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Anyone with sleep problems? Solutions and discussion.

7K views 66 replies 27 participants last post by  tilt 
#1 ·
Have any ehMacians had any sleep problems that got resolved?

For quite some time now, I haven't been able to get a descent sleep and wake up feeling rested. Mrs. ehMax has been noticing that I really toss and turn a lot and have been snoring like a broken chainsaw. I've finally got around to scheduling a doctor's appointment for a visit and possibly a referral to a sleep clinic for testing.

Has anyone gone through this process? Is the only solution to get one of those storm trooper looking masks? Has anyone used one of those, and did it help? Does anyone know of other solutions that are available to improve sleep?

I try to get a decent amount of exercise, and have shed about 25 pounds over the past 6 months, but that doesn't seem to have helped. Have tried to stay on a schedule, have tried getting up really early, so far no rest. The bed we have isn't that old and it's a good comfy mattress. I've tried white noise with a fan, and after awhile it just irritates me.

There is only one time in my adult life where I slept good. That was the week I went to Florida with my family about 5 years ago or so. The whole week I fell asleep at 11:00 PM and woke up at 6:30 feeling like a million bucks. Not sure if it was the exercise, the nice bed, the lack of stress, or combination of everything. Maybe it was the air? It was incredible how much I noticed it, when I woke up how rested I felt.

Even if I have a Saturday where I try sleeping in until 11:00 in the morning, I still wake up feeling still tired. Have had a complete physical recently where I got a clean bill of health.

Would be interested to hear of anyone else's sleep woes and if they got resolved and how. :)
 
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#2 ·
Have any ehMacians had any sleep problems that got resolved?

For quite some time now, I haven't been able to get a descent sleep and wake up feeling rested. Mrs. ehMax has been noticing that I really toss and turn a lot and have been snoring like a broken chainsaw. I've finally got around to scheduling a doctor's appointment for a visit and possibly a referral to a sleep clinic for testing.

Has anyone gone through this process? Is the only solution to get one of those storm trooper looking masks? Has anyone used one of those, and did it help? Does anyone know of other solutions that are available to improve sleep?
Good for you. I know 2 people who've been through the process. One was because their sleep apnea lead to 2 successive heart attacks - for them it was almost too late. Don't underestimate how dangerous a certain kind of snoring can be.

If you are a chronic snorer and it's not acute environmental factors (allergies, bad mattress) then you'll often have a sensor that you have to hook up to and sleep for a day or two while avoiding things that affect your sleep (alcohol, pills). They can then determine if your snoring affects your heartrate and breathing. If it does, the severity can determine the course of action. One of the most drastic and scary sounding is a CPAP machine which is difficult to adjust to because it involves wearing a mask and a slightly noisy machine but often works absolute miracles. One friend named their CPAP "Mr Awesome" because it's changed her life.

I try to get a decent amount of exercise, and have shed about 25 pounds over the past 6 months, but that doesn't seem to have helped. Have tried to stay on a schedule, have tried getting up really early, so far no rest. The bed we have isn't that old and it's a good comfy mattress. I've tried white noise with a fan, and after awhile it just irritates me.

There is only one time in my adult life where I slept good. That was the week I went to Florida with my family about 5 years ago or so. The whole week I fell asleep at 11:00 PM and woke up at 6:30 feeling like a million bucks. Not sure if it was the exercise, the nice bed, the lack of stress, or combination of everything. Maybe it was the air? It was incredible how much I noticed it, when I woke up how rested I felt.
Could be the atmosphere, humidity can help some people and hurt others. Also could be how the air was conditioned.

Even if I have a Saturday where I try sleeping in until 11:00 in the morning, I still wake up feeling still tired. Have had a complete physical recently where I got a clean bill of health.

Would be interested to hear of anyone else's sleep woes and if they got resolved and how. :)
It's possible! It's one of those things people are weird about not getting checked out for, but people should, absolutely. Good for your for taking steps and booking that appointment! :clap:
 
#3 ·
I had a case of insomnia (couldn't get to sleep, couldn't stay asleep) for weeks, a few years back. Got pills for it. I sleep like a baby now.
 
#4 ·
Ya, I went through that over 11 yrs ago..
it was a horrible experience.. in the end I recommend separate sleeping accommodations..

