[ladyknight]

I need some feedback. I am a epileptic. Sleep is very necessary to help control seizures. I can get to sleep but not stay asleep. Interrupted sleep makes the epilepsy turn for the worse.

Looking for any help

I don't sleep well at all, either, my friend. At least not with a lot of help!

For one thing, I usually switch over to indicas around 8:30 or so (my normal bedtime is 1-1:30). I smoke about 4 or 5 bowls in that time, roughly half of them with an indica hash on the top. I switch over to the heaviest ones around 11-11:30. And usually I take a snap out of the bong of the heaviest one, with a little hash, about 15-20 minutes before bed.

Strains that have worked well, off the top of my head, U2, Pre 98 Bubba, Romulan (this one I've kept around for around 5 years),Church, Ken's Grandaddy, and more recently Flat Top Purple. These are all strains that work well for uninterrupted sleep.

The reason I don't smoke just one large bowl is because I don't like having my lungs reeling from a bowl of hash as I'm trying to fall asleep, that feeling in my chest can keep me up.

Sometimes the final snap isn't necessary, because I'll feel worn out from the previous bowls and just ready to sleep. I usually watch tv for about 20 minutes before sleeping too, something funny to help me forget whatever stress the day brought.

I hope this is some help! I'll probably think of other things I didn't mention later!

~

[ScrewyLewy]

I have a similar problem not as bad as epilepsy (sorry) insomnia. It is slimply those who have trouble falling asleep AND staying asleep. I have been using Ambien for 9 years and it helps some. One of my complaints is the craziness of just laying there not sleeping. My main reason for medicating. It helps, I keep a pipe near the bed. I am trying different edibles. Have you tried that it seems to have the long term effects you might need. OYEA Indica not sativa. Good luck be honest with your doctors and keep the faith.

[Bogart McKilo]

LadyKnight, I know that sleep deprivation can greatly effect every aspect of your life. Assuming that you've tried numerous strains, please ask your doctor about Melatonin. Sold over-the-counter, it actually boosts your own body's ability to fall (and stay) asleep by adding (I believe amino acids) in your body. One 4-grain tablet half hour before bed, and ......zzzzzzzzzz.

Now keep in mind that not everyone can take Melatonin. Please ask doc. Good luck.

Whatever you decide to do, my best to you. blessings. .

I took Melatonin for a while, 8 months or so. Cannabis is much more effective for me. I thought I heard somewhere that Melatonin is a good thing to take for jet lag, or short term things like that. I'm no doctor though.

I'm curious LK, which strains, off the top of your head, have not helped/been detrimental? Specifically indicas?

I'm in the same boat as far as insomnia goes. I once stayed up 5 days with no sleep - worst experience in my life. I know you don't like hash much, but nothing helps me sleep better that full melt bubble of any strain. The strength of hash, though not always pleasant to smoke, can often put me into a deep sleep. Thinking about a few strains that I have found helpful for sleep - well all help, but the ones that usually put me down for the count are the strong strains (although any strain can be suprisingly strong when grown properly). Here are some that come to mind:
Master Kush
Trainwreck (I know some people say it's daytime bud, but the strength off this stuff usually knocks me on my butt and puts me to sleep, even in the day).
Bubblegum
Sage N' Sour (damn strong)
Herijuana
Afghani
Afghooey
Hashplant
Purple Urkle
and just about any other strain with a high THC level that is quality herb. I also smoke almost always organic MMJ.
As far as epilepsy goes, I'm no expert on the subject, but I have heard that Klonopin (Clonazepam) works for it, as well as for sleep (like nothing else I've tried). But that is a very powerful, addictive benzo with a long, long half-life. You may want to look into it if you haven't tried it, but it is extremely addictive and long lasting - especially in high doses. You can buzz for 2 days off one high dose, and sleep like a champion. But realize that if you take it every day, your tolerance increases dramatically, and you run the risk of physical and mental addiction. If you have a problem with drug abuse, then you probably shouldn't think of taking this stuff. Also, Trazodone can work wonders for insomnia, and is far less mentally addictive than any benzo (the buzz isn't fun), but it helps me sleep very well. I don't know how good it is for epilepsy, so you might want to do some research on the internet to see if it is something that could help you. Well, good luck to you and I hope you find a med that will work for both problems.
One more thing about bubble hash - which makes me sleepier than any other form of MMJ - it is harsh on the lungs, but try smoking it out of a bong with a glass screen and cold/ice water. I usually keep my bong in the fridge when I'm smoking hash. I take a few hits to get me up there, then I put the bong in my fridge (it's a short chamber glass bong) and hit it whenever I feel the effects wearing off.
Perhaps this will help you, but epilepsy is a serious condition and you should be seeing a doctor if you've had siezures. As much as pharms are flawed and anti-MMJ (the pharma companies probably want to ban MMJ) they work very well for those conditions. Give bubble hash another chance. It's expensive (burns up fast) but there's nothing more powerful in my experience, as far as MMJ goes, plus you have to take far fewer hits with bubble hash than with ganga. I smoke my hash like this:
I start with 4 hits (I smoke it slowly, taking 3-5 minute breaks between hits. Make sure your hits are smokey, and use a glass screen when hitting it in your bong. Good luck.

