COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Insomnia, that is, the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep at appropriate times is a very common problem. I venture to say that nearly every person has had some degree of sleeplessness at one time or another. I am not talking about the restlessness of anticipation, such as just before holidays, big trips, or other special events. I am talking about when there is nothing particularly on your mind, either good or bad, and you just cant sleep.
The basic reasons underlying sleeplessness are the subject of a great amount of study these days. Sometimes there is a clear-cut explanation, such as lack of oxygen during sleep or so-called sleep disordered breathing. Your see that our respiratory center has a lot to do with rate and depth of breathing during sleep, and if your respiratory center is getting mixed messages about how to breathe in case of emphysema, breathing regularity may become disturbed or temporarily interrupted. This will almost always awaken a patient because of the sensation that something is wrong.
When these definite abnormalities are found by a physician, specific corrective treatment can be prescribed. Many more patients have sleep disturbances for no known reason. Here is some advice about dealing with this common situation.
First, just recognize that sleeplessness is common and, by itself, is not harmful. Just remember that you will sleep the next day. If things are running through your mind or you are afraid of forgetting something important, turn on the light and make notes of your ideas, thoughts, or concerns. This will break the cycle of things running through your mind. It is even good to get up and do natural things that will promote sleepiness, such as reading, taking a warm bath, or drinking some warm milk. Why do these things work? Simply stated, they relax your mind so that natural sleep occurs, and there is a substance in warm milk called tryptophan which makes people sleepy.
I have left sleeping pills to last because they tend to be overused, but in certain situations mild amounts of tranquilizers or short-acting sleeping pills can be prescribed with safety by your doctor. Before relying on sleeping pills, just remember that some degree of insomnia is very common. In fact, that is why I am writing this Newsletter at 2:00 in the morning.
Dr. Thomas Petty, Professor of Medicine University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Consultant and Faculty at HealthONE Center Denver, CO.
From:National Emphysema Foundation web site.
http://www.emphysemafoundation.org/?page_id=5
I hope someone finds this helpful.
Love to all of you,
Holly
The basic reasons underlying sleeplessness are the subject of a great amount of study these days. Sometimes there is a clear-cut explanation, such as lack of oxygen during sleep or so-called sleep disordered breathing. Your see that our respiratory center has a lot to do with rate and depth of breathing during sleep, and if your respiratory center is getting mixed messages about how to breathe in case of emphysema, breathing regularity may become disturbed or temporarily interrupted. This will almost always awaken a patient because of the sensation that something is wrong.
When these definite abnormalities are found by a physician, specific corrective treatment can be prescribed. Many more patients have sleep disturbances for no known reason. Here is some advice about dealing with this common situation.
First, just recognize that sleeplessness is common and, by itself, is not harmful. Just remember that you will sleep the next day. If things are running through your mind or you are afraid of forgetting something important, turn on the light and make notes of your ideas, thoughts, or concerns. This will break the cycle of things running through your mind. It is even good to get up and do natural things that will promote sleepiness, such as reading, taking a warm bath, or drinking some warm milk. Why do these things work? Simply stated, they relax your mind so that natural sleep occurs, and there is a substance in warm milk called tryptophan which makes people sleepy.
I have left sleeping pills to last because they tend to be overused, but in certain situations mild amounts of tranquilizers or short-acting sleeping pills can be prescribed with safety by your doctor. Before relying on sleeping pills, just remember that some degree of insomnia is very common. In fact, that is why I am writing this Newsletter at 2:00 in the morning.
Dr. Thomas Petty, Professor of Medicine University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Consultant and Faculty at HealthONE Center Denver, CO.
From:National Emphysema Foundation web site.
http://www.emphysemafoundation.org/?page_id=5
I hope someone finds this helpful.
Love to all of you,
Holly
I am so glad you wrote about this. I have had insomnia all of my adult life. There are times when I will not sleep for up three nights. You have provided some wonderful information.
I would like to add, or rather expand of your suggestions, that have been helpful to me.
1. On the nights I am unable to go to sleep within 30 minutes of laying down, I get up! By laying there and tossing and turning, I get more awake.
2. If there is something running in mind, I try some relaxation tricks. I lay very still, slow my breathing, and starting with my head, I think about something pleasant, and very slowly begin to feel the tention flow from the head, down to my fingertips, and finally down through my feet. Strange as this seems, I learned how to do touch therapy for my dogs..and just applied it to myself.
3. OTC sleep medications, like Tylenol PM, Aleve PM, and so on all have the same active ingrediant..benedryl. So don't spend extra money..you can buy the generic benedryl by it's self.
4. Use caution with the prescription sleep meds, like Ambien, Halcion, etc. one of the side effects of the hypnotic class of sleep rxs is sleep walking, eatting, driving, and short term memory loss. I went through all of the side effects I mentioned many years ago.
Again, Holly...thanks for opening up this discussion..Love, Becky