Sleeping problems after a stroke - anyone had experience/ advice?

After a TAC stroke in May, like alot of people i slept heavily quite a bit at the start as was totally exhausted from short bouts of talking and high levels of fatique. However, several weeks into recovery sleep started to became an issue that massively impacted my recovery at the time, it was like my ‘off’ switch to fall asleep was faulty, i was a light sleeper before, but this was something new, i used Nightol for 6 weeks straight to try and get some sleep each night. I had tried yoga, relaxation, baths before bed etc and felt totally relaxed going to bed etc, no caffeine, no alcohol, no late dinners etc, i would just end up cat napping and be exhausted in the morning. I have had some success using melatonin but i can still have hit and miss nights for no obvious reason. I use ear plugs, eye mask as well, melatonin helps me get to sleep, but if i wake up at all through the night i cant get back to sleep at all (and my tablets are slow release) has anyone suffered similar? Any hints and tips? Planning on going back to the gp asking for something stronger to use on the odd night when i really need to catch back some sleep :sleeping: :zzz:

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I find that I often end up with light sleep at night. My own theory is that this is because post stroke I am much less active physically in the daytime. If I try to be more active during the day then I soon get fatigued. It is certainly difficult to find the right balance. Work in progress is probably the best descriptor of where I am on the sleep issue!

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CBD oil drops under the tongue relax me, and I fall asleep within45 minutes. (about 20 mg for me). If occasionally it doesn’t work, then a take another 10 or 20 mg. That always works. I don’t wake until morning. Check with your doc first. My GP and cardiologist were ok with it. :slightly_smiling_face: :heart:Jeanne

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Shwmae @chops, my sleeping routine has evolved over recovery. Early on, I couldn’t get to sleep most nights until 3-4 am in the morning. I couldn’t wake up either until about lunchtime. I had to manifest a sleeping rhythm. Nowadays, I listen to ambient space drone and drift on a sleep headband or smart speaker if alone, use lavender spray on my pillow, and go to bed around 10:30 pm - midnight, depending on how active I feel. I do breathing exercises in bed to settle me down, I also do Lohan patting on my face, and massage my ears. I know it all sounds a bit of an ordeal but these techniques, gradually, wind me down and let my brain know I am about to embark on some dreams, comfortably.

This works for me now, as a rather good routine, but a year ago, I was really struggling, despite everything I did to make sleep possible.

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I took sleeping tablets for a couple of years (I don’t think I could have managed otherwise). When I came off those, I started listening to audio books, which send me off to sleep within about 10 minutes. Sometimes I wake up 2-3 times during the night, then I just go back and pick up where I left off. It takes a long time to get through a book, but I don’t mind as long as it gets me back to sleep.

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Hi axnr911 . This is something i’ve been looking into but not sure where to start , Something to calm my nerves help me sleep longer would be great ,just not sure which one to choose .

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Hi Loshy. Thank you.
Yes i have spoken to the doctor this morning and she did say she’d heard good things about cbd oil.
She also said she can’t recommend any but she was quite happy for me to go ahead and look for some.
It’s just a case of me knowing what to look for now.
Thanks again and hope you’re keeping well.

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When I had trouble waking up really early I tried the sleep stories on the meditation sites they really work. There’s also a great one on YouTube by Paul McKenna, it’s not a story but again really worked for me.

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:pray:

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Hi Telly-- I felt just like you when I began looking into CBD. I researched dosing, etc. on the net. Rule of thumb is start low, like 8-15 mg. If no result, try small increments, maybe like 5 mg at a time, until you find the sweet spot. Taking more than your body requires is not necessarily a way to achieve results. Every person responds differently. I am 77, weigh 120 lbs. 40 mg seems to work best for me most of the time. The drops held under the tongue are supposed to work the fastest. They don’t taste that good( but not bad. I liked chocolate mint). Gummie candies are eaten and taste good, but I don’t know if they work as fast. Find a reputable place to get it. I bought over the internet and used Ancient Life for the drops and FAB CBD for gummies. I don’t know if they only ship in the USA, but there are sure to be reputable sites for you. I paid around $100 for 1000mg supply. Sounds like a lot, but it lasted me a month or two at first when I really needed it. Now, my smptoms have eased off and I hardly ever need it. :slightly_smiling_face: :heart:Jeanne

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Hi Jane-- I do not want to advise anyone on their health as I’m not a doctor. But–Both my GP and cardiologist gave the OK on CBD. Neither mentioned anything about it thinning the blood. Certainly, I would have thought my cardiologist would have mentioned it, especially since he has me on two blood thinners, Elequis and low dose aspirin. Just sayin’… Jeanne

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I have found recently that some basic things have helped me to sleep a bit better. I have worked on getting the environment right for me. I have recently bought a 13.5 tog duvet (and I also have a 15 tog for when winter bites properly). This means I can turns my heat off overnight. I find this combination has helped me to sleep.

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As a carer for my husband I also find it difficult to sleep. Most nights going to bed is a huge effort for him and he gets very ratty if I say the wrong thing which I often seem to do without meaning to. It is often taken the wrong way. I then feel very stressed and wound up so have difficulty switching off even if I don’t go to bed for another hour or so.

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Thanks so much for all the comments everyone, so great to know i’m not alone in the same issue :purple_heart:

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