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

[larryz]

Have you tried self-hypnosis? Set yourself a sleep trigger then activate it when you're ready to go to sleep...

 

[humboldthny]

Have you tried self-hypnosis? Set yourself a sleep trigger then activate it when you're ready to go to sleep...

I was thinking along similar lines - do you have a set regular relaxation routine that you go through each night? You have time before you trip to set one up if you think it might help, maybe in combination with some type of sleep aid.

One thing that works well for me if I'm having trouble sleeping is to get up and stretch for about 20 minutes...that, and taking a couple of tylenol PM's and reading a deadly boring book.

If you take something OTC can you simply not get to sleep? Or do you fall asleep and then wake up again?

 

[Rhonna]

I have insomnia problems at home too - health issues. It's worse on vacation. I've found a lot of over the counter products leave me groggy in the AM.

I was finally prescribed a medication called clonazepam (generic -klonopin) which is basically an anti-anxiety drug and related to xanax since my problem is shutting off my brain and falling asleep. Once I'm asleep I'm usually okay. I also use ear plugs and while sleeping on my side I keep a second pillow over my ear. We also ask to be put in a quieter area of whatever resort/hotel we are staying at even if that means a longer walk to everything.

Not to get into a debate with anyone - what works for one doesn't work for another. I know one person who swears by Ambien. However, I have to say that personally when I tried Ambien for just a few nights I had a horrible experience with it. I read up on it and there is a class of drugs I basically call psychotic drugs that I wouldn't touch for the life of me after what I went through and what I've learned it has done to some others. Try samples before you go on something for a longer time frame and please do your research.

As for alcohol. There are a lot of people that find initially it makes them sleepy and they fall asleep but then a few hours later they wake up and can't get back to sleep - there is a rebound effect. So while a drink or two might work for some, you need to know if it works for you or not.

 

[ariel5884]

My husband finds the beds at bwv very uncomfortable, and can'tnget a good rest. The beds at the swan and dolphin however are definitely heavenly. I would love to have this bed at home.

 

[DOOM1001]

I sleep OK at home and great when I'm in Orlando.There's obviously been a couple of times at a few hotels where certain noises have made sleeping not as easy,but for the most part I sleep great in most hotels.Some of the hotels I've had a couple of issues were the All-Stars at Disney where around 5am you start hearing the toilets flush in nearby rooms,does anyone know if this still is heard,I've stayed at the All-Star sports twice and heard it on both occassions.Another hotel I had an issue was on International Drive where around 6am it sounded like the world was coming to an end,it ended up being the loudest garbage truck in the U.S.Two other hotels where I had issues sleeping but the hotel had no responsibility for were the Hilton by the convention center and the Royal Pacific at Universal,the reason for the lack of sleep was that my uncle was with us and he just happens to be the loudest snorer in the western world,he literally sounds like a train,and the craziest thing is nobody ever told him he snores,when I told him he should check with Guiness to see if he can be on the record book he was quite surprised.

 

[mollybeasley]

I've had bouts of insomnia all my life so I know how you feel. I take benadryl every night partly for allergies, and partly to help trigger sleep. Plus I have a whole bedtime routine I use to help ease me into it and shut-off my mind. If I try to will myself to sleep it makes it worse.

If you think the problem is due to anxiety, I agree that some short acting anti-anxiety meds like Ativan might really help. They don't "make" you sleep, but they "let" you sleep if anxiety if the reason you can't. They don't have as many side effects as Ambien and other sleep medications.

There are lots of books out there with great tips. I'll send you a PM if I remember the best ones. My son taught me to meditate, and it really helps. Practice it now (try 5-10 minutes a day at first) and you'll be a pro by May. There are many variations (read a poem or a prayer, listen to soft music, etc.). Try a few and see what feels good.

I have a love/hate relationship with Ambien. My problem is that it works too well. I took half a pill last night, and even after sleeping 10 hours, I could barely wake up. I'm still sleepy now. So I only take it when I'm sick and really need a lot of extra sleep. I didn't even bring it with me to Disney because I knew I'd never survive Disney feeling like that.