[ScrewyLewy]

Melatonin never help me I think it is something your body makes on its own. One thought is you may need a little more sunshine. It helps your body in so many ways. As long as you don't overdo. I get up so sleepy and hobble out into the sun close my eyes and let it bath my face. It wakes you up better than coffee and help your body with the sleep / wake cycle.

Good luck it is the worst thing not being able to sleep well. I just completed a insomnia program at the Sepulveda VA 8 weeks meeting with three PHD's even got a certificate. Boy they really screwed my sleep up good. LOL They deprive you by strict 6 hours in bed exactly same time in and out of bed. after 6 weeks you are suposed to be sleeping better than you add 1/2 hour either side each week untill you get 8 hours. Worked for 2 out of the 6 people in the program.

Look it up on the web it is the Wilford Hall Insomnia Program

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._n8893945/pg_1

Good Luck IM me anytime up till 3AM

[ScrewyLewy]

Ladyknight one more thing I do sugest being very careful with our ideas here. I do know from a friend with epilepsy quick changes can sometimes trigger the illness. His biggest thing was stress. so be kind to yourself don't beat yourself up it's not your fault. Alway stop and count to ten and breath. Love ya.

I have trouble staying asleep as well, but I usually get about 4 hrs of sleep and that's enough for me to function. But, I once saw a post from Babyboomer, and she was raving about some edibles that she had tried, and how they had helped her get a great nights sleep. I've never tried them myself, but I wonder if they would help at all. Anyway, hope you find something that works for you.

[ladyknight]

Thank you all for your feedback. I do have to be very careful in what medication I take due to the epileptic meds. I am down to 2 meds because of MMJ.

I have no problem falling asleep, it is staying asleep that is a problem.

I have smoke indica's, they get me tired but do not knock me out for the night. I know stress is a big factor.

This happened to me 2 years ago and put me in the hospital. I am trying to avoid that again.

[Cool Cat]

Originally Posted by ladyknight

I need some feedback. I am a epileptic. Sleep is very necessary to help control seizures. I can get to sleep but not stay asleep. Interrupted sleep makes the epilepsy turn for the worse.

Looking for any help

Hi.

Have you done a sleep study?

If not, get one. ASAP.

If you have a sleep disorder and you are medicating without getting another necessary treatment, you may be making yourself ill.

Glendale Adventist Hospital has a great sleep study center. They accept all insurance, including Medi-Cal.

Ask your doctor to order the sleep study. Demand the earliest possible date.

PM me if you are having any trouble with the whole process. It can be a nightmare, especially when you are tired!

[ScrewyLewy]

SLEEP STUDY AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.......AH . AH....

Cool is absolutely right. Apnea, RLS, joint pain or ? could keep you from staying asleep.

Iv'e had 5 studies... Didn't sleep for three of them. longest 8 hours of my life. But it did prove I had insomnia and not one of the other disorders. Just knowing is a wonderful thing.

