I took a while to get “better” so no specific idea if I had trouble sleeping soon after (memory loss, coma etc). But for years it was ok, I slept better than I EVER had in my life (stroke was linked to a heart issue that I had all my life, so thought I’d got through it).
My stroke was about 15 years ago. All good… except the last 4 months, I don’t sleep a solid night. I wake up first around 3-4, then around 7, often again around 8… sometimes I get back to sleep in 5 mins, but usually it takes 45 mins. It’s completely knackering me.
I don’t eat things late, or drink…sometimes I won’t even have water (the 3am loo visit was blamed for a while). But not worked it out yet.
Since I had good sleep after my stroke (bad before) for several years, I know it’s not forever. Just have to work out what the issue is.
Hi @Toonah & welcome to the community.
Like you I slept very well after my stroke. This lasted about 3 years i suppose. I jow wake a couple of times in the night but I don’t worry about it and will just lie & breathe deeply until I get back to sleep. Even if I am not sleeping I am still resting which is beneficial too.
I think we go through phases throughout our lives anyway.
I had a stroke 5 years ago now and have had insomnia ever since I used to get 2 to 3 hours now and again but now more or less nil. Have tried everything from medication to acupuncture to hypnotherapy nothing has helped . Have just started drinking montmerency tart cherry after reading pandos’ post. So am praying it helps even in a small way.
I’m a post stroke insomniac and am trying skullcap and valerian root in a tea at night. They are sedative herbs that act as GABA agonists, basically meaning affecting the part of the brain that acts as a calming agent for the central nervous system. I’ve tried many things, and still do, a work in progress. At moment I’m listening to Arabic Ambient music to help me sleep, I find it very relaxing, and doing VDK to keep goulish thoughts away.
VDK; Visual-Kinaesthetic Dissociation.. It’s about having the capacity to change negative thoughts from an outsider’s perspective as opposed to being immersed in them and having them dominate the mind space. There seems to be a few techniques using VDK, another one is called the Rewind Technique. It’s used for PTSD but I would imagine it is useful for any persistent, invasive thought. So far, I am finding it an effective way to reset my mind to more calming and favourable thoughts, allowing my brain to go into rest mode.
Hi rups well I hope we both can get some relief will look into that as well. Have tried valerian but have not heard of skull cap will be good to hear how you get on with it .
Skullcap is often used in combination with valerian to be more effective. Valerian increases GABA receptors and skullcap is believed to increase weak GABA receptor connections, so there is some benefit in combining the two to encourage a stronger sedative effect.
Having tried ground valerian capsules for a year, I ended up tossing out the rest as it made no difference to my sleep routine, however, I am finding the dried root combined with skullcap seems to make a difference, could be a placebo, but it is making a difference. Ridiculous thing is though, I paid for the root even though I could easily pick valerian at almost any roadside and dry the root myself, but things being as they are with mobility and fatigue, I took the easier option.
