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Rest for the Weary

2K views 21 replies 6 participants last post by  JellyButt 
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#1 ·
Hello all--Well another restless night last night.The night before I tried two capsules ofValerian and it worked like a charm. I usually wake up two or more times a night,and take over an hour to get back to sleep,and then wake up an hour or so early in the morning. With the valerian I woke up a couple times but was able to get back to sleep. Felt like heaven. Last night I tried to sleep without it. Was tired after a long day and didn't go to bed until 1a.m. Fell asleep ok but sure enough, tossing and turning a couple hours later.Does anyone know why IBS keeps us up at night? I've heard other folks here complain about it. It's kind of getting me worried that I'll never have a good night's sleep without pills again. Comments?
 
#2 ·
Hi Dogwood. My sympathies - I've almost forgotten what a good night's sleep is.I don't know if it is available where you live (it's made in Britain), but there's a great drink called Norfolk Punch (not alcoholic - it's a herbal drink, tastes a bit like mulled wine, and made with various soothing things like camomile). The other people in my house take it when their sleep pattern is out of sync, and it just knocks them out all night. You take it heated, and it works very fast. The house could be demolished around their ears, and they wouldn't wake up.If you like, I can try to find out who makes it and if they export it beyond Europe. I don't take it myself, mainly because anything spicy aggravates my heartburn and reflux. Wish I could have it. ------------------Phyllis
 
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#3 ·
Dogwood,I know what you mean about not getting a good nights rest. I wake up several times a night and find it very hard to fall back to sleep. Sometimes I have severe pain (I did last night) and have to force myself to go back to sleep. Right now I can't take anything to help me sleep or even any of the antispasmatics. Then just about every morning I wake up at 5am even on the weekends. Part of this is my fault cause I worry about having D just about 24 hours a day 7 days a week, that is the first thing on my mind even if I wake up at 1am. I know I shouldn't but I don't know how to stop. Any suggestions.Do what ever you have to do to get a good nights sleep once in a while. Have you tried Melatonin?Julia
 
#4 ·
I empathize with you. I have just about given up on ever having another good nights sleep. Between the discomfort of the IBS symptoms and those "fun" night sweats that I'm having, some nights I feel like jumping out the window!!! I took Tylenol PM a couple of times and it did knock me out, but I was really dragging the next day, so I don't anything anymore. Celestial Seasoning's makes a tea called "Sleepy Time Tea". If I have a cup before bed, it does make me a little drowsy..you could give it a try.Take Care,Rose
 
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#6 ·
Hi. I just started using those Calmes Fortetoo. Not only does it help with nausea, ithelps to calm ones nerves.It has chamomile, hops, oat, calcium phosphatel, iron phosphate, potassium phosphate, sodium phosphate, and magnesiumn phosphate in it. I understand all of those ingredients are needed by an IBS riddled system. So far I've been happy with it. I had an IBS attack that sent me to the ER for IV hookup this last Friday.....I'm willing to try anything to avoid another one of those doozies!Hope this helps!
 
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#7 ·
I am so glad that there are other people out there that can't sleep either. It's been so long since I slept all night or even just waken up once during the night that I can't remember. I have wondered if by not being able to sleep is part of the cause of some of the anxienty. Anybody have any ideas?Thanks,The other Karen
 
#9 ·
I've had IBS for as long as I can remember and I never had a problem sleeping. I used to joke that I could sleep standing on my head if I had to. For about 6 months now, I can't sleep. I fall asleep watching TV and my husband wakes me up to go to bed about 10PM and it takes a long time for me to go back to sleep and then I wake up during the night and then I am up at 5AM, sometimes if I'm lucky, 6AM, even on the weekends. The tylenol PM works pretty good for me. I try really hard not to take it every night but after a few nights of 3 to 4 hours of sleep, I have to give in and take it. I usually don't have any side effects the next day, just a good feeling of having had at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep. I really don't know what causes not being able to sleep, maybe it is the stress of having IBS but like I said, I always had IBS and no problems sleeping. I guess this is just one more thing to wonder about!
 
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#10 ·
Thanks everyone for your input.Sandra, Crazy Daisy--I hadn't heard of CalmesFortes before. That's a tea? I might try that.Phyllis--if you get the chance, I'd love a contact for the Norfolk Punch. I think it is just a Brit thing--haven't seen it here in New York.Julia, Loretta--your sleep (or non-sleep) patterns sound a lot like mine. I get reallysleepy, go to bed and feel like I am wide awake again. It takes a long time to fall asleep, then when I do I wake up again in a few hours. And I also wake up around 5 or 6 am, usually falling asleep again 1/2 hour before the alarm goes off (!!)All this has made me really sensitive to noise also. My downstairs neighbors tend to have shouting matches around midnight each night, and there's a noisy fan outside my window, so that's why I always wear earplugs.I feel like I should be able to sleep through this stuff, so I keep trying.I think it is at least in part an anxiety thing. I too find myself worrying about my bowels at night and I think that's contributing to it. Forgot to mention that when I'm not sleeping well, I always have disturbing dreams which also causes me to sleep fitfully, unrestfully, or makes me wake up. I noticed something yesterday, when I slept less than five hours. I had a beer that night and maybe that upset my stomach. Slept crappy all night, then I had a nightmare right before I woke up and was exhausted all day. The whole day all my symptoms were harsh all day long. Frequent, unsatisfying BMs throughout the day, gas, bladder irritation was worse, and the congestion in my sinus was very uncomfortable. I had to keep plugging my nose and blowing to relieve the pressure. Pain in my left ear. It makes me think all this is related, maybe a reaction to alcohol(?) or maybe made worse by fatigue and anxiety. In the book about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (I forget the famous doc's name) she talks about people with IBS and Crohn'swho suffer from nightmares. She said that when they followed her special diet and were "healed" by it, the nightmares went away.Guess I'll stick with the herbal remedies.Took the Valerian last night and again it worked like a charm. It's a little hard getting up in the a.m. but within a few minutes I feel really rested and almost human.
 
