MS and Insomnia please help!

Hi Rebecca.

Insomnia is a common problem for MSers I'm afraid. There are various things that help, but they do vary by person.

There have been quite a lot of posts about it on Everyday Living over the years, so if you do a search on there for "sleep" or "insomnia" you should find some good ideas.

Top tips from me are:

- do not look at the clock!

- do not get up and go to the loo unless you really need it (otherwise it becomes a habit; you literally train your bladder to wake you up during the night!)

- don't worry about it; relax

- try not to nap during the day if you can; if you have to, make it short

Karen x

I've suffered from sleeping problems/Insomnia for decades. Unfortunatley for me Tourette's and sleep problems go hand in hand ( It must ne a neuro thing?)

I rarely take sleeping tablets but do when my sleep is that bad that I literally don't sleep all night... or the next..etc, just to try get me back into a rhythm again.

I don't find anything works miracles but I do like lavender oil which helps promote better sleep. DO you like herb teas? Something like camomile can help. Or maybe a gentle massage? As long as you anne't in pain, of course.

Sometimes a warm bath helps a bit but not too close to bedtime because I need to cool down again.

My son has ADHD and also sleep problems and he takes Melatonin (natural) each night to help him sleep. It has worked wonders for him but for me it had the opposite effect. I take checimal sleep meds and they do work brilliantly, I just don't like taking meds unless I feel I really need to.

If your sleep problems are stress related then have you had or thought about any councelling?

It can do wonders sometimes just to talk about our worries.

Have you tried an eyemask and earplugs - if noise or light are a problem?

Using a pc is not good because it stimulates your brain and keeps it active.

Reading is another good one. A boring book that isn't going to keep you flipping pages all night ;)

....LOL.....avoiding said BF isn't quite what I meant Beccy but it did make me chuckle!!

Midnightmoon mentioned herbal teas. Holland & Barret do one called 'Nightime' which unlike a few others is quite a pleasant taste and it does help with relaxing.

In my opinion avoid Valerian....It's meant to aid sleep - which it may well do but....OMG it stinks!! A lot of herbal teas designed to aid sleep do contain Valerian (the Nightime one does too) but the full whammy Valerian herbal tea on it's own....Oh no way Pedro!!

If you think your lack of sleep could be anxiety related then it might be worth speaking with your ms nurse too - she may be able to offer some suggestions. Learning some relaxation techniques maybe?

Also make a note to mention the bladder issues to your nurse as well. Mine has suggested I make an appt to see - well I can't remember who now, but she did give me the contact details - anyway, it's worth telling her!

Debbie xx