Waking up every 3 hours? Doc Says Sleep Meds are solution?

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:45 am

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while I hope you all are doing well

I was doing very well with my CPAP treatment. I even began waking up in the morning feeling refreshed and energized but all the changed recently.

About every 3 hours I wake up in the middle of the night. I don't really feel any particular reason for the arousal (biobreak, itching, uncomfortable posistion, etc.) I just wake up.

My mask is still on I'm not having any leaks etc. etc.

My Doctor Prescribed me Ambien to try to treat this however I'm hesitant to take it as medication makes me nervous.

Has anyone else here experienced anything like this? Do you think it's related to my Sleep Apnea or some other Sleep Condition?

Thanks!

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:10 am

There are so many things that might interrupt our sleep--wish I knew the answer. Used to take Ambien, still do on a rare occasion. I found that if I took it for more than three days, it really made me feel strange while awake. So for me, Ambien is a last resort when all else fails, and then for no more than 2-3 consecutive nights. I take serotonin now every night, no like a sedative at all, certainly not as strong, but it seems to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. And, I did purchase/read Dr. Barry Krakow's book, "Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night." Very good resource for helping us identify and address all of the causes of poor sleep. Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:51 am

RipVW wrote:There are so many things that might interrupt our sleep--wish I knew the answer. Used to take Ambien, still do on a rare occasion. I found that if I took it for more than three days, it really made me feel strange while awake. So for me, Ambien is a last resort when all else fails, and then for no more than 2-3 consecutive nights. I take serotonin now every night, no like a sedative at all, certainly not as strong, but it seems to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. And, I did purchase/read Dr. Barry Krakow's book, "Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night." Very good resource for helping us identify and address all of the causes of poor sleep. Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

Thanks for the tips,

I've been hearing similar things about ambien. Using it as a tempoarary solution but not permanent. How did you come into using serotonin? Was it a doctors prescription?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:54 am

You're not alone, brackstone.

Being a side-sleeper, I briefly wake up to switch sides (re-arrange the hose, etc.). It kind of goes in spells for me......for a period of time I'll sleep pretty soundly and then go through some nights when I wake up thinking it's about time to get up and it's only 1:30 of something like that......and realize I have several more to go.
Lower back problems are one of the reasons......waking up from dreams can be another.

At least I know I'm not suffocating in my sleep anymore.

Den

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:57 am

forgive my ignorance brackstone, but i don't know if you're a man or a woman, or how old you are

but i just wanted to mention that if you're a woman of a certain age , hormones could be the culprit: waking frequently and/or having difficulty getting back to sleep are just some of the fun features of perimenopause

just a thought

sharon1965

p.s. i think you'd be hard pressed to find a doctor who DIDN'T think meds were the answer, for just about anything...if it were me, i'd do some more research, ymmv

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:21 am

Wulfman wrote:You're not alone, brackstone.

Being a side-sleeper, I briefly wake up to switch sides (re-arrange the hose, etc.). It kind of goes in spells for me......for a period of time I'll sleep pretty soundly and then go through some nights when I wake up thinking it's about time to get up and it's only 1:30 of something like that......and realize I have several more to go.
Lower back problems are one of the reasons......waking up from dreams can be another.

At least I know I'm not suffocating in my sleep anymore.

Den

Den,

Thank you for the reply. Do you find this effects your quality of life the next morning when you wake up? I'm a side sleeper as well and this just seems to be draining me

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:22 am

sharon1965 wrote:forgive my ignorance brackstone, but i don't know if you're a man or a woman, or how old you are

but i just wanted to mention that if you're a woman of a certain age , hormones could be the culprit: waking frequently and/or having difficulty getting back to sleep are just some of the fun features of perimenopause

just a thought

sharon1965

p.s. i think you'd be hard pressed to find a doctor who DIDN'T think meds were the answer, for just about anything...if it were me, i'd do some more research, ymmv

Hi Sharon,

I'm a man 27 but thanks for the advice about sleep meds being over-prescribed.

*sigh*.

It's just frustrating doing so well then having this happen.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:55 am

brackstone wrote:Den,

Thank you for the reply. Do you find this effects your quality of life the next morning when you wake up? I'm a side sleeper as well and this just seems to be draining me

Not as a general rule. The AMOUNT of sleep is what will do it for me. I've found that I need at least 7 hours per night. More than a couple in the < 7 range will leave my butt draggin'. I usually get more on the weekend to kind of "catch-up", and my average (from MyEncore) indicates my current overall average (this year) at about 7 hrs. 40 min.
Another thing that really screws up my sleep is if I happen to fall asleep in my recliner for a bit, after supper. Didn't use to bother my sleep, but the longer I've been on this therapy......it does. I have a VERY comfortable recliner. Consequently, I have to get out of it after supper.

