Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Help! I Can't Sleep!

I guess prednisone builds up in the body. Even though I've cut the dose in half, my sleeping habits are getting worse. Last night I went to bed early because I was falling asleep on the couch. In fact, I was sleepy all day, probably due to my lack of sleeping at night. I fall asleep right away but then spend hours tossing and turning. Sometimes, if it's early enough, I take a sleep aid. Most of the time though I don't even want to look at the clock because I don't want to know anything about the passage or non-passage of time.

Maybe it's time to cut back even more on the prednisone. We'll see what my doctor says in 3 weeks. By the then I should be a zombie. At least I will be a plump zombie because I've gained 10 lbs. in 6 weeks. I am constantly eating; even had a snack this morning at 5:30. I keep easily digested, not-too-messy snacks in my bedside table so I don't have to get up and walk around the house, further waking me up.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can sleep better, I'm all ears.

3 comments:

Jeffrey Silverstein said...

you need to reset your sleeping clock. Try taking your sleeping aid for 2 - 3 nights in a row. This will get your body used to a sleep pattern. It will also give you a few nights of restful sleep which I'm sure you could use.

Ann said...

Nothing really ever helped me. An ativan half an hour before bed helped put me down, but I was awake like clockwork at 2am. I'd eventually drift back to sleep around 4 and get up at 7. It's a rollercoaster. I promise, it resolves a few weeks after you stop steroids completely. That first solid night of sleep is heaven. Hang in there.

Ronni Gordon said...

I had the same problem with the prednisone.I also used Ativan to put me to sleep and it worked well to help me sleep through the night. Take a milligram! I tried taking it a couple of hours before bed so I wouldn't be zonked out it the morning. Once you feel like it's a little more in control, go to 1/2 for a few nights and then stop. I took a whole last night because I was nauseated and throwing up (I think it was the broccoli cream soup at Au Bon Pan) and I was so miserable I has to take something.Have to say I was sleepy all day.