall asleep fast (15-20 minutes), works 4-5 hours and you wake up feeling rested. It is very mild. Anything stronger made me feel as tho I was sleep walking all the next day. The generic works just as well. Some drug stores will only dispense it as a 14-day prescription because the FDA recommends that it not be used any longer than that or else you risk addiction. That's hogwash. Been on the same low dose for years with no problems. I get a 30-day supply now for cheap at Sam's Club and you do not have to be a member to use their pharmacy.