If you need a CPAP and it helps your epilepsy it is worth saving your life.

Read some on the net. If your in the west valley there is a sleep center the medical center the end of Sherman Way

[ladyknight]

I have had sleep studies. It seems that when you sleep, ppl with epilepsy can have mild seizures while they sleep.

[Schmetty]

Wow i feel for you i have possibly the worst insomnia ever. It works weird with me. Sometimes i cant get to sleep other times i can but not for long and then sometimes i'll fall asleep and not wake up for around 18-28 hrs at a time. I know that doesnt make sense how can someone sleep for that long but i feel its all related to my terrible sleeping patterns. Around the time i turned 18 and was out of highschool my sleep changed for the worst. I had a first shift job at a machine shop in at 6am out at 4pm long days with tireing work was not good for me. I was sleeping a max of 5hrs a day some time 5hrs a week. Thats when i went from occasional smoker to medical patient. I knew that cannabis was helping unlike other crap doctors were giving me. I have sworn off to any sleeping pills as their side effects are often times worse then the benefits. I had a friend who was prescribed ambien and one time if not for me being around he would've fallen right down his stairs in his appartment complex. The stuff is terrible. Sleep walking can lead down a horrible path and if i wasnt around to stop him for that fall hed probably be dead right now. 35 concrete steps to the concrete sidewalk.

Well anyways as far as suggestions id say try something like yoga to tai chi. They both help you to calm down and find your center. They are great for relaxation also. Stay away from sativa and sativa dominant hybrids. Strong indicas are the way to go. Although because it has a high thc content doesnt mean its what you need. Their are several chemical in cannabis that work along with thc such as cbd's and a bunch more. Cannabis contain many components that we still have no idea what they do which can make it even harder to find the right medicine for you.

Also another suggestion is do whatever you can to decrease stress i know its not as easy with these crazy times but it will make a difference. I used to stress out about lots of things even things that didnt really have much of an effect on me.

You might find this interesting too. The body contains a chemical that in an average person works in order to aid falling and staying asleep. Now in people with insomnia and epilepsy it works different. When its at its highest the chemical should basically knock you out working as its supposed to. Usually in most people this occurs between 8pm till midnight. Although if its low it wont work properly. There is also a chemical that helps us to stay awake and keep focused. Now this is supposed to be very low between 8 and 12 so you can fall asleep. Yet in me its peaking at the point in time so i litteraly cant sleep. Atleast without some cannabis. I learned about this from a friend in a machine shop class i was taking. The strange thing is when they dont work properly your sleeping patterns get messed up really bad. It reverses your sleeping pattern. For example instead of going to sleep at night and waking up refreshed in the morning your up all night then right around sunrise to a few hrs later you have no energy and want to sleep because that energizing chemical is gettting low although at the same time the sleeping chemical is not rising to help you sleep so you lay down in bed feeling sick trying to sleep but you just cant.

I doubt that any sleeping pill is going to help in your case because insomnia is different from epilepsy. I just cant sleep where as you may fall in or out of sleep. Which sucks. I would talk to a doctor that works in homeopathic or eastern medicine. Suprisingly these people know alot certain herbs and other seemingly ineffective things actually work. Western medicine and the doctors that preach it are willing to throw whatever pill might work at you. Which is very dangerous considering that much of the prescription medicine available carries worse side effects then the issue its treating. For example a doctor gave me adderal because in his opinion i had ADD and it would help me to focus and slow down my thinking. Well instead of helping me it turned me into a zombie basically. I couldnt focus on anything my mind was going in 20 directions at one time. I lost around 15-20 lbs in a matter of 2-3 weeks and im already underweight. I felt sick all the time and started to faint for no reason at all. I decided to do some of my own research and this pill is nothing more then prescription meth as far as im concerned. Its labeled as an amphetamine. And almost 90% of the people i know who have taken it to had the same results with it i did. I went from sleeping somewhat decent to not sleeping at all for 5-8 days at a time. I quit taking because i knew it wasnt helping. Then the next doctor i went to told me i never should have been taking it and he felt that all of the problems i was suffering were do that pill.