My wife couldn't sleep so I ended up at sleep clinic.. LOL funny how that works, they connected me up to a bunch of machines - I looked like a borg from star trek - made me fill out a survey - basically to find out if you are nuts or going to go postal any time soon.

You are jammed in a small room like a cubical with wafer thin walls and you have godzilla snoring through out the clinic - every 10mins a speaker comes " why aren't you sleeping?" or better when I do get sleepy out of pure desperation and exhaustion - rolled to my side or front the speakers and lights come on again " please dont sleep on your side or front".. at the point I ripped of the wires and told them to f off and I left.. sleep clinics - that is an ironic name for it..

at the end I went for xrays and the doctor said you may have a deviated septum/nasal on one side.. the fix was to drill with a router up my nose so they can 'clear the path'

so in the end I said no way...
I bought a simmons beauty rest mattress king size- do not disturb mattress [which doesnt help the wife's nagging] but it helped
now that we have kids.. I start out in my bed and end in my kids bed when they come running at 2 AM to ours as if the house is falling to the ground.

I also bought a bunch of different pillows.. to experiment.. feathers, non feathers, hard, soft, side sleeping pillows etc.. so now I have a house full of pillows..

I find that when I sleep on my front/face and hug the pillow and the windows open and the room pitch black in the kids bed [or on my own], I am good..
most of the time I can put in 12 hours of sleep.. [ but i am happy with 6 hours that I do get ] I try to get that at twice a month of 12 hour sleeps.

also before going to bed, do not consume alcohol or caffeine.. try to clear your mind or work or any other stress - that should help [ but some how my wife always seems to find a way to ask the most dumbest questions at bed time not sure why ? ]

Good luck that is my experience.
 
#5 ·
One thing that has made a huge difference is making sure the room is blacked out. NO gadgets with little lights, no matter how small they might seem, or clocks, black out curtains (like the ones they use in hotels incidentally). That has made a huge difference.

Also, no screen time an hour before bed if at all possible. I've started reading before bed, not about politics :))) or anything that could get my brain rolling.

Diet, no sugar hours before bed, I stopped caffeine after lunch if possible, and don't eat a large supper.

I've had lots of sleeping problems, and these are things that have been suggested to me, and have made a difference. (especially the light thing and diet)
 
#6 ·
Yeah, those were some of the recommendations I was given.



A few others:
  • Go to bed at the same time
  • Don't do anything in bed but sleep, don't use the bed to watch TV, etc.
  • Don't exercise before bed - like Groovetube said it was suggested to read a book, but I don't really read that much... sometimes I'll do this though.
  • Repeat something to yourself verbally (like a chant) - I sorta like:
    • my head is heavy, my arms are heavy, my body is heavy, my legs are heavy
But with my specific problem (my problem was different than yours), I found a mix of these and the medication prescribed helped me. One of my problems seemed to be that my mind liked to keep on working on this or worrying about things, even if I tried to stop.


I'm sure you'll find a solution between you and your doctor.
 
#19 ·
Was chatting with my friend who had similar issue. He had issue with not being able to shut off his mind and has some medication he takes. I think that's best to describe for me falling asleep, I can't shut off my mind. I can fall asleep, but when I do, it's staying asleep that's the problem.
 
#7 ·
Mr. Mayor I am no Doctor and have not often had the issues that you speak of, but knowing a bit about your personal life of late I would assume that this is due to the changes in your life, new business and leaving a secure pay cheque?

May not be something that you are worried about but may show that it's something that keeps you (and many other) entrepreneurs up late at night.
 
#20 ·
It's been going on for a really long time before some other changes. I've been procrastinating and procrastinating talking to my doctor about it.

Could be related to the thing of not being able to shut mind off. Maybe reading / unwinding is the answer. Will go to bed now and read for a bit. Got a nice book written by Neil Peart about his motorcycle adventures, maybe that will be a good book to get into. :)
 
#8 ·
What did it for me was losing weight. I don't snore anymore and now have a full night sleep. Also be careful about starting with a sleep clinic because once you start with them and you miss any appointment with them or cancel they can and have for many people I know had their driver license suspended. And to get it back will be a hassle. Just warning you. They will make you buy a machine to sleep with. It will make you sound like darth vader while sleeping.

But don't neglect your snoring as I have seen and watched people who snore and when sleepping and watched them stop breathing and it forces them awake.

Have you gained weight lately? Not saying that is the issue.
 