 

[beatlesblonde]

I can somewhat understand what you're going through, although at Disney I tend to sleep pretty well due to sheer exhaustion from walking all day. I'm a light sleeper, I always sleep with earplugs in and I never sleep all the way through the night, I always wake up at least once or twice a night, usually for no obvious reason. I also can take at least 30 minutes to fall asleep in the first place. At home I've found some white noise can help (we have a air purifier that makes a decent white noise). Good luck to you!

 

[ToddyLu]

DH uses Ativan to fly. He does not have clostrophobia or a fear of heights or flying. His anxiety is simply based on having to sit still on a plane. He is a pacer at home and does the little creptic walks around the house every 45 minutes or so--if we watch a movie he usually takes two breaks for several minutes. It is difficult for him to travel to Orlando in a car (actually more difficult for me since I am having to deal with him).

So every year before we live he contacts his physician and tells them we are getting ready for a flight. He gets six tablets and has enough for the flight over and back. He does not sleep on the plane but hs doen not fidget either.

Insomnia and anxiety are two different things. Your primary physician should be contacted and thay take it from there. If sleeping is more the issue than anxiety----even at home not sleeping--then you may benefit from a sleep study.

DH and I both snore and we now both use a CPAP. They travel with us to Disney and make the room so quiet. I can tell when I do not use it.

Please see your physician, see what he/she says and if you can get one prescription with no refills--you will have the tablets to try at home without a lot invested incase it doesn't. You need enough to try them at home first to see how it works for and you have time to try something else if it doesn't. Just think how much more fun you willhave if this one aspect is taken care of.

Pixie Dust to you!!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Do you take any regular medications that you may be altering the schedule of when on vacation? Last week I had a change in my regular work schedule and wasn't sleeping at all like an hour a night, I finally realized that I was taking my meds at a different time and it was making me all wacky, swapped back to 'regular' time (even if it means waking up to take them) and I'm fine. Even small changes in routine, medicine or diet can make your body's sleep routine get out of wack. And we all know Disney is a big change to the everday routine, I think your best bet is talk to your doctor well in advance of the trip to get on an established medication routine (if needed) so that you aren't still in 'trial' mode when the trip comes up.

 

[Satchmo128]

I would also encourage you to talk to your doctor BEFORE you take melatonin. I've had insomnia issues before (never when on vacation other than the first night when I'm getting used to a new bed, but it has happened at home when I've had a TON going on and I can't get my brain to turn off). It is so frustrating! But, I would be wary about taking melatonin before talking to a dr. about it.

Good luck!

 

[LeesyUD]

If you think the problem is due to anxiety, I agree that some short acting anti-anxiety meds like Ativan might really help. They don't "make" you sleep, but they "let" you sleep if anxiety if the reason you can't. They don't have as many side effects as Ambien and other sleep medications.

I tend to use tylenol PM to help me sleep. But if something like that would not work for you then I would talk to your doctor about Ativan as well. Klonopin is also anti-anxiety but Ativan is usually better for sleeping.

I also bring a mini fan with me for white noise. I typically won't sleep if I don't have white noise in the background.

Finally, I would also suggest guided meditation. I really like Kelly Howell's "Relaxation". If you have an ipod it is available on itunes. I listen to while I am in bed and it usually knocks me out. It is so relaxing.

 

[papamouse1]

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!

I can't say enough about Ambien. I used to have a real problem at times with getting to sleep, but any natural items (melatonin) were like popping sweet tarts... they did nothing for me. Then my Dr. tried a couple different sedatives which I HATED! Waking groggy, draggin halkf the day. Then I tried AMbien and now I keep a prescription on hand all the time. I seldom need it, but when I do, it's great. The way it was explained to me is it's designed to help you get into REM sleep, then wears off, so long before I actually wake up in the AM it is out of my system.

One of the PP is right, sleep deprivation can really take a toll on your body and your health. You might want to talk to your dr. and check out Ambien

 

[jmkjr72]

normaly i have hard times sleeping on the road for work but wdw tends to be the one place that i adapt to easily
maybe its because after getting up at 4am im dead beat by the time we get back to the room at night
but if i do have a probelm i simply use nyquil

 

[mauigal]

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!!!!

