Anybody else have trouble sleeping at the World?????

[jamimb]

Just wondering if anyone else goes through this and how they cope. I have never been able to sleep very well in a hotel but when at Disney I rarely sleep at all. I think a lot of it is my usual being away from home stuff coupled with the excitement of being in WDW and the anxiety that I'll not get any sleep. Our last trip in 08 was almost ruined when I didnt get any sleep until the 4th night. On the 3rd night my Dh and kids woke up around 1 AM to me crying hysterically and saying that I wanted to go home. It's really hard to have a good day at the parks when you havnt slept in 4 days.

What makes it worse is it's not like I can get up and do something else because it would wake the rest of the family up so I just lay there and agonize over the fact that everyone else is sleeping but me!

I have tried every over the counter medicine available and have also tried Ambien(which I hate by the way) and nothing seems to help!

We have a trip paid for in May and Im considering taking all my pillows and my quilt from home and also asking the Dr to prescribe an anti-anxiety for the week.

 

[Hannathy]

No I'm usually so exhausted from walking, we all pass out when we hit the bed.

Have you tried swimming right before bed then a hot shower or staying at the parks longer and walking a lot more? Heck 1 AM is usually about when we are just getting back from the parks, maybe you are trying to early. If you aren't sleeping why waste Disney time!

I also don't go along with getting up will wake the rest of the family. If they are good and asleep you should be able to get up and do something. Heck I was up with all the lights on packing the last trip and no one moved. Get them ear plugs if they are so sensitive. Or get up and get out of there. There is someone or someplace open 24 hours at Disney don't just lay there. If you can't sleep after 15-20 minutes don't lay there fretting get up! go for a walk, go down to the lobby and walk around, Get out of bed turn on TV and get some tea or something, get up and go over the plans for the next day. Taking your pillow may also help.
And don't try to put a number on how much sleep you get. If you get 3 hours great the next night you may get more, don't worry yourself sick over getting 7 hours get what you can and go with it.

 

[MYD714]

I wish I could help you. There's nothing worse than not being able to sleep. I would talk to the doctor, and maybe he can give you something for the anxiety. I know that I freak out when I can't sleep and knowing that everyone else is asleep makes me so frustrated. I chaperoned a school trip to Italy last year and couldn't sleep the first night (after an entire day of traveling). I was beside myself and the fact that my friend was sound asleep made my insomnia even worse.

I've never had trouble sleeping at WDW though. I'm usually exhausted by the end of the day and fall asleep right away.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

You should talk to your doctor.

 

[Horizons16]

My mother in law can't sleep at home. She gets 3 hours or so on a good night. She tried acupuncture to help the problem after going through every med you can think of.

She said it helped and even helped some hip pain she had been having.

Worth a shot maybe.

 

[LaurenT]

I have the opposite problem - I sleep fine at WDW because I'm so exhausted...but I never sleep thru the night at home. What works for me and my DD to some extent is melatonin - it's a natural thing that your body produces that makes you sleepy - Becky used to get upo for 2 hour each night before we could get her to sleep - the Dr suggested this and it's been much better ever since...

 

[Luv4Disney]

No. We always sleep like rocks when we're there. Between the walking, the usual heat, and being on vacation...

 

[jamimb]

Thanks for all the replies! I agree with the PP that said I should get up and do something if I can't sleep. My DH is an extremely light sleeper. I can roll over and he'll wake up so Ive never wanted to do this before but maybe he'll just have to suck it up.

We are hard core park goers. We get up around 6 and go all day long so you would think I wouldnt have a problem but that is so not the case!!!!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Thanks for all the replies! I agree with the PP that said I should get up and do something if I can't sleep. My DH is an extremely light sleeper. I can roll over and he'll wake up so Ive never wanted to do this before but maybe he'll just have to suck it up.

We are hard core park goers. We get up around 6 and go all day long so you would think I wouldn't have a problem but that is so not the case!!!!

If you are missing so much sleep that you feel its effect, you should not ignore it. Getting up and doing something at 1AM is just going to cause others to suffer with you. If this were a one night thing, I would agree - but you make it sound like it is a continuous thing.

Sleep deprivation can lead to serious medical problems.

 

[Uncleromulus]

If you tried all the OTC stuff, I assume you've tried melatonin???

 

[Sugar Jones]

Youit sound just like me. I do have anxiety, and it manifests in many ways. When I'm excited my anxiety goes into overdrive. It's so weird that something that I am so excited and happy about can trigger anxiety!

I have a prescription for Ativan to help me relax and sleep when I am an anxious state. It works wonders. I just take a .5mg about 45 minutes before bed. I read a book and then have no problems falling and staying asleep. It's not like a sleeping pill, so if the kids need me during the night I have no problem functioning and being there for them.

