Sleep Deprivation!!!!

[clairedare]

My twin girls are now 2 and I have suffered with 3 bouts of not sleeping or waking up really early and being unable to go back to sleep.I took sleeping pills the 2nd time for 3 months not making the link to PND and they did the trick.However since September of last year I have had the same problems and took sleeping pills again.It is only in the last couple of months that i have finally accepted that i do have PND and have been prescribed an old anti-d called Gamanil.It is meant to promote sleep as well as deal with depression.Whilst it did work for about a week a sting of very stressful events has hit my family hard and i am now back using sleeping pills and wondering what to do next.Has anyone experienced similar symptomswith PND?or is anyone using Gamanil?or does anyone have any friendly advice for a very stressed out mum?

[cheshire]

Hi Claiedare

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry to hear that things are like this for you. As I think Monica (one of our members said) sleep deprivation - it's like a form of torture - and I'd agree.

My sleeping patterns were really badly affected by PNI - at one point - unable to sleep at all due to severe breathing problems and agitation. I too have taken sleeping pills - and they did help me.
Although I feel I have made a recovery from PNI - sleep is always the first thing to be affected by stress. For example, my husband had a major op. during my recovery - and my sleep was so badly affected - I felt like I had taken 10 steps backwards.

My only advice is based on my own experiences - and that is probably to share thoughts and feelings with other mums (here maybe or in a local support group), be kind to yourself - allow yourself to be ill and let others help as if you were, remind yourself that you will get better, and I think it was of our members the other day who suggested to plan nice things to do for the nights you can't sleep e.g. read that mag, watch that video, shop online etc....which I think at the time I would have found helpful as I saw my bed as a prison..

Anyway, we're here listening if you ever want to talk

Love, Hopefulxxx

[clairedare]

Thanks for the advice I never thought of watching or reading something that i don't normally get time to do to stop the feeling that bed is my prison.I will let you know how it goes.

[cinders]

Hiya Claire,

I know what you mean about the sleep deprivation. It is horrendous. Like Hopeful said, any stress and thats when it starts.

I would lie there for hours trying to sleep, but it just made me more agitated and restless so I started getting up. Have a hot milky drink and come on here or read, like Hopeful said.

Anyway flower. Take care of yourself and hope you have a better night soon!! It will happen, believe me.

Love n hugs Cinders xxx

[clairedare]

Dear Cinders,
Thanks for those kind words.I really do hope things will improve.I have stopped taking the sleeping pills and will just have to accept that i am going to age about 30 years in the next 6 months. Claire

[cinders]

Hiya Clare,

things really will get better, but you have to give yourself time and try and accept that some nights you're not going to sleep. Dont lie there though, get up and do something, as this really does help me.

As for the ageing 30 years in six months, I know exactly how that feels...wrinkles on my wrinkles!!! I could cope with looking rough when I used to go out partying, but the wrinkles without the enjoyment is not good..ha ha!!

Still, I can cope with the wrinkly bits aslong as the mind is ok....know what I mean?

Anyway flower, take good care of yourself and hope to hear from you soon....Hope you have some nice sleepy nights soon...thinking of you...love n hugs Cinders xxx

[cheshire]

Hi Claire

How are things going for you today?
Hope you got my PM
Love
Hopefulxx

[clareyg]

Hello
Just having a browse around, as I'm awake and have been since about 2.30 a.m.!!!!!
Have been on Fluoxetine/Prozac 20mgs since August 05, things appear to be better but for how long?, I have been on that rollercoaster for nearly a year now, kids are sleeping thru' etc which was one of the initial problems,but now I'm not!!! I seem to have masses of energy & have been getting up at 4-5 a.m. and cleaning or ironing, very productive but bloody stupid if you ask me! Anyway my daughter's up now so I suppose I should stop tapping! Have a good day, Clare xxx

[cheshire]

Hi Clare

This happened to me too early on - I remember talking to my GP about it and she said that this often happens - they start sleeping more and we stop!! And with mine and PNI it just got worse until at one point I couldn't sleep at all! Awful. Now I sleep just fine, it's bliss -it will get better soon for you. Do you manage to get a few hours anight? Do you get off to sleep ok?

Anyway, hope you have a reasonable/ good day today
Hopefulxx

[susanneb1984]

I can sympathise with you all, I seem to run on empty all the time. Especially at the moment, but I keep going. I find it difficult to fall asleep until 2-3am, then I get woken up by grumpy GJ at about 4am, then I find it difficult to get back to sleep, I'm surviving on about 3 hours of sleep a night, I'm really tired, but come night time, I can't sleep again.

I have recently bought a puzzle book called HANJIE, it's a Japanese puzzle thingy, and that seems to help, as I have found, getting aggitated about not been able to sleep seems to make it worse, and doing puzzles relaxes me.

Got to be worth a try
Susanne
xxx