catalinav, I have the same problem, no matter what time I go to bed I am up between 3:00 and 4:00 am. Lately I have been trying two things together that seems to help a little. I take Melatonin and drink Chamomile tea at nights. I still only average about 5 to 6 hrs. of sleep, and if something wakes me up in the middle of the night I'm done for. I can fall asleep I just can't stay asleep. It also makes me crazy. Hang in there you are not alone.

Can you guys go into more detail of what you feel when you can not sleep? Do you feel dizzy while sleeping or you just do not feel sleepy at all?

Sazfar, I get both. I can lay down exhausted and toss and turn and can not sleep. I can be laying there and feel the room and sometimes even the bed moving; of course they are not but the sensation is there. I have found that at times I am holding on to the headboard and not even realizing I am doing so. Eventually everything calms down and I doze off...but I toss and turn, can't seem to get comfortable without feeling sick then I wake up. If you have ever had anesthsia, the sensation you get when your comeing out of it is what I feel when I wake up during the night untill I can get comfortable again and again that will only last for a short time. So in the morning when I wake up, I wake up exhausted.

I start out sleeping really good, and then in the early morning hours I wake up, and can't go back to sleep. My day starts anywhere from 3:00 to 4:00 in the morning. Make me crazy because my husband just has to think about putting his head on the pillow and he is out for the next 8 to 9 hours. It also does not help that I am a very light sleeper, if something wakes me up I am done, I can not fall back to sleep.

I sometimes change rooms when that happens to me but I do see how the condition effects both of you while sleeping. Thanks

It is fairly common for us with MD to not get much sleep. I've found that the brand Allteril (sp?) which is an all natural sleep aid helps me the most. Also, if you aren't getting at least 8 hrs of sleep, it is important to take a nap -- or at least rest for an hour if possible. It takes your body extra energy to fight being able to be upright and walking straight and keeping your eyes seeing what they should be looking at. It's like your body is running a marathon everyday. So in our condition, you do need extra rest. That has been proven medically, so when my 83 yr old mother makes fun of me for sleeping so much, I have proof that I need to. : )

Yeah after being diagnosed last year I have been sleeping early around 11pm every night to wake up at 7.

I don't sleep well either, even if I'm not having a vertigo attack. I'm up early and tired thruout the day. I try not to take a nap with what is going on w/ my health and the stress of it. I don't think my mind slows down to let me sleep that well
IWSTEVE

Catalinaav,
I suffered from insomnia for many years. It was job related. Then, they put me on Prednisone for the MD. That stuff was a nightmare. DId not sleep for three days. Went on Ambien. That stuff is dangerous. Eventually weaned myself off of it through simple procedures I explain later. Over the last 20 years I have tried every homeopathic drug known to man. I have gone to sleep experts and knew more than they did. Melatonin worked the best. But...my MD hates it. Makes me very dizzy. As does the Ambien. As does any of the sleep aids. So, here's what I did. First I researched insomnia on the web. There are some great sites. Read up on everything. Tried everything. Bottomline: here's what works for me. Your body will sleep eventually. It will naturally seek sleep. The anxiety goes away once you realize that. It will take awhile for that to sink in. Take no naps. I watch NO TV after 8 PM. I read in a comfy chair until I feel sleepy. Bedtime is at the same time with the same preparations every night. I cannot eat tomatoes, salad, sugar, fresh fruit, etc. before bed. Anything energy producing will keep you up. I eat protein (turkey, chicken) with milk around 7 PM. (I wake up hungry and can't go back to sleep.) If I don't feel sleepy, I read. Got a chance to cover many terriffic books that way. Again, your body will seek sleep when it needs it. One sleepless night and the next night you will sleep. Pretty soon, insomnia will be very rare. Keep all stressful events out of your life for now. Hard to do, but a must. I keep telling myself that I don't have to do anything that makes the MD worse. Lack of sleep, stress, not eating right, not exercising, etc. makes it worse. Oh yes, you have to exercise. Walk, run, aerobics, weight training, mow lawns...but...you have to exercise. So, that's it. My insomnia issues became worse by a hundredfold when MD hit. My Guardian Angel and I have held hands many a night praying for sleep and no vertigo. Try everything. The body and mindcalming exercises, tryptophan laced foods (turkey), prayer, reading, etc. will work for you...you just gotta find the right combination.
Big hug. Many good wishes. Hope my little discourse helps.
Sunnyblsd