I know this is a symptom of depression, but also a hormonal imbalance problem, too, but does anyone else have a hard time staying asleep? I usually got to sleep ok, unless I am totally overstressed and having an anxiety problem. The problem is staying asleep. I wake up at least 3 times. I go to bed around ten and get up at 5:30, I try not to vary it too much at weekends, usually going to bed at 10:30-11pm and up at 7am. I only have one caffiene drink in the am, and have tried chamomile and other herbs to sleep. I also have been trying to eat a little carb at night to make me sleepy. It helps some, but I just feel so darn tired when I wake up. HELP!
Angie
P.S. I have tried Ambien,and it did nothing for me.
I think it might be a depression problem. I average about 5 hrs a night, sometimes less and occasionally more. I sleep really lightly when I do sleep and hear every noise. The moon shining through can even wake me up. DH says I must have see-through eyelids. LOL It doesn't seem to matter what day it is or what is going on, either. I do notice it is worse if I'm having anxiety attacks. Then I do good to sleep 2 hrs. Do take the Wellbutrin really early. It tends to cause insomnia. When I took it at night I didn't go to sleep at all, but I also didn't feel especially tired. Wierd.
Here's wishing you sweet dreams tonight Lendi
This happened to me too when I suffered from depression a few years ago. I couldn't stay asleep and would wake up in the early morning hours, unable to get back to sleep. My doctor prescribed a sleeping pill along with the antidepressant to take until the antidepressant took effect. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it (my memory of that year is not the best) but I'm sure your doctor could prescribe something. It helped keep me from going crazy from lack of sleep. Good luck.
I'm the same way. I can usually get to sleep pretty well...but staying asleep is another story! I wake up after about 2 hours and toss and turn after that. My dh is getting tired of it because it makes me a very grumpy person in the morning!!
__________________ Shed my cocoon and became a Butterfly in 2007 May The Force Be With You Hope-Faith-Love-Happiness always
Thanks guys for your posts. At least I know I am not the only girl tossing and turning. And as for my DH, he hates it, too, I am a big grump in the morning.
I also know you burn most of your calories at night when you sleep and if you don't sleep well, your metabolism gets worse. I gotta get some sleep!!!
Guess what? This first week on the Wellbutrin has had its ups and downs. It definitely is not helping my sleep, tho...
Maybe it will get better eventually...
Especially since my hysterectomy - I suffer from insomnia. Lately I have been taking a short hot bath and taking 2 Motrin, 2 Tylenol, OR 1 Aleve -1 hour before bed time. This has been helping. At least until tonight. I am fighting a migrane and I'm wired from that medicine. Here it's 12:30 am and I still cant sleep!
For those of you who wake up alot during the night, please consider the possibility that you may have sleep apnea.
This disorder, highly under-diagnosed in women, can be very dangerous and is certainly disruptive. Thanks to PCOS, most of us are overweight, and that is also one of the leading causes of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea comes in two forms, one of which can be caused by being overweight. This form is obstructive sleep apnea, and is caused when your airways collapse when you relax in sleep. This then shuts off your air supply, forcing you to wake up in order to start breathing regularly again. The biggest problem with this disorder is sleep deprivation, but it can also lead to severe oxygen depletion and a myriad of other problems with your heart and so forth.
This is easily diagnosed through a sleep study. Most insurance covers it and it only takes sleeping away from home for one night. I've even heard of some sleep centers who will do the study in your home. The treatment varies. In my case, I was a prime candidate for a surgery that removed my tonsils, adenoids, uvula and a large portion of my soft pallette. This surgery is costly, painful and does not have a great deal of success with alot of sufferers. Luckily for me, it was the answer. I am now apnea free and sleep peacefully through the night (instead of being awakened, sometimes hundreds of times a night and sleeping 11-14 hours a day). The other most popular treatment option is to be put on a c-pap machine that will force air through your nose throughout the night. While difficult to adjust to, I have known many people who say that it has changed their lives. It is small, portable, and only used during sleep. Funny, but alot of people have also said that they start losing weight after treatment and it goes away on its own as well...probably due to being awake and active longer.
Sorry about the long message, but I've seen so many people who suffer from this unawares and it breaks my heart when their solution could be so simple.
Hope this helps someone out there.
-d
__________________ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
Dx August 2002
Mommy to Minnie Mouse, the moocher
Thanks for the post on the apnea. It is very important that we are aware of the affects of it and educate ourselves. However, I am overweight, but not too severely. Also, I have had my tonsils and adnoids out. I have a pattern of when I am waking up. I go to bed at 10pm, wake up at 12, 2 and 4, almost exactly. I think it is the hormones and the depression and just anxiety about not sleeping through the night that keeps me in this pattern. If I had the apnea, wouldn't I be waking up in a random pattern? Also, my sleep has been more disturbed and light with dreams after I got on the anti-depressants. I am still getting used to them, so maybe this will subside. Actually, I was so exhausted last night I only remember waking up once at 3am, out of the pattern. Hoping this is a good sign.
If it does not get better I may consider going to the sleep clinic just to make sure.
Thanks!:o
I'm certainly not implying that everyone who wakes up at night has sleep apnea, it just sounded suspicious to me when I read your post. With mine, I did notice that I woke at the same times every night, and when I went through the sleep study I found that at certain times my apnea was much worse than others. I was actually awakening over 120 times in one hour (yes, every 30 seconds), but of course being awake and being conscious are two different things. I probably only recognized that I was awake six or seven times in that whole hour.
The surgery that I had is NOT the best option. Most people see no success with it whatsoever. I just happened to be lucky. I just want people, especially women, to be aware that we can get this too and through treatment, we can begin to lead somewhat more normal lives.
Much luck to you...and sweet dreams
-d
__________________ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
Dx August 2002
Mommy to Minnie Mouse, the moocher
I really do appreciate your posts. I have wondered if I have the sleep apnea. I was just stating my experience and I felt like it was not indicative of having that. I have asked my DH if I snore at night or breathe hard and he says no, unless I have a cold. Is snoring or not snoring an indicator? I am trying to lose the extra weight. I really hate this PCOS and hope I don't have something else wrong with me. I may be in denial. I just wanna get some sleep.
I don't know if you have sleep apnea or not, but I think that if you think you might be a candidate for it, get the sleep study. Also, it will help to identify any other sleep disorders that you might have.
Snoring is a typical symptom of sleep apnea, but there are those who have it who don't snore, so the absence of snoring doesn't necessarily mean anything.
Good luck.
-minniedawg
__________________ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
Dx August 2002
Mommy to Minnie Mouse, the moocher
I keep wakin' up! ARRRRGH! 
Lendi
Me too. 
Please read this!!! 
