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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Merci on December 18, 2002, at 18:32:08
has anyone ever been to a sleep lab? was it helpful? I've always been a poor sleeper and though a few meds have helped a little, nothing works for very long. I'd be interested in hearing about about your experiences with sleep labs or any other kind of sleep studies. Thank you.
Posted by Phyl on December 18, 2002, at 19:50:56
In reply to no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by Merci on December 18, 2002, at 18:32:08
> has anyone ever been to a sleep lab? was it helpful? I've always been a poor sleeper and though a few meds have helped a little, nothing works for very long. I'd be interested in hearing about about your experiences with sleep labs or any other kind of sleep studies. Thank you.
>
I did go to a sleep lab about 20 years ago. I spent two nights there. I woke up 26 times the first night; 28 times the second night. One-third of insomniacs have a mental problem; one-third have a medical problem--twitching legs, etc., and one-third cannot be figured out. I fell in the last group. I was put on Elavil which I used on and off; it was pretty strong for me. Then I used every OTC sleeping aid and, more recently, tried Ambien and Lorazepam. Nothing worked for very long and a few months ago, when I told my internist that I was resorting to scotch (which I hate) out of sheer desperation, he put me on Lexapro. Did the sleep lab help me? I think it helped to the extent that I knew someone understood what I was going through. I went to Dartmouth Sleep Lab and the sleep expert there at the time was Dr. Peter Hauri, a very respected man. I didn't really learn too much; I knew I was very sensitive to caffeine and I avoid it at all costs. They could offer me only the same information I have read in books. I tell myself it is not a terminal illness, and I am somewhat resigned to the fact that it is my cross to bear. It isn't easy and most people don't understand what constant sleep deprivation does to a person. But there are a lot of us bug-eyed out there. I'd say to definitely try a sleep lab. You can't lose anything; you might learn something, and it is definitely an interesting experience. Go for it, and good luck! BTW, for me, Lexapro seems to help me sleep better. In two months, I've resorted to scotch just once!!
Posted by joy on December 18, 2002, at 20:26:36
In reply to no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by Merci on December 18, 2002, at 18:32:08
I have insomnia for years since menopause and have found Xanax to work great. I sleep all night. I tried Trazodone, Ambien, etc. which were not very helpful. Xanax works the best. If you want to try it [if you have not already] before you look into sleep labs, it might be helpful. Good luck.
Joy
Posted by oracle on December 18, 2002, at 23:22:03
In reply to no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by Merci on December 18, 2002, at 18:32:08
I am very skeptical of statements like "no meds work". Given that there are over 100 out there
I doubt anyone has tried them all.Or to put it another way, no meds work till you find the one that does. I have been through about 30, and my conditions have been well controled by meds since 1985.
Posted by rainbowlight on December 19, 2002, at 1:54:18
In reply to no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by Merci on December 18, 2002, at 18:32:08
I have one thing that really helps put you to sleep. Burn Lavendar essential oil in a burner for about an hour before bedtime. It really does help. I know it probably won't cure you completely but worth a try, may help a bit.
Posted by wolfpachunterx on May 5, 2004, at 19:35:07
In reply to Re: no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by rainbowlight on December 19, 2002, at 1:54:18
I am a Technician that works at a Sleep Disorders lab. Like the first reply to this post mentioned, mental disorders are a big part if insomnia. Exactly what kind of problem are yuo having? Are you falling asleep during he day all the time? If not, if you feel awake all day long then I would not worry about not sleeping. The only time I would worry about having insomnia is when you are falling asleep at inadiquet times during the day. As for taking drugs to sleep: I am not a big fan of them. Only one medication is designed NOT to mess with you natural sleep cycle (what your brain does when it is asleep) and that is Ambien. Like I said, if you are not having any problems keeping awake during the day, I would not worry about your insomia until it does disrupt your life.
Posted by utopizen on May 7, 2004, at 12:42:05
In reply to Re: no meds work, should I try sleep lab?, posted by wolfpachunterx on May 5, 2004, at 19:35:07
I had terrible insomnia and sleepiness. Still have the sleepiness, but not as much-- I ride my bike for two hours each day, even if I only get 4 hours of sleep the night before-- and it's great for making my sleep really deep, vivid, awesome, intense.
I suggest self-hypnosis tape-- use it for a few months along with some Ambien and regular exercise. If 1 hour of exercise doesn't cut it, try two hours a day, three hours a day, four hours a day. Like you wouldn't lose 4 hours of sleep from insomnia anyway =)
exercise, self-hynpsosis, is the only long-term way of not relying on sleep docs, who can only give you amphetamines, provigil and ambien. It's not as great as it sounds, trust me-- take my advice, as much as it doesn't seem convenient to take.... you'll thank yourself later.
This is the end of the thread.
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