Drowsiness

[Army Vet]

Just thought I'd start a thread about being drowsy... ALL THE TIME!

Seems like I'm drowsy for most of the day (on and off) and we all know it's due to the medications. However, out of one month, I MIGHT get ONE night of "decent" sleep and wakeup refreshed and ready to start the day. And I consider "decent" as in I wakeup in the middle of the night and can go right back to sleep and not have to get up at 4:30 AM because I’m too awake to do so.

Kind of a "Catch-22." I'm tired all day, everyday, but then I can't sleep at night because I didn't really do anything. Well of course this means I need to be more active, but much easier said than done. And of course one causes the other. If you can't sleep, you're stressed. If you're stressed then you can't sleep! Two of the biggest contributors to seizures (YAY!) Then of course add a seizure in there and you really feel like garbage for a couple of days (ie just leave me alone and let me rest).

Anyway, partial vent, partial suggestions.

I've already stopped using electronics by 8 PM. I'm finally starting to eat dinner sooner (on time used to be 8 PM for my family; now 7 PM is becoming somewhat the new norm). I definitely don't drink anything after 8 PM (hello toilet or wet bed!). And OF COURSE I DO NOT drink tea nor coffee in the afternoon/evening (I have one cup of coffee at 6:30 AM and that is it!). I also try to get up at the same time (6:30-ish) and go to bed NLT midnight (I figure I go when I start to feel like I can go to sleep; otherwise tossing and turning makes you feel worse.

Bottom line, I guess I’m curious as to what others have tried that helped get over being drowsy all day, everyday which then led to better sleep on a regular basis.

BTW, while I was typing this, my head felt a little heavy (ie drowsy).

 

[Porkette]

Hi Army Vet,

I have felt the same way that you do between work and taking care of everything around home I'm always tired. I'm sure
stress has a lot to do with it but have you had a blood test recently? I found out I was anemic a couple of times and my Dr.
put me on Folic Acid and that helped me a lot. Maybe you need that and a little more iron in your body.

If you can break away from home for a day or 2 and just do what you want that has helped me a lot.
Wishing you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Nakamova]

I use Super Snooze (you can google it) when I’m having trouble sleeping. It has magnesium, melatonin, passionflower, valerian, hops -- all thing that are know to help with sleep. As with any supplement, your mieage may vary (and might want to check with you doc first), but it seems to work for me.

My cousin uses CBD oil to help with sleep. As a bonus she discovered that it helps to lessen pain in her hands and knees.

During the change of seasons (like now) my sleep tends to get off-track for a week or so. It doesn't help that they start jackhammering on my street around 7:30am, so even when I am allowed to sleep in, I can't.

 

[Plasticmask]

I just sleep.

 

[valeriedl]

Keeping the same sleep schedule helps a lot. My usual day consists of getting up at 7am to take meds and feed the cats. I go back to bed then get up for the day at 9am when I take my other meds. I usually always talk a nap in the afternoon for an hour or two. I notice that if I go too many days in a row with out that nap then I'm more likely to have a seizure.

When I get in bed I'll read, that usually puts me to sleep. At times I might only read for about 15 minutes before I pass out but there have been other times that it could be an hour or more.

I don't keep the tv on in my room all night. I really don't even watch tv in my bedroom that often. I don't know where I heard it but watching tv in bed makes your body think that the bed really isn't just some place to sleep in so that's why it can be harder to fall asleep.

Day light savings time messes me up too, especially when you 'Spring Ahead'. Getting up that hour earlier than usual is horrible until I get used to it. 'Falling Behind' isn't too bad though.

 

[ChaChaSlide]

Regular exercise helps me sleep better. Try just taking a walk in the afternoon. Also try a sleep app. Look into Espy. You can log your seizures and daily insights you may have. You may be able to find a pattern. My Do not disturb isn’t schedules from 10 pm to 7:15 am. Getting on more of a sleep schedule will help you sleep better at night giving you more energy during the day. Sadly, some meds make you tired and in that fog like state. Tell your Dr. maybe there is another med that won’t make you so tired. Good luck! Hang in there.

 

[Heavy Kevy]

Meditation helps me fall asleep. It took some time to figure out. I’m sure I was hyperventilating myself in the begging. Either breathing to fast or slow.
Just focusing on the top and bottom of my breath repeating the word calm when I exhale. Calm is the word I use. Aka...my mantra, You can use any word or hum noise you want. Thoughts will pop in and out, or you might have an itch. That’s ok. Scratch it! Put the thought in the back of your brain. Just keep going back to your “mantra”.
I think I get so bored I fall asleep.

Look at that! Thousands of years of meditation and I summed it up in a paragraph

“I do not envy the headache you will have when you wake, but in the meantime rest well and dream of large women.”
– Westley says goodnight to the giant Fezzik
Princess Bride

 

[Matthew74]

I have a theory that being exhausted all the time makes it hard to sleep. It's just speculation, but I find that I'm so used to being tired that I don't notice being tired at night. It's just more of the same. If I actually check in with myself I can tell the difference, but I won't notice it. My mind also has to calm down.

Exercise helps, as does going outside during the day.

Chamomile tea helps me to sleep more soundly.

Lemon balm tea helps me to fall asleep - but if I use it too often it lowers my seizure threshold. One of the popular tea brands has chamomile with lemon balm in it.

1/6th mg (or less) of melatonin helps me fall asleep about an hour after I take it. Melatonin actually helps me wake up in the morning better than fall asleep, but sometimes it's too early. Even if it's too early, I feel better. I have to cut a 1mg pill up. Unfortunately it also lowers my seizure threshold.

I had bad experiences with several medications for sleep - including seizures.

-

I also decided that my meds actually make me tired. I don't just feel tired. I am tired. There's a difference, because you actually need recovery from real fatigue.

 

[Sabbo]

I keep a pretty set sleep/wake schedule. I'm so used to my meds that their "drowsiness" no longer affects me. I'll sometimes have nights when I can't sleep despite being extremely tired. I usually go to bed by 10:30-11pm, & then I'm up between 4-4:30am.