You do have to be careful with it as it can be addicting. I've been taking it as needed for about a year now. I'm still on my original script of 30 pills so if your like me and only use it when needed it really does make a difference.

I have a phobia of snow and driving in it, so needless to say I use more of it during Nov.-March and rarely take it during the other months

 

[cinderellamom123]

I am not a good sleeper as it is. Add excitement, anxiety, and disney music running around in my head and I sleep even worse in disney. Actually, it usually starts the week before the trip worrying about possible snow, someone getting sick etc. and after the trip from being sad that it is over. Per my doctor advice, ambien only puts you to sleep, if you are having issues from anxiety, you really need a xanax/lorazapam type drug. I discovered this when I was going thru a medical scare and even with ambien I was waking up a dozen times per night. Sometimes, I can go weeks/months without using anything but sometimes in times of stress I will use it for a week at a time. I am hoping it to be minimal in disney now that I am more familiar with the parks, etc. Let me say, I am not advocating drugs, but for some people it is necessary. Whatever you do, do not wait until on vacation to try a new medication.

Another thing that helps is getting more than one room. We stay at bonnet creek and have a few bedrooms so if I cant sleep or dh wants to stay up late, nobody is limited to one area.

I feel your frustration. We always bring/buy a fan for white noise and a body pillow because if Mom ain't happy, then nobody is happy!

 

[mjp12831]

Try some 14 hour park days - that might help.

Seriously, I go through periods like this at home, I've found that if you allow anxiety (over anything) to get ahold of you, then on top of that you worry about not sleeping, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy - worrying about being able to sleep causes you not to be able to sleep.

If you've tried all the medications, try just not processing it so much - accept the fact that if you don't sleep it's not the end of the world, slow the thought process down. This minimizes the anxiety and hopefully you end up getting to sleep.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Just wondering if anyone else goes through this and how they cope. I have never been able to sleep very well in a hotel but when at Disney I rarely sleep at all. I think a lot of it is my usual being away from home stuff coupled with the excitement of being in WDW and the anxiety that I'll not get any sleep. Our last trip in 08 was almost ruined when I didnt get any sleep until the 4th night. On the 3rd night my Dh and kids woke up around 1 AM to me crying hysterically and saying that I wanted to go home. It's really hard to have a good day at the parks when you havnt slept in 4 days.

What makes it worse is it's not like I can get up and do something else because it would wake the rest of the family up so I just lay there and agonize over the fact that everyone else is sleeping but me!

I have tried every over the counter medicine available and have also tried Ambien(which I hate by the way) and nothing seems to help!

We have a trip paid for in May and Im considering taking all my pillows and my quilt from home and also asking the Dr to prescribe an anti-anxiety for the week.

for me a couple or three cocktails or beers helps.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

You should talk to your doctor.

I completely agree!!!!

Sleep has never been an issue for me, but for my DH it can be an issue. He uses a C-Pap machine and quite frankly never goes all the way into a REM sleep, so he is never fully rested. But on vacation, he does do a bit better, no work related stress, no phones, no computer, just fun.

A Dr. should be able to help.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I have trouble sleeping in a strange bed no matter where I am. If you're driving, I say you take your own pillows and blankets if you want - you just might sleep better! If I drove, I'd take one of those egg carton things; beds are just too hard for me!

Otherwise, melatonin is a natural way to sleep. I had severe insomnia for about 10 years (recovered now; it was induced by a prescription drug I had to take), and I tried everything - what works for me now, without severe insomnia, is plain old benedryl, taken an hour before bed. Non-addictive and relatively mild; also had the added benefit of helping with the next day's motion sickness, if any!

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i would recommend advil pm or something...
a drink or two may not hurt either

i normally pass out within seconds of hitting the pillow and have a hard time getting up the next day. we even plan every few days to sleep in.

 

[Sugar Jones]

I agree with the Benedryl. If my anxiety is acting up, but not enough that I feel I need an Ativan then I will take an extra strength Benedryl. It has a calming effect and will help you relax and sleep. It is also used for motion sickness - Pediatrican reccomended it for dd's car sickness when she was a baby.

 

[GiGi30]

You can talk to your family doctor and see if he/she would be willing to give you a mild sedative for the time you are there. A lot of sleeping pills now come without the groggy feeling the next day & they work quickly! When I am not pregnant, I take Ambien. It works so well!

 

[eticketride]

I can totally relate. It gets so bad that the idea of not being able to sleep creates anxiety which makes it impossible to sleep. It's a ridiculous vicious circle. It has nothing to do with being "exhausted" from a 14 hour day at the park. Even though your body may be tired, when your mind won't slow down, you just can't sleep.

I agree with the post recommending you get an anti-anxiety prescription. That should help take the edge off. Good luck, I feel for you.