Speaking of Sleep - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

Heather · #1 11-26-2005, 06:39 PM

Does anyone remember our conversation about night-terrors and sleep paralysis? Last night, I didn't actually fall asleep until 5am. (Mike was at his parent's house so I was home alone.) I got in bed around 11pm and for the next six hours, everytime I closed my eyes, it wasn't five minutes later that I was experiencing sleep paralysis - being awake but not able to move, talk, etc. It happens probably 3 times a week, but when I touch Mike, it stops. Last night he wasn't here for me to get next to, and I paid for it.

I remember someone saying that it's an actual condition and that you can see your doctor for it. Has anyone taken this route? If so, what did your doc do or prescribe, and did it help?

cru5h · #2 11-26-2005, 07:43 PM

That hasn't happened to me yet, thank God. I'd be way too scared to handle that. Richy said it happened to him once and he literally had to make himself fall back to sleep and then throw himself off the bed the next time he started to wake up. Sounds like real quality sleep huh?

If this happened to me more than a few times I'd definitely speak to my doctor about it. Good luck :/

Marge129 · #3 11-26-2005, 08:50 PM

Nope, never seen a doctor... I wonder if I should. One night when Jerry wasn't here, I dreamt that someone had broken into my house and was in my bedroom. I was half awake and I remember trying to open my eyes, grab them, and tell the person to get the F*** out of my house.

That kind of stuff happens to me all the time when I'm home alone. I check to make sure I've locked the doors like 100 times, then I have to sleep fully clothed (I usually don't), with the fan and TV on, and I have to be able to read the gun (and ammo for it) next to my bed.... just in case. Any noise I hear wakes me up and terrifies me... I lay completely still... don't move done speak. I just hope whatever it is will go away.

whiddle · #4 11-26-2005, 09:14 PM

I hate sleeping when I am alone in the house. I have to sleep on the couch in the living room with ALL the lights on. I am constantly hearing people break in. I hate being alone. I get no sleep. If I do fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night, I will lay perfectly still and try to fake sleep until whatever it is leaves.

Side Note: Nobody has ever broke into my house.

sparklesweetie · #5 11-27-2005, 12:46 AM

Yeah, sleep is my friend. I feel for all of you that have trouble sleeping at times, it sucks when you don't get the rest you need. I however, am at the other end of the spectrum.
I die when I sleep. Or at least my friends think so, according to them I'm stiff as a board and will not wake up for ANYTHING. And since we've been having these storms lately, FH stays up until they pass. I know one was pretty bad and he almost came in to get me....I had no clue it even happened. He told me it stormed the next day and I was like, "it did?" It's kind of scary really, sleeping that hard. Should something happen....guess I'll be in trouble. :/
On a side note- the only time I do not sleep like the dead is when I'm babysitting...then I hear everything. Weird.

wynelle · #6 11-28-2005, 01:35 AM

My sleeping pills keep me from experiencing this too much. But the other night, I didn't have them at my daughter's. Between my furbaby coming out of sedation and pacing in circles on the bed, then hissing at the new kittens, then the babies playing loudly on not-so-little kitten feet, I thought I checked the clock every 45 minutes. At 6 (according to the clock) I thought I heard my SIL talking on the phone. "This is Pat, just checking in, uh huh...uh huh. Okay." I saw him. My bedroom door was open. I tried to get up to make him coffee. Couldn't move. But I wasn't really awake. That kind of extremely vivid and convincing dream makes sleep worthless because you think you are up all night.

I was told that mild anti-depressants could control that type of dream. I prefer my sleeping pills.

Heather · #7 11-28-2005, 01:58 AM

I've tried Tylenol PM before, but it makes me sooo tired in the morning. I feel almost as if I were hung over. My pain meds & muscle relaxers don't affect me the way they used to anymore because I'm building a tolerance to them. They used to knock me out.

