Sleep

ERRNTraveler, RN · Nov 13, 2007

I take 2 Benadryl about an hour before I want to go to sleep- works great!

HM2VikingRN, RN · Nov 13, 2007

2 beers....

I have just learned to get by with 4 hours some days...

philosophical · Nov 13, 2007

I have used 50mg Trazodone nightly since April 2004 (the birth of my first child). I had severe PPD and couldn't sleep AT ALL!!! :) Trazodone is gentle enough to make me relaxed and sleepy, but I don't feel hung over in the morning. Best of luck to you. I know how it feels to not be able to sleep!

ebear, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2007

Benadryl (and all antihistamines) make me so hyper I end up pacing all night! I wish I could find SOMETHING that works! The smell of alcohol makes me nauseous!!!

sleepyndopey · Nov 13, 2007

I work 2 doubles(16 hours) in a row every week. If I'm lucky I get 5 hours of sleep between them. I find I am fully functional for my second double but on the day after the two doubles I am completely non-functional. I get very hungry and irritable:devil:. My husband just leaves me alone and waits for me to recover and get back to my normal self. :saint:

MisMatch, LPN · Nov 13, 2007

I am in school during the day, and work night shift. Like ebear, Benedryl makes me hyper and keeps me from falling asleep.

Tylenol PM or Advil PM are my lifesavers when I need to sleep on demand.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2007

Do you get any S&S when you don't get enough sleep? I find I get a rapid heartbeat.
Also, I get irritable, nauseated, and my blood sugar goes haywire. Then, I reach a point where I can't sleep even if I want to and have the opportunity.
Ah, the joys of shift work.
An observation: Naps are not cumulative. You need at least 5 or 6 hours of interrupted sleep for it to really help.

I'm a student, so I'm not referring to shift work. But yes, when I'm sleep deprived, I definitely have the rapid, pounding heart. It can be really distressing. The only thing that stops it is a full night's sleep.

I mentioned this to my NP, and she didn't seem to recognize that sleep deprivation could affect HR. So I thought this was unique to me. Interesting that you bring this up.

TrudyRN · Nov 13, 2007

Doesn't Tylenol PM contain Benadryl?

I alternate between Benadryl, Trazadone, Ambien, and Flexeril because taking any of them more than 2 days in a row renders that med ineffective unless I skip that particular med for a couple of days.

But 95% of the time I take nothing and just deal with it. I get a couple hours' nap in the morning, usually, then maybe another 3 or 4 later. Then, thankfully, it's my day off and I get enough sleep to feel human.

Yes, the tachycardia tells us we must sleep, no matter what has to go by the wayside.

Ms Kylee · Nov 13, 2007

I get migraines if I don't sleep..also nauseated to the point where I feel like I'm going to vomit. I need at least 7 hours a night to function like a normal human.

A nice warm bath with lavender bubble bath or body wash does wonders when nothing else will... and a cup of hot chocolate helps a lot too

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Nov 13, 2007

I get tachy too - like 150s-160s.

I get a bad bad headache, sometimes with nausea. It's not migraine, just 'need sleep.'

Very grumpy. Can't deal with loud noise.

I feel your pain, Trudy.

leslie :-D · Nov 13, 2007

i just switched to nocs, a couple of wks ago.

and boy, is it catching up to me.

no physical symptoms, except for a gen'l heaviness in movement.

i am just plain cranky, cranky, cranky.

and i've been writing words in 3 more often.

leslie