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Posted 8/29/2011 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
I find that I am only getting a few hours of sleep a night, even with Ambien.  When I try to sleep during the day it is like I will myself awake.  Any ideas?

I am doing okay today with all.  Still a little gassy and a little diarrhea but I don't have a large intestine so I am not surprised.  The tube feeds are going okay.  I do them 16 hours a day! Had yogurt for breakfast and getting ready for a minute maid juice bar - thoses are the bomb!

Thanks all!

Posted 8/29/2011 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Ryobe!

I am not wrapped (ooh, are my fingers crossed, though) but I do live in Finland where we can get upwards of 20 hours of daylight and I can tell you that your circadian rhythm is doing an awfully good job of keeping you mentally awake during the day.

I would highly suggest choosing one room (it can be the bedroom if you like) and blocking out as much light as possible. It looks bad but sometimes I use sheets and blankets to snuff out all the light. That way, my brain gets tricked and I can sleep. I don't know what it says about me that I'm essentially just putting a blanket over my own birdcage... hmmm. ;)

As an iPhone addict, I must also advise you to leave it in the other room. On silent! It nearly kills me, but sometimes you really do just need to let yourself unwind.

Besides this I hope you're feeling well! Best of luck to you.

Take care,
Ashley
Posted 8/29/2011 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
Just spoke to a friend who is a gastro. nurse and it could be my sleep is so messed up from the anethesia. I will chalk it up to that and keep praying for more sleep at night:)
Posted 8/29/2011 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
Try some melanton (sp?) and dimming your lights an hour before bedtime.
Posted 8/29/2011 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
You were close, it's called melatonin. It's actually been my sleep med of choice for years, specifically because it's non-habit forming and doesn't work like any other sleep med that exists. Instead of sedating you, it works by affecting your circadian rhythms, essentially telling your brain that it's time to go to sleep without forcing your brain to actually do so.

There's a couple different doses out there, most commonly 0.1mg, 1mg, 3mg, and 5mg. 0.1mg is really only for jetlag, I find that 3mg taken one to two hours before bed works the best. Unlike most medicines, taking more won't make you more tired, you have to find your "sweet spot." And as a sidenote, melatonin has a very interesting side effect in that it will make your dreams far more vivid and weird. Hope that it helps out
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