Hey Barb
Wow...i'm so sorry u'r struggling with this. My mother in law (who doesn't have ms) struggled with sleep probs for years...seriously about
20 years...and FINALLY was convinced that she needed to have a sleep study done. That proved fruitless for her, but i do agree that it was a great idea and can be such a revealing process. It's definitely something u should discuss with u'r doc and consider doing. Another thought came to mind. I've had minor sleep issues for the last few years and discovered something interesting about
myself and i suspect i'm not the only one who'll say this. When i wake up hungry and then eat...i find that i sleep better when i do go back to sleep. Of course that's a positive reinforcement for that hunger. So the next night i may do it again...and subconsciously i'm building that need/response action. NO...i'm not saying that's what u'r doing, but maybe do a little experiementing here. Eat something a bit substantial before bed. I tried that and, yes, i continued to wake up and 'want' soemthing to eat, but when i wasn't hungry and didnt actually eat i didn't continue to wake up for that. Another thing, coming to the computer or turning on the tv only excites u'r mind...doesn't relax it and u...and can be lending it'self to u'r inability to get back to sleep. Maybe read a bit or do something. Something that won't bring u to a place of total awakeness and stimulate u to be up. One thing my mother in law tried...out of SEVERAL...was an over the counter product called Melatonin. It's naturally produced by the body and stimulates sleep, but if u'r not getting enuf on u'r own u can supplement. Here are some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin (see Roles in Humans)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melatonin/NS_patient-melatoninhttp://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/258.htmlOf course with any drug/herbal supplement, u should discuss it's use with u'r doc prior to using it. Some supplements aren't compatible with certain meds...so please do discuss this first. For my mother in law, this was the one thing that did her the most good. If i recall correctly, she took one tablet prior to bed and was using it consistantly for some months. She was easily able to stop its use and does occassionally return to using it as needed, tho i'm not sure what amount of time she stays on it or how long it takes to become effective if not effective immediately. I do hope u get some help soon friend. I know it's so hard on u'r body to miss sleep and u work everyday, so that cost is considerably higher for u. Take really good care and let us know how u are.