This is a really hard one because some of the meds we take can cause insomnia or poor sleep and sleep is so important for us. I have had insomnia for years and it stinks. If I dont take anything, I wont sleep so its a double edged sword for me. There are meds, obviously that we can take to help us sleep but I completely understand not wanting to take another med, especially one we can become dependant on. Steroids can cause insomnia, so if your on it, this may be causing your issue.

If you want to try something else, try eating some cheddar cheese before bed. I know it sounds funny, but if you can eat cheese, there is something in it that can help us to fall asleep. Lavender oil may also help or drinking a sleepy tea before bed. None of these have helped me though but these things affect everyone differently. You may want to speak to your dr. about taking something for this issue if it continues though. Sleep is so important for us and without it, we can flare and get sicker.Gotta run. Duty calls (ryan)
Hugs

Thanks Luv!! I have tried the lavendar approach and also the sleepy tea before bed and neither seems to help. I will try the cheddar cheese tonight to see if that helps

READ!!!
IT WORKS FOR ME
BUT I ALSO KNOW SOMEONE THAT CANT PUT DOWN A BOOK
BUT IF I START I READ FOR A WHILE BUT THEN I GET SO SLEEPY

-JUST A THOUGHT
BE WELL

Thanks Comet...i love reading!!

Melatonin has worked great for me. I used to have trouble falling and staying asleep and it helped both, though if I'm having more of the other symptoms the melatonin doesn't work as well.

Also valerian root, lemon balm, catnip tea. and tryptophan. Tryptophan is in turkey, milk products so those are good at night.

When I had a really difficult time sleeping on the high dose (60 mg) of prednisone I had to get a CD from a therapist to help. I was a Psy major so I called one of my professors who recommended me seeing this guy because of the CD. It is so old though, noone knows the name. Any guided CD might help. This one was neat in that you had to stress every muscle for a couple minutes then release. First couple of nights I must have played that thing 10 times but after that it got much easier to sleep. I wish you a good night's rest.

Sorry that you're having a hard time staying asleep - it's so much harder on our bodies and mind when we don't sleep. I used to have the same problem; falling asleep was easy but staying asleep was hard.
When I started going to my new Rheumy last summer he sent me to a sleep specialist who taught me how to sleep.
Take your calcium at bedtime. Try Calm Forte - it's natural and you can find it at a health store; it helps to get you into the deep sleep and to keep you asleep with no morning side effects. I used to take 5 of them before bed.
Here's some other tips:
-Only be in bed when it's time to sleep, no reading or watching tv in bed.
-Have the same quiet routine an hour before bed every night. During this hour try not to have any bright lights on in the house - brush your teeth, wash your face and put your pajamas on with candle light. I bought the flameless candles - they're great and a lot of them are on timers (you can find them at Target)
-Turn off your computer and cell phones - they can interfere with your deep sleep.
-Don't put pj's on until you're about to go to sleep.
-When you get into bed - Say to yourself "ahhh, my bed feel so great, my covers and pillows are so soft". Try to keep your thoughts on the "present" with how great your bed feels.
-When you wake up in the middle of the night - don't turn on any bright lights and try not to look at the clock. If you have to go to the restroom than go but then go right back to bed. When you get back into bed have your mind go to the happy present thoughts of how great your bed feels. If your mind starts to race then try to bring it back to "happy now" thoughts.
It sounds silly but it really changed my life with sleep; you're re-training your mind.
Meditation also helps.
Good luck and contact me if you have any questions!!

Sandy....I dont have time to write right now but wanted to let you know that Melatonin can be dangerous for us to take. It may even say on the bottle (like it does on mine and another members on her bottle when I mentioned this) that if you have AI diseases you should not take this supplement. It can do something to us but Im not sure what it is. Im sure if you take it once in a while it is ok but taking it regularly isnt good for us. Just an FYI to be aware of.

Abnormal sleeping patterns is something I deal with as well. I have heard some great tips on this thread. Reading, like Volleyball was saying helps her, helps me too. I find if I start reading it helps to mellow me out and aids in relaxation.
Another thing I do too which helps me the most is too I actually will get on my treadmill for at least 7-10 minutes. The walking helps drain my extra energy. =)
Sometimes some I drink a cup of hot chicken broth or just drink some hot decafinated tea.
Good luck to you =)