#11 ·
Dogwood,Your wish is my command. I've found a site for Norfolk Punch:http://www.oldcity.demon.co.uk/norwich/punch.htmlThe distributors in the US are The Natural Group, and you can e-mail them at the following address:naturalgroup###worldnet.att.natHope you succeed in getting your hands on the stuff - I even have visitors who don't have sleep problems asking for it at bedtime because they just love the deep sleep it gives them. It's not cheap, but it's worth the money if it helps you to sleep.------------------Phyllis
 
#12 ·
Dogwood, it's me again.I forgot to send you the blurb on Norfolk Punch, just so you know a bit of the history and what's in it (this is taken from their website):In the 1970's Eric St John Foti discovered a recipe in the Leet court records of Welle Manor, Upwell, Norfolk. The recipe was for a non-alcoholic herbal drink believed to have first been made by Benedictine monks about 700 years ago. It was produced commercially for several years by Original Norfolk Punch Ltd., here in Norfolk. In 1994 the brand and factory were bought by Orchid Drinks of Hartlepool and production transferred to Hartlepool.Throughout the Middle Ages everyone relied upon the curative properties of herbs for the relief of their ills including depression or lowliness of spirits. Today, the recipe is still produced with natural spring water, honey, and the original mixture of herbs which include Alchoof, Alder Cone, Angelica, Basil, Bay Leaf, Blackcurrant Leaf, Camomile, Caraway, Cinnamon, Clove, Comfrey, Daisy, Dandelion, Dill, Dock, Elderberry, Elderflower, Fennel, Feverfew, Ginger, Grape, Hop, Lemon, Liquorice, Lime Flower, Meadowsweet, Melissa, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Poppy, Privet, Rock Parsley, Rosemary, Samphire, Thyme, and Vervain. ------------------Phyllis
 
#13 ·
I get the dreams now also. I never remembered much of my dreams but I remember them every morning now. They aren't really nightmares but they are confusing with a million things happening at one time. They don't make much sense. And yes, noise bothers me. I used to be able to sleep through anything and now the littlest noise wakes me up. EEch!!!
 
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#14 ·
Phyllis--Thanks so much for your help and all that toggling you had to do to input that message.I'll check the punch out, definitely!I took the Valerian last night, but it didn'twork, as I suspected. I just knew it wouldn't work two nights in a row. Went to bed at 12 and awoke at 1:30 to the noise of my neigbors bellowing downstairs. Fell asleep again in an hour only to have a dream that someone was walking around my house, so I had to wake myself, it seemed so real. Awake again! Slept some more and then had anotherextremely vivid dream that I had overslept--to 1:30 pm--so I wakened myself, only to seethat it was still early morning. Aaaaaaack!I'm beginning to think my home is haunted, or at least my mind is...
 
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#15 ·
Forgive my stupidity (I do have problems sleeping through the night) but by chance do you have restless leg syndrome? I was finally diagnosed with it (10 years latter) when I woke my self up and I was still kicking when I woke up!Just a thought.
 
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#16 ·
I had a thought about Eastern teachings on dreams. Just before falling asleep, the attention rises up to the eye center. It hovers there as we fall asleep, then it starts to drop. When the attention is down in the throat center, we experience dreams. When the attention falls lower, the dreams become disjointed, incomplete and don't make sense. Usually the dreams we have are from our day to day life situations, worries, anxieties. If our attention remains up, we rest well.I wake up alot too, and try to meditate during that time before falling asleep again. I guess it helps me to not worry about how much sleep I'm getting.
 
#17 ·
Hi everyone
This is interesting. Dont know why I hadnt replied to Dogwood's post before
Hi Dogwood! NYC is noisy in most places aside from the far suburbs. its especially noisy in Brooklyn too
Hope you are achieving better sleep since youve last posted this. As some of you mentioned, undoubtedly the stress, discomfort & anxiety all add to sleep deprivation!Im constantly "dreaming" about my GI system. my fears are all too vivid while Im trying hard to fall into a nice slumber. (thats interesting Kclayton- your dream theory). So the last month Ive been taking ativan ###5mg to induce a restful state (sorry, natural methods did not help me) & Im not addicted to such a low-dosage. Pre-IBS, I would "snack" if I was worried or anxious, well cant really indulge in that remedy anymore...Having someone I love around me helps
...OK Im meandering into a different topic now, thats because I have to wake up at 6 daily for work & I cant fall asleep its 140am in NYC & I feel like ###### (pardon me).Well friends, to all pleasant dreams, quiet bowels & a good-night. LisaK
sorry, I was just dreaming about what I once ate many moons ago
[This message has been edited by Lisa K (edited 02-19-99).]
 