Maybe give the DH the ambien then you can get up and do what you want!! And kids never wake up, so your good there!

Seriously tho...I sometimes have trouble sleeping since I have fibromyalgia and it does wear you down! I usually don't have that problem at WDW. I am so tired by night time I fall hard....
Maybe your going to sleep too late?! If I go past my 'witching hour' as I like to call it then I am up all night!

Hope you can figure something out so you can enjoy your next trip!!

 

[marciemi]

I have a love/hate relationship with Ambien. My problem is that it works too well. I took half a pill last night, and even after sleeping 10 hours, I could barely wake up. I'm still sleepy now. So I only take it when I'm sick and really need a lot of extra sleep. I didn't even bring it with me to Disney because I knew I'd never survive Disney feeling like that.

This is an example of things working differently for different people. I've found that when I take anything OTC - the different "sleep" pills, whether anything PM, Unisom, or even Melatonin, that it makes me still tired the next morning. Literally, I could sleep 12 hours. So I'll sometimes take them on the weekend when I know I can (and want to) sleep in. But it's not a deep sleep - I could take Tylenol PM and not worry about waking up with a sick kid, I'd just be groggy. As I would be even at 8am, having taken it at 10pm the night before. And it's also not great for travel because I'll still be woken up by people talking or slamming doors or playing music or whatever.

But when I take Ambien - bam! I'm out like a light. But never for more than 6 hours and then I'm wide awake. So I'd never take it at 10pm because at 4am I'd be staring at the clock. I save this for when I need to get reasonable sleep and at midnight or 1am (having tried for a few hours), I'm still awake. But I'm totally out. My husband has tried waking me up a few times when I've taken it and it's just not possible. And I've even I guess done some sleep talking and some serious sleep-coughing (my husband was ready to call 911 because I was coughing so hard and wouldn't wake up - and wasn't sick or anything). Very strange.

Guess you just have to learn what works (or at least HOW it works) for you!

 

[SDSorority]

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.

OH GOODNESS!!!!

Honestly, I do NOT have a problem sleeping at the world. Actually, I sleep better there than I do at home for some strange reason.

In any case, here's what always helps me.

Start winding down about 45 min ahead of time. Take a hot shower, dim the lights, and turn off the tv. I take Bach "Rescue Remedy" and Hylands "Nerve Tonic" (both homeopathic) 15 min before laying down, and turn on some soothing music on my ipod. OUT LIKE A LIGHT. OH and make sure your room is dark.

 

[Vandercapellen]

I'm sorry to hear about your problem. I used to have a simalar one at home. I know this seems really elementary, but I found reading worked for me. It helped my mind get off of whatever it happened to be on. Just get a little book lite and put it on after DH is asleep. Try it at home to see which lite works best for both of you.

Good luck.

 

[kaffinito]

I'm usually out as soon as I hit the bed. Disney is the one place here I don't have any trouble sleeping.

Now DH can't sleep while there, so we stay deluxe where there is a fitness center. As long as you've checked in with the fitness center at your resort, you can use it 24 hours. They usually have saunas and such there as well as the fitness equipment.

Another idea is a hot bath and a little Benadryl. Knocks me flat on my butt.

Also, you might want to try out night photography with a tripod. The resorts look beautiful with all of the accent lighting at night. Or if you stayed at Poly or GF you could hang out in Captain Cooks which is open 24 hours.

Good luck!

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Ambien is my solution, I can't sleepin strange places. The trick is to take it th
lAST thing you do. Literally! Have a glass of water by your bed, take the pill turn out the light and nighT nighT. Don't take it and then stay up to brush your teeth or read until your sleepy.

 

[Rhonna]

Just a general reminder (not anyone in particular) but OP stated she hated Ambien. So for her, that isn't an option.

OP: It really sounds like an anti-anxiety med would work best from your symptom description and your Dr. can easily give some samples you can try out before your trip. Some Docs are reluctant to put someone on something permanently but if you describe the situation as you did to us, I'm sure your Dr. will help you out for your trip.

I have a friend who gets major panic attacks flying so she has a Xanax Rx just for that.