Hey Y'all!

I have a problem and I hope someone can help me with it. I don't sleep at night. Not like a normal person does. No matter what time I go to bed, 8 pm, 10 pm, etc, I always wake up between 3 and 4 in the morning. And I lie awake at LEAST 2 hours before dropping back off. And by the time I wake up between 8 and 10 am, I'm so tired like I never slept at all. And no matter what I do, I can't shake the tiredness. On dialysis days, I have a large coffee from Dunkin Donuts, with an extra shot of espresso in it and FIFTEEN sugar packets in it.
On off days, I drink energy drink with the equivalent of 240 mg of caffiene in them and they don't even make a dent. I spend all day tired, lethargic and fatigued. I can't concentrate on my writing or anything like that. (Which is all I have to do in a day since I don't do anything else.)
I've been to the doctor 5 times and they can't find anythign wrong with me.

Can anyone tell me of anything that would give me enough energy to get through the day. I'm so backed up on writing projects. I have things I want to write, great ideas and I simply can't concentrate on it.
Please help me.

Thank you!

I'd  pick a time I'm going to bed and go to bed at whatever time you pick for starters.  Make sure you have plenty to eat before you go to sleep.  Sleeping burns more caleries then exercise.  I can not sleep without a full stomach and will just end up lying in bed. I know when I don't sleep, I don't have the energy in the day that I do when I do sleep.   

Sleeping burns more caleries then exercise.



I wish that were true!  I'd be so damned skinny now that I'd love it.

I have alot of problems sleeping, myself.  Try a warm bath before bedtime.  Try not to watch anything that will get you excited or angry before bedtime.  To give yourself some added energy, you might consider taking a vitamin D supplement.  I honestly don't know what to tell you since, with dialysis, things make affect you differently then me. 
I've been taking a quarter of a 5mg Melatonin when I need to sleep, and I wait about a half hour before laying down.  It doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to work for me where as I really don't like taking over-the-counter sleeping pills.  I've even tried warm milk before, and it works once in awhile, but not always.  Someone said lavender scented oil is calming and soothing, it is part of my bathtime sometimes.  But I always feel like I should clean the bathtub after because it's slippery, so there goes any calming/soothing affect it may have had.  ;D

I forgot to mention that I take a vitamen with vitamen D. 

I read it somewhere were sleeping burns more caleries then exercise, but what compared to what I don't know and I don't believe that everyones body works exactly the same.  I just know for me I cant sleep without a full tummy. 

Have you tried 5 Hour Energy?

Tif caffeine affects some people differently

It may be that all the caffeine you drink during the day is kicking in at night.


Try to not have any caffeine at all.

Also, since you don't yet seem to sleep for long stretches, it may be with just going to bed later. You could try going to sleep at midnight or one am that way when you wake up a few hours later at least you're not waking up in the middle of the night. waking up whole it's still dark affects your body. Wake up and it's day light eventually you'll trick your body (or train it) to find a sleep pattern that works


If you keep to a specific routine- going to bed at relatively the same time- this may help too.



Oh. And start this on a Friday night so your body has time to adjust before dialysis on mon or Tues

Has the doc checked your thyroid?


Cat

Maybe having too much caffeine during the day isn't helping you. Why don't you try aromatherapy before going to sleep. You can try some chamomile or lavender scented soap in a nice warm bath. You can also have some chamomile tea in the evenings, that may help. Chamomile tea doesn't have caffeine in it.

Hope I helped!

Hey Y'all!

Thanks so much for all the input and suggestions. I have a special vitamin for kidney patients being sent to me through my pharmecuetical (?) provider and everyone keeps saying that will help so I'll try. It's just my sleeping has been off since I was like 12 or so. And I've been using some form of caffiene--sodas, coffee etc,--for all that time. I drank my first coffee at eight. LOL

And I cannot give coffee up. I think I'd give up Michael Jackson before coffee. LOL. It's the only thing that kind of helps me through a day now. But it would nice to wean off it eventually.

Thanks again everyone!