Hi. I have a terrible time sleeping through the night. Either I wake up constantly due to being hot or cold. Or I wake up because my husband snores (not uncommon in most marriages). I also wake up due to pain or feeling like I have to pee - go to the potty and can't pee. There is pee in the bladder but just can't go right then so back to bed. I halfway sleepwalked when i was taking two benedryll to sleep but I also had some close deaths in the family so some of that may be emotional. anyway it scared me as I woke up and was in the process of tripping over a box and got banged up a bit. Nothing big but scared me. My regular MD put me on Temazapam which worked great for a while and then I started waking up at all hours and a few sleepwalking issues again where I took all my pills for the following day at midnight - not good. So I called my Neuro. he put me on ambien which I really like my Dr. but am afraid of Ambien because I have heard stories of people really sleepwalking a lot and I do not want to sleep walk - it is scary. So am now taking 1 benedryll and I can't stay awake past 9 pm before taking the benedryll and am often up all night long but I usually cuddle with our cat and fall back asleep but this happens all night long. This system seems to be the best so far but I wake up constantly. Does anyone else have this problem? any suggestions? oh - P.S. I may be going through Menapause too- so it is even more difficult to figure out.
Q: I have trouble sleeping and occasional sleepwalking
Hi Cheryl,
This sounds kinda scary. I haven't experiencing sleepwalking (so the best of my knowledge), but it sounds like it could be very dangerous, especially for someone with MS. Perhaps consulting with a sleep specialist may be helpful. Perhaps they could work with your other doctors to find a solution so that you can get a good night's sleep.
Lisa
Hi Cheryl,
Aside from a sleep specialist, perhaps you could ask your doctor about trying some Xanax before bed. I take half a Xanax each night and it helps me sleep. I took Ambien for 20 years (yikes! It was WAY too long of a time) and had no problems, but I didn't like being addicted to sleeping pills so with the help of my neurologist I tapered off and stopped it. Perhaps you could ask about the Xanax.
Unfortunately many people with MS do experience sleep problems. Work with your doctor to find what is right for you. (There are also many holistic remedies available, such as Tryptophan. A friend of mine takes that and it helps her.)
Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.
Best,
Cathy
I take. Xanax 3 x day for anxiety disorder. My Neuro prescibed ambien but I was afraid to take it because I already have sleepwalked and was afraid to take it. I sometimes drink Chamomile tea. I get to sleep but then wake up a couple hours later and then constantly for every hour. Ugh. I am going to make an appt witht he Dr. Thanks so much for answering my question.
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Thanks Lisa. I think I will make an appt with my regular MD and see if I can get a referral to a sleep specialist. Thanks so much for taking time to answer my question.