Insomia sufferers, please help

[shortbun]

We are up to 6mg of melatonin and he's taking a low dose anti-depressant, neither are helping. No sleep at all last night-so far. This is my 15 year old who is also having lots of trouble with migraines. What have you done that helps?

 

[Mermaid02]

We are up to 6mg of melatonin and he's taking a low dose anti-depressant, neither are helping. No sleep at all last night-so far. This is my 15 year old who is also having lots of trouble with migraines. What have you done that helps?

My son takes Clonidine to help him fall asleep- but of course it won't keep him asleep.

Have you made his room for "sleep only" (hard to do with a teen I know!) it was something our doc recommended to us. No tv or video games- very calm colors etc. we also use white noise machines.

 

[DWCricket]

any anxiety issues? We'll had very good luck with targeted visualization and relaxation techniques before bed. Actually, relaxation techniques would work even without anxiety- it just helps out. Set routine to go to bed, quiet music, etc...

 

[shortbun]

My son takes Clonidine to help him fall asleep- but of course it won't keep him asleep.

Have you made his room for "sleep only" (hard to do with a teen I know!) it was something our doc recommended to us. No tv or video games- very calm colors etc. we also use white noise machines.

I'm thinking about doing this-for sleep only. At this point, there is no TV for two hours prior to sleep and I've moved homework to the office instead of laying in bed.Yes, I believe there is anxiety relating to school. Long story. He's doing a yoga meditation that relates to stress and anxiety.

 

[scrapquitler]

My daughter had to take Clonadine. Eventually, she switched to Melatonin and went off the Clonadine.

Personally, when I can't get to sleep, I take a Tylenol PM.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I feel so bad for your son. My headaches started when I was 10 and I know what he is going through. School is awful mostly because the fluorescent lighting is so bad for migraine sufferers. If you can get him a seat near a window with natural light that might help him, also try some non fragrance soaps, shampoo and deodorant. My kids both have migraines too but not as frequently as mine. I was stunned to learn that when I looked for help Dr's are still recommending the same stuff to my kids as was done for me, so 30 years later and zero change.

Are the migraines keeping him up? The pain does that to me sometimes. Is he taking migraine medicine near bedtime? That can do it because OTC migraine stuff, even some prescription stuff contains stimulants that can keep a person up, large doses of caffeine are pretty common. It helps with the headache but there is a cost.

If I have my migraine stuff after 5pm I need wait 4 hours take Benedryl so I can close my eyes that night.

 

[Christine]

Longshot here, but does he take anything else that could be causing it.

Strangely enough, whenever I take fish oil, I get HORRIBLE insomnia. I started fish oil about 6 years ago and got the worst insomnia. After about 2 weeks of that, I suspected the fish oil and stopped it. After about a week, it leveled off.

I decided a few weeks ago to try fish oil again--this time a child's dose. I suspected that my last insominia bout was not really about the fish oil and maybe it was coincidence. So I started with a child's formulation. I was okay for the first two days and then it started. And it was the same type of insomnia I had the last time (inability to STAY asleep). I finally did some googling and found that insomnia is not an uncommon side effect of fish oil, especially at the higher doses. I'm very sensitive to most medications anyway so it made sense that even the smaller doses would get me. I immiedately stopped and it took a week for me to sleep through the night.

So, could there be anything like that going on? I'm sure you've probably thought it all out by now but I figured I'd add my experience.

 

[DLB]

How about Lavendar oil on his pillow? Cut out caffeine completely which can trigger a migraine anyway. Find out what his triggers are by keeping a headache journal. Hopefully if you can cure the headaches you can cure the ansomnia.

I suffer from migraines as well as ansomnia and restless leg syndrome. Also make sure he is getting enough exercise. That really helps me to fall asleep at night. Hopefully you can find out what is causing them so that you don't have to resort to a sleep aid. They can be very addicting which will only add to the problem.

Best of luck!