Id think you should look into homeopathic and eastern medicine and if you can find the right strain for yourself possibly find something that might work and grow your own. Growing may also help you to relax and find your center. It definately helps me out. Western medicine is not the way to go in my opinion. I take a anti depressant and a mood stabilizer and thats it i refuse to take anything else. I have used homeopathic medicine when i got the flu i was back to normal if not feeling better with 2-3 days at the most. I used to think it was a sham but i some homeopathic medicine gets me back to full health in three days in for it as opposed to feeling like dirt for a week or more taking nyquil and that crap.

well that my .02 i hope some of this helps you out

L8R (Schmetty)

[stanley]

LK,

Have you tried indica based edibles?

I think helping folks sleep is one of the BEST uses for edibles...

I make STRONG hash based cookies or brownies.

Either of them seem to help STAY asleep once I finally drop off....

check out the recipe for hash medicated spice cookies in the edibles section here....

good luck!

[LivnLifAgn]

Originally Posted by ladyknight

I need some feedback. I am a epileptic. Sleep is very necessary to help control seizures. I can get to sleep but not stay asleep. Interrupted sleep makes the epilepsy turn for the worse.

Looking for any help

A Good Brownie an Hour or So before!.......And a Deep Tissue, (10 Min Per) Foot Massage!

[HappaGuy]

Originally Posted by ladyknight

I need some feedback. I am a epileptic. Sleep is very necessary to help control seizures. I can get to sleep but not stay asleep. Interrupted sleep makes the epilepsy turn for the worse.

Looking for any help

Hey LK,

As you know I have nocturnal seizures symptomatic of temporal lobe epilepsy (complex partial seizures). I don't know if that's your exact diagnosis but your insomnia symptoms sure sound like mine.

For the best chance at a good night, on top of strict compliance with your anti-seizure scrip and whatever else you are supposed to do,

• a good indica brownie with hot milk (has L-tryptophan) and a bit of a smoke,
• a long bath,
• clean bedclothes,
• set up a candle,
• and play a CD of rain or ocean surf.
• Gaze at candle.
• Repeat some very soothing sounding poem or mantra until sleep overtakes you or god forbid the sun rises.

Oh yes. My doctor has recommended bedtime sex of whatever variety is available. Seriously. (Yippee!!)

A suggestion for a sleep time mantra:

A rumbling cetacean sang me to sleep.
Whalesong resounded across the deep
measuring out the fathomless sea
in echoes of ancient familiarity.
-Me

(Cetacean: prounounce seh-tAY-shun = one of any species of whale)

The cadence and imagery of that verse lull and relax and draw the mind into imagination and thence to dream.

That's pretty much my whole arsenal (for when the anti-siezure meds don't work or I've missed a dose or I'm sick.)

Early waking means I've failed and must endure the consequences until bedtime rolls round again. WakeNBake eases things.

They say never nap if you have insomnia, but my experience is it's best to get whatever sleep you can whenever you can. A nap always leaves me more functional.

Insomnia screws with everything I touch in life, and nothing gets better until I get some sleep. Worse, no one understands to forgive me for my irritability and errors. I think this is true for insomniacs generally. It really sucks and no one but an insomniac (and precious few of the doctors that treat us) has a clue.

I pray that you sleep better.

Hope this helps you LK, and everyone.

[Dieselworks]

I find that having my bedroom cool helps alot. I read that 65 degrees is best for sleeping. since I live in the valley, I either spend a ton on a/c or i dont sleep.

I also agree with Happaguy. Relaxation is the key.
Have you tried Rolling Breathing http://www.revolutionhealth.com/cond...hing-exercises

Also try searching for Ketogenic Diet. I've seen this diet have remarkable effects. Plus its a diet plan. No Drug side-effects. I think it calls for 80-90% fat in your diet. Has to be the right kind of fat.

I'm chanting happaguy's mantra. It will help if everyone joins in. As you chant the mantra consider ladyknight, and send your positive energy to her.

[HappaGuy]

Originally Posted by Dieselworks

I find that having my bedroom cool helps alot. I read that 65 degrees is best for sleeping. since I live in the valley, I either spend a ton on a/c or i dont sleep.

