Trying to get better sleep

[Andrewbanker]

Hi everyone,

I have had a reasoably good run since last December. Whilst I have had aggressive tonic-clonic siezures over the last 5 years, I have only had simple partialls since going on medication 4 years ago. And not many since December.

I have a very full on job, and after a very tiring year I took long service leave to take the family to Vietman. I got back home a week ago, and still have a week before I go back to work.

Yesterday, and particilarly last night I had 10 simple partials that felt very similar to the way a tonic-clonic would come on. I suspect the medication kicked in, but it really threw me. I had 8, every 15 minutes in bed last night.
I have missed a lot of sleep during the past few weeks, and have struggled to sleep since I got back home. I am also very dehydrated even though I am drinking water constantly. Lack of sleep, dehydration and stress are my triggers.

Any tips to improve my sleep and get some rehydration?

I expect my Nuerologist will put my medication up further, which I want to avoid, as Keppra tends to impact my mood.

Pthsnks

Andrew

 

[CathyAnn31]

I'm sorry about your sleeping problems, doesn't sound fun at all, . Could you still be having a bit of jet lag? Days and nights mixed up?

I'm sorry I'm not very helpful. I'm sure someone with better suggestions will reply soon.

**hugs** hope you get some decent sleep tonight.

 

[Andrewbanker]

Thanks for your reply. I think I am ine of those people who finds it hard to switch the brain off! Could still be jetlag.

 

[mylo]

for sleep: i don't believe melatonin reacts with keppra. helps me get some awesome lucid dreams too

for hydration: sports drinks maybe?

 

[valeriedl]

I'm always thirsty. I bet I drink close to half a gallon a day, not extracting. I usually drink water, crystal light or things without caffeine in it. Try to stay away from caffeine that might help some with the sleeping.

Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

If it's falling asleep try to go to bed at the same time every night, this way your body knows it's bed time.

I read for about a half an hour when I get in bed and it makes me tired. That's the only time I read because if I do any other time of the day I'll end up falling asleep when I do. So if you can think of something to do every night when you go to bed, and only do it then, that might help some. Try not sleeping with the tv on because you may get too involved watching the program to fall asleep.

This might sound stupid but if I'm having trouble falling to sleep I'll start counting to 100. I'll just keep going from 1 to 100 and eventually I'll drift off.

As far as staying asleep my husband and I had to start sleeping in separate bedrooms because we just couldn't sleep in the same bed together. We'd kick each other and wake each other up. I'm a bed hog and we'd fight over the bed and covers at night pulling them off of each other. He'd wake up with his head on the night stand with no covers so he'd end up waking me up so I'd move and he could get more of the bed and something to put over him. He also snores really bad and he'd wake me up. So we just decided that since we have two bedrooms each of us could have our own.

If you have any pets it might be better to sleep with or with out them, which ever works for you. I have a hard time sleeping if the cats aren't in bed with me but sometimes they will wake me up if they start walking on me. When they are hungry for breakfast they will start batting me in the face to wake me up. I laugh because I take my meds in the morning when I feed them and they know when it's time to eat. So if the power ever went and my alarm wouldn't go off out I'd have nothing to worry about because I know the cat's would wake me up.

 

[CathyAnn31]

I agree with a lot of what Valerie said, except for the bed hog issue. You had me LOL!!!

I hope you're enjoying a restful sleep at the moment.

 

[Neuro Picker]

Hi, I have a big problem with sleeping at times. So much so, I wrote a short blog post on it, google neuropickings and find 'sleep management'.

There are many more gentle herbal remedies for sleep, melatonin didn't work for me it just provided the initial 'get me off to sleep' and then I found myself awake two hours later wide awake.

Hops is good. I place it under my pillow case and it helps me nod off gently. In the past people used to even fall asleep while harvesting hops due to breathing it in.

Hope you're getting on better.

NP