A question for the insomniacs (earplugs keep you out of prison)

[Youndyc]

I want to know if the insomniacs out there also experience heart palpitations with their sleeplessness. I was up until 4 last night with my heart racing. This has happened before, but never for 6 hours. On the silver lining side of things, I did finish a book I was reading. And I watched the weather. And I listened to the news. And I counted specks on the wall. Etc.

[Mary]

Have you been tested for obstructive sleep apnea?

[Phoenix]

I have often had heart palpitations when my insomnia is hitting hard, although I've often wondered if it's because I smoke too. I know, I know, bad girl...no cookies for me!

[Youndyc]

Doesn't sleep apnea require sleep? I didn't calm down enough to get to sleep for a long time, but once I did, I slept great. But I'm going to look into that.

[janine]

i'm not an insomniac, i get more sleep than i need, but sometimes i have heart palpitations when i try to sleep. usually moving a hand or turning on my other side makes it go away.

[Mary]

That's true but I believe there is a relationship between chronic sleep apnea and insomnia/palpitations. I could be wrong. Think I saw it on the Discovery Channel.

[RandomAnthony]

Ok, are they painful palpitations, YC? Have they ever happened before? Have you talked with a doctor?

I honestly associate palpitations with side effects of medicine and anxiety, but I'm not an MD...

[Youndyc]

RA, me, too - and I have had palpitations before - generally when stressed but never for so long. It was not painful except at one, brief point. I was kind of thinking that it might be a low-grade panic attack. I did have a lot of caffeine yesterday (though not an amount notably out of line with other days). Have not discussed with a doctor, but I will.

Thanks for the advice, folks! Nice to get some feedback other than what I got from my coworker: "you should get your heart checked, my 37yo friend is getting a pacemaker put in next week." Yikes!

[Youndyc]

I thought about getting on TC last night - it was about 2am and I had gone to the kitchen for a cookie (might as well). But then I figured nobody would be up! It was this morning that I realized that all the insomniacs I know (of) are in this group.

Tonight I'm trying melatonin. That's assuming I don't fall under my desk sometime this afternoon.

[RandomAnthony]

I've used melatonin! Get ready for some weird dreams, YC:)

[Sarah]

Try acupuncture, Youndy!

[Kendra]

yes. but that is more a result of anxiety for me as well.

6 mg melatonin + 1 tablespoon liquid calcium and magnesium gets me to sleep.

[RandomAnthony]

Welcome to TC, William!

[Youndyc]

One thing I will say about melatonin, it does not make you drowsy. Or, should I say, it does not make me drowsy. I still had a hard time getting to sleep last night, after taking melatonin, but I did sleep pretty well eventually. And I didn't notice that my dreams were weirder than usual, just that they stayed with me a bit more intensely than normal.

[RandomAnthony]

Did you sleep well, though? I hope so. I'm a bit concerned about the Spain trip if you can't sleep.

Maybe I should go instead of you.

I had a sinus thing and was up from about 10 to 2:30 last night...

[Youndyc]

Nice try, RA, but you are NOT taking my place on this trip!

I slept okay. I woke up a number of times during the night, which is pretty typical for me.

[Heidi]

Melatonin is NOT known for making you drowsy... what it IS supposed to do is help you sleep restfully once you finally do fall asleep - big difference.

[Youndyc]

And for that I might have needed a larger dose. But it was good enough - I feel well rested today and that's a huge improvement over my comatose state yesterday.

[Heidi]

Youndyc wrote: "And for that I might have needed a larger dose. But it was good enough - I feel well rested today and that's a huge improvement over my comatose state yesterday."

Good! :) It's supposed to improve the quality of sleep, so you do feel rested... and apparently it did just that. It's the falling asleep that's, for me, the hardest part. But once I'm asleep, I can sleep through anything... and have - tornadoes, hurricanes, fire, police inspection...

[Youndyc]

I'm a very light sleeper. It really drives me crazy sometimes - especially away from home. When I'm in a new or different place, it is especially difficult to stay awake - and has anyone noticed how freaking loud most hotels are? It's ridiculous. So most of my vacations are an exercise in exhaustion because I don't get much sleep.

[Youndyc]

I really should try that. just afraid it wouldn't be comfortable.

[Youndyc]

I'll try it. Thanks for all the great advice - Bun and everybody!

[Youndyc]

I think I feel a poll coming on re: sleep.

[Youndyc]

!!!

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

I use earplugs too, when I'm staying in hotels, especially if I have a roommate. I use the silicone ones that you flatten over the holes in your ears.

Very useful for getting enough rest when you're at a conference that's already exhausting enough without adding sleep deprivation!

[Youndyc]

:-)

I should have put LOL or LMAO instead of the three exclamation points, because I knew EXACTLY what you meant and I was sympathizing.

Married people need separate houses, is what I've decided. My husband and I are doing great now that we don't live together. Not that I necessarily sleep better, but that could be solved by him having his own wing of the house separate from mine....

[Youndyc]

I was about to make some comment about how I'm surprised that our species manages to propagate, but then I started thinking about all the great couples I know. No need for my cynicism to discount all the wonderful-ness that they have!

:: I'm still cynical anyway, so there! even if some of my friends are such cute couples it makes me want to puke - and I mean that in a loving way, really ::

[Félix]

Well, you don't have to be able to sleep together for many years in order to have babies.

[Mary]

I "accidenatlly" kick, pinch, and punch my husband in order to make him stop snoring. Sometimes this makes him go sleep in another room, which is even better.

[Youndyc]

So true, Larry!

[Sarah]

Mary wrote: "I "accidenatlly" kick, pinch, and punch my husband in order to make him stop snoring. Sometimes this makes him go sleep in another room, which is even better."

The two times I have had to share a bed with my sister in adulthood I have punched her in my sleep. I have not punched anyone else in my sleep, ever.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Youndyc wrote: "I'm a very light sleeper. It really drives me crazy sometimes - especially away from home. When I'm in a new or different place, ... So most of my vacations are an exercise in exhaustion because I don't get much sleep. "

Me neither.

[Lori]

LG revives another dead thread!

Cal and mag = better sleep.

So whatever happened with those palpitations? Sleep apnea can be associated with that, as others have said.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I can usually get to sleep okay but I wake up 5-15 times during the night. My only solid stretch of sleep seems to be the last 3 hours. I am going to cut out alcohol entirely as that always wakes me up at 3 a.m.