Diabetes Insulin and Sleep Aids

[digihat]

Good Morning Everyone

Was just wondering anyone has anyone had much experience with using sleep aids and is on insulin?. It's a problem I've had for years insomnia tried all the sleep hygiene routine mattress change temperature change screens before bed etc. I'm working with GP trying to solve it have trialled amitriptyline so far not much joy about to try Promethazine well I was before a big wave of fear hit me.

I don't really get overnight hypos apart from the occasional one. My main fear is not waking up if one hits my hypo awareness is pretty bad as it is. I'm going to get in touch with diabetes team next week for advice. Did mention type 1 to GP said shouldn't be any issue with blood sugars etc.

I can get to sleep and back to sleep just wake up a lot during the night

 

[gail2]

Is it possible you have sleep apnea (spelling) do you wake with a feeling you are stopping breathing?
I have tryed sleeping tablets most of the ones untill i was dx with this

 

[Inka]

Do you have a Libre @digihat ? TBH, if you’re exhausted from disturbed sleep, you might not wake when hypo anyway. Why not give the tablets a try? Maybe take a half dose to start with if you’re nervous?

 

[goodybags]

Good Morning Everyone

Was just wondering anyone has anyone had much experience with using sleep aids and is on insulin?. It's a problem I've had for years insomnia tried all the sleep hygiene routine mattress change temperature change screens before bed etc. I'm working with GP trying to solve it have trialled amitriptyline so far not much joy about to try Promethazine well I was before a big wave of fear hit me.

I don't really get overnight hypos apart from the occasional one. My main fear is not waking up if one hits my hypo awareness is pretty bad as it is. I'm going to get in touch with diabetes team next week for advice. Did mention type 1 to GP said shouldn't be any issue with blood sugars etc.

I can get to sleep and back to sleep just wake up a lot during the night

Hi @digihat
My initial thought was are you using CGM ?
Im not T1 I’m T2 (but take insulin) and when my GP prescribed a sleeping aid
for me not waking with the usual hypo awareness was something that added to my stress anxiety at that time.

 

[Lucyr]

I use amitriptyline, I sleep through mild hypos and through alarms, wake up to worse ones though rarely have those

If you’re having enough night time hypos that it’s worrying you, fix those before fixing the sleep issue.

 

[digihat]

Is it possible you have sleep apnea (spelling) do you wake with a feeling you are stopping breathing?
I have tryed sleeping tablets most of the ones untill i was dx with this

Not that I have noticed has occurred to me though as a possibility

 

[digihat]

Do you have a Libre @digihat ? TBH, if you’re exhausted from disturbed sleep, you might not wake when hypo anyway. Why not give the tablets a try? Maybe take a half dose to start with if you’re nervous?

Yeah got libre have alarms enabled at night for the rare times I go low. That's good point regarding taking a half tablet might give that a try 🙂

 

[digihat]

Hi @digihat
My initial thought was are you using CGM ?
Im not T1 I’m T2 (but take insulin) and when my GP prescribed a sleeping aid
for me not waking with the usual hypo awareness was something that added to my stress anxiety at that time.

Yeah on libre 2 CGM although my current one is due to end so might hang fire while the new one goes through it's early phase adjusting etc. Not sure why I got this sudden anxiety around it

 

[Amity Island]

Good Morning Everyone

Was just wondering anyone has anyone had much experience with using sleep aids and is on insulin?. It's a problem I've had for years insomnia tried all the sleep hygiene routine mattress change temperature change screens before bed etc. I'm working with GP trying to solve it have trialled amitriptyline so far not much joy about to try Promethazine well I was before a big wave of fear hit me.

I don't really get overnight hypos apart from the occasional one. My main fear is not waking up if one hits my hypo awareness is pretty bad as it is. I'm going to get in touch with diabetes team next week for advice. Did mention type 1 to GP said shouldn't be any issue with blood sugars etc.

I can get to sleep and back to sleep just wake up a lot during the night

Hi,

Have you looked at what you are eating? Have you ever tried a day eating simple foods (free of the following ingredients)? Things like paprika, msg, fermented products like soy sauce, yeast extract can have a dramatic effect on sleep.

These 5 Foods and Substances Can Cause Anxiety and Insomnia

Get to the root of your anxiety and sleep problems once and for all. Learn the fascinating ways in which certain everyday foods shift your nervous system into overdrive.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[digihat]

I use amitriptyline, I sleep through mild hypos and through alarms, wake up to worse ones though rarely have those

If you’re having enough night time hypos that it’s worrying you, fix those before fixing the sleep issue.

