One of the most frustrating aspects of Lyme is to be so very tired you could cry, then when you can finally lay down and get some sleep, insomnia kicks in. this is one very ignorant and rude disease.

I have noticed the past few mornings my daughter has been coming in to wake me, and I can't wake up. I flip the TV on for her and just lay there cat-napping for another hour after she comes in. It's pathetic.

I'd love to be able to give some upbeat news on this, but this is a huge problem area for me as well. I can get to sleep. My head hits the bed and I pretty much pass out directly for several hours. But staying asleep and sleeping soundly basically doesn't happen. I either awaken numerous times, or awaken in the early a.m., when I still need several hours of sleep and am unable to get back to sleep, or I seem to float through the night right on the verge of awareness. I can even dream and have a more conscious awareness of the dreams as I'm having them.

Does anyone else experience a racing of thoughts in the morning?

It is so frustrating to be so tired, lie down, and then not be able to go to sleep. And then to get to sleep, finally, but be awakened by pain, and then not be able to get back to sleep. I don't know if the naps in the afternoon, when I allow myself to take them, help or hinder this. And if I don't get a good 10 or so hours I am not much good for the day.
Mornings are also really rough for me -- anyone else? That's usually when I feel my worst (on an average day).

At times I have slept like the dead for 14 hours and was still tired and at other times I cannot sleep even with prescrition sleeping pills. It's eithor one or the other.

Yep, yep, and yep! I had terrible insomnia back when I believe I first got Lyme. Absolutely awful. I literally went 3 24-hour days with no sleep. I "broke" right after that.

Up until recently (like, in the past week or so), I've been sleeping well. Now, it's getting a little harder to fall asleep. My insomnia problem before was staying asleep; I'd wake up at 2:22 every day (so bizarre), and be up for the day.

I would try melatonin, but I have night-time reflux issues and am afraid to take something that'd keep me from waking up if I start to choke. Sux.

But I'm not thinking about the sleep issue too much; I found I could psyche myself out of an entire night's sleep if I concentrated too hard on falling asleep.

Vicious circle, it was.

I don't know whether Melatonin would be an issue for you because it doesn't "drug" you to sleep. It promotes your natural circadiam rhythm to allow you to get into natural sleep cycles, that's why you don't have that "hung over" feeling in the morning. I take it and don't have trouble getting up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night. If you've never tried it you may want to consider a low dose of it. But it isn't a once in a while type of thing. You take it every night to benefit from it.

Kind of go back and forth between some insomnia where I kinda fight it and where i get too much...weird thing.

Overall, much, much improved with the treatment as I'm now able to sleep three or four or more hours! That is progress come to think of it.

Pretty much exactly the same as y'all... I feel exhausted but then lay down and toss & turn. I know I get a few good hours but it sure seems like I'm conscious for hours on end. Other times I am dead asleep for literally days. Especially if I get overtired -- I am wiped out and can go to sleep at 3pm in the afternoon and not get up until 10am the next morning.

I drove to my mom's for nearly 4 hours and I paid for it this past weekend! Slept from 3p to 9am... Poor children fending for themselves with their nana... Course they are 10 and 17 so they're fine but I still feel like a crappy mother.

My LLMD says sometimes the insomnia or waking up can be hypoglycemia. She suggested a tablespoon of peanut butter before bed. I'll try anything because none of the drugs work for me.

I'm getting to the point where I don't even look forward to going to bed, and I'm exhausted like ya'll. I used to sleep so good; ok, never enough but that was by choice. Now I sleep for maybe 1 - 3 hours and the pain wakes me. When I wake with pain and have noone here, I worry and can't find any comfort. I think that is why I'm not sleeping... the pain and then the anxiety over the illness. I'm still hoping to get rid of the bacteria so as not to deal with this any longer.

And, Laurie, I have not experienced the racing of thoughts but I have had many experiences of "searching for my words." Any cognitive symptoms are scary!

May we all have a blessedly long and sound sleep this evening.

Take care, all........

Joni

Hi,

I'm afraid I can't add anything upbeat either. Over the past 15 years my sleep has been so bad that I require sleep meds. Ambien CR is nice; when I acclimate to that I switch to low-dose Klonopin (2.5mg) and doxepin (15-20 mg, from the liquidpediatric formulation). Then it still takes over an hour to get to sleep.

Staying asleep is sometimes difficult too - I wake up about 6AM and can't sleep any more til an afternoon nap.

I have also had a couple of episodes of sleep paralysis - one lasted the whole night. Other nights I toss & turn so much I wind myself up like a mummy in the sheet. Fortunately with the meds both of those are rare - once a year maybe.

Jerry

Geez guys, I was feeling really alone with the insomnia this week, but guess I'm in good company. It's been a problem ever since I first got sick (20 ya), but especially bad recently. I've tried most everything, from melatonin, to herbals, to Rx meds. Sometimes they work great, sometimes not.

When I saw the title of this post, I was like "great"...What do they have to say. And then I realized why I thought great. I posed the question to begin with.

Jerrycam - I cannot tolerate Ambien CR at all. My dad does well on it though -- he has cancer and uneven sleep -- and he loves it. My mom doesn't like it either -- we have the same experience. Great sleep during the evening -- and mornings feel like I'm 21 again, but then I get c r an k y!!!

Anyways, naps are awesome if I can work one in. Also, flexeril WAS great. I developed an intolerance. It helps block pain though so I take it anyway at times -- it's a tricyclic antidepressant variation so it cannot be added to other antidepressants until that is all out of the system. Probably not making sense...

Oh well.

Pleasant dreams everyone! Sleep WELL!

Yes! I can get to sleep, but if anything wakes me (a daughter creeping into the room, the cat changing position, my husband coming to bed later...) I can't get back to sleep, and have racing thoughts and great anxiety and sometimes surges of panic. And I wake very very easily. Of course, sleep also does not refresh, it merely keeps me from feeling even worse. I do manage a bit better if I sleep alone in my daughter's room and let her sleep with her sister...
(^-^) I do intend to try melatonin, but I don't think it works for long during the night?

Here are some excellent tips on how to get a good night's sleep.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm

Just a quick post and to say "good night" and "good luck" everyone. May you can many pleasant ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs!