20-03-2014 7:04 PM
Recently finished a 14 day course of sleeping pills; the GP wouldn't prescribe them for longer as he said they were addictive. Now I am back to sleepless nights again. Felt so much better on the pills having slept better, mood was better, stomach was better. Now trying Valerian herbal tea at night, but it isn't helping. Anyone got any ideas for a decent night's sleep please? Due to my Crohn's I have to be careful what I take, so that my stomach doesn't get upset. I've tried Nightol (don't know how you spell it) but it gave me headache. Thanks.
20-03-2014 7:06 PM
I find camomile tea relaxing but it isn't exactly a "sleeping pill" - can't your gp give you something non habit forming?
20-03-2014 7:13 PM
Because of the time I get up in the morning I don't get much sleep probably about 4 hours, 3 nights a week, with worrying I might oversleep I tend to wake every half an hour or so, so by the time my days off come I have no problem sleeping.
I don't take pills, on my days off, I have a nice warm shower and the old favourite hot chocolate, so fortunately for me because of the lack of sleep on 3 nights I sleep like a log on the other four.
When I was having the hot flushes I didn't sleep very well at all, but found if I went and had a shower (or bath) it helped me to relax.
Sorry not much help, but I know it must be awful, the more you can't sleep the more you worry and the more you worry the more you can't sleep.
There are a few people on here that might be able to suggest some natural remedies that might help.
20-03-2014 7:24 PM
can you eat lettuce carol?
thats a sleep inducing food, a lettuce sandwich for supper
lavender is also suggested, i hsve a body wash that i wash my hands with just before bed if im feeling stressed, and as i have my hand tucked under my chin i find it gives off a faint whiff for a while
20-03-2014 7:41 PM
I've tried a lettuce sandwich in the past near bedtime and that had no effect at all; will give it another go tonight though. I have some Lavender oil but unfortunately I can't stand the smell of it. Thankk you for the suggestions.
20-03-2014 7:48 PM
too much lavender can be bad if you arent keen , try a tiny dot on a hanky near the bed
20-03-2014 7:54 PM
The lettuce needs to be a leaf type, not Iceberg. I would check but have you tried Kalms. Check with your doctor first to make sure it doesn't upset your Chrones problem.
20-03-2014 7:55 PM
I have heard a hops pillow can help you sleep too. It is like a lavendar bag, but filled with hops and you put it in your pillow or near your bed.
20-03-2014 7:57 PM
Not tried Kalms. Thanks, Pat, will look into it. Got a round lettuce in the fridge, never buy Iceberg as I can't digest it.
20-03-2014 8:02 PM
Not sure the round has enough of the stuff. I know the leaf variety has the stuff in it that helps with sleep. Sort of like the red leaf variety lollo Rosso or in the US we call it Black Seeded Simpson.
20-03-2014 8:28 PM
I am in the same boat as you Carol, although I have been an insomniac all my life. Like you the GP only supplied sleepers for a short time, he then gave me a low dose 10mg Amytriptalene 1 tablet to be taken approx half hour before bed. It did the trick, I was sleeping more and my mood was better but I felt groggy in the morning so I stopped it, shame really because it worked for the sleeping problem. I will be watching this thread with interest.
20-03-2014 8:55 PM
I can recommend Asphalia tablets (Google for info)
I used to take low dose Melatonin tablets which give you a wonderful full nights sleep without bad dreams (like valerian does) but I wanted to take a natural product, and I found Asphalia (the ingredients in the tablets are grasses, and they provide melatonin in a non man/made chemical form.
It's worth its weight in gold!
You can buy it on here or direct from the manufacturers, but its cheapest in the big river place 😉
20-03-2014 9:22 PM
Another suggestion to see if it helps is a banana if you can manage it. If so, try it with a digestive biscuit. Another thing is, if you like turkey, try a turkey sandwich using wholemeal bread.
20-03-2014 9:54 PM
Another one I use to help me sleep is Badger Sleep Balm - it's very 'spreadable' so a little goes a long way. I rub it on my temples and other pressure points where it feels good.