 

[barkley]

i have terrible migraines and also awful insomnia.

be aware that insomnia as well as a seemingly big burst of energy can be an indicator that a severe migraine is coming on that may need to treated with whatever preventative migraine meds you have for your son.

if i'm having insomnia that is'nt explainable due to a sleep disturbance (like i've over exhausted myself to the point of getting a "second wind" or napped too much during the day) then i know to treat myself as though some of my more traditional migraine indicators are occuring (tunnel vision, shakes, light sensitivity, odd smells and tastes...).

i have chosen not to cut out all caffeine. i went round and round with my neurologists on this because when i cut it out entirely the meds they would give me (allot of migraine meds have HIGH caffeine levels) would cause me to have what was like a caffeine overload (like drinking a dozen espressos) which made my migraines much harder to end.


suggestion-if you have'nt read it, get a copy of "migraine" by dr. oliver sachs (the doctor robin williams played in "awakenings"). it gives some phenominal insight into all the different presentations of migraines, and how some symptoms we don't normal equate with migraines ARE a componant of the same illness (the information about the energy bursts are facinating, esp. when he delves into the scientific and artistic breakthroughs/creations that have been documented to have occured by famous migraine sufferers during these episodes).

 

[bicker]

Melatonin doesn't work for everyone the same or reliably. We have often switched it up with benadryl. Our doctors have both said that it is safe enough for us two to take every day, even, and it never fails to work for us.

And as a bonus, it often clears up any lingering runny-nose issues we might have.

 

[Christine]

Melatonin doesn't work for everyone the same or reliably. We have often switched it up with benadryl. Our doctors have both said that it is safe enough for us two to take every day, even, and it never fails to work for us.

And as a bonus, it often clears up any lingering runny-nose issues we might have.

I am one of those people who doesn't sleep with Benadryl but I agree that it's safe. I took a Benadryl last week for hives and I stayed up most of the night. On another day I took Zyrtec which knocked me out pretty much.

 

[arminnie]

I think it may be time to schedule him for a sleep study. He is not too young. I was very active with a sleep disorder support group at Stanford University. I've seen young, healthy teens with sleep issues.

Get an expert and stop the trial and error. I don't mean that in a snarky way at all. Sometimes it's hard to convey real concern in a post. Sleep is very, very important.

 

[shortbun]

I think it may be time to schedule him for a sleep study. He is not too young. I was very active with a sleep disorder support group at Stanford University. I've seen young, healthy teens with sleep issues.

Get an expert and stop the trial and error. I don't mean that in a snarky way at all. Sometimes it's hard to convey real concern in a post. Sleep is very, very important.

He's been to a sleep clinic and a neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders.
The only thing we haven't done is take the TV out of his room and make his room for sleeping only. He did stop doing homework in there and only uses the TV when a friend is over to play video games- usually on the weekends. Well, actually, I lied because he has not completely regulated his sleep hours. He really does not want to get up at 6:30am on Saturday and Sunday. Can't blame him. Instead of allowing him to sleep til 1pm, I'm getting him up at 10am.



I've looked into sleeplessness as a side effect of his allergy meds. He has severe environmental allergies so his antihistamine doesn't allow benydryl as a sleep aid.

 

[Mermaid02]

He's been to a sleep clinic and a neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders.
The only thing we haven't done is take the TV out of his room and make his room for sleeping only. He did stop doing homework in there and only uses the TV when a friend is over to play video games- usually on the weekends. Well, actually, I lied because he has not completely regulated his sleep hours. He really does not want to get up at 6:30am on Saturday and Sunday. Can't blame him. Instead of allowing him to sleep til 1pm, I'm getting him up at 10am.



I've looked into sleeplessness as a side effect of his allergy meds. He has severe environmental allergies so his antihistamine doesn't allow benydryl as a sleep aid.

My ds takes allegra every morning and Benadryl at night- maybe you could look into changing his allergy meds to one that will allow the use of Benadryl at night. Between the Benadryl and Clonidine my son is sleeping pretty well most nights.

