Sleep?

Counting sheep
After my diagnoses, it was just anxiety, but during chemo it was worse.

The chemo nurses told me that it's a side effect of the steroids for the nausea. I learned to force myself to sleep after chemo treatments, Benadryl, Tylenol PM, hot showers, warm milk...whatever worked. Otherwise, I was cleaning house in the wee small hours of the morning, power washing patio furniture, cleaning out files...and absolutely exhausted.

Best thing I found for me was to take my post chemo anti-nausea medication early so that I might be able to sleep before heading to work on Mondays.

99...98...97...96...yawn...95...sweet dreams, waffle

chenheart said:

Sleep? Sleep? That word
Sleep? Sleep? That word sounds kinda familiar, but I'm not sure why. I do believe that it was something I used to do, but it's been so long, I'm not really sure. It is a far-away memory; something I am sure I'd like to do, and probably even something necessary, but what is it again???

Sadly, for many, if not most of us, it seems to be part and parcel of the BC journey. We are chemically altered by chemo, we have menopause brought on instantly, we have emotional "issues", in short, we are just a millimeter shy of being considered insomniacs! Not that we don't get tired~ OMG we have passed the point of being tired and into the Twilight Zone of exhaustion. Now, if we could just get a perfect temperature, just right pillow, sweet dream laden 8 hours of sleep~Ahhhhhhhhh!

I know I was of absolutely no help at all~ but you are not alone in being sleep deprived!

Hugs,
Chen♥

Unfortunately...
Don't have any meaningful advice. As Chen described, a decent night's sleep seems to elude almost all of us. Me? I haven't slept through the night - a straight 7-8 hours (heck - I'd settle for 5-6!) - since that foreboding visit with my ob/gyne, more than seven years ago. Naps often help, a lot.

Kind regards, Susan

I found writing down my
I found writing down my thoughts often helped, also posting on this site. Lying in be fretting about not sleeping was the worst thing to do. But I also found that it got better with time. when treatments, surgeries, etc are over and life settles down it should get better.

Live as well as you can as long as you can. seof

mariam_11_09 said:

Just when one needs the

Just when one needs the sleep the most in order to heal it seems to elude one. It was worse for me while I was on the AC and now I have to deal with the hot flashes at night that wake me up. I do nap each afternoon, make a point of it, even if it is just 10 - 15 minutes. Also excercise seems to help me sleep a little better.

Never had trouble sleeping, until I was told I had
breast cancer - 8/14/09. Insomina invited itself into my life - once my chemo treatments started .. day 2 thru 4. I found that I could survive on only 3 hours of sleep nighty .. then somehow my body gave out ..

Reading, or journeling helps .. Some nights sleep alludes me entirely, day time naps are a MUST.

Vicki Sam

Meds
I alternate among three sleep medications, taking a different one each night -- Ambien, Lorazepam and Diazepam (Valium). I know many people would condemn this, but it works for me and my doctors have approved it. I had insomnia for years before bc and feel that I "lost" a lot of possibilities in my life because of it. It had to stop.

Now that I can take a daily walk and generally be more active around the house, I have been sleeping better anyway.

Christine Louise said:

Meds
I alternate among three sleep medications, taking a different one each night -- Ambien, Lorazepam and Diazepam (Valium). I know many people would condemn this, but it works for me and my doctors have approved it. I had insomnia for years before bc and feel that I "lost" a lot of possibilities in my life because of it. It had to stop.

Now that I can take a daily walk and generally be more active around the house, I have been sleeping better anyway.

Sleep?
I feel like I haven't slept in months! Occasionally I take Ambien, but I'm afraid to get adicted to it, so I don't use it too often. I find that after a week or so of no sleep my emotions get out of control, so I use the Ambien for a couple of nights and that seems to help. I do get a little sleep when my hubby is out of town. Between his snoring and the heat radiating off his body and triggering even more hot flashes I can't seem to sleep when he's here. Of course I'm still not getting a lot of sleep even when he's gone. Does this get any better with time? Do the hot flashes go away? I spend the day exhausted and then as soon as I lay down, I wake up!