#21 ·
Like first post said, I've actually lost 25 pounds. Still pretty heavy at 250, but that's on 6'7" frame. I could lose another 20 pounds that might help. :eek:

Lots of stuff to try. Looking forward to reporting a really good night's sleep at some point.
 
#11 ·
Two more which I'm not sure were mentioned... Turning off the iPhone if you are using it like an alarm clock. I don't have many sleep problems so it doesn't wake either my wife or I up when it goes off (junk mail pinging at 2am), but I know people who were affected by it.

The other which helps me at certain points in my life, keep a note pad by the bed. Many people get into the bad habit of either talking about "to do" lists with their spouse right before bed or will remember something they have to do the next day. So instead of talking about stressful things or worrying about remembering them, just jot them down and put them out of your head.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I try to get a decent amount of exercise, and have shed about 25 pounds over the past 6 months
Have you gained weight lately? Not saying that is the issue.
It pays to read the whole thread...

Don't laugh but the hot milk trick works for me.
I've had nights when I went to bed and just lay there, nothing, nada no sleep at all.
Got up and put a cup of milk in the micro wave, sat back and sipped it, once back in bed I was asleep in short order.
This works every time for me.
Don't know what the facts are but there is info on the net, such as this that somewhat validates the hot milk bit.
 
#13 ·
It pays to read the whole thread...
Ok I will confess I did not read his entire post. :eek: But could he lose more than 25lbs? I know it made a difference for me. I lost to date 112 lbs. I sleep all the way through the night now and my finacee says I don't snore no more. Not saying its just overweight people who snore but most if not all the overweight people I know snore.

The hot milk is what my grandmother use to give to me and my mother gives to her grandchildren. So it might work.

Mayor you did mention that when you went to Florida you had a good sleep, so how about anywhere else you have went on vacation? Could it be your environment? The air in your house?
 
#15 · (Edited)
I've always had a really bad problem with sleep. Your positive experience in FL may have been due to exposure to sea air?

Stress is most definitely exacerbating the situation. Have you tried sleeping with Ear Plugs? On the weekends when I don't have to wake up with Junior, earplugs work GREAT for me.

Also, the local sleep clinic in KW (if you go to the same one I went to) is GROSS! Bring your own pillows at least, no matter how much they tell you not to. The pillow I was on was washed but had yellow/orange stains which I assume were blood. I kid you not.
 
#23 ·
That aftermath of the Apple vs. Samsung case have you tossing and turning too? ;)
 
#26 ·
I wouldn't go down that road. Sedatives just introduce a whole new aspect to sleep problems; dependance, rebound anxiety, etc. You think he has problems now, pills will only make it worse imho.
Very good point. Try Melatonin. I use Shopper's brand of 3mg tablets and take a couple a half hour before I go to bed.
 
#28 ·
I had a similar journey but 10 years ago. I have a CPAP and it works for me. Best decision by far was to visit a Naturopath and get my body chemical balance back without GP involvement. He was not happy as he wanted to use more meds to "cover" rather than solve the cause. The two operate on different models.

One trigger in men is low testosterone and this is my trigger - once it gets low I cannot sleep well at all. Diet is all good as well but the body is a fine chemical balance and getting back there naturally is my solution. One multi per day plus one shot per month and I am good to go.YMMV.

Last good decision was to buy a foam mattress for back support. Visit the showroom at Foamite near Vaughan Mills for a "test drive" of different densities.
 
#31 ·
Yeah they do, but it doesn't take long for it to have the opposite effect.



Yeah I know it's wikipedia and all the rest. It's well documented elsewhere. Same goes for other benzodiazepines and some SSRI's.

This is something the doc won't tell you until your F***ed from the meds. Buyer beware is all I'm trying to say.
Fair enough. I guess I've been f***ed from the meds for about 22 years now in that case. In my case, they're covered under my extended health care plan, which is why I don't quite agree with buying vitamins and supplements you have to pay extra for off-the-shelf. Like I said, I don't take sedatives if I don't need them, but it sure is nice to have them in the medicine cabinet. Especially to ensure a good night's sleep once in a while.
 
#33 ·
Sorry to hear about your sleeping issues, but this is a good thread as I'm sure there are plenty of us out there experiencing the same thing.

For me, I went through a bout where I was grinding my teeth. Even had teeth denture protectors made.

Turns out when I switched one job to another, I was done. No more grinding.

ie. it was stress!