...

I'm chanting happaguy's mantra. It will help if everyone joins in. As you chant the mantra consider ladyknight, and send your positive energy to her.

Diesel thank you!

But OMG call it poem then please, not mantra!

Sounds cultish, people chanting my verse at noon to remotely influence LKs sleep!! :slaugh: (Might work...)

I too find a cool room very helpful - in combination with plenty of warm bedding. "I like to sleep with the window open..." as the Paul Simon song goes. But I think LK will have already found her way to the most comfortable sleep arrangement for herself by now.:slaugh:

If you are having sleep trouble, and especially if you are epileptic, please tell your doctor at the earliest opportunity. (E.G. Your dosage may need adjusting.)

You seem to have noticed that insomnia and seizures are a vicious cycle, each increasing the other, yes? That road leads to an undermined immune system and opportunistic infections - usually a cold that won't go away for two weeks to a month in my case.

Please let your doc know early.

Oh, by the way, I have found it really helpful to set up an old unused CD behind the candle and dig on the rainbows as I drift off to sleep. Try to see between the colors, and above the violet and below the red!

They say if you take too long to sleep get up and do something quiet for half an hour and then go back to bed - so you don't condition yourself to being awake in bed. I often find that the night is shot at that point and prefer to seek doggedly after unconsciousness. But sometimes it does help to get up for a bit, especially for a bit of good indica! and then try again.

They also say if you have early waking you should get up and stay up through the day. I say they are insane, and obviously not experienced insomniacs, or they would never consider prescribing such torture. (They use sleep-deprivation in "forced interrogations".) Get up, and then take a nap til 9 or 10am if you can. Just get the sleep.

Sleep deprivation accumulates according to research I've read. They call it "sleep deficit". So insomnia is like a hole, and "when you are in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging". Sleep when your body will let you sleep is the rule I follow - that works best for me.

It really helps to imagine things. Imagination and dream seem to share the same doorway into our minds. So imagine you are in some very pleasant place and when you forget go back and over and over in your peaceful mind. That can bring dreams, and sleep.

I learned to accept however that when my brain won't sleep there is precious little I or medical science can do.

So I focus a lot on prevention.

I lead a very curtailed life to avoid triggers such as stress and exhaustion. That's why I can post so much to WT.:slaugh:

Perhaps something of this will prove helpful.

I wish for you sweet sleep LK. For you and all "les miserables" of the late night who click on this link to seek company, comfort, and help.

Originally Posted by Dieselworks

I find that having my bedroom cool helps alot. I read that 65 degrees is best for sleeping. since I live in the valley, I either spend a ton on a/c or i dont sleep.

Hey DW, I live in the valley too and I like a cool place to sleep. Usually, it gets down to around 70 or lower at night even after a hot day (benefits of an arid climate). I use my a/c in the day, and then open up a window when I'm going to sleep. Sometimes I'll put my box fan on the window sill to kick in cool air. If I used a/c all the time, I'd have a nasty a/c bill. Anyway, if you can, try sleeping with the window open at night if you haven't already. You'll see what I mean.

[smellslikeskunk]

Same for me Lady knight.

Let me ask you this, Do you eat late before bed?

I still have the insomnia a lot, but since I changed my diet, I average about 1 to 2 more hours of sleep a night. And 5 is way better than 3 when we are talking hours of rest.

Diet is a very big factor for everyones body, but for epileptic patients it is even more important. Any level of stress can increase the possibility of a seizure. And lack of sleep is a big one.

It sounds to me like your brain goes into hypermode about an hour after bed.
Does it have super amounts of energy bombarding it?

Try eating turkey for your last meal and keep it a little farther away from bedtime.
Turkey has a natural sedative that is pretty innate. Also I would cut back on the amount of high carb foods for that last meal of the day.

You could try sex too. :) Hehehe...
Always helps me.
But don't go crazy there either, because sex also puts stress on the chemical balances of your entire body.

Food, Sex, and Weed.

Hahahahahaa... I think that might be my answer to everything now. :)