Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> CH and its influence on sleep
        
(Message started by: DocCissou on Sep 13^th, 2007, 9:19am)

Title: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by DocCissou on Sep 13^th, 2007, 9:19am

Hi there, I have a question about CH that I don't think has been broached upon in this forum - but I may be mistaken, I have not browsed every topic yet (by the way forgive me my mistakes, I need to improve my english).

My boyfriend has been suffering from chronical CH for 16 years, since he was 14 or 15 years old. He had a very bad time last summer (Aug 2006) - up to 16 crisis a day - but since then, he has been feeling better, with 4 to 6 crisis per day, and, since June 2007, only around 1 or 2 per day, sometimes even less, with whole painfree days.
All in all, he is in a much better state now, but there is something that has not changed at all : he cannot sleep at night.
He tries but sleep eludes him until it is daylight, so he goes to bed in the morning (around 10am) and sleeps through a good part of the afternoon, which is really annoying when he has to do administrative stuff for example. He tells me it is related to CH, because of the way the hypothalamus influences life cycles, including sleep.

Does anyone have the same problem? Explanations? is there any thing to do except taking drugs that affect memory and behaviour (he had to stop taking sleeping pills, they were muddling up his brains)?
He is really annoyed by this perturbation, especially since it prevents him from working normally. That would be great if someone could help him.

Au revoir, and thanks so much for being there.
Cecile

Title: Re: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by Mark C on Sep 13^th, 2007, 10:51am

Go figure......yesterday I took a nap, or tried to around 10:00am from lack of sleep the night(s) before and got hammered, last night got hammered at 3:25am and again this morning at 7:00am.

My current pattern seems to be following the usual pattern of no pattern. :-/

Maybe more folks can help.

PFDAN's

Mark

Title: Re: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by thomas on Sep 13^th, 2007, 11:15am

Low melatonin levels are commone in us, and many of us take a melatonin supplement in the evenings.

Title: Re: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by UN solved on Sep 13^th, 2007, 5:52pm

Sounds like a common problem for CH'ers, myself included. It seems that when I try to alter my sleep patterns to get them 'normal' again .... the beast attacks me more often. I quit trying to change it, I sleep when I sleep (or pay the consequences).

Thomas is right, Melatonin has helped some. Plz ask a doctor first ... but many have seen 6 - 12mg at bedtime to be helpful.

Goodluck

UNsolved

Title: Re: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by Tom_Thumb on Sep 13^th, 2007, 9:45pm

Sorry I think it the nature of the beast . NO sleep . I get hammered like Mark all night from three to four time every night for the past 5 weeks . Work with him it is hell .I will wish you guys the best God Bless .

Title: Re: CH and its influence on sleep
Post by MJ on Sep 14^th, 2007, 1:39am

Hi Doc

Sleep is a real problem for many of us. Melatonin seems to help a lot of people to keep sleep more regular.

You said he was taking sleeping pills. This may in turn have contributed to the higher amount of hits in the recent past.
Quite often anything that creates drowsiness will in turn wake up the beast and make it roar. Sleeping pills would be among the worst as can be OTC pain relievers ie; aspirin, tylenol etc..

I am much like him before I gained control and slept when I could where I could, often standing upright.

Clusters are not agreeable to regular hours (or rather others hours) when getting hit hard but at the same time its important to attempt regular sleep and wake up times. Perhaps the melatonin will help this.