Sleep issues

[ginapooh1969]

Hi again!  I have another question.  Does anyone else with a Chiari diagnosis have trouble sleeping?  I can't sleep past like 3 AM.  I'm a walking zombie.  I'm actually thinking about not driving anymore if this keeps up.  Is this normal?

Thanks again for all your feedback!

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Not sure if ur post is directed to neone from this thread, but it is an older one and the members that posted here, may no longer be posting, u may want to start a NEW thread to get more replies.

Most meds do not help with the HA's from Chiari...but b4 u consider surgery find out just how ur Chiari is affecting u other then the symptoms u mentioned....not all with Chiari r  surgical candidates.

Check to see if u have a CSF obstruction, a syrinx or other related conditions, like sleep apnea, tethered cord, ICP, POTS, disk issues.....

It is important to know all of this b4 u consider surgery as these related conditions can affect how u feel and heal post op.

  Avoid straining to help with symptoms, see the list of activities to avoid with Chiari and Syringomyelia in the Health Pages. - http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=186

[Bsfitness]

I'm 17 been diagnosed with cm1 7.84mm and I have headaches like no other brother! Dizziness and sore throats and liquid feels like it's draining over my abdomen and sleeping is horrid! I start to doze and instantly wake in a state of shock basically! An my eyes play games. Black spots in my vision my right eyes tends to vibrate sorta an my eyelids tend to twitch ALOT. any thing I can do besides surgery? What headache meds help???

[ULMMom]

Before dd had surgery she would go days without sleeping. She was a mess. Since surgery she is now falling asleep till 2am but sleeps till 10:30 so that is just the college scene.  I was so worried about her preop never seen someone that could not fall asleep no matter how tired they where.

[jorlex137]

I had sleep issues horrible and then just had my decompression srugery 11/24 and now I can't sleep at all!
I'm going to ask him when I see him Friday what the deal is!!  
I'm sleeping 3-4 hours!  
GRRR!
Jen

[Devin215]

I am now having sleep issues and am post op. I essentially have become nocturnal... I get tired at night but cant fall asleep and if i do I wake up easily sometimes just for no reason other times just for the slightest sound or weird dream....any advice anyone? Once I finally do fall asleep between 1 and 4am I sleep all the way till anywhere from 12-4pm... I dont know what to do this is not good because I am starting to get bags and black circles under my eyes. It all started once I went into the hospital for surgery...

[selmaS]

Good Luck with ur NS appointment...post a update : )

"selma"

[Kim60]

Sleep?? What is sleep?? I had 2 hours last night. THANK GOD FOR COFFEE. I went to work today and was not good.   I have sleep meds but don't want to HAVE to take them every night.  When I was dx with a chiari and read the symptoms I wasn't surprised sleep problems was one of them.
I'll be taking my meds tonight and I BETTER get at least 6 hours.  NS in the morning so I'll probably be worried about that!  :( oh boy, I'm done venting.. I'm tired.
Sleep tight everyone.
Kim in NH

[achyten]

Hi ginapooh,,,
I"ve been an insomniac from way back....I use to go to doctors and about my sleep problems and they were so mean to me. telling me to get a hold of myself.... well I went through total misery for years with maybe only 2 hrs sleep a night,, never could sleep during the day no matter how tired I was... I thought I was going to go crazy,,, with never sleeping...........till I finally found a dr. who put on something to help me... Now I"m on a very mild sleeping pill every night...and most likely be till I die..
Some of us just have to give in and take something for sleep,,,, I know had I not been put anything, I would've died ......I couldn't function anymore with 1-2 hrs of sleep for 5 yrs till I got help....
God,, I pray you will find something for sleep soon........

Hugs,,, Jennie

[sheila53213]

I've had and still have issues sleeping. There are days when all I want to do is sleep and I can't but then there are days when I sleep with no problem. I do find myself noticing that this is a cycle issue with me. I do not take anything for it as I don't like taking too many pills. I can sleep only at certain places....like my mom's house when we go to visit or my in-laws house...but I ALWAYS have to fall asleep in the car. I don't know what it is with it, but I'm guaranteed to fall asleep ALL THE TIME.....sometimes within the first 5-15 minutes of being in it. Don't know what that is all about but at least I'm getting sleep.

[selmaS]

Hi...I was always tired....even when I did get a few hours of sleep.I still can not get enough sleep, but am sleeping much better than b4.

I was on sleep meds...none worked....I was rx'd them by a dr at a sleep clinic.

But, I must say, I can not sleep newhere...I have to be home or in a bed......

I hope the sleep clinic is able to pinpoint the issues u r having and help u get the rest u need since u do sleep : )

Good luck
"selma"

[pdxmomof3boys]

My problem with sleep is that I am ALWAYS tired and can fall asleep anywhere. I fall asleep before my head even hits the pillow, whereas I used to lie awake thinking the day over and planning for the next day. I am having a sleep study done on Dec. 18th, so hopefully that will give me some clues as to why. I also suffer with restless leg, but am only aware of those symptoms during the day, strangely.

Have those of you with trouble sleeping ever tried taking a prescription sleep aid -- the non-addictive, non-groggy ones that I can't remember the names of now. My mom used one when she had trouble sleeping before her neck surgery and it helped a lot (the meds she was taking caused her to have trouble falling and staying asleep). Good luck!

[selmaS]

HI Gina,

Yes, insomnia is a chiari issue and like Ray said the symptoms do cycle for most of us.Even after surgery I continue to have symptoms that cycle, but nothing like b4.

Prior to surgery I was a zombie as well : )
And I have not driven a car in 2 yrs....I am hoping to start driving for short errands soon.

"selma"

[rod44]

Hi
Most of my symptoms cycle,they may last days, weeks or months....I do have sleeping issues, I have times when I cant sleep, then maybe I get a few hours....this may last for weeks or months then I have times where I sleep for hours get up for one or two hours and go back and sleep.....

Ray