I think the next time I see my primary doc, I'll ask her about it and see what she thinks.

bebe · #8 11-28-2005, 05:09 PM

I was having a really hard time sleeping before the wedding. The second I fell asleep, I would wake in a panic thinking about something I still needed to do, it was awful. I tried Unisom, but that left me feeling groggy for half of the following day. I then triend Alluna, which is herbal. It's Valerian Root, which is also in Sleepytime Extra Tea that I drink from time to time. It stinks to high heaven, but IT WORKS. It doesn't make you sleep, but it is easier to fall asleep, and if I ever wake up during the night when I am taking it, I am able to immediately fall back to sleep. I wake up like any other morning, no sleepy/groggy side effects. I swear by it. You can buy it at the drug store, no prescription.

Wynelle, was the 'mild anti-depressant' Nortryptelene? Because that is what I used to take for my chronic headaches. I guess in large doses it can be used for an anti-depressant, but in small doses it is a prophylactic med for headaches. That stuff knocked me out with just 10 mg. and gave me CRAZY dreams! Not scary, just soooooo weird. I had to stop taking it because it just made me too sleepy. The dreams were actually kind of cool.

But if you suffer from sleep paralysis, it may have to opposite effect and give you really scary dreams. Just wondering.

wembley · #9 11-28-2005, 05:53 PM

I did some reading on other sleep disorders and it doesn't sound like there's a whole lot you can do for sleep paralysis.

The home remedies I found (that I'm sure you've heard before) were to get enough sleep, reduce stress, exercise regularly (but not too close to bedtime), keep a regular sleep/wake routine, and they think sleeping on your side can help. I also read that if it does happen, try moving your face or eyes back and forth and that's suppose to help end the attack.

They did say that there is medication for those who have severe cases. I would most certainly ask your doctor when you go in. Maybe you can get some of that medication and make them stop or at least slow down.

When I was little I had night terrors every night. Now I have vivid dreams but at least most of them are just strange or they've become normal so they're not scary anymore. I don't know that I could handle the sleep paralysis.

roseprincess · #10 11-28-2005, 06:10 PM

I used to get night terrors and DS2 inherited that from me. Some nights we don't sleep much... like last night. Especially when four molars and a tooth are working their way through his gumline...

I've had sleep problems my whole life. A mug of warm milk is wonderful. Chamomile tea is great, and the Sleepytime tea that has chamomile & valerian is even better. If you have any depressive tendencies, stay away from Melatonin, it's a "natural" depressant so it helps some people sleep but it can also help you get depressed if you're already prone to it!

When the herbal stuff isn't enough, I take Ambien. I've taken it when my on-call work schedule messed up my nights and days so badly that I could only sleep three hours at a time and needed to "fix" my sleep schedule, the week before my wedding, and the last week of my pregnancy (approved by the doctor, it's very safe). I LOVE Ambien. No groggyness in the morning, no crazy dreams. In fact, I'd taken it the night before I went into labor @ 4am w/ DS2 and I had no problem waking up to the contractions, I wasn't too tired to get ready to go and I was fine & awake all day during/after the labor and delivery. This is one of the few medicines I swear by, b/c I rarely do well with any medication.

whiddle · #11 11-29-2005, 02:55 AM

I also take Ambien every once in a while. It makes me sleep a whole 8 hours but not tired in the morning. Lately, I have been having terrible nightmares. I don't want to talk about what they were about because that makes it seem more real and also more likely to have nightmares about it again tonight.

SuzyBride · #12 11-29-2005, 03:00 AM

Josh takes Ambien sometimes. It seems to work really well for him. Every now and then I take one of his when my mind is racing and I can't sleep. It helps me go to sleep but not stay asleep. I feel fine in the morning though. Josh really likes it.

labeadel · #13 12-03-2005, 10:31 PM

Can you get Ambien OTC?

Heather, I would definitely see your doctor. On Monday, do that first thing. I know I sound like a mother and all, but that is just scary! I don't want you to have that anymore! It sounds absolutely awful. Like some of the others, I have those dreams where I feel like someone is in my house or that I'm somewhere else sleeping and someone is there or standing over me and I can't wake up. I try and try and try and just can't. Then eventually I do wake up and realize that it was all a dream. It's like having a dream within a dream kind of. But again, please call your doctor.