Do you think it makes any difference going to bed earlier or later?

I see to be going later and later, partly because if I am going to feel better it is later in the day.
Mornings are the worst....
But I wondered if anyone has changed their sleep time rather than hours of and noticed a negative or positive response please?
Thanks
P

I assume you are talking about migraines. In that case, the answer is no, for me personally . However, I have read and been advised by doctors that it is better for overall health, including migraines, to maintain a consistent going to bed and waking up time.

Chris

sorry yes did mean regarding migraine.
Having to use my phone and bit fiddly.
I do tend to have the same amount of sleep and consistent bedtime and waking time.

Just wondering if earlier or later bedtime is helpful to anyone.

I am tending to go to sleep about 2am for about 7 hrs unless migraine wakes me earlier.

P

Hey pen,

What phone service do you use? You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I use
boostmobile prepaid, which is sprint but I get unlimited internet and can't access the forums

its just my mobile. I am in england.
Its fiddly using it cos its no I phone or blackberry. Usually use pc but too cold in that room.

P

Oh oh right. Sorry England, different carriers, whole different system over there. LOL Dopamax
moment!

Sorry I don't have more to offer about the topic for you. I do know that I go to sleep very late
at night, and usually have migraines late in the day as a rule. I believe I have a touch of insomia
because no matter how tired I may be at 8pm I still wont fall asleep until 2am. I'd like to try sleeping
pills as my daughter gets older and she can wake me up instead of a monitor waking me up. I
just don't wake up for her at all if she's crying on a monitor and i'm on sleeping pills or nyquil.

I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

Bed earlier last night. Still woke with pain, (not migraine) and oversept....how odd.
One night doesnt really tell me anything though does it??

I can honestly say that keeping regular sleep hours has been a MAJOR factor in controlling my migraines. If late nights work for you, then stick with it - I've found that having a 1.5-2 hour "window" to sleep and wake is a big help.

If I get up before 7am for a few days straight, I'm guaranteed a stinker, same if I stay up late. I'm lucky that my work have been really understanding and have allowed me to shift my working day an hour later so I can get enough sleep.

Combined with diet, exercise and a good preventative med, this regime means I've had FOUR TIMES fewer migraines in the past year, than the year before. Amazing.

I hope you find the 'pattern' that works for you.
LHx

Awesome Liz, wow. Good thought.

Maybe sticking to a schedule is something we all should give a go.

lizholmesod wrote:I can honestly say that keeping regular sleep hours has been a MAJOR factor in controlling my migraines. If late nights work for you, then stick with it - I've found that having a 1.5-2 hour "window" to sleep and wake is a big help.
If I get up before 7am for a few days straight, I'm guaranteed a stinker, same if I stay up late. I'm lucky that my work have been really understanding and have allowed me to shift my working day an hour later so I can get enough sleep.
Combined with diet, exercise and a good preventative med, this regime means I've had FOUR TIMES fewer migraines in the past year, than the year before. Amazing.
I hope you find the 'pattern' that works for you.
LHx

Wow Liz, and you in London with all our unseasonal weather, LOL. (I am in Bedfordshire).
I havent had any luck with preventatives. What has worked for you?? Diet I cant fathom as nothing seems to have any effect.
Cant exercise because of the Fibromyalgia. Always open to suggestions though. Which neuro do you see??

For me I think the number of hours sleep I get is more important than whether they are early or late. I'm naturally an owl, and even if I try and get a good sleep schedule to sleep earlier it always seems to drift later. I used to start work at 8am and somehow managed to do that just fine, but now I rarely get to sleep by midnight even if I go to bed earlier. I need about 10 hours per day to feel my 'best', but this can be tricky to get.

As I'm not working I have the option of sleeping in and getting more sleep and it does help a lot. It is another factor in why standard working hours and rigid schedules are not good for me. I find it really difficult when I have a morning appointment and usually need a siesta to catch up.

Having a newborn and the accompanying sleep deprivation will be tough come May, but I'll get through it with naps!

Take care

Amy

Amy,

Good luck with the baby and the nap situation! Keep lots of extra meds in the house, okay?
Just went through it myself, if you need someone to vent to I'm here when your ready.
Naps just didn't cut it for me at all..I think you need consistant sleep. Waking up every
two hours definitely triggered migraines for me and probably for most people. No matter
how many naps I took it didn't matter.

If you are in a financial situation to do so, have someone help you with the workload of night feedings. Definitely concider formula feedingto take the load off of you but also make sure
you are sitting correctly while feeding your little one. I read studies that the incidents of migraines
are higher after childbirth if you formula feed. I have no idea why. Breastfeeding was too stressful
for me as I was up more frequently (you feed more often as baby is hungrier more often) and
there was nobody to help. You are the only one with boob.

Congrats and well wishes!

Thank you. It's nice to know others have been through it and survived.

