Sleepless in the China

[danb]

Hi everyone. Eye catching tittle maybe. Topic may put you to sleep...or not . I wonder if anyone else have sleeping problems. I saw a doctor for this problem a few years ago. I was/am always tired. Even if I get 9-10 hours of sleep. Many hours of sleeping but I think it is mostly a restless sleep. I got one of those CPAP machine. It helps but the face mask is very uncomfortable and forever leaking. I was surprise at how many people have sleeping issues. I would talk about my CPAP machine at work and was surprise at how many other guys would say that they use one also.

 

Today I saw a white noise machine for sale on Amazon. Here is a link:

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E6D6LQY/ref=gbrc_tit_r-1_6742_89b373b0?smid=A2G7B63FOSFZJZ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=right-new-1&pf_rd_r=1VJN16JY74DPCMPRQJ2A&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=2064246742

 

For 40 bucks I think it would be well worth getting 5 or 6 hours of some deep sleep. I am constantly waking up. I am sure that I am rarely getting an REM /deep sleep. I feel tired thru out the day. The white noise machine is suppose to mask snoring noise. My Lao Po will be happy to hear that.

 

I was wondering if anyone else have sleep issues and how they have solved them. Hope everyone has a nice Easter. Danb

[Mick]

I have had sleep problems all my life. As a kid, I was a sleep walker up until age eight, when it just stopped on its own. I got so bad that I was found on several occasions blocks away from home and once waist deep in a ditch full of water, still stone cold asleep. My time in Nam didn't help, nor did the copious amount of amphetamines I took in order to stay awake. I was a medic, so I had the keys to the candy store. PTSD has only made it worse. I don't have problems going to sleep, but more with staying asleep. I rarely sleep more than one hour at a stretch, so I seldom go into deep REM sleep. I have had several sleep studies done, both at University of Miami and more recently, at Vanderbilt. I do not have apnea or any of those kind of issues, so the CPAP torture devices are of no help. I have found the most helpful thing is to do about 30 minutes of Zen meditation during the evening, not necessarily right before bed. Sometimes, this helps me stay asleep for longer periods of time. I wish you well with your efforts - sleep deprivation is a bummer.

[Randy W]

I take a half dose of valium/diazepam (a full dose is too much - I'll feel it the next day) and a 3 or 5 mg dose of melatonin. The melatonin was surprisingly effective for me, but the Chinese dose is typically 500 mg - WAY too much - you'll still be groggy the next day. Look for the western 3 to 5 mg doses on Taobao. The diazepam is easily available at some Chinese hospitals.

 

I've found that drug availability is MUCH more restrictive than it was when I first got here.

 

Beware of night-time cold medicine stuff like Nyquill.