Insomnia

[zoobie55]

I have not slept more than six or seven hours most of my adult life, and I am 59 years old.  Sometimes if I get really busy at work, I don't sleep more than three or four hours.  Is this damaging my immune system???  This condition runs in my family.  I have relatives who have lived to be almost ninety.  Lately I have gotten tired of the condition and just taken sleeping pills and melatonin until I sleep at least six hours no matter what (although I have always stayed with the suggested doses.  Please respond.


Zoobie55

[zoobie55]

I have tried all natural remedies....they usually work for 2 nights, and then I have to try something else.  I can fall asleep, but I cannot sleep more than 4 hours at one time.  It is very disturbing.

Thank you everyone for your helps.

Zoobie55

[LazyMoose]

A lot of sleep issues are not a mechanical aponea type of problem, but stress or hormonal like thyroid or adrenal glands that have not been Dx'd. Of course yo need a sleep study to rule out mechanical breathing issues like obstruction.

If its not from obstruction you need to find out if its hormonal gland issues - have low energy, body aches and pains, more hair loss than usual, digestion problems?

If none of the above, try magnesium glycinate or malate before bed and valerian root, holy basil ect. Not of this is addictive and no AM groggieness.

[nananeedsthis]

  If, like you say, you have been getting at most 6-7 hours of sleep a night, and this has become a problem for you, I suggest you speak to your doctor about it. You may need to have a sleep study done to rule out any other underlying condition that may be causing you to lose sleep. Also, you must remember that if you have been this way most of your adult life, your body may not require as much sleep as other people. As far as damaging your immune system, only your doctor can tell you if it has been comprimised. I can tell you this...I know a number of people, including myself, that would cherish even 3-4 hours of sleep a night. In the meantime try relaxation techniques before bed...warm baths, warm milk, relaxing music (I like Celtic), long, slow walks, reading unstimulating material...but, stay away from anything that stimulates the senses, especially the computer... Good luck...sleep well.

[KatEyes]

Not everyone needs the typically recommended amount of sleep. I THOUGHT I was one of those people, but it turned out I was not. I believe that my avoidance of sleep was my body/brain's instinctive survival mechanism, as my sleep was both miserable and dangerous. Between obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), sleep was not a pleasant place to go, so I didn't until I collapsed. If your reduced sleep is not meeting your body/brain's needs, it will affect your health. I don't know about the immune system specifically, but sleep deprivation affects so many aspects of our health and well being. Just go to the PubMed site and search on sleep deprivation. I suggest you seek to pinpoint why you don't sleep. Poor sleep hygiene? Medication side effect? Medical conditions? Sleep disorders? Even if you find a contributing cause, it can take time and effort to retrain the brain to sleep. But well worth the effort.