I cannot sleep.

Twirlgirl, I haven't tried the Natural Calm or melatonin yet, but I wanted to thank you for your response.  I will be near the vitamin shop early next week and plan to stop in and look for the Natural Calm.  Still undecided about the melatonin because of the nightmares.  I'm sure you're right and that after a week or so my body would adjust.  

Over the last few weeks I've been enrolled in a meditation class and try to meditate daily.  After an initial increase in anxiety -- I knew I was anxious but became even more aware of it during the first two weeks of meditating -- I seem to be calming down somewhat.  My goal is to establish a regular sleep cycle.  I've noticed I resist going to bed because I fear feeling anxious over not being able to sleep.  Instead, I stay up, figuring I can avoid the stress.  It always backfires since in the end I'm still sleep deprived each morning.  Duh!  So, I'm going to work on getting in bed and waking at the same times.  I've come to the conclusion I'd rather cope with the anxiety since I have a greater opportunity for sleep if I'm actually in bed.  

Tina 

I am also trying to get into a sleep pattern. i have been trying to go to bed at 9:30pm and am up at 6:00am. I am stil taking the Ambien, 5mg. I will get the Clam's Forte and the melatonin once I get to the store. i am so tired of taking alll these pills! I never had sleep prolems before BC, but definitely do now! I hope to get bakc to normal once I start working a regular schedule.

D

Susan - I hear ya! Where's the doggone Spring weather ?  We are ready here in IL as well. 

tea42 - please be sure to report on your experience with the Calms Forte, I hope it works for you. 

I took Lunesta last night, I was super anxious at bedtime & gave in.   I've only got about 15  of them left & my doctor isn't a fan of prescribing them...  so I better learn to live without them.

Anyway - hope this message finds all of you lovely ladies well-rested!!  Take care & have a good day... Juliet

HI BustersMom thanks for asking............and I'm not sure.  I did sleep a little better.  About 5 hours and that's good for me.  I know you can't judge anything based on one day so I'm going to keep taking it.  After reading everyone's posts I think I need to get some melatonin too.  It's going to be below zero here tonight in Ohio.  So I'm turning on the fireplace and curling up with a good book.  Hope everyone has a good night!!

Does anyone else start to get tired around 8:30 and watch the clock??? Then when i do go to bed about 9:30, I cannot fall asleep! I am working on relaxation techniques. I know that I am stressed over my son, over school and work. I just want 12 hours of uninterupted sleep! (I know, i'm being greedy!) I need to go get the natural stuff and keep to a schedule. Unfortunately, it was 2am when my Husky wanted to go out! If only they would wake up my husband! I had my port out on Thursday and the site is sore when I turn over. It is in an awkward spot and pulls when I move my arm.

D

Well - here I am at just after 3am PST and I haven't been to sleep yet. I took my 10mg of melatonin and my Ativan over 4 hours ago. I guess I have no choice but to take another Ativan. I awaken by 7am because I have two dogs. They've been asleep since about 9pm.

This is so frustrating!

Lisa

Hi All, I'm 39 & have a 3year old son. I have trouble sleeping too. Just wanted to give some info,I had a lumpectomy; Lt breast, dx LCIS, radial scar, intraductal hyperplasia and sclerosing adenosis.  My ONC said I was at 40% risk of it becoming invasive. She recommended tamox. & rads, YES RADS.  Alot of people comment on that but she is the Dr.  Anyway I wanted another child and my GYN said if I took Tamox. I would go into menopause. So I did rads. Then I discovered a lump in my Rt. at 3 o'clock, had lumpectomy; adenosis.  Shortly afterwards I noticed another lump in my Rt at 6 o'clock. I brought it up to my surgeon, he said 'it's scar tissue'. TRIED not to think about it, & I let another menstrual cycle go by, still there but bigger.  Then in December, another lump at about 1 o'clock. Went to GYN she can feel them, sends me back to surgeon. He can't feel them. Had mammo & ultras. they don't show them. MRI, report said to retest at 7-14 day of menstrual cycle. Now INS won't cover another.  Went back to ONC she can feel them and recommends mastectomy.  Went to another surgeon for 2nd 3rd or whatever # opinion.  She says WHY on earth would u have had radiation for what you had. These lumps are nothing. But she did a FNA on one.  It came back inconclusive. Went back to ONC she still recommends mastectomy.  I have a small claims issue next week, with my ex(father of my son) regarding money I loaned him. And he's taking me to court for custody of our son and is trying to get me to pay him child support. The 1st hearing on that is in 5 weeks. TALK ABOUT CAN"T SLEEP.  I'm up every hour at least. I can't make a decision for anything, I can't think straight. Sorry to go ON AND ON AND ON.  But I'm really having trouble with sleep too. Take care all.

I take Xanaz every night to sleep.  Works great for me.  If I don't it takes forever to fall asleep and I wake up every couple of hours.  I hope you find what works for you!

Sleeping better but wake up still. Have the Melatonin timed release and doin that each night. Do alot of breathing excercises and try to just not let the awake time get to me as much as saying.. i am goin to be asleep soon. Some nights better than others.

Be well All!@!

Donna

Firstmate...my expreicne going off Ambien took me a week...of "resting" like you describe and eventually, I did fall asleep after a few nights because your body takes over from your mind. I just used the Meletonian and a 1/2 Flexeril (muscle relaxer) the first few nights at bedtime. Made me sleep and I think tricked my brain. It is still not perfect, but much, much better. And in the morning I am not foggy.

Hang in there...I hope it all comes together soon.

I'm a new member, but this caught my eye right off. I have sleep problems, too. Like many here, I take some supplements. My met cancer (now peritoneal) has caused me much constipation to go along with not sleeping, aargh!

At bedtime, I take two tbsp. Blue Bonnet liquid cal/mag/D3. It helps with both, but if the insomnia is particularly bad, I take a Restoril tab or a Tylenol PM if I'm having bone pain (which is a side effect of my recent chemo and the Femara I am now on).

My daughter owns a health food/supplement store and has turned me on to many things that help and this is one of my favorites.

Here I am still up at close to midnight, but I hope you are all getting some sleep tonight.

Big hugs,

Joanne

I have never had night mares from Melatonin. I've only taken the 3 mg pill and haven't ventured on to hight mgs. I usually take it right before bed along with a cup of chamomile tea. That is calming as well.

Has anyone got a remedy for the palpitations? The other day I think I had a skipped beat every 9th beat. That's an anxious feeling. It's hard to sleep while they are going on.

Pleasant dreams is my hope for you, Artsee

Hey FirstMate, I first suffered from sleep anxiety more than 13 years ago after I had my last son.  It bacame a vicious cycle and I didn't get better until I found an anti-depressant that worked and I started "positive self-talk"  I used to panic that I would never sleep normal again, but I would tell myself over and over that I used to have the ability to sleep and I would again.  Once I could get the anxiety under control slowly I started sleeping better.   It wasn't an easy or quick process and then 3 years ago when I was hit with this stage 4 BC, the sleep problems came back.  I don't really have the issues with the "sleep anxiety" it's more breast cancer anxiety.  

Usually, I take an ativan every night and it does the trick, but there was a time when I could take Ambien, klonipin, and elavil and still not sleep.  Anxiety is a powerful emotion, and most of will have some anxiety more often than not especially dealing with this disease.

 Just realize and remind yourself that you WILL sleep again.  I learned from my own experiences that while anxiety is powerful so is the ability of our own mind to conquer anxiety.