 

[minkydog]

I think it may be time to schedule him for a sleep study. He is not too young. I was very active with a sleep disorder support group at Stanford University. I've seen young, healthy teens with sleep issues.

Get an expert and stop the trial and error. I don't mean that in a snarky way at all. Sometimes it's hard to convey real concern in a post. Sleep is very, very important.

You beat me to it. If everything you're doing isn't working, it's time to seek treatment. As someone who suffers from sleep disorders I can tell you, sleep is worth more than 10-lbs of gold. If I can't sleep, everything else suffers. I think he needs a sleep study so you'll know exactly what you're dealing with. Don't just throw medications at it--find out the problem and fix that!

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Yikes poor guy. I'm dealing with insomnia now actually and I've had my dr change one of my meds that I think is causing it so we'll see how that goes.

As far as things to do to help him go to sleep, try him taking a lavender bath-- Johnson's has a nice lavender baby bath. He's probably too old to want to take a bath, but it's more relaxing then a shower.

Try reading before bed.

No computer 2 hours before bed.

Have you considered trying hypnosis? I've never tried it, but it might help him teach himself to relax instead of worrying about not getting any sleep. Good luck.

 

[Bilberry]

That would be miserable! Hope some relief is found quickly. Sleep effects so many things.

I've personally have had good success with time release melatonin. My understanding is it takes little melatonin to help with sleep. The larger doses are probably not going to help a 15 year old all that much. Could be wrong, but it is typically older people that make less as they age.

Your 15 year old might try eating a low carb, and in particular a gluten free/wheat free diet. I've read a few times of people that suffer from migraines finding help with this diet.

I remember Dr McCleary, a former Pediatric Neurosurgeon, writing about low carb diets, and the ketones they create, helping end migraines.

http://www.drmccleary.com/books/the-brain-trust-program/

Dr Eades has a nice blog about low carb diets also that might be of help.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/

Good luck!

 

[C.Ann]

Sounds crazy, but for some people eating oatmeal just before bed - or a couple of oatmeal cookies seems to do the trick..

Insomnia is horrible.. I finally had to go the medication route..

 

[Imzadi]

Check out the second review for this book on "Adrenal Fatigue," as well as the Amazon preview. I was told a long while ago that I might have that or was heading that way. It was suggested that I take Naturopathic adrenal supplements. It was the days before Google and they called it something slightly different. There wasn't much research on it back then. So I let didn't follow the advice.

But, lately, having been diagnosed with anemia, then hypothyroidism, then fibroids, I've been doing more research again. I found Adrenal Fatigue has symptoms of being exhausted during the day, while getting sudden bursts of energy in the wee hours of the morning causing insomnia, also: headaches, migraines, brain fog, food allergies, depression.

So I started on some supplements as well as those recommended in the book. One was Iodine. The fibroids in my "girls" went down and I'm hoping for the same with my uterine ones. A couple weeks ago, I started on a supplement called Raw Adrenal, in which the bovine is sourced from New Zealand, not a country that has ever had Mad Cow disease. Within a couple days, my insomnia is totally gone! I'm sleeping through the nights again. I have more energy than I've had in a few years, my chronic low-grade depression has lifted, and the migraines I usually get have been less, so far.

Adrenal fatigue is not quite recognized by "Western medicine," as the adrenals are hard to measure. It's a shame science only measures what it can by modern day machinery, and if there's no machines or way to measure things scientifically, then the symptoms get dismissed. It wasn't too many years ago that PMS was dismissed as something women made up, until science caught up.

All I know is the supplements are working for me. Even if it's "all in my head," and they are placebos, heck, they have me sleeping again at the right time and lots more energy during the day, which is when I need it.

The adrenals have to do with stress, the fight or flight response, making adrenaline. If your DS is having a tough time at school, with his peers, he may be anxious and under stress all the time, shooting out adrenal hormones and taxing his adrenals.