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Avatar universal

Not being able to sleep need advice.

latly i have not been able to sleep,is there any way i can get sleep without taking pills?
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Avatar universal
Hi, I haven't been sleeping now for 6 months and blood work came back all find wondering what I can do to fixed this without having going on pills. I have been drinking and smoking and done weed but gave that up so been awhile since i touched any this stuff but even on it i still never got the right sleep and now it seems to get worst. Plus I had a panic attack about 2 months ago and kinda got anxiety that kinda mellow a bit but still have problems with heart beating werid and sometimes hard. So just wondering how I should go about getting help for this.
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Avatar universal
While injured and in a lot of pain, I could not sleep longer than the pain or sleep medication (4 hours).  Getting up around the same time each morning, exposing your eyes to bright daylight as much as possible, and using lists at night to jot down the things that occur to you help.  I found recently that my blood sugars started going high about 2-4am and that I was waking up to that.  My doctor just changed me to a new insulin - Glargine (Lantus) and I am sleeping now.  They say that Melatonin helps but it usually only gets you to sleep and then you are free to wake up 4 hours later.  If you are really suffering from sleep deprivation, try getting up at same time each day no matter what time you go to bed.  When you get exhausted, you will sleep and you may start to correct the cycle.  The rythm for sleeping involves Circadian rythms that sometimes have to be re-set like a clock.  The week or two it takes where you feel terrible and useless is worth it if you have a real problem.  Also, check out breathing - does your spouse hear your snoring stop altogether for a minute or two?  This is dangerous and can cause brain damage.  Are your airways blocked - fat in the face can block the nasal passages and I have a collapsed nasal valve for which I use a splint called Breathe Right Nose Strips (in drugstores everywhere where cold medications sold).  A latent pain or disorder can also cause sleep disturbance - I found that undiagnosed endometriosis was just enough to keep me awake.  Also, when you are disturbed, try putting tv in other room and not using bed for anything but sleeping.  Hot showers also may relax you at bedtime as well as some Yoga deep breathing and clearing of the mind.  A trip to the doctor to try to find something wrong just below the pain threshhold may be a good idea if you do not fix this problem right away.  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
Hello again,
THere are lots of reasons that some folks can't sleep.  Stress can be a big contributor.

Sometimes, stress or lack of physical activity contributes also.  FOlks who are healthy enuf to have regular physical activity often sleep well because their bodies are also in need of rest to restore good functioning.

Avoid caffeine late in the day.  Avoid drinking too much alcohol in the evening, too.  While many folks find that alcohol makes them sleepy, they often will wake up during the night after drinking.  If your meal plan can be tailored to include an evening snack, many folks find that dairy products enhance sleepiness and so do many herbal teas.

I've read that setting a regular bedtime & having regular bedtime habits (read for XX time, then turn off the light, for example) can help.  Some suggest not watching TV to fall asleep.

If our blood sugar is too low, we also need to treat that before falling asleep.  If our blood sugar is too high, it may interfere with being able to sleep altho' we might feel exhausted.

If sleeplessness is new for you, it's important to think about what else in your life is new also & to try find the cause.  This seems like another important topic to discuss with your doc.   Perhaps the same underlying cause is contributing both to your inability to gain weight and your trouble sleeping.

I hope you feel better soon, tho'.
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