No doctor so far has helped

Ok prob here I have serious problem falling asleep then once asleep i wake up min once an hour to 5 times. Went to doc as always they prescribe meds, be honest with you I prefer not to use meds if i can help it. Anyhow Ambien, Lunesta, Trazadone an about 5 others... none worked accept ambien an i have to take 2 at max dose (sleep specialist said common in Europe). This will help falling asleep an most of the time get 2 hours decent sleep then its back to the same old....

Yes I work 3rd shift..... THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON BEFORE I STARTED WORKING 3RD SHIFT ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO (problem has been about 3 years an I have always been a light sleeper) its been getting worse as I age (am 38) Ok so doc sends me to a sleep specialist... soon as i said "3rd shift" he could not get passed that an was convinced that's why (this doc is the one who said 2 pill ambien common in Europe).... Unfortunately this doc left that practice an went to another so I had to find a new doc..... This guy is the one who prescribed most of the meds i mentioned above... Anyways Did not like this guy so went to another doc.... Told her everything an said my goal is not to take meds but to get answers.... She sends me to another sleep specialist who then has a sleep study done.... Going to threw the sleep study I was awake almost all night.... for one the bed was not comfy, i don't sleep well in strange rooms. One thing I have kinda mastered in the past many years is non movement rest.... in a way a power nap but conscious.... I lay there an dont move an kinda zone out... best way i can describe it is something like the Buddhist monks do when they are able to lower there heart beat..... This method has helped me to get enough energy to at least kinda function during the day......

Back to the sleep study..... Before the sleep study the lady mentioned several times that I have to sleep a min of 6 hours before insurance would pay..... So, she leaves an well exactly what i said, I was awake laying there non moving (best i could) most of the night... The lady comes in after the study says ok time to get ready... I said well i did not get much rest i am sorry, she said "well ya you did", i said well not really that i was just laying there most of the night an she kinda made a sound disagreeing kinda....

So, now the results of the sleep study.... my legs move 50-70 times an hour 4-7 times enough to wake me up.... he said i have RLS.... OK so i look into this an the symptoms really not a match from my perspective (although the worse with age only thing that matched) starts me with miroplex i think well slowly increasing the dose an it makes me sick.... he gives me ropinal an again slowly increase dose... i was at work an all of a sudden my tongue swells up an i am unable to take ?????
ok so he stops the meds an i have been in constant contact with him letting him know these meds not helping a bit....

I get the bill from the sleep study..... $$$$5000 an ok now I understand why she said i was sleeping when i was really not.. So again specialist calls me to office I go in an go over everything with him.. he gives me clonazepam..... this med by far has been the most worthless of all meds an done absolutely nothing for me.... After 2 weeks trying this med out I call the specialist tell him absolutely nothing...... he again call me in.... makes me wear a watch that monitors my movement also I am suppose to take that worthless med.... 2 weeks I go back in they download the data an we go over it... I have a log myself when i have watch off for work purpose (safety reason) so there is no misunderstanding that i was awake an at work.... i was in bed from 2 hours to 6 hours a day (6 hours was like 2 days a week) an he focused on the "2" days a week (4 days total out of 14 days) an said ah you getting rest here..... even when i was in bed that long there was small spikes in the graph... i asked what they was he said slight movement.... (hello remember how i get rest most of the time? Buddhist monk method) Ok i knew where this was going already... He had no clue what was wrong an basically was trying to say good bye i cant help.... An here are the famous words "sleep shift disorder" because i work 3rd...... LOL ok not funny to me but gosh I spent 1000's at this point to get this...... This problem has been bad BEFORE i worked 3rds (by at least a year) Also all my life i kinda been a irregular sleep person an seemed to be more of a night owl then a mid day or early morn person...

can't fall asleep... Mind will just not shut off nor do i feel tired
problem staying asleep..... just wake up so many times during my sleep its like getting none at all...
yes i do twitch a little when i sleep according to my wife
NO i do not feel anything like creepy crawling things in my legs nor do they feel like moving when i am a awake...
I am however am the type of person who just can't stay in one place... an kinda impatient an feel like i need to be moving (not RLS at all)

HELP!!!!!

JO

Heya,

Insomnia and other sleeping problems can be quite difficult to sort out, as you are already aware... Having read your post, it struck me that you are quite aware of your surroundings (?), as if you haev a heightened sensitivity 9hypersensitivity). This could help to explain why the sleeping problem developed in the first place, but maybe not tell the complete/entire story. I also just want to cover all bases: Make sure that you don't drink coffee or sugary drinks in the hours before you sleep; make sure that your bed is actually comfortable and the area is 'noise free'; and try to sleep on your side/chest, as this is a position in which it is easier to fall asleep. Also, I am with you on the medication - i.e. they can at atimes be awful and make the problem worse.

Other than that, can I suggest a strange solution: Before bed, eat a sandwich and perhaps drink some hot decaffeinated tea. Eating promotes the release of hormones that make us more tired. However, eat too much and it will be uncomfortable; eat a small amount and it will make you slightly more tired.

Kevin

Thanks for your response....

Yes I would say I have a heighten since of alertness, totally agree with this...