I am really, really determined to breastfeed, ideally for 6 months. Also planning on expressing some too after the first 6 weeks so hubby can do some night feeds. But if the effect on my migraines is too bad I'll reconsider. Not very much works medication wise, and I've managed to 21 weeks without taking anything yet (well, more than that as I didn't take anything whilst trying to conceive either). It's a miracle really, I think I just have iron willpower. If I knew there was an abortive/preventative that helped I guess it would be different!

My anomaly scan was at 9am this morning and I ended up sat next to a guy who smelt of stale cigarette smoke and some vile aftershave for 40 minutes in the waiting room. So this afternoon was pretty bad and I ended up back in bed. But the scan was great, no problems detected, and it was so wonderful to see our baby wriggling away.

But because I went to bed this afternoon I'm not tired now, so I'll probably need to sleep in in the morning a bit. It's very difficult to keep a good sleep schedule, and to be honest I'm not sure it makes all that much difference while I have the freedom to sleep when I need to. If I needed to keep a regular day time schedule it would be different, and I know it would really help then.

I do think I have undiagnosed sleep problems, but I can't get a sleep study done nor pay for one privately. Not sure what help diagnosing it would be anyway!

For now I manage....

Amy

Amy, congrats on your news. Excuse brevity, having an earlier night.
Just to say, everytime baby sleep, ignore the housework and have a nap as well.
I had a full post natal breakdown with my second baby.
Advised to do the above, made the world of difference.
Hope all goes well, always happy to chat.

P

Thanks Pen

Apparantly your sleep architecture changes when pregnant and when your baby is small in that you have less very deep sleep (was ~25% and goes to ~5%) and more REM sleep. This gets you in sync with your babies sleeping patterns and makes it easier to nap, but also means you are woken more easily. Pretty sure this is happening already as I usually find it very difficult to wake up and feel alert, but this is getting easier.

Amy

Hey Pen
Sorry if this hogs the thread! I've been on dotheipin (dosulepin) for years. I don't think this is available in the US (for anyone reading from there). It's a very old-school tricyclic anti-depressant, but works well for migraine. Sadly it means I'll never be superslim, despite my frequent gymming, but I'd rather be on the portly side and not crippled with migraine than a supermodel!

I go quite regularly to the City of London Migraine Clinic. They're a charity of GPs with specific migraine/headache interest (www.colmc.org.uk) and they've helped no end. I don't have anything as grand as a neuro, except when I've had MRIs etc when times were bad.

My diet is less about what I eat and more about when. I eat every 4 hours during the day, with never more than 12 hours break overnight, lots of slow release carbs (oats, pulses, wholegrain stuff) so my blood sugar doesn't drop. Always carry a cereal bar, and all my meds (so no pretty dainty handbags on nights out!) Drink 3 litres of water a day religiously (which is so hard when it's freezing cold and I'd rather have a cream and marshmallow filled hot chocolate), no caffeine at all etc etc...

As regards exercise, could you find a physio or sensitive personal trainer that could help you work out some 'soft' exercise that wouldn't aggravate your FM? How about water-based activity, where you're nicely supported while still raising your heart rate? It's not necessarily about sweating your last on a treadmill, more like taking time out to look after your body.

I have migraine with aura, and used to have 2-3 a week (at 24-48 hours each) and am now down to one a month. I realise that makes me incredibly lucky in this forum...
LHx

Liz in midst of 3 day migraine run, will respond.
P

Hi Liz,
Sorry for delay, I did appreciate yuor post, to be honest it slipped down the list and the I couldnt find it again.
Anyway, to respond.

I have been to COLMC. Saw Ann McGregor twice. Then I missed 2 appointments so they chucked me off the list.
Now I cant travel so they wont see me at all
I would pay them to speak to me on the phone, but this doesnt seem possible either.
I liked McGregor. She picked up the hormonal connection right at the start, but then I couldnt speak with her any more.
Dont feel neuros are grand. Most of them arent specialised in Migraine and I m sure yu are much better of with a concerned and educated migraine dr.

I do have problem finding things to snack on, and dont think I do very well. It really has made a difference to you has it?
I eat oatmeal for breakfast but its all down hill from then. Also the water. The worse my head is, the more I cant get it down.
I try so hard, but a litre is about all I can mange most days. IBS does get in the way a bit of what I can eat much of, but I need to try harder.
I am going back to my osteopaths, the have physio there as well, so I m travelling hopefully.
How wonderful you have had some success Liz. We need more stories like yuors.
I will keep trying to find something.
Thanks so much for taking the trouble to post.
P

Ihave managed to go to bed a bit earlier. Oddly both times I have had trouble waking up.
So I have slept much longer. But I have sort of come to a bit earlier on and havent noticed the pain.
I wonder if I am oversleeping rather than undersleeping.
I maybe need to get to sleep earier and set an alarm to wake me (which I hate)

My husband doesnt work (early retirement) and I cant so no reason to wake early.

Will keep trying.

I'm with Chris and LHx, regularity is CRITICAL. Try to go to sleep within the same half hour every day. And avoid it being too early (not between 6 and 7:30), nor too late, past midnight. So, best times are between 10 pm and 11 pm, give and take some. Also try to wake up at a regular time. Use an alarm clock if you must.