A few months ago a good night's sleep was unheard of for me. I would go to bed about 10-10:30 ish. Wouldn't usually fall asleep until after 11 and the between 3 and 4 I was back up - and my brain was wide awake. No matter what I tried, my brain was up, making lists, and plans, and not shutting off. If I was lucky I might get back to sleep around 5:30 or so, just in time for my alarm to go off at 6:10 and after hitting snooze a few times I would roll out of bed, still groggy around 6:30. This would happen multiple times a night.
To try to alleviate this, my doctor gave me stronger muscle relaxers and anti-anxiety pills to talk at night. I have been talking these for over a month now. I take them about 2 hours before bed and they will knock me out! I will be going, going, going, and then it's an immediate need to be in bed now, can't keep eyes open, no we are not finished this chapter or last 10 minutes of the show! And if I did wake up, I would roll over and be back to sleep immediately! I have been getting my 8 hours of sleep - still not liking waking up and sometimes groggy in the morning from the pills, but a huge improvement.
Then mom said, I was too drugged up and to stop taking them and I should take an Exedrin PM (only). Well, on Sunday I kind of took her advise - bad idea. I only took 2 mg of my muscle relaxer (instead of my normal 6-8) and only 10 mg of the anti-anxiety pill (instead of 20 mg). And I couldn't fall asleep and when I did, I kept waking up in pain - my shoulder and back hurt! I talked to my doctor at my appointment that day and told him I was going to "play" with the dosage and when I take it to find a better balance with sleeping and not feeling groggy.
Monday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 5:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Still never got the "knock out" feeling and kept waking up sore throughout the night.
Tuesday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 7:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Again no "knock out feeling". I fell asleep with a heat pad on. I woke up to turn it off. And later woke up to turn it back on.
Wednesday night - took all 4 muscle relaxers and both anti-anxiety pills together at 7:30 - started to get really drowsy around 9:45 and went to bed at that time, but still woke up several times throughout the night with neck and back pain; woke up at 5:40 and put heat pad on until after alarm went off.
I can't figure out what has changed and why I am so sore at night now. I have been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks now. And other than with my mom's suggestion, I just lowered the dose on one day. And the worst part is that a poor night's sleep means an even worse day ahead :(
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