It’s been a few weeks since I have written about my sleeping issues. I know, how can I deprive my dear readers of such scintillating posts? I know you were just dying to know what’s been going on with me in the middle of the night (eew.)
I got my sleep study results on October 5th, and the main reason I haven’t written anything about it since then, is that the results were discouraging. The sleep test was “negative” which means I apparently don’t have any diagnosable sleeping problems. They didn’t see anything abnormal. All those wires they hooked up to me were for naught.
This was not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to be diagnosed with an easily-treatable sleep disorder.
My sleep doctor, for lack of an easy solution to my problems (perhaps he thinks they’re all in my mind?), offered to keep refilling my Ambien CR (which does help.)
“Well, I kind of feel like I can’t live without it, and that makes me uncomfortable,” I said to him. (What I was trying to say, was “I don’t want to be a drug addict.”)
He looked at me and gave me a little shrug. As if to say, “Well, that’s your best option.” or perhaps he meant, “Well, not my problem.” I don’t know WHAT he meant. Maybe he just thinks, there are worse things to be addicted to.
So if you see Emily ambushing me on an episode of A&E’s Intervention, you’ll know why.
But anyhoo, I don’t wanna go to rehab! So about a week ago, I took a friend’s advice, and started taking a Melatonin tablet at night. It’s a naturally-occurring hormone and you can get it at any drugstore. And, it’s much cheaper than Ambien CR. AND, it seems to be helping! I am definitely sleeping much more soundly now. I am still taking the Ambien, but it is my goal within the next couple of weeks to get out the ol’ pill splitter and start weaning myself off of it. We shall see. I think at this point in my life, I gotta do what I gotta do to sleep, but if I can do it without being dependent on a prescription drug, I would sure like to. If not, I’ll just have to accept that at some point.
So, that’s my deal. Although I realize a stint in rehab would make for a much better blog post, I’m going to try and avoid that at all costs!
Don’t worry, readers. I promise to live-tweet and twit-pic the intervention as it happens.
Just don’t go Amy WHINEhouse’s hairdresser! I’d hate to have to write about you on Fashion Friday!!
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Bummer. I hope the melatonin is enough to do the trick.
You have probably already tried this, but it nearly always works on me. I am not really into meditation or self-hypnosis but apparently this is a form of it.
Get comfortable. Starting with your toes, tell yourself that they are heavy and warm, repeat a couple of times, and feel them relax. Go up your body parts saying the same thing. Don’t let other thoughts intrude. I don’t think I have ever made it all the way to the top. Even when I think it will never work, it does.
I hope the melatonin does work. My husband uses it to overcome jet lag quickly.
you have a pill splitter? how old are you again? 83?
I have had lot of sleep problems, which got worse after I injured my neck. After I had surgery to fix it I was hardly sleeping at all, so my doctors gave me several different kind of sleep medications, including Ambien CR, and none of them worked. I can even remember taking the Ambien on my Honeymoon flight to Hawaii, were I didn’t sleep at ALL! Then my surgeon suggested the Melatonin, and it really worked, in fact it is the only thing that worked for me. I started taking 3 mg, but now I am down to 1.5 mg, and some nights I don’t have take it at all. I hope it works the same for you. Good luck!
Mmm, do you know if melatonin is ok while breastfeeding? I have sleep issues too, the biggest problem: a cute 3 month old who likes to be awake at night!
Thanks for the recommendation. I totally need it too. Sleep well!
Man, I hadn’t thought of melatonin. Since the baby is almost sleeping through the night, I have a hard time sleeping through the times he used to get up (he only gets up once a night, for about 2 hours of screaming and my husband handles it). I was thinking of taking something like Ambien, but you are right melatonin is cheaper.