Den

Velbor · Post by **Velbor** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:28 am

It strikes me as quite curious that on a message board such as this, which celebrates the electromechanical technology of our air blowers, there is such general distrust of the the chemical technology of pharmaceutical products.

Things seem to fall far too neatly into two categories:

The GOOD stuff:
---blower machines (though we wish that masks were better)
---"natural" remedies (e.g., dietary supplements, aromatherapy)
---us folks (whoever "we" are)

The BAD stuff:
---prescription medications
---"authority" figures (doctors, RT's, DME's, insurance companies, machine manufacturers)
---anyone who is not one of "us"

Just a tad too radically polarized for my taste.

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:53 am

[quote="Velbor"]It strikes me as quite curious that on a message board such as this, which celebrates the electromechanical technology of our air blowers, there is such general distrust of the the chemical technology of pharmaceutical products.

Things seem to fall far too neatly into two categories:

The GOOD stuff:
---blower machines (though we wish that masks were better)
---"natural" remedies (e.g., dietary supplements, aromatherapy)
---us folks (whoever "we" are)

The BAD stuff:
---prescription medications
---"authority" figures (doctors, RT's, DME's, insurance companies, machine manufacturers)
---anyone who is not one of "us"

Just a tad too radically polarized for my taste.

larbabe · Post by **larbabe** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:58 pm

Good points about some doctors being busy and apt to prescribe a quick fix and move on. It really helps, no matter who your doctor is, to be proactive in your medical care. Read, get advice, and be willing to push if necessary.

I changed doctors awhile ago and it made a big difference. He doesn't treat me like a number, but cares about his work and his patients. My sleep doc is great, too. I trust them both.

As far as meds, there's definitely a place for them. If they work for you, great. If you like a holistic approach, that's fine, too. The main thing is wisely finding a solution that is comfortable for you. I've taken Ambien and Sonata. They work. I just don't like feeling drugged. Anxiety over loss of control, I spose. But I will take one if I must. What works for me on nights when the legs are in full gear and my mind won't shut off is a Requip and .25 mg (very small dose) of Klonopin. Not every night... just the bad ones. 20 minutes or so and I'm good to go. RLS meds give me edema if I take them every night, and clonazepam is good for anxiety but not usually good for constant and long term treatment.

That's my 2 cents, anyway. Hope you find a good solution!

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:07 pm

Dr. Krakow's book mentioned by Rip is an excellent resource.

When you wake up, try not to look at any clock or watch. Turn over, snuggle down, and keep on sleeping. Think of it as "oh, nice to wake up to no discomfort, rapid heat beats and what have you". Don't let in annoy you - and you may find yourslef sleeping better.

O.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:33 pm

[quote="Velbor"]It strikes me as quite curious that on a message board such as this, which celebrates the electromechanical technology of our air blowers, there is such general distrust of the the chemical technology of pharmaceutical products.

Things seem to fall far too neatly into two categories:

The GOOD stuff:
---blower machines (though we wish that masks were better)
---"natural" remedies (e.g., dietary supplements, aromatherapy)
---us folks (whoever "we" are)

The BAD stuff:
---prescription medications
---"authority" figures (doctors, RT's, DME's, insurance companies, machine manufacturers)
---anyone who is not one of "us"

Just a tad too radically polarized for my taste.

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:39 pm

Sharon.....

I don't think you should be "sorry".......I don't think you should have said anything different than what you said.......and you don't need to be "humble" (with over 1000 posts to your credit).

Don't change your "style"..........It suits most of us just fine.

Gerald

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:48 am

Brackstone,

Is anything different is happening in your life (new meds, later eating schedule, etc)? Any chance your pressure needs have changed based on your data? I wake up a lot too, but these days I can go right back to sleep most of the time, but the waking seems to last for a period of time (weeks to months) then for no known reason, improve. I blame mine on the RLS and PLMD affecting my sleep. If your sleep continues to be broken and it hurts how you feel during the day, maybe another sleep study could pinpoint a cause. I just wouldn't rush to that - it may soon pass or become a non issue. When I was unable to fall back asleep quickly, a low dose of melatonin made me a bit drowsy in minutes.

Velbor,

It's a cpap support message board, so the "we" and "us folks" referenced are apparent.

This is a tough audience, because many who frequent the forum found their way here when not getting the help they needed from their medical professionals. That's not saying the world isn't full people whose cpap treatment has gone well since day one (with the help of their doctors, RT's, and DME's). They just aren't as likely to be here, hence the appearance of being maybe disproportionately disgruntled. In the big picture, we may be the few - who knows?

As for medications, I think the viewpoints expressed here of saving meds for when other means don't work is mainstream. Just the disclaimers on the commercials and the listed side effects on the pharmacy printouts is enough for me. That said, I take a horrid med because nothing else works. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice to cause multiple problems to fix one.

As with any public forum such as this, every post is not for everybody.

Kathy