What can I do to get better sleep at night?

This question was asked in Lincoln, Nebraska on 11/06/2012.
I need to get better sleep at night. What can I do to accomplish this? I wake up in the middle of the night sleeptalking and sometimes sleepwalking. Some nights I wake up as often as every half hour. This leaves me exhausted during the day and I'd like some advice on solving this. Thank you!

Doctors Answers (2)

J. Douglas Hudson, MD, DABSM
Answered on: 11/13/2012

To get a better night's sleep someone must look at all the possible reasons. These would include current medications, sleeping environment, alcohol, how long it has been going on and possible precipitating causes, medications tried to correct the problem, age, bed partner status, and so on. If you awaken while talking and walking this suggests you may be having these events in a lighter stage of sleep than usual. I would recommend that you seek consultation with a sleep specialist who can likely get this corrected. Disorders such a sleep apnea and limb movements could be the culprit.

Jeannine Louise Gingras, MD
Answered on: 11/7/2012

Unfortunately without more information it is difficult to be of assistance. There are many sleep disorders that can cause awakenings during the night. I would strongly encourage you to seek out a sleep specialist in your area for a consultation. If there is not a sleep physician in your area, you should address this with your family doctor.