Can't Sleep

Hi Holdon. Sorry you have not had any reply's to your post yet. I have a different type of cancer to you, so I hope you don't mind me posting here,

I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnoses. Getting a cancer diagnoses is extremely stressful, and that brings a whole load of emotions, and lack of sleep certainly does not help. I think many of us have periods of insomnia. I experienced a long period of not sleeping. I could go off to sleep quite quickly, but after an hour I would find myself wide awake again, and would spend the rest of the night getting frustrated because I couldn't sleep. I spoke to my GP in the end, and I had a prescription for sleeping tablets, which I took for a short period to try and break the cycle. They did help, but I didn't want to stay on them because they made me feel drowsy the following day. Ironically I was then put on amitriptyline to help with migraines, and they knock me out at night, so I now sleep very well. 

I have found an information sheet about insomnia which you may find helpful. I'll put a link here for you.

impacts-of-cancer/trouble-sleeping

I hope this approves for you, and I wish you all the very best with your treatment.

Thanks will have a look

I am the same in that I’ve recently (pre Christmas 2025) been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer well they think it maybe but

until the biopsy is carried out in a few days time they can’t say for sure but of course it’s the trying to get off to sleep is horrendous.,with all on the worry 

i feel tiered a lot of the time but finding going to bed at 8 pm or 9 pm I might get off for 1/2 an hour then I’m up with my iPhone until I feel myself nodding off again  usually after 11pm to midnight 

then there’s my uncontrollable bowel movements wake me up from 4am to 5 am and excessive wind    

Sometimes it’s not just wind and I may soil my underpants

whereas a couple of times I have  not managed to get to the toilet in time and I’m so ashamed my wife helping to clean things up as my hips need replacing too So it’s difficult bending down - well damn near impossible ! 

keep telling my wife - Jokingly if I was a horse they would shoot me  

Honest I have no dark thoughts in that respect but I need to make light of things and try to brush things off but it’s always a worry going off to sleep wondering what may happen in the morning and will I get to the toilet after I wake up! 

don’t know what’s for the best as if I take something to “bung” me up then it’s been stuck a couple of times too so end up taking something laxative and then the circle begins 

hello I can't sleep is this the right place 

Hi Doreenw 
you need the 

awake-and-up-all-night forum. You can click the link to go straight there, but you can always find it on the home page.