Sleep & almost there

[shootingstar]

It's been a long process to realign my sleep patterns over past few months. Combination of prescription low-dose sleep medication and a sleep schedule regime. This post-concussion common problem..getting sleep back to normal. I used to sleep at ..8:30 pm during injury recovery for lst few months ..now switching to 11:00 pm or later to retrain my body.


*Hence, I've naturally reduced my coffee and tea intake by 50%. I don't drink it past approx. 2:00 pm unless it's purely herbal.
*I get off the computer 1 hr. before I go sleep. The brain is quite activated by computer exposure. Thankfully I'm not hooked to an iPhone ...since I don't have one.
*Some light stretching exercises several hrs. before bed.
*A shower afterwards.
*Warm milk..actually I have cornflakes in evening also. So I start day with breakfast cold milk and cereal, so my body doesn't get sleepy/make those associations.
*I read from a book or magazine --in paper before bed. There ARE advantages over computer. It's to occupy my brain in a lulling kind of way.
*Seeing a counsellor every few wks.

[AppleTree]

What a process you've been through Shootingstar...hope it will work itself out for you soon. Good sleep is important. I'm a big fan of lavender, just spritzing some on my pillow (diluted) or a warm flax seed bag with lavender...or just a few drops of essential oil at the base of my throat...whatever works. It helps me.

[azfiddle]

This has been such a long road for you. I hope the new routines and time continue to bring you improvement.

[OakLeaf]

Glad you're continuing to improve. Take good care Shootingstar.

[shootingstar]

Am now seeing a specialist doctor, who runs a clinic on sleep and sleep disorders.

After telling me he had discussed my case with my referring family physician and asking me well over 15-20 questions, he said:

"I've seen thousands of head injured patients (he's been in practice for over last 2 decades), and you are the lst patient given the severity of your injury, you have had a faster recovery than others. You are at least working on the job (part-time). It's miraculous. Most of my patients have headaches 1-2 years still after their injury."

So I consented to being used as a case study for his medical research since the clinic is part of teaching hospital's work.

I wonder though, prior present public awareness about concussions, if there was just a lot of under-reporting. Injured patients who just gave up and live with their symptoms for several years.

My regime now under his orders are:

No computer screen time (even iPhone) for 4 hrs. before I go to bed. (which has been tough)
No coffee after noon.
No alcohol after 4:00 pm (Guess it's wine for lunch to celebrate dearie's birthday.)
etc.

Yes, according to him, my good health/fitness prior to my concussion and my attitude to get better, is contributing to a faster recovery than some other patients.

[Crankin]

That is great, ShootingStar. The no wine after 4 PM would be hard for me!

[thekarens]

That is great, ShootingStar. The no wine after 4 PM would be hard for me!

Ditto! That's usually when I start drinking it.

[shootingstar]

It's an annoyance when this wine restriction is on for celebrating birthday with dearie next wk. Gotta see what happens around thxgiving, Christmas.

Otherwise, I seldom drink alcohol because I can't take in much anyway without being red-faced/getting abit intoxicated. It only takes 1/2 c. of wine to see the effect on my face. This is a lifelong characteristic that I have.

Now the computer restriction ..is a lot.

But I have to report that this regime, has resulted in my longest, deepest sleep per night in the past 7 days, over the last 4 months of severe insomnia post-injury. I also took myself off a low dosage sleep pill. So all good so far.:)

[NoNo]

Glad to hear you made a quicker than expected recovery! I know all about lack of sleep, and we're still trying to find the right combination of things to help me. Maybe I should look into this regime of yours. Although staying off the phone feels like it would be next to impossible!

[shootingstar]

Glad to hear you made a quicker than expected recovery! I know all about lack of sleep, and we're still trying to find the right combination of things to help me. Maybe I should look into this regime of yours. Although staying off the phone feels like it would be next to impossible!

I don't have a cellphone at all. I also read the book "Sink into Sleep" by Judith Davidson, a clinician at one of the hospitals here in Canada. Part of the technique is figuring out how much real sleep you get and what time you wake up regularily now. ie. 4 hrs. of sleep...then don't go to bed so early. I know, but the point is to make yourself truly tired and then go to bed. There is some rigour to all this at the beginning to make it work.

And all the techniques to make me sleepy naturally --warm milk, a few hrs. later herbal tea (for vice versa) and doing non-stimulating things for the mind-- reading a book (not an e-book). That's why no computer exposure....my doctor told me to get off because I'm in front of a computer for over 80% of my full time job.

[lauraelmore1033]

Glad to hear you are recovering well (comparatively speaking).