Getting Sleep During the Night

jthornsbury
jthornsbury Member Posts: 62
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Am just not able to get over 4 hours a night of sleep after 8 weeks since i completed treatment...anyone have any ideas? 

Comments

  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    #2
    Sleepless

    Wow  seems like most if not all of us were just the opposite, slept alot during and after treatments.  8 weeks out seems one would still be tired and able to sleep more than 4 hours.  Not knowing just what might be keeping you awake maybe you could talk to your Doctor about a med that might allow for more sleep, I assumming your post is an indication you would like to get more than 4 hours a night.  Hope you find a solution and others who may have dealt with the same issue will likely post there thoughts as well.

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #3
    Well...?

    Hi "J"

    Ahhh... sleep. Elusive at best. Sleep is essential for us to heal but difficult at best during and after treatment... at least it was and is for me. I spent my days and nights in a recliner from about the 2nd week of April through the month of May. I couldn't lie flat in a bed due to the mucous and pain. Dry mouth made it (and still does) difficult to sleep more than a few hours at a time without waking to take a sip of water. That and the additional hydration makes sleeping more than a few hours impossible due to the bathroom breaks!

    I started sleeping in bed over the Memorial Day weekend. As far as actually sleeping, I have a prescription for Ambien and tried it once... NEVER AGAIN! It left me basically non- functional. I took it and the next thing I remember is waking up several hours later curled up on the floor in the bathroom, clothes off and scattered around the room. I had no recollection of what happened. I crawled into bed and I was out of it the entire day afterwards. I really don't recommend it.

    My chemo nurse suggested Benedryl. Not only does it help with allergies, it makes me sleepy. Kills two birds with one stone. I don't always need it but it's been the best remedy for helping me sleep.

    I'm hoping the sleep situation will improve. I'm thinking patience is the key.

    "T"

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #4
    I need sleep

    jthornsbury,

    Sleep was my one refuge during treatments, other than having to get up to pee or do something to aid in the dry mouth.  What is waking you?  Are you wide awake, is it pain, dry mouth or nature calling; each of which have different remedies.

    I am currently sleeping very well; even though I drink a lot of water I have my timing and bladder under control (90%).  I brush my teeth well and rinse with Biotene, pop a few Xylimelts and sleep all night, with the occasional Ibuprofen for leg and knee pains.

    I would try to evaluate your daily and evening habits to see if there is a clue to your “no sleep” dilemma and then adjust accordingly.

    Good luck,

    Matt

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    Four Years Out...

    And I never get a full nights sleep..., lucky to get more than four at a time....

    But..., I never really got a full night before treatment either...

    Mine is a little to do with some dryness at night, mainly it's two slug 60# Choclate Lab sisters, Kali & Jazzy that share the california king size bed with my wife and I. She goes to bed much earlier than I, so when I do go, I have to take the dogs first... Then a few hours later, I need to get up, for a visit..., then the dogs get up again for their mid-night routine... Then Shelley gets up before me, so I'm back up..., LOL... It's a routine, not one that I like much, but it's the routine...

    JG

  • peggylulu
    peggylulu Member Posts: 375
    #6
    Sleep

    I too slept in my recliner for about 6 weeks . I didn't sleep much even in the chair but just could not sleep lying down due to mucus ,coughing and dry mouth . I am 7 mos . out now and I take a Tylenol 500 pm every night and I am sleeping 6 or 7 hous and only wake up one time for a sip of water or Stoppers 4. You probably should talk to your Doctor. Hope this helps . Also if it's dry mouth waking you  up you might try a voporizor sp?

    Peggy

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