Sleep studies have found that when people are in a windowless room for long periods of time (so they control ‘day’ and ‘night’ cycles), they sleep shorter times and often have shorter awake times as well. The implication being that expecting to sleep for 6 hours or more every night might be unrealistic.

I have had problems falling asleep and with staying asleep all night, and I’d usually wake about a half hour before the alarm went off and stay in bed in building anticipation of it going off. When I gave up the alarm (other members of the household got up early too, so I knew I’d hear them & wake), I was eventually able to stay asleep better. I also moved the clock so I couldn’t easily see it from bed – and taught myself not to check the time if I woke in the middle of the night. As far as falling asleep and waking during the night, I have taught myself not to see that as an evil or distressing event, and use the time I’m awake to stay in bed with my eyes closed and do relaxation/meditation exercises – so even though I might stay awake, I’m at least relaxed & resting.

Remeber that one or two nights of good sleep does not make up for five or six days of bad sleep!

The tests that are effective for thyroid dysfunction are TSH (or thyroid stimulating hormone) levels, Free T3, and Free T4. Most docs only run the TSH, which actually will only tell you if your pituitary gland is producing this hormone in response to a perceived need for more T4 and T3 released into your circulatory system. Your TSH could be in the “normal” range (which was recently changed, so hopefully a good doc knows the suggested normal levels are between .3 and 3.0), yet your Free T4 or Free T3 could be non-optimal and you’d still feel bad. T4 is the “stored” form of T3 which is the hormone that actually stimulates metabolism. Most T4 to T3 conversion takes place at a cellular level, but there is no test that will show if your cells are converting efficiently or even at all. So, it is possible to have a “normal” TSH and still be hyper or hypothyroid!

Thank goodness my doc tests all three at least once every year. I’m supplementing with Armour Thyroid, a prescription med that is natural dessicated thyroid from pigs. It contains both T4 and T3, unlike the synthetic version usually prescribed, Synthroid, which is only T4. Based on my clinical presentation, it’s very likely that I have issues with T4 to T3 conversion, and I may even need to supplement with additional T3 at this point. (I’ll find out next time I see the doc.)

At least once a year, my doc also tests my B12 and Vitamin D levels. Without oral supplementation, my D levels drop to the lowest level on the scale. For some reason I seem to have lost the ability to digest B12 from food, too, and oral supplements don’t help me here. (There is actually an autoimmune disorder called pernicious anemia that causes the body to destroy the enzyme used to digest B12; this can also be tested through bloodwork. I didn’t test positive for this autoimmune marker, but for some reason I still can’t digest B12.) So, I also inject B12 once a week.

I was tested for food sensitivities and am sensitive to cow dairy and pineapple. It’s not so hard to avoid pineapple (even though I love it), but cow dairy is a challenge because I love cheese. If I eat a lot of cow dairy then I’ll feel more tired and dragged out and achy.

There are many things that may be going on with your personal biochemistry, so it’s good to get thorough testing and work with a good doctor who will actually listen to you and your symptoms/feedback and not just shove you out the door in 15 minutes with a bunch of prescription slips. Good luck figuring it out!

What about those nose strips to keep the passages open? No personal experience, but it might be a low cost solution.