There's been a lot written about medications for sleep. I'm posting an
article I wrote for our newsletter that gives a few other suggestions.
Hope it's of some help.
1001,1002,1003...COUNTING SHEEP?
We may joke that sleep is like air--it doesn't seem all that important
until you're not getting any--but sleep is an important event in our
lives. When you sleep the brain gets ready for the next day's onslaught
of stimuli. If you are deprived of prolonged sleep for several days,
you can suffer degrees of irreversible brain damage. Also, the immune
system is particularly active at night which is why the stress of sleep
deprivation often results in illness.
Sleep disturbances can be common in PD. The earliest problems usually
found are in staying asleep which could be from pain, urination,
stiffness or difficulty turning in bed. Parkinsonians seem to awaken
spontaneously, then become aware of symptoms, rather than being awakened
by abnormal movements. If this occurs, studies have shown that altering
your medication by using Sinemet CR results in a decrease in the number
of nightly sleep disturbances, and if taken at bedtime, can improve
morning foot dystonia.
Sleep disturbances appear to be related more to the underlying disease
process than to the medications used to treat PD. However, altered
dreaming, nightmares, and vocalizations appear to be related to
medications and can generally precede hallucinations. If you become
drowsy after each dose of medication, try lowering the individual dose.
Although PD may be influential in your sleep problems, let us not forget
that ordinary people without PD also have problems with sleeplessness.
Much of this is due from being excited or stressed by the trials of
everyday life. If you want quality sleep, you need to prepare for it..
Before you turn to your doctor for the usually prescribed sedating
antidepressant, let's talk sense about your five senses.
When the senses are overstimulated and your body is in an agitated,
unbalanced state, try the following strategies to soothe them and
restore balance to your life.
SIGHT--- Create a tranquil environment for yourself. Avoid television
after 9 P.M. and stay away from violent or disturbing shows. Make your
bedroom as visually pleasant as possible. It has been documented that
hospital patients, recovering from surgery, heal faster with a view of a
lawn or trees than those whose windows looked out on the parking lot. If
your view isn't what you'd like, compensate with an aquarium with a few
tropical fish or a beautiful painting. Keep your bedroom clean and make
the bed each day, so the last impression you have before turning in is
one of harmony and orderliness. If the room is too light, use black-out
shades or a sleeping mask.
HEARING-- Plants don't grow as well when subjected to overly
stimulating or unpleasant sounds, so noise certainly can have a negative
effect on humans. Before going to sleep or even in the middle of the
night, listen to soft music, invest in a white-noise machine or simply
plug in an electric fan and let its gentle whir lull you to sleep. If
you have a partner who snores, try earplugs.
TOUCH-- Every neuro-chemical in the nervous system is also found in the
the skin, so it's possible to alleviate a lot of the anxiety and
restlessness we think of as being confined to the nervous system through
our skin. For this reason, certain types of body massages help
reestablish balance. If a full body massage isn't feasible, simply
massage the bottoms of your feet for a few minutes with warm coconut or
sesame oil and then sponge off with a cool cloth. The feet are said to
contain many vital points to help restore balance to the nervous system
and promote sound sleep. Also think about the relationship of your skin
to your surroundings. It goes without saying to find a comfortable
mattress, but you may want to try natural fibers for your sheets and
wear easy-to-turn-in nightclothes. Also keep the temperature in your
bedroom slightly on the cool side.
SMELL -- The receptors in the nose are direct extensions of the part of
the brain responsible for our heartbeat, appetite and sleep cycle as
well as generating chemicals that influence emotion. So try
aromatherapy for a sound and restful sleep. The delicate scent of
lavender, vanilla, green apple, basil, orange geranium or cloves can be
found in potpourri, scented oils or incense.
TASTE -- Eating a large, late meal is one of the worst things you can
do because digestion involves increased metabolic activity. Also avoid
cold food and drinks. Because of the effects of protein and PD, try a
cup of chamomile tea instead of the usually recommended cup of warm
milk. You might also try the hormone, melatonin, now being sold at your
local drugstore. As nighttime falls, your melatonin level rises
bringing on sleep and as night blends into day, melatonin levels fall
and serotonin levels rise, nudging us awake. However, as we get older,
our responsiveness to these hormone fluctuations decline. This is why
insomnia is so common among the elderly.
Seek enhanced quality sleep and don't lose sleep over the quantity. In
the end, many of us can get by on fewer hours than we think.
Editors Note: This was written at 3:00 am when I couldn't sleep.
Unfortunately, sometimes you just have to live with it.