I also never snored before, but then I put on a bunch of fat and then snored like a banshee. Finally trimmed down for other reasons and now rarely snore. ie. maybe once every 2 months or so according to the wifey and that's usually when I'm thoroughly exhausted.

I also had a buddy who snored brutally. I wore earplugs when in the same room as him in hunt camp. He lost a pile of weight. Stopped snoring. Put the weight back on, snoring brutally again! :(

My wife also as a condition called Arnold Chiara Malformation where part of her skull is a little too close to the brain which affects the flow of brain fluid thus affecting her brain. She's a-ok most of the time (she has a very slight malformation thankfully - as in mm's), but she's still affected and one of the main issues is sleep deprivation. The poor girl hasn't had a solid sleep in years - probably 12! Other issues are severe headaches, tingling in the arm, dizziness, nausea.

Arnold?Chiari malformation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It affects mostly women, but can affect men and is present from birth, but not noticeable until the 30's usually. In fact, I think there was a pro golfer (male) who just had surgery for it. I hope my wife doesn't reach that level. ick...

You mentioned losing weight which is fantastic, but perhaps you need to lose more to change the snoring which might be related to sleep apnea? I know my buddy didn't notice anything until he had lost near 60 lbs, but of course, it could be different from anyone. You might be on the path, but not quite there yet?

Or it could be stress too. We all know that is the greatest evil.

As someone else suggestion, my wifey visited a reiki who suggested some vitamins to help balance the body's chemical levels. A naturopath store might help as well with suggestions. Definitely ways to harness natural medicines.

Best of luck!
Keebler
 
#34 ·
I was falling asleep while driving on any drive longer than 30 minutes. I never felt I had a good nights sleep. I always joked that I could literally fall asleep anywhere, anytime. My wife and I have always slept in different rooms (I don't understand how/why people sleep together).

Fast forward 8years into our marriage and a close call driving with my son in the back and I have a CPAP machine.

I finally went to my doctor who referred me to a breathing doc. (resporoligist, sp?). He got me in at Credit Valley hospitals sleep clinic where I had my worst sleep ever, lol. They prescribed a CPAP machine which I had to buy (well they didn't put a gun to my head, but that was the prescription). The doctor reported me to the MTO because it was bad, and after the sleep clinic and I told him I got the machine, he sent them a letter and never heard from them again.

I put up with the machine for a few months, but eventually gave up. I didn't use it for over a year and in the time I would fall asleep watching TV while leaning forward with the elbows on my knees. I stated using it again when I decided to try a different style of mask. It made the world of difference and I use it EVERY night with no issues.

Short story, I got a CPAP machine with nasal pillow style mask and have never slept better or felt more rested. Sure it takes a while to get used to it, for something to save my life I will do it.
 
#37 ·
I have had this exact issue for years.

However, what I've found works for me is the exact opposite of what people suggest: I put the tv on. I find listening to a show that is not too entertaining, but not something I am disinterested in, is just enough of a distraction to keep my brain from getting on its own race course and taking off at 300 miles an hour. If nothing is on TV I'll put on a DVD of a series I've already watched and turn on the sleep timer on the TV.

A few sedatives I've tried:
Melatonin - worked for a time, but I had to keep upping the dose
Valerian - did not work at all. Made me wired.
Holy Basil capsules - Worked more effectively than melatonin
Gravol - worked, but I didn't take it for too long for fears of getting addicted or any long term effects
NyQuil - usually works well, but if I don't have 8+ hours I can sleep, I am groggy as heck for the first few hours of the day
ZZZQuil - worked quite well 4 out of 5 times I took it. On the one off night, it still took a couple hours for me to fall asleep.

Aaaand, just to throw everyone off... many times a shot of espresso or Red Bull will put me right to sleep. :lmao:
 
#38 ·
So many suggestions, I'm a bit confused... Thinking about all the options, I'll never get to sleep. :D

Last night, I did do an adjustment. 10:30 PM, turned all screens off and went into "Going to bed" routine. Put on PJ's, washed my face, brushed teeth. Was mentally telling myself "I'm going to shutoff mode". Went to bed with no iPhone, and instead read first chapter of Neil Peart book I just got. After that, fell asleep pretty quickly.

Woke up this morning at 7AM, and I actually slept well and was really comfy. Could of slept more though and was really tired waking up. Now that I'm up, I feel a little more alert than normal.

