Frequent Night Trips

One thought is that you want to forego food those last couple of hours before you go to bed. Also, keeping a journal or remembering what you ate that caused more problems. . . process of elimination (pun intended)! Sally

Afternoon

I also have problems with those trips in middle of the night.I have cut back on fluids in evening plus I am not eating my dinner past 6 pm.
Plus as a Thyroid Patient my Endo Md cut back on my T4 medstaking me away from borderline Hyperthyroidism .My Gastro Md suggested taking Immodium at night.So far I am up maybe on a bad night 3 times compared to running all night.
Cassiecass

i have the best luck sleeping on my stomach. i usually make it fine the entire night. if i'm on my side or on my back, i will most certainly need to get up.

I am also a stomach sleeper. They sell special pillows for this sleeping behavior. I agree with clz81 on this.

However, may I also suggest that one anti-spasmodic (I take donnatal) and one imodium at bedtime work like a charm at reducing night-time bathroom trips.

quote:

i have the best luck sleeping on my stomach. i usually make it fine the entire night. if i'm on my side or on my back, i will most certainly need to get up.

I wish I could fall asleep some other way besides on my stomach. The few times I fell asleep on my back doesn't seem to work either. Like it or not, sleep will always be one of the most frustrating pouch problems.

Lou Gibson: I think there are many other problems that are much more frustrating than not getting 8 or 9 consecutive hours of sleep a night. Just to name a few...chronic pouchitis, fissures, constant pain, constant bleeding resulting in anemia, not being able to sleep more than a TOTAL of 2 or 3 hours per night, cancer, death and there are many, more. By the way, I'd love for you to answer the few questions I asked you in the other thread?

Gleam: How old is your pouch? I had a very difficult time laying on my sides for well over a year (maybe two). I would immediately get the urge to empty -- in fact, after 16 years, sometimes it still happens (espeically on my left side??). I had to learn to sleep on my back and that was tough. I propped myself up on at least three comfy pillows, put another pillow under my knees and found ways to be comfortable in a position that I was not accustom to at all. Experiment and use pillows to make yourself comfy -- no matter how many it takes. I get up at least 3 times a night -- sometimes more, depending on how late we eat and what I drink, etc., but I am used to it. I have trained myself to get right back to sleep. I learned all different types of relaxation techniques, because it was really hard at first. I now have a few mantra's that work and it just comes naturally. I think it's something that most of us have to work at, if we have a pouch that needs emptying at night. If you're a relative newbie -- really watch what you eat from mid-day on (keep a food journal, it works). Avoid alcohol (I know --THAT sucks! ), and start implementing some relaxation techniques. It may sound weird -- but, it works. The worst thing you can do is get all worked up and start hating your pouch in the middle of the night. You will lose that battle every time. You say it can be a 90 minute process. Do you mean the amount of trips per night all add up to that or is that the amount of time one trip takes? If that's the case, I would have a chat with your doctor, unless you are brand new and just had take-down. Let us know.

quote:

Lou Gibson: I think there are many other problems that are much more frustrating than not getting 8 or 9 consecutive hours of sleep a night.

You obviously don't understand that, sleep deprivation may result in:
aching muscles
confusion, memory lapses or loss
depression
hallucinations
hand tremors
headaches
malaise
sensitivity to cold
periorbital puffiness, commonly known as "bags under eyes" or eye bags
increased blood pressure
increased stress hormone levels
increased risk of diabetes
increased risk of fibromyalgia
irritability
nystagmus[disambiguation needed] (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)
obesity
temper tantrums in children
yawning
symptoms similar to:
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Psychosis

I've had problems off and on for years. I go to a sleep center and am being treated for sleep apnea, have fibromyalgia and a whole host of problems. Right after my surgeries I had problems sleeping and still do sometimes. I bought an adjustable foam bed and love it. Your pillow set up sounds like what mine was Laura. I bought the bed after a year. I also have pain from fibromyalgia, neuropathy in my feet, IPS and cuffitis, when it is not under control. I forgot I also have bad headaches every now and again and on and on. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it.

I've been told to take an Imodium before bed and I still get up at least once. The thing to do, if possible, is to use as little light as possible and to get back in bed as soon as possible.

If I didn't have my pouch anymore I'd still have sleeping problems. I'm trying to figure out how to have a better quality of life and it isn't easy.

I have always struggled with insomnia and had several sleep studies which determined that I had sleep apnea. I also have a very low % of REM sleep. They tried to give me a CPAP but it did not work because I toss and turn in my sleep and I would rip the mask and tubes off myself.

I am a nervous and agitated sleeper and once inadvertently punched in the face a family member who attempted to kiss me while I was sleeping. Unfortunately I was in the middle of a bad dream when that kiss was planted, and I thought I was being assaulted and responded violently. It was a case of that person being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But after that nobody ever tried kissing me in my sleep again.

I also snore from what I am told.

I tried 5 masks until I found one I could sleep with CTB. I've had the mask for 5+ years, pre-pouch. It's my understanding that it is hard on our hearts to stop breathing so often. My recent study's results are a quit breathing 27 times and hour with oxygen down to 79%. That means I'm taxing my heart too much. I've got enough health problems to throw in heart problems.

64% of fibromyalgia suffers have obstructive sleep apnea plus a large % have insomnia. Which came first, chicken or egg - no one knows what causes any of this or IBD. So I make myself wear that damn mask.

Sorry I got off topic....but I now dream again and have awesome REM time too.

If anyone snores I'd suggest you get checked. My former doctor, she retired early, sent me to the Sleep center after we were on vacation with our friends in Las Vegas.

Sleeping affects/causes problems as Lou, spelled out, but there are ways to help you sleep. Sometimes I just need to take a sleeping pill.

Sleep studies also figure out other sleeping problems.