SLEEP

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

In the past there may have been threads on sleep and how to improve our quality of sleep.

I am starting this thread up and hope to include past thread titles.

For some of us sleep is a real issue, the more we can learn about it the better informed we will be.

Funny stories on weird places you have fallen asleep are welcome as well.

For me, I had just moved house and was very busy getting everything organised. Friends invited me to the drag races. I was so tired and exhausted that I sat down, leant against the fence right near the starting line and fell asleep for most of the evening.

Hope to read some of your stories and tips.

Cheerio for now, from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Paul and Pet and all reading,

This not being able to blow your nose thing is weird. So are the head spins I've had since the operation. I usually have a reaction to the anaesthetic one way or another.

Not long now and I will see the ENT DR again. I agree with you Pet, sinus infections are dreadful. It is amazing how much they affect you! I've had mine for years now pretty much non stop, so it was time for the op.

My sister gave me some rose smelling hand cream for my birthday, even with it right under my nose I couldn't smell it. She was amazed as she could smell it the other side of the room.

Mind you, there are some smells I am not looking forward to...Ha. Ha.

Was able to breathe a bit through my nose last night, yah. Had a better sleep.

I've been getting up late and snoozing during the day, taking great advantage of the time to rest and relax before I head back to work! All in aid of the recovery process.

We have some sunshine today, I will get some Vitamin D and will make some vegetable soup as well, all of that will also be beneficial for a better night's sleep.

Cheers all, from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Me again,

I was just thinking about how much of what we do during the day can affect our sleep.

That is something I need to be more aware of during this time of rest and recovery.

Maybe I shouldn't change my sleeping pattern too much as I do have to return to work again soon.

Or maybe I do need to just rest and recuperate now and get back on schedule when I need to.

Cheers!

[SleepyHeadcantgetoutofbed]

Hey, I'm new on here.

I have been diagnosed with severe depression about a year ago, and one of the reasons that got me to talk to someone about it was that I was always sleeping and sleeping through things, missing classes and Uni, sleeping through shifts at work.

In the mornings no matter how hard I try or how much I want to, it seems almost impossible for me to get out of bed on my own. I have multiple alarms set, although I mostly sleep through them. Has anybody got any suggestions on getting out of bed in the morning so I can stop failing uni, stop missing work, and have less stress on my already quite full plate?

[JessF]

Hello Sleepy, welcome along! I suppose a good place to start is at the beginning. Before suggesting how to get out of bed, what time do you regularly go to bed? How long do you normally sleep for in one night, regardless of what time you are supposed to be up the next day?

[blondguy]

Hello Sleepyhead and welcome

JessF has spot on with her wise post....what time do you go to bed...as in generally?..Paul 🙂

[Doolhof]

Hi Sleepy,

Thanks for sharing your story here. Since your diagnosis for depression, how have you been assisted by Drs or by anyone? Have you done much research on depression?

Not being able to stay awake or even having trouble getting out of bed is a problem in itself. Like Paul and Jess have mentioned, the time you actually go to bed can affect the time you wake up.

As for how to get up when you are so tired, do you have someone else in the home who can help you?

You mentioned you have set various alarms, the thing is to try really hard to get up once the alarm goes off. Try throwing the blankets back, once I am getting cold then I try to force myself to get up.

How is your diet and do you exercise at all? Is it possible to sit out in the sun for while each day?

Have you asked your Dr for some blood tests to see if there might be something else going on? I am not wanting to alarm you at all, but things like an under active thyroid can make you very tired as can illnesses like Glandular Fever.

I'm certainly no medical expert, it may just be wise to ask a Dr. for a check up to rule out any possible issues other than the depression.

These are a few things to think about, let us know how you feel about the ideas we have suggested.

Cheers fro now from Mrs. Dools

[Petra]

Hello Mrs Dools

How's your nose coming along? Not long now until the much anticipated nose-blowing ceremony. We're in August at least. Thinking of you.

Sleep is better for me. A few waking episodes due to anxiety but nothing like it was some months ago.