I think I need to try and get more exercise and see if that helps at all.

It's going to sound wierd....
But, after all was said and done (I had MONDO sleep trouble, like Chen said, with a jacuzzi for a bed from the menopause...), we bought a new mattress....

Nothing too fancy...just one of those foam things...

I now sleep very well!!! I always wonder if, after all of the restructuring of my bones, muscles, etc, that my old mattress had a memory of my old body...I KNOW I don't sleep in the same position any more, what with my 'special' arm, etc...

As I said, sounds wierd...but it worked for me!!!


All of the 'other' beds I've been sleeping in lately (ship, hotel, etc) are also foam mattress..or a pillow topper...I sleep well there, also!


Hugs, Kathi

chenheart said:

I have had just about enough
I have had just about enough of you and your bragging young lady! It isn't enough that you are gallivanting all over Europe~ including a cruise and topless sunbathing in Spain, now you have to tell us you sleep well no matter where, no matter what kind of bed and/or pillow?? It was bad enough to have to imagine being a world traveler thru your narratives, but this is the final straw! I now have to imagine sleeping through you as well????

LOL LOL~ I just know you are laughing sweet Kathi~ we have known each other long enough for you to know a Chen-joke when you see it in print! But just so the newer ones here who don't know me that well yet~ I'm kidding, of course! I am often jealous of the sisters here on the boards, but in a good way, of course! And a full nights sleep, ahhhhh, of that I am definitely green with envy!

Hugs,
Chen♥

You know, it is what it is....ROFLMAO!!!
Ah, dear, sweet, tender Chen....I can't imagine ANYONE thinking you weren't teasing!!!

Actually, tho, I truly had the best motive at heart...as I said, the beds here are all switching to foam stuff...unless you want to pay THOUSANDS of dollars for a 'sleep number'...so, it just seems that that is the only difference for me...lol...

OK, so, here is a not-so-nice story: 2 weeks before our flight, I COMPLETELY pulled out my back...so bad that I told my beau that he needed to call the paramedics so that I could move...and MAN! Did I have to PEE!!! He silently handed me a Vicodin. Within 30 minutes, I had my normal reaction to the big "V"...hot flash of MAJOR size!! But at least I could struggle to the toilet. For 2 weeks, I really suffered, and we were not sure if I could go. I'm talking using a cane, and pulling myself up off the toilet... and you know what that means to a colorectal cancer survivor such as myself!!!!

But, inspired by my fav chenheart, I sucked it up and said "Hey, this is NOT going to ruin MY life!!!!" I got on that plane, and did my exercising, but almost had to crawl off...my back seized!!! Pain killers and muscle relaxants got me on the plane to Barcelona, but it wasn't fun, either!!! Finally, 3 days into the cruise, I felt human again...but still took my Naproxin every 6 hours!!!

So, there it is...I felt guilty about even mentioning it to all of you...such a small whine when you all are fighting much bigger stuff!

BIG hugs to my dear chen!!!

Hugs, Kathi

Hi Waffle8
It seems whether I go to be early or late, I still wake up at the same time...too early. So I try to go early so I can get maximum rest. Still wake up 2 times a night to pee!!!! Have my second chemo tomorrow, so took my steroids today. So the next few days, you may see me here at all hours! I did see on a t.v . show, if you are having problems falling asleep because your mind won't stop, start at 300 and count backwards by 3's. They say since you have to concentrate on counting, this takes your mind off everything else and should put you to sleep. I haven't really tried it yet, but may do so these next couple nights. Hugs, Jean

sleepless in...
Wow, I'm glad I logged in today. I haven't slept more than an hour or 2 at a stretch since my lumpectomy on Friday. Pain meds just make me feel like an exhausted zombie instead of just exhausted. As always, it's good to know I'm not alone. Anyone for a canasta (or gin) game at 2am? lol!