Going to try that for a few days. Still going to follow through on doctor's visit next week though. Will try to avoid CPAP machine at all cost as I can't imagine trying to sleep in that.

Also going to try to lose 20 more pounds to see if that helps with the snoring.
 
#39 ·
Going to try that for a few days. Still going to follow through on doctor's visit next eek though. Will try to avoid CPAP machine at all cost as I can't imagine trying to sleep in that.

Also going to try to lose 20 more pounds to see if that helps with the snoring.
it looks like you might have found a starting point

Just be aware that once you notify the doctor he can notify MTO to suspend your license unless you go to sleep clinic and then the whole process starts. If you don't follow up with sleep clinic or doctor they can suspend your license. Don't want to scare you but it happens even though you try to convince them that your ok now.

You might find that losing more weight to get you into your normal range will do the trick.
 
#41 ·
Mr. Mayor, I suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and I have been using a CPAP since 2002. It takes a few nights to get used to wearing a mask (and it also depends on what type of mask and the fit etc. - it varies from person to person); but once you get used to it, it is very easy.

Now it has come to a stage where I cannot even lay down to sleep without turning the CPAP on.

You may have slept well the last night or two, but if you were still snoring (ask your wife if you were or not); I would still strongly recommend you get yourself to a sleep clinic and go through the test.

Sleep Apnoea can actually be fatal and has been known to contribute to a lot of other illnesses. One study (I can no longer find it) also linked obesity as a result (and not a cause) of Apnoea. In other words, according to the study, you do not have Apnoea because you are fat, you are fat because you have Apnoea.

Cheers
 
#44 ·
Mr. Mayor, I suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and I have been using a CPAP since 2002. It takes a few nights to get used to wearing a mask (and it also depends on what type of mask and the fit etc. - it varies from person to person); but once you get used to it, it is very easy.

Now it has come to a stage where I cannot even lay down to sleep without turning the CPAP on.

You may have slept well the last night or two, but if you were still snoring (ask your wife if you were or not); I would still strongly recommend you get yourself to a sleep clinic and go through the test.

Sleep Apnoea can actually be fatal and has been known to contribute to a lot of other illnesses. One study (I can no longer find it) also linked obesity as a result (and not a cause) of Apnoea. In other words, according to the study, you do not have Apnoea because you are fat, you are fat because you have Apnoea.

Cheers
The study sponsored by sleep clinics? :rolleyes:

The body will force you to wake up if you stop breathing from a blockage. That's why you don't get a full sleep because you are always waking up. And please no way you are fat because you don't sleep. A bunch of malarkey.

It is not natural to sleep with a machine, get to the cause of the issue not treat the cause.

He has already lost 25lbs and another 25lbs would be a total of 50lbs that is huge. Just check your BMI number and check health Canada has to what the issues you will have if you are overweight.

I know because I was where the mayor is. When I gained weight I found myself being forced to wake up because of snoring which can also cause you to stop breathing. I never had a good sleep and was always tired by 5PM.

Sleep clinics are a big business now and not one person i know of that has gone in has come out WITHOUT a machine.

Again solve the problem don't mask it.
 
#42 ·
Mr. Mayor, go to the sleep clinic! Get tested!

I have sleep Apnea, I know how tired you can become when you cannot get a real full nights sleep. I decided to seek help when I started to fall asleep when driving IN to work in the morning. I couldn’t understand why I never had any dreams at night - because I never really got to that stage in my “sleep”.

I was tested at the sleep clinic in Newmarket, very clean, very professional. During my trial/evaluation I “woke-up” [ stopped breathing/ woke just enough to gasp for breath, and back to sleep & snoring] over 500 times in 8 hours.

I have a CPAP machine and it has made all the difference in the world! I now get a good nights rest, I’m no longer a grouch ( most of the time anyway), I don’t feel miserable all day. It is not that hard to adjust to wearing a mask at night. My new machine is quite quiet, it even has a built in humidifier.

If there is any possibility that you have sleep Apnea, then you must check it out, for your own sake and for the sake of your family. Researchers suspect that I high percentage of car/industrial accidents may be caused by people falling asleep.
As Tilt mentioned, Apnea can contribute to heart attacks, or strokes [ much worst than dying in my opinion].

And, if you have sleep Apnea, taking drugs can make the situation much worse, dulling your body’s waking response when your breathing is blocked..

you just might not wake up
 
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