Sleepy-head, great suggestions from Mrs Dools here. I had chronic fatigue for approx 24 months after picking up a virus from overseas. It was debilitating. Literally asleep on my feet. The Dr helped out here with a med that kept me awake during the day as tests for all else showed nothing. I spent a great deal of money at a Naturopath too! Thankfully it worked but the cost was crippling, even with private health. Definitely speak to a GP about it. The chronic fatigue hit first, then the depression and some experts tried to tell me it was the other way around. Not so. If you come across a not so helpful GP, it's okay to get a second opinion. Pleased you shared your struggle with us. Hoping the best for you.

Pet 😊

[Doolhof]

Hi Everyone,

Hey Pet, so you had Chronic fatigue too? I had that for a few years. Did you have the whole brain fog thing happening as well? I would go in the kitchen, want to make a cup of tea, but have no idea how to go about it!

The sleep thing was weird. I would lie in bed like a beached whale. It would take me half an hour to work out how to roll myself over let alone get up!

Unless you have been through it, or seen someone experience it, you have no idea what it can be like.

My mind has been quite fuzzy since then. My memory is shot. I think it is hilarious. I asked my sister where she bought the scarf she was wearing one day, and she told me I had given it to her for her last birthday...a couple of months ago. I am quite often making comments like that.

I see the specialist tomorrow. I think all of Australia will hear the nose blowing ceremony! Ha. Ha. It will be so good to be able to breathe normally again. It will help immensely with my sleep.

Don't know about anyone else, but due to my anti depressant medication, I have a very dry mouth at the best of times. Then to breathe through my mouth all night, I was waking up feeling like my mouth had been out in the desert!

Sleep. It really is very important. Not enough and even too much as Sleepy Head has shared is not all that beneficial to us.

Hoping we all find solutions.

Cheers form Mrs. Dools

[Petra]

Hi Mrs Dools

Good luck at the specialist today! I'm be listening out for the thunder and fireworks thereafter!

Yes, unfortunately I had CFS for a couple of years which seems to have stemmed after picking up a virus during my return from an overseas trip. It took ages for the virus to disappear. I ended up with sinusitis which isn't unusual for me, but I couldn't shake the fatigue and the aching all over. I sat at every opportunity, and fell asleep if I sat for too long. I kept telling my GP "I'm not depressed...I know what depression feels like." Depression could have very well started if nothing was done. I eventually was given a slow release pain killer for the body aches, which I'd take an hour before getting out of bed, so I could move freely. This med had a great affect on me. Kept me awake! GP couldn't or wouldn't believe me that it had this affect, as apparently it makes people sleepy generally. Anyhow I continued life on one a day, and on trying to stop, the symptoms returned immediately. Then I went to a Naturopath as I thought I was only masking the problem not fixing, so with her help transitioning from pain meds to herbal remedies and other, eventually saw the end of CFS. It cost a mint but I came good thankfully. Mind over matter? I don't know, and I don't care! All I know is I achieved an end to CFS and I don't ever want it again! I feared I'd be like that for the rest of my days. It was debilitating.

I believe I know what you mean about memory issues. I've been working in the same place for over 27 years now. My boss would look at me often with much concern because I forgot some of the basics of my work! Only after him pointing things out did I remember them! I knew I had a problem when others close to you notice things too!

There's my story with the dreaded CFS.

All the best today. Look forward to hearing how the celebrations went!

Pet 😊 xx

[Doolhof]

Hi Pet and Everyone,

The specialist appointment went well. He was pleased with the post op examination. Seems the sinus will naturally still be partially blocked and inflamed for a couple more weeks yet.

He sent me off for a CT of my chest just to check things out as while I was in hospital I had some blood flow into my lungs, had heart palpitations quite severely and other chest pain. That test seems to be all clear so the Dr is not sure what was going on in hospital.

He called me his Mystery patient! Ha. Ha.

It is tough getting back to work as I am still feeling really tired, dizzy in the head and out of breathe!

Oh well. Next week I will be feeling better...