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#18 ·
Thanks for your responses everyone.Tanner--I don't know if I have Restless Leg Syndrome (Gosh, syndrome, syndrome...) I do wake up sometimes with my body abruptly jolting or my leg kicking. But sometimes I just wake up because of a dream, noise, or usually I just wake up at 2:30 for no reason at all. Would this be "RSL"?Clayton--interesting what you said about keeping our attention higher up in the eyes and throat. But how do you do that?I have been trying to meditate when I wake up in the middle of the night. I find it helps because often when I wake up like that, I launch into a pretty disturbing anxiety attack, and I would think the meditation helps. Should I meditate on keeping my attnetion focused on my eyes?I have always dreamed vividly and heavily. I don't mind dreams--I see them as a vital part of my psychic life--but the constant disturbing nightmares are too much.Hi Lisa--I have been doing somewhat better. I am taking a homeopathic drug right now that is soothing. I still wake up at night but don't have the anxiety and seem to be able to relax and drift back to sleep. I think the outside disturbances were waking me (Yes NYC sucks for this) and then I was freaking out about them, making it worse. I'm trying to remain calm....(!)A loud welfare junkie lives below me and I think knowing that really bums me out. She's been pretty quiet though these past couple weeks, after I banged on the floor a couple times."Get a job!!"I know what you mean about having a loved one with you. I had just been thinking about that this week, how if I had someone in bed with me I don't think I would feel so freaked out and sleepless.I asked you about Ativan on another post. Have you been sleeping well with it? What is it?Cheers everyone.
 
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#19 ·
Hi sleepy-heads! Happy weekend to all
!Dogwood
another weary day/night? at least I wont have as much anxiety if I dont get zzz's for the weekend vs a worknight
Sleep in the big apple is a luxury unless of course if you live in one of those luxuriousmanhattan apartments! money keeps people quiet! dunno Dogwood.whats up with that junkie? keeping you up at wee hours? maybe she needs a megadose of ativan
? Valerin, that is natural relaxant I presume from reading your thread
Ive heard that "Buspar" is a better alternative to regular anti-anxiety meds as it is non-habit forming & works on the "serotonin" levels of the Brain, and it is not an anti-depressant.all about Ativan (Lorazepam):is a benzodiazepine used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It is similar to but milder than Valium. comes in .5 1.0 & 2.0mg's.Origin and Medical UsesSimilar to sedative-hypnotics. Introduced as "tranquilizers" because they produce calm without sleepiness, although sleep may occur as a result of relaxation and reduced anxiety. Replaced barbiturates in treatment of many disorders. Usually prescribed to treat anxiety and nervousness, relax muscletension, control certain types of muscle spasm, and treat less severe sleepproblems. Generally recommended for short-term use only**.****(info I extracted from the web):****Ive been taking 1(.5) dosage per night before I sleep for the past 2 months, it helps with the tension/anxiety & I can still drive daily without crashing
(just have to be very careful taking this & other drowsy-induced drugs ie: antihistamines for my hayfever etc)Hope this answers your inquiry.Take care all
LisaKPS what no animations Dogwood?
 
#20 ·
Dogwood - my husband who is a very fitful sleeper has had remarkably good luck with Celestial Seasoning's Sleepy time tea. This was mentioned by someone else too. It's available in any supermarket.He also likes a very strong cup of peppermint tea - 1 TB to 1 cup of water, steep 20 minutes. This is like having a drink - it gives you a sense of well-being and relaxation immediately. It's also good and relaxing to the bowel.When I can't sleep, I take out a volume of Plato or Socrates or Hegel and start reading. This works like a charm.
 
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#21 ·
Hey Dogwood, Hope you're getting more sleep now! I understand what you mean by the nightmares...I have them too. The only time I actually sleep well is during that time of the month, probably because it drains my energy. Otherwise I wake all during the night and stay up late watching tv to try and tire myself out. I also take 400mg of Kava Kava when I find no other recourse to sleep and it seems to work wonders; waking the next morning with no side effects. Tanner, I think I've experienced restless legs to some degree. Have been unable to sleep at times because my legs seem to be uncomfortable. I toss and turn trying to comfort them; not that they are actually jumping, but they feel a bit nervous (don't really know how to describe it). But I have wondered if I have that syndrome. I also have episodes of some numbness in my legs and feet. Haven't had it lately tho!
 
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#22 ·
A couple of other good sleepy herbs to try as a before-bed tea are passionflower and catnip. These are supposed to be very mellow. The valerian doesn't work for me. It makes me incredibally relaxed but I stay in that state all night. Its weird, I can't fall off into a sleep state.
 
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