It doesn't have a strong perfume at all, very mild.
Then - what about looking at accupressure points?
http://www.herbalshop.com/Acupressure/Acupressure_07.html
You can get bands and other items to help apply the right amount of pressure.
If you're not experiencing constant pain which is likely to keep you awake or wake you up after an hour or two, then try a bit of meditation when you're in bed and comfey.
All of these should not upset your Crohn's at all so you won't have to worry about that.
20-03-2014 11:31 PM
I have hideous problems with sleeping - but find sleeping tablets give me a hangover to the extent it can be difficult functioning at work the next day - so I have some other suggestions that might help you 🙂
Some years ago now, I was referred to a sleep clinic, where they were very keen on "sleep hygiene"...
I can't tolerate milk, but I have had some success with herbal teas, lavender oil (which I loathe, but tolerate for the sake of sometimes getting to sleep!) and Tisserand. There are a variety of different balms and rubs available, so it may be a bit of trial an error for you. I now have *excellent* sleep hygiene, but I have also realised that by and large, I'll have five or six (or more of I'm on the road) absolutely dreadful nights, then one where I'll get about seven hours, and then it starts again.
And it might be worth asking your doctor to refer you to a sleep clinic- if you're the type of insomniac who wakes up in the night, and then can't get back, there may be a physiological (is that the word I mean?) reason for it - like stopping breathing for a second or something. If it's a newer problem, and you're sort of aware what might be casuing it (like you're worried about something) it's worth asking for help through counselling to see if that can either solve the issue, or help you put it aside long enough to rest. And apparently, CBT can also be useful for some types of insomnia too. Definitely start pushing your GP for a solution, though, if you can't find a natural or OTC remedy to help: sleeping tablets can be horribly addictive, unfortunately, and don't always address the underlying issues for the insomnia, which is why they restrict their use so much - but there may be other things they can try for you.
It can be a sod (is that a bleep word?!) - especially when you get too exhausted to sleep, and are lying there racked and wretched: you have my best thoughts that you'll find something that helps you.
21-03-2014 8:52 AM
Many thanks for the info, Hefzi; lot's of ideas to try there. also to everyone else with their suggestions. Please keep the suggestions coming, as there seem to be a few of us on here with the same problem, and what works for one, won't work for another. Incidentally, another lousy night last night! I never have a lie-in though, tempting as it is. Got to get up to feed the pets anyway. I've been a bad sleeper for as long as I can remember but since going into the menopause, it's been worse, some of it caused by the night sweats, although they aren't as bad lately so maybe those symptoms are easing off a bit now.
21-03-2014 11:59 AM
@carolyorkie2010 wrote:Many thanks for the info, Hefzi; lot's of ideas to try there. also to everyone else with their suggestions. Please keep the suggestions coming, as there seem to be a few of us on here with the same problem, and what works for one, won't work for another. Incidentally, another lousy night last night! I never have a lie-in though, tempting as it is. Got to get up to feed the pets anyway. I've been a bad sleeper for as long as I can remember but since going into the menopause, it's been worse, some of it caused by the night sweats, although they aren't as bad lately so maybe those symptoms are easing off a bit now.
Honestly, you don't need to look any further - 100% natural and it works 🙂
https://www.revital.co.uk/-Asphalia_Greensward
21-03-2014 12:45 PM
I was going to say a Banana they say is good if you want natural.
Doctor has put me on Amitriptyline same as Calibra above. Im up to 30mg a night and its giving me a good nights sleep plus helping my Migraines which is what it is prescribed for (me i mean). But i think they can be addictive.
A milky drink maybe carol.
21-03-2014 4:28 PM
I can't have milky cos of the Crohns, Rose. I've tried Ovaltine and Horlicks where you just add water, but a waste of time for me. Hot Choc is out also. Thanks anyway, please keep the sggestions coming.......The Asphalia looks worht a try. I often havee a banana at night, but obviously that doesn't help; I don't like them but I try to eat them.
21-03-2014 6:04 PM
Might sound a bit new age, but what about the CD's you can get, with birdsong or whale song on it, something to relax, or maybe yoga.