Sleepless nights | Arthritis Information

So, I've had my warm milk, hot shower and even my Trazadone and here I sit whining about not sleeping... one... two... three... Nope, counting sheep isn't working either... I am sorry, waddie. I know how it goes.

I am getting sleepy now that I am thinking about it

My right knee is starting to hurt. I guess it is time for the ole pred again.
And now I have that song in my head, "I always feel like, somebody's is watching meeeee...., who's playing tricks on me?"What's going on with your knee? Is it swollen? I had mine drained a few weeks back, hurt like hell but helped a lot. Were you doing a lot of walking today? Joonie! When I was first married, I thought I heard a noise one night. I laid there for the longest time really working myself up over it. I decided to wake up 'ole hubby but thought if I just poked him, he would go "HUH" really loud and alert the burglar. Sooo... I put my hand over his mouth... I scared the poo outta him! We never figured out the noise... guess his "WHAT THE..." scared my imaginary burglar away! LMAO @ waddie! Now that was funny!

My thing is I am afraid hubby will scare the ghost away before he even got to see it. I think ghosts are watching me.

Mel - It is the cold weather that is bothering it. It is a little swollen, but not like it use to be. After I take my pred and go to sleep it will be back to "normal" until it is time for my next dose of pred.

Oh and .... I WOULD NEVER get my knee drained. I would rather live with my knees swelled as big as grapefruits before I would get them drained. And I have left them like that a many many of times! I HATE NEEDLES!
Well Joonie, that kills my suggestion to go get a big 'ole shot of pred in the knee! not fun, but it works Well, nighty night girls and boys. I feel the sandman bringing me dreams... Thanks for the company. Joon, I'm so sorry the cold is bothing you! If you can get your knee drained at some point I suggest going for it. Hurts like hell when it's done, but after the initial pain the reward is incredible! If you can get them to inject it with something to numb it, bonus! If they're only going to use the freeze spray though just grind your teeth through it and let them get as much as possible out. It really does help - TONS!! Maybe they can give you something to knock you out while it's done so you don't even thing about the needle part.

YAY, WADDIE!! Pleasant dreams to you - hope you have a superfantastic and extra-comfortable evening!

Well... I need to go take my pred, and then lay down and watch Short Circut.

Hope you all fall asleep soon.

Well, if you ever do it, I know you won't regret it. :)
Have fun watching Johnny 5. I think I'll watch some tv myself. Pleasant dreams when you do fall asleep, girl. Hope you get some great rest.
HI guys, just wanted to let you know that I creep around the house at night too, if all else fails, movies, crosswords etc, I try reading. Hope you find a solution. My GP has given me Temaze to use sparingly, I take 5mg and I am out like a light after approx 5 minutes. Hugs Janie. I don't want to trivialize you guys' trouble sleeping with something too obvious, but I've had difficulty sleeping for years, long before I knew I had RA. Have any of you tried altering your breathing pattern? Sometimes it works, especially when my problem is the inability to stop my mind from running around like a rat in a cage. If anyone's interested I'll write down the method.I fall asleep fine, but get awake by kids big and little, or nightmares or the need to pee.
I take trazadone every night.. but there are nights when nothing works but solitaire.

Ive had about 5 sleepless nights in past 2 weeks.. ick
Hey Blue, I'm interested. I guess my circadian rhythms are all messed up. It has been this way since high doses of pred for the pneumonia. Anyway, thanks and any help will be appreciated! I heard this on the radio the other day - if you can't fall asleep, you are supposed to try to hold your tongue inside your mouth so it isn't touching anything. Somehow, that was supposed to relax you. The person who had tried it said she got so focused on trying to do it, it made her forget stuff that was keeping her up.

Worth a try - you will have everything need for this remedy already in bed with you!
[QUOTE=Bluehour]I don't want to trivialize you guys' trouble sleeping with something too obvious, but I've had difficulty sleeping for years, long before I knew I had RA. Have any of you tried altering your breathing pattern? Sometimes it works, especially when my problem is the inability to stop my mind from running around like a rat in a cage. If anyone's interested I'll write down the method.[/QUOTE]

sure... why not?

I know that when I put ear plugs in my ears to drown out my husband's snoring... i focus on my breathing and fall off easily...

That's not my only issue though..

I wake myself or something wakes me... IDK what...and I cannot go back to sleep..
Okay. Try this. Lie on your back, and put one or both hands on your lower stomach. When you breath in slowly, push out your stomach and that pulls your breath down to the bottom of your lungs, instead of the shallow breathing you tend to do. Slowly breathe deeply for a five count, hold it for five seconds, then slowly breathe out. Pause for another five count, then breathe in again, remembering to push out with your stomach muscles.

When I read about this, the instructions were to count five on the pauses and count ten while breathing in and out, but the ten count seems too long to me. Modify as needed to be comfortable, as I did. I think the point is to get the air deep into the bottom of your lungs, slowing it down, and concentrating on the breath so you're not thinking about that nasty thing your sister-in-law said to you. Or whatever!

After doing this for a while, I'll realize that I'm getting sleepy and turn over onto my side which is my comfortable sleeping position, and off I go. It works when you're trying to first go to sleep, as well as when you wake up in the middle of the night.

Breathing is one of the only automatic body functions you can consciously control, and despite my originally thinking that it was all a bunch of woo-woo new age stuff...it works.

You can also use it when you are upright, upset, and trying to calm down.

Good luck to all us poor sleepers!
Thanks for posting that!

Hummm.... some times I am thinking about how cold I am, or what I am missing on TV, or just laying there thinking of crazy sh*t like "Is the ghost going to come visit me tonight?" or most times... I am thinking of nothing... and just cannot sleep because I cannot get into a comfortable position because of the swelling and stiffness in knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and all the other joints involved.

Most of my problem for not being able to sleep, when I cannot sleep, is because of pain, swelling & inflammation in my joints and not being able to sleep how I want to. Like laying on my back with my legs out straight. Nope... when Remicade wears off, I cannot lay like that. I LOVE to sleep in the fetal position. It makes me feel "secure". But when the Remicade wears off... I cannot bend my legs enough to get in a comfortable fetal position.

It is really crappy for me. So... I just rather stay awake, no need to fight with my joints about what position I want to sleep in
Hey Blue, thanks for the info... I will try this tonight for sure! I missed your posting earlier because I didn't fall asleep until about 4 this morning!!! Thanks again!

Waddie

I will also try the breathing technique. I am glad I stopped to read it. I will have to read again to be sure that I do it right. Funny to think you could breath wrong. I will let you know how I fair. Thanks, good luck to all who try. I think it is worth a try. I hate when I can't sleep. I use to ask my husband "Please let me fall asleep before you", ( he snores like a train), I am more accustomed to his choo choo after all these years, bet I couldn't sleep without it now. Thanks again.

Tink

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