The basics,
Been there done all of that. Spent near 1600 on a mattress an tea is all i drink at home (decaf) an at work its water only. I always drink warm tea during winter but summer its usually fridge temp (what I am drink now). The sandwich suggestion I have not tried.

Back to the "heightened sensitivity hypersensitivity"..... Again yes this is me.. I am aware of everything an every noise around me... I have to sleep with a fan on (actually 2) to make enough noise (a constant single sound) to be able to relax enough when in bed. What can be done about this or where does this lead far as possibilities for a solution to getting better rest?

Hey,

So, you have a fan on each night...? Sorry to jump to conclusions, but if these are makign noise then it would be difficult to fall asleep. Your brain would hear the noise and be respondign to it ... basically 'preventing' you from sleeping. I doubt that this is the sole cause, but just want to check... Try the 'sandwich' idea once and see how it goes. Also, there should be darkness and silence if you are to fall asleep.

Kevin

Yes I do have to fans... can't sleep with out them... Any noise outside will bother me an keep me up. The fan basically creates one sound an downs out the other sounds that may be heard.

Tried the sandwich thing yesterday after reading your post... Did not notice any difference.

I have black out curtains so its dark an the room is temp controlled to keep a cool temp. Pretty much everything you can think of far as the basics I have covered, these are things I searched out before heading off to the first doc. Many hours awake on the web searching that kinda info...

This is however the first time I have reached out on a forum for help.. After 2 specialist (first one instantly said shift disorder) an several thousand dollars later on doc bills with no help am hoping i can get some answers on the web... I know the heighten sense thing is there an actually mentioned it to both specialist but they really did not even acknowledge or address it.

So just maybe I am going to the wrong type of specialist, maybe someone who may have more understanding with such issues... But where would I start? have no clue an kinda lost trust in docs.. Have spent a great deal of money trying to get answers an they seem to think 200 here 200 there for appointments an 60 here 40 there ext... for med after med trial is not a problem... I don't make 200,000+ a year like they do, I just a regular guy with a family... Anyways anymore suggestions are always appreciated..

schusterjo,
I think we are similar. I had minor sleep issues which became major sleep issues when I turned 40. I am now 55 years old and I have suffered chronic insomnia for 15 years. I also did not respond to most of the meds, but Lunesta did help me for a while. I tried the same array of meds that you mentioned.
It does not sound like you have restless legs. If it is a problem, you know about it, and you will complain about it. A little movement during the night is not restless legs. Restless legs symptoms range from uncomfortable to unbearable. You don't sound like you are in that range at all.
I think the fans are a good idea. It generates white noise which many people find helpful when sleeping. There are other noise generators which simulate the ocean, wind in the trees, and a lot of other sounds. If you like the fans, one of these might be even better.

Racing thoughts can be difficult. Meditation is a good solution, but you might be able to take a short cut. Try listening to music and ignore the lead melody. Listen for the background harmonies. You can also listen to music you don't generally hear. Classical or jazz can be quite complex and you can get lost searching through it. The idea is to get your mind focused on one issue, then put that single issue aside in order to fall asleep. It is one step away from meditation. If you decide to try meditation, which I highly recommend, you are only one step away from success.

What helped me? I take a lot of herbal supplements and a little valium which helped my restless legs. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine. The most recent addition was sleeping on a cool pillow. I take soft cold packs from the freezer, wrap them in a towel, and put it inside the pillowcase. Then, I rest my head on it. It is cool, not cold due to the insulation of the towel. Instead of taking 2 hours to fall asleep, it takes 15 minutes. The solution seems to be unique to me. Your solution will be unique to you just as everyone's solution seems to be unique. It is the combination that worked. If I miss taking one of the herbs, I don't sleep no matter how well I prepared the cool packs.

A single pill is not going to do it for you, and a single herb won't work either. Try the herbs in combinations. Valerian root may not work, and chamomile may not work, but you might find some minor benefit from the two together. Keep track of it. Accumulating enough small benefits may eventually turn into a larger benefit. Also keep track of things that seem to work against each other. Some herbs will fight others. Which ones work depends on your metabolism.

keep fighting
GaryM

I have found that drinking anything before going to bed will affect my sleep because I have to get up to go to the restroom, thereby disrupting my sleep. So drinking doesn't work

If liquids are not an option, there are alternatives to teas. Try an herbal sublingual (under the tongue) spray. I have had some success with Vinco's brand and Nelson's sleep aid. Nelson's is a tablet that dissolves under the tongue. Stay away from Jamaican Dogwood. It is powerful, but it causes a severe burning pain in the mouth for about 10 minutes or so. Kava kava is an herb that can still be found once in a while, but there is evidence it causes liver damage. I suspect you have enough problems without that.

The products I recommended are mixtures of all sorts of herbs, but they don't say how much of each. Herbals are not regulated, so it is best to stay with one brand if you find one that works.

I sympathize with the middle of the night bathroom run. A lot of us have that issue.

GaryM

Nobody can go to sleep until there body clock is up. Each day a Person is up for around the same amount of hours, some times longer depending on there lifestyle, what happened that day, Drug use, and other various things. Find out how long you are up for each day and don't expect to go to sleep until then, because... your body does need to sleep, but it can't be when you want.