How important is sleep?

Hiya Karen,I consider myself lucky if I get six!! I take my blood pressure meds at night,plus my secondary antidepressant,Amitriptyline.
I read studies that state our age group does not need more than 6 hours.
When I had my sleep apnea test before WLS,they said I did not have that,but I do have a sleeping disorder.
My neurologist has ordered a sleep deprivation study for me on the 20TH of this month,I hope it does not coincide with my surgery date which I do not have yet.
Great thread,thanks!

P.S. I had to laugh,your thread reminded me of when my doctor gave me a sleep med. I woke up twice in my recliner with plates in my lap. It seems I would walk in my sleep and get food!! That was really scary! I do not recall the med's name. However when I saw it on TV,I believe it begins with a A,they said something about gambling,driving and other things in your sleep as part of their disclaimer. Well,turns out this med had a hypnotic effect on some people. I am so happy she gave me samples,the new med costs are ridiculous even with insurance!

Aloha sweetness......You are talking about AMBIEN I'm pretty sure. I heard many stories about it, too....people driving to the neighborhood convenience store and buying snacks without remembering doing it!! Yikes!! Like I need my unconscious back stabbing me!! My conscious self does that all too well......Ha!

My doc did prescribe ambien to me....and when I went to get the Rx it was over $100!! And it didn't work!! The little sleep aid pills from Costco worked better and they are like $6.00!!

OXOX

Aloha nui loa,

Maui Karen

That's the name!! Thanks Karen. The reason I ask for and am given samples is because more than once I have paid heavily for meds I could not use.
I tell my doctor now to give me old tried and true meds. Why should I in essence be a guinea pig for these companies?
They come out with a new med for a product,then a few years later there is a lawsuit. The worse is sometimes they release a med for treatment for one ailment and they find it does not work for that,but for something else,this info is attained do to side effect data.
Here is a bizarre example,the product Yaz I believe,the one for decreased menstrual cycles amended their disclaimer on their commercials because the FDA says they were omitting vital information.
At the same time these commercials are still running,there is already a class suit because women are being permanently damaged,my word!
It is every man for himself or woman these days.

I too used to take trazadone but a couple of years ago, my sleep doc did a study on me (again) and said I had mild sleep apnea (knew that) but didn't need a cpap, but needed to change my meds. So he switched me to Elavil. He also said I was gagging in the middle of the night and suggested I had reflux (I knew that) and said I should be on Nexium twice a day. So I've been on that since (although I've since gone to once a day to save money ... I know, bad me! But you do what you have to!) It was funny because I kept saying I was having dreaming I was choking to death ... and in reality, I was.

A lot of the times I have trouble sleeping it's because of pain issues. Unfortunately, sleep doc couldn't do anything about that. The only thing he could suggest was, "Get a good book." Gee, thanks.

Aloha Eileen......Wow.....I'm glad you found out about the nighttime gagging. I will ask about Elavil. Maybe I've taken trazedone too long, and it doesn't work that good anymore.

Thanks for giving me something else to consider.

Aloha nui loa,

M aui Karen

I fall asleep quickly, but usually wake within an hour or two at the most. Then it's up, down, all night long. Last night the wind was really howling and I was so restless. Should have gone downstairs where I couldn't hear it, but didn't. Was on computer between 2 and 4am. Finally fell asleep on the couch about sunrise. Then I'm about comatose by 5pm. I wouldn't know what to do with a solid 5 hours of sleep! Tylenol PM helps. Even Costco brand non aspirin. My joints all hurt too. Restless legs treated with Mirapex; without that drug I'd probably murder someone. I haven't slept well since I had kids.

I know carbs affect my sleep as does caffeine and sugar. . . . Re: turning the clock away that would drive me nuts. If I don't know what time it is I'm even more restless because I don't KNOW!

I'll lay in bed til I absolutely have to get up or wet the bed, go to the bathroom, get a drink, snuggle back in, punch up my pillow just right, start my insrumental CD, fall asleep. .  .and then an hour later I'm up again!

Melatonin does nothing for me. Prescription sleep aides leave me feeling drugged and I have wild not necessarily enjoyable dreams. Sometimes really scary ones.

I'm a lot of help aren't I? At least you know you aren't alone!

My dear friend, Karen.....I am sitting here chuckling because I feel so lucky to KNOW you in person.....and ? can see you telling me what you just shared here.

Somehow I feel better knowing that I am not alone in this sleeplessness.....and others are up in the middle of the night when we should be asleep.

It's 4:45 p.m. on Maui right now and I so understand what you say when you say "I'm comatose around 5 pm.!) I really want to go to bed...but at 5:00?????? I have to do babies in the morning so I need to get some good sleep...but I will try and hold out until 8:00 or so before I crawl in and watch TV.

Oh, by the way...I have been asked to work at IMUA Family Services a whole day a week plus my babies...so that is a good thing. Small income covers those unexpected things like insurance on rental property in Oregon which I just received!! Sigh.

Thanks for being my friend.

Aloha nui loa,

Maui Karen

You know like Darlene's post this morning: When a door opens we need to have the courage to walk through it and see what is on the other side waiting for us. I often encourage people to volunteer at places they think they would like to be employed at.  Your "baby" job is that door isn't it? Congrats on adding to your "gig." What will you be doing on that day? Hope you got some sleep. Must be bright eyed and bushy tailed to greet those new citizens!

Dear Friend Maui Karen....

I thank the good Lord that I have no problem sleeping but have had that horrible experience before in my past 66 years and I know it is no fun!!  Any or most of the sleep aids that Drs prescribed made me "goofy" and I hated them.
I just wanted to let you know that although I do not have any pearls of wisdom for you....I am thinking of you and hope you can get some restful sleep soon.
Hugs to you from me across the ocean,
Sandy