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Type 1 & Insomnia

tobyd360

tobyd360

Member
Messages
11
Location
Cobham, Surrey
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hey all,

So, i'm not sure if this is just me! I've never slept particularly well at night, I've always been much more capable of day time sleeping - I suppose this came hand in hand with ten years of shift work with almost constant night shifts in A&E.

Since I was diagnosed in March (2015), I have found this worse than ever! I can be completely knackered, have been awake since 7am but come bed time, i'll lay there until 3am... 4am... 5am... still wide awake! I saw my GP who gave me a short course of Zopiclone 7.5mg, but it's addictive and only really worked as a stop gap! I don't like using it often and try to limit it to once a week and only when absolutely necessary (if I have work or uni the next day).

I was just wondering if anyone else experiences this? What do you do to help yourselves? Is it something that comes along with T1DM or is it just a stress response or something?! I haven't yet hypo'd in my sleep and I haven't really worried about that either, so i'm not stressing about that kind of thing!
 
As a newly diagnosed T1 have you changed to any foods or drink that are labelled "diet coke" or sugar free that you didn't have before?

This is a new thing I have discovered.. I dhoulfld have been told in 2003 that I was probably allergic to aspartame and sweteners..

Hubby and I have tried to work out for years why I have intermittent sleep disriluption. We now believe its due to this.. Even sugar free chewing gum!!
 
I drink Diet Coke with meals, I have tried cutting it out at other times, as I thought that might be playing a part. I've been doing that for a few weeks now, it's not making much difference.
 
I'm the same, can't remember the last time I slept all night. I do know part of my problem is my blood sugars drop rapidly, usually between 2 am and 4am (I'm LADA type1) but not necessarily enough for a hypo. Now I always eat a pre-bed snack (nut bars do it for me!) which do seem to help and delay the waking up time/elongate the actual sleeping time!! Are you testing in the night??. Sue xx
 
tobyd360 said:
I drink Diet Coke with meals, I have tried cutting it out at other times, as I thought that might be playing a part. I've been doing that for a few weeks now, it's not making much difference.
Click to expand...

The only way to check is to go without any for a good few weeks.. Sorry.. But it is that potent atuff... But its like chewing gum. Today I have gone total zero.... And will do for 4 weeks now to find out if indeed it is the sweetener rubbish.

Aat the endof the day though.. It's your choice....I know I have had **** illnesses and investigations and diagnosis oglf fibromyalgia (which I never believed) and honestly I wouldn't want anybody else in this world to go through it for the sake of checking....

There eon't be an immediate effect amd there could well be withdrawal symptoms but if you don't try eliminating it and checking you won't ever know.

I personally am absolutely livid that I wan't told in 2003 and am now addressing this as a separate issue. I 100% believe "sweeteners" and "diet" products have disrupted my life, health and wellbeing. I wish with all my heart that others diagnosed with illnesses will check out sweeteners...

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

I am on my high horse about this as I seriously believe they ruined my health...
 
Could well just be stress and worry that is making your insomnia worse @tobyd360, sometimes we don't realise we are stressed when in fact we are, this would be understandable given you've only been diagnosed a very short time, personally I've never had any problems sleeping and I've lived with type 1 for the last 33 years.
 
I had problems with sleeping and found I had low potassium. It got much better after fixing my potassium levels.
 
Thanks guys.

Sleep when I was experiencing the symptoms pre-diagnosis was the only recent time that it's not been a problem. I slept for about 20 hours a day!

I may try cutting out the 'diet' drinks for a few weeks and see if that has any effect. Working the shifts that I do doesn't help, my sleep pattern is pushed around all over the place, which probably won't help my BM's now days either.
 
mrspuddleduck said:
I'm the same, can't remember the last time I slept all night. I do know part of my problem is my blood sugars drop rapidly, usually between 2 am and 4am (I'm LADA type1) but not necessarily enough for a hypo. Now I always eat a pre-bed snack (nut bars do it for me!) which do seem to help and delay the waking up time/elongate the actual sleeping time!! Are you testing in the night??. Sue xx
Click to expand...

I'm the same, month after month, year after year. I am tired now, but can't nod off, that would be great, just to have a little nap. I get sleepy about 8/9 pm and it doesn't matter what I eat, it is so tiring, but just keep on going on. I love going to bed, nice and quiet, relaxing, but just one of life's non sleepers( even though I am tired and have tired different relaxation techniques, but don't think it's down to Type 1 :rolleyes:
I was in Morrisons yesterday, and If I had my phone I would of taken a photo of this. A colouring book for adults who can't sleep, costs £5.

Good luck all, RRB
 
tobyd360 said:
Thanks guys.

Sleep when I was experiencing the symptoms pre-diagnosis was the only recent time that it's not been a problem. I slept for about 20 hours a day!

I may try cutting out the 'diet' drinks for a few weeks and see if that has any effect. Working the shifts that I do doesn't help, my sleep pattern is pushed around all over the place, which probably won't help my BM's now days either.
Click to expand...

Since giving up any diet sweetener stuff even anything with preservatives, artificial colouring etc... Well my sleep last night was the best in 20 + years... And the legs aches, pains everything has gone...

The first few nights after starting this no artificial anything eating I was waking up during the night and my mind was so active I actually got up (never do this, ever).
Seems like my brain has now calmed down and last night I slept like a baby... It was so good.

For years I have talked and had crazy dreams in my sleep. Last night- nothing... Absolutely amazing result.

I hope that you may find a difference by stopping diet drinks... Its no good reducing them.. It needs total stoppage.. And give yourself at least two weeks for your body to adjust. You may well feel **** for a couple days but honestly.. To be pain free and sleeping just from eating everthing natural is heaven!!
 
If I don't take vitamin D3 I get this... I've tried not taking a few times... Insomnia comes back... Take it and insomnia goes.

Magnesium also helps me sleep better.
 
-Artemis- said:
If I don't take vitamin D3 I get this... I've tried not taking a few times... Insomnia comes back... Take it and insomnia goes.

Magnesium also helps me sleep better.
Click to expand...

Artemis

Do you have diet drinks at all?

I also have magnesium and d3 for couple of years but never helped with sleep.. Personally I would rather try giving up something and saving the money than buying more stuff. Especially as diet drinks are just pure chemicals...
 
Hi tobyd360, I have sleep issues since diagnosis 1 year ago, I posted a thread on it a while back. For a while, I did think it was hypo anxiety that was keeping me awake but i don't worry about that any longer - but sleep continues to be a problem for me. I feel so much better since I started on insulin but that alertness carries into nighttime and i can lie there for hours not feeling sleepy but exhausted ikykwim! It so frustrating because I know I need more than 3/4 hours kip to function properly and I'm cranky during the day. Before insulin, I would have been able to nap during the day if I was tired but I can't do that any more either. Like you, I take a sleeping aid when I get desperate for a nights sleep. I have been for counselling and tried alternative therapies - I am starting to think that this is the way it's going to be. I don't drink diet drinks so it isn't that either.

If you find a solution, let me know!!
 
I had years of insomnia problems, before and after T1 diagnosis. It was at it's worst in the winter time when I was strictly low carbing i.e less than 30 g per day. I tried everything from Vitamin D3 , Magnesium , melotonin , extra exercise , less exercise , sleeping wrist rhythm things etc. I was referred to psychiatrist eventually , who put me on antidepressants which helped enormously. Additionally I dropped the low carb diet and sleep very well these days.
 
My consultant suggested 2 paracetomals before bed to help..

In fact paracetomals were readily given to OAP people in a home a worked at years ago to help them sleep.
 
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