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Prednisone and insomnia


So here I am, awake when I should really be sleeping. I was going to say that the insomnia is probably the most annoying side effect of the prednisone I take for my Crohn's, but I had to rethink that because most of the side effects of prednisone are troublesome. But the lack of sleep really does play havoc in my life. I want to sleep, really I do - I just can't. It is like my brain won't shut up and even though I am exhausted; I have all this energy and desire to do things. So since I can't sleep, I thought that I would write and tire myself out that way.

It is really hard to be on a definite schedule when you have insomnia. I have to wake up early and take my daughter to school and then go to work and be productive. Luckily, I can function without a lot of sleep. But it is a struggle. Sometimes I think that I am a walking zombie â€“ especially by the time I get home because I use up whatever brain function I have at work.

I have been taking a sleeping pill for years now. I don't always take the whole thing, and when I wean off the steroids I also wean off the sleeping pill. But ever since our move, I really have not been able to sleep - even with a sleeping pill. I have already taken a sleeping pill, and here I am wide-awake. At least it is nice quiet time. I must admit it is kind of peaceful when everybody is asleep and the house is still. In a way, it stills my mind.

I have found that sleep is one of the most important aspects of getting well and feeling good, but unfortunately I have a really hard time getting any sleep. I remember a time when I would get eight plus hours of sleep a night, and now I'm lucky to get five. Even if I fall asleep right away, I usually will wake up within two hours. Some nights, it seems like I wake up every hour.

The sleep thing has become an issue in my marriage too. We can't sleep together because my waking up all the time wakes my husband up, and then he doesn't get any sleep either. Knowing that my restlessness is bothersome to him makes me try to lie really still to ensure he can sleep; but this keeps me awake even more. This good news is that we have kind of resolved this problem since we moved back to the U.S. We bought two twin beds to put together to make one giant king size bed. We can separate them at night when we go to sleep. It's great because now he doesn't feel me being restless, and I don't get annoyed with his twitching. I still can't sleep well but at least he sleeps better.

I better go…I need to get some sleep!

Good night,
