Hi everyone. I have a chronic illