not getting actual rest

[Midnight12]

ok...i am at a loss....
I nap when my daughter naps i try to, when she goes to bed so do i or at least keep quiet.
my issue is that no matter how long i sleep (try not to exceed 8 hours for bedtime) i still wake up feeling tired. or exhausted like i never slept at all. its to the point i almost cried from not getting rest at nap time and she slept for four hours.

i have had sleep issues where i wake up once or twice to use the restroom or just wake up and can go back to sleep. thats always been an issue with me and to this day its just been that way. Thought about going to a sleep research or observation place but thats not easy to do and out of the question financially.

what am i doing wrong or not doing?

i hope i gave enough info

[AnaKhouri]

I can't nap. I always feel worse after I wake up if I try. It's 8 hours or nothing for me.

I also used to wake up and couldn't sleep again, and had bouts of insomnia, but since having a kid I sleep alllll night

Which makes me think that maybe there is a medical issue. Have you asked your doctor about it? I don't know what kinds of medical issues cause insomnia but there have to be some.

When my insomnia was bad, my doctor prescribed Ambien, which worked beautifully.

Sorry I can't help more; I hope you get some sleep soon!

Edited to add: some people say meditation or visualization helps them sleep. Maybe your brain just won't shut down properly?

[MaggieTheCat]

You might consider going to a sleep clinic or having a sleep study done. I have had nights like that, where I feel like I get absolutely no rest even though I sleep through the night; for me, it's usually because I dream very, very vividly and it's like my brain never shuts down. I have read that this can be caused by sleep apnea and that doing a sleep study can help diagnose that, or rule it out if that's not what it is. I've never actually had one done; I find that if I keep myself really busy during the day, don't nap during the day, and go to bed at about the same time and get up at about the same time, I sleep pretty well. I think I just need to wear myself out doing productive stuff during the day (even if I am tired) and resist taking a nap, as napping can throw off your internal clock/sleep schedule and cause you to not sleep as well at night.

[ohsobitter]

I am a horrible sleeper as well. I can fall asleep no problem, but then wake up a few hours later and it's game on. This is what works for me. I try and lay there and visualize writing numbers on a chalkboard, counting down from 100. When I get to 70, I start over again so I don't get angry about not falling asleep, hence waking you up more. If that doesn't work, I get a boring book and start reading it via nightlight, so you don't have to reach up and turn the light off. That pisses me off too.

If all else fails, I turn on the TV ( I know people say never to do it), I honestly find the more boring sit-com on, and let it put me to sleep. I find "The Nanny" to be the best for this. Do not watch anything will keep your interest!

Also, the sleep aid Mid-Nite is nice. I take 1/2 a capsule when nothing else works and it really doesn't give you the groggy side effect in the am.

[Cookie]

I've been having a lot of trouble with staying asleep. I find that if I take a melatonin supplement before bed, it does WONDERS for me.

[Midnight12]

i cannot afford getting a sleep study done currently. several things to tack on
I usually sleep with the tv on as background noise, volume low to where its background chatter and you can't really make out what they are saying, and for the light. yes i still have trouble sleeping in the dark, but the room light is off.
and i could be dog tired but my mind is still going on. It may be the A.D.D. in me, not to blame it but to help me understand thats why my mind and myself have issues slowing down. i have to go over in my head did i get everything done, most of it, teeth brushed etc before i can even try to relax and even then my mind starts making up daydreams. only until i get to the good parts do i start drifting off

the lack of energy even if i get rest is to the point I HAVE to drink coffee just to get enough energy to get some chores done and MAYBE keep up with daughter.

i don't doubt i have sleep apnea and i know the remedy for it, a cpac machine i think?
a machine that you put this mask on your face and it pushes oxygen/air in your face so you are getting air but its louuuud
my grandmother uses one as she has sleep apnea

i asked one of my friends they say its because my body is still in baby mode from when lisa was a baby and would wake up every few hours yet now because she is a toddler and exhausts me more i am tired sooner and still stuck in baby mode of sleep.

I used to sleep soundly until lisa was born and there is no complaint there but...i can has better sleep pattern now?

sleep medicine over the counter or prescription messes me up. either i am awake, or so down and out asleep to the point i will sleep soundly but if daughter wakes up and cries i am no help to her. and husband has night job so...yeah

its been like this all week...i am at my breaking point. the only thing i can think of is that i have changed my schedule some, longer play times, and have had alot of outings in the last few weeks.

[Mishi]

Rugz takes a herbal sleep preparation that helps him feel rested when he wakes up in the morning but doesn't knock him out completely, because he doesn't want to be useless if the kids and I need him in the night. I can inbox the link to you, but I don't know if it's available over there. If not, look for something similar.

[Kiwi]

Have you had your iron and B vitamin levels tested lately? Have the doctor do some bloodwork and check it's not due to that.

[tacohuman]

I'm not a doctor, but I do have some experience with sleep problems, particularly like those you describe. I was sleeping for 8-10 hours and still feeling tired. In my case, and I'd say a likely culprit for yours, it was sleep apnea. Unfortunately the only way to get a definitive diagnosis is a sleep study. Do you snore? That's not absolute proof of apnea, but it is an indicator. I used to be a horrible snorer before my diagnosis and CPAP. If you can manage to get into a sleep study, and you do get the apnea diagnosis, be Just be aware that it does take some getting used to sleeping with a CPAP, but in the end you will feel so much better and more rested.

[telecom_goddess]

I"m going to chime in on the sleep apnea end. It's a cpap machine, and it pushes air into your nose via a mask, at a pressure prescribed by the sleep clinic doctor. This requires a sleep study to confirm and titrate so they know what pressure you need. And if you do have sleep apnea you are never going to feel better and have more energy until it's treated with said cpap machine.

Been there and done that.......I've been on cpap for going on 4 years now and it made a huge difference.

Oh and b vitamins are good too, rather than caffeine. I use both but I really utilize b12 the most. They provide a feeling of energy and just feeling good.

[trailerparkmedic]

Sleep apnea can cause this. Anemia can cause this. Depression can cause this.

My mom always told me that if something was bothering me badly enough to screw up my day to day life, I needed to see the doctor. I still think that's good advice.

[tollbaby]

No advice on the sleep, but I wouldn't recommend staying too quiet after she goes to bed. Otherwise, you'll have to do it for the rest of her life. My boyfriend started that when his son was little, and now you can't so much as sneeze without waking the kid up at night, and he's almost 15. ugh. Suffice to say, no watching movies or conversation after he goes to bed.

[aurelemsrealm]

I would recommend the sleep study as soon as you can possibly afford it. I've been going through similar sleep problems for a while now, and my doctor believes sleep apnea is the likely culprit. I can tell you that sleep problems will cause an assortment of other health issues. I can tell you from experience that sleep problems can have some serious health consequences if you don't get them treated.

[Seshat]

Talk to your doctor.

There are all sorts of diagnostic questions he can ask you which might mean you don't need a sleep study. It's not just sleep problems which can cause disturbed sleep: as just one example; if you have 'heartburn' (stomach acid leaking into the esophagus), the pain can wake you just enough to disrupt your sleep but not enough to wake you enough to become aware of it.

The list of problems which affect sleep is incredibly long, and only some of them need expensive diagnostics or treatments. Others need lifestyle changes, fixing a problem, or .. well, whatever. So talk to your doctor, let him ask his diagnostic questions and study your body.

Good luck.

[Midnight12]

yes i snore. finally figured out how to prop the pillows properly to keep from snoring.
will try to get the iron and b12 vitamins.

if i know for sure its sleep apnea (i have suspected for years) what if I just want to get the cpap machine? or do i still have to go through the whole sleep study?
lets see the definite signs...i snore, i wake up at least twice during the night, i doubt i can get to dream state or REM sleep often when I DO get REM sleep its not for long
naps are pretty much the best sleep i get if i nap when daughter does.
light sleeper for the most part, it takes forever for my mind to wind down to get to sleep. so....yeah. that and i remember enough from talking to my grandmother when she did her sleep test.
have gotten some actual sleep just not sure how

currently without a general dr. as mine moved to another area. and until now have been using the clinic for when i got sick.
and tollbaby once daughter goes to sleep she is out unless i blare the tv. but some noise can be made. that helps to know.