Thankfully I rarely get night time hypos my levels like to rise throughout the night that could be down to my constant waking up working on that. But they do happen but not frequently no bad ones as of yet. Guess I just need to bite the bullet and try them. Wasn't scared of the amitriptyline not sure why I am of these..

 

[Inka]

It’s normal to be nervous with sleeping aids when you’re on insulin @digihat If you need them - and it sounds like you do - you can have a gentle start on half a tablet and even set an alarm for 2am the first night or two if you want to fingerprick for reassurance.

 

[goodybags]

Yeah on libre 2 CGM although my current one is due to end so might hang fire while the new one goes through it's early phase adjusting etc. Not sure why I got this sudden anxiety around it

I thought you'd be using CGM,
from ny experience from when I was taking some tablets the Dr had prescribed, CGM allerts woke me, no problem (before my natural hypo awareness kicked in)
I was at that time having plenty of nighttime hypos
like you @digihat the thought of taking sleeping aids concerned me and in the end I was even more anxious than I already was, kept thinking if I took what the Dr had prescribed would I wake up, if i had a hypo, that was when someone on the forum sugested i use CGM

 

[Amity Island]

Good Morning Everyone

Was just wondering anyone has anyone had much experience with using sleep aids and is on insulin?. It's a problem I've had for years insomnia tried all the sleep hygiene routine mattress change temperature change screens before bed etc. I'm working with GP trying to solve it have trialled amitriptyline so far not much joy about to try Promethazine well I was before a big wave of fear hit me.

I don't really get overnight hypos apart from the occasional one. My main fear is not waking up if one hits my hypo awareness is pretty bad as it is. I'm going to get in touch with diabetes team next week for advice. Did mention type 1 to GP said shouldn't be any issue with blood sugars etc.

I can get to sleep and back to sleep just wake up a lot during the night

Hi, just going back one step. What advice and strategies did you try with regards to trying to get your sleep back to normal?

 

[digihat]

Hi, just going back one step. What advice and strategies did you try with regards to trying to get your sleep back to normal?

Hello, tried switching mattress, new pillows, temperature control room I get warm, reducing/stopping screens before bed and not eating late and making sure room is dark

 

[digihat]

Hi,

Have you looked at what you are eating? Have you ever tried a day eating simple foods (free of the following ingredients)? Things like paprika, msg, fermented products like soy sauce, yeast extract can have a dramatic effect on sleep.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...ubstances-can-cause-anxiety-and-insomnia[/URL

Food is one area I haven't fully explored yet of some of those mentioned on the link I don't drink caffeine or alcohol mainly health reasons. Beyond that not dobe much with food

 

[rebrascora]

Exercise can be an important part of good sleep too.

I can relate to your anxiety about this situation especially as I often have nocturnal hypos, but I am very confident of dealing with them and they don't panic me at all, but I did wonder if the Amitriptyline I take for anxiety and depression would prevent me from waking up as it does make me really drowsy. In reality I do still wake up but there are times when I have fallen back to sleep within seconds of scanning my reader and before I have managed to eat a jelly baby or two (which are right on the bedside table next to me) and then woken up again an hour or sometimes more later when my levels have dropped to a point where my body reacts to it, rather than the Libre alarm waking me at 4.5.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello, tried switching mattress, new pillows, temperature control room I get warm, reducing/stopping screens before bed and not eating late and making sure room is dark

Fingers crossed the new (half?) tablets help with your insomnia, or you are able to find some other helpful options (other than the stuff you’ve adopted already) as part of your efforts to improve your sleep.

 

[Amity Island]

Food is one area I haven't fully explored yet of some of those mentioned on the link I don't drink caffeine or alcohol mainly health reasons. Beyond that not dobe much with food

Hi. The usual suspects aren't always the culprits when it comes to insomnia, nightmares, lucid dreaming, poor sleep etc.

Many, many foods now contain ingredients such as MSG (e621), Paprika (sometimes hidden under "spices" like in baked beans and tomato ketchup) , Fermented products like Soya Sauce, yeast extract etc can have significant impact on sleep.

This article explains it further. One can tolerate these ingredients most of your life then suddenly one becomes hyper sensitive to them.

There are the usual culprits like blue light from TVs and mobile phones. Of course, as a minimum, bedroom needs to be cool, quiet and dark.

These 5 Foods and Substances Can Cause Anxiety and Insomnia

Get to the root of your anxiety and sleep problems once and for all. Learn the fascinating ways in which certain everyday foods shift your nervous system into overdrive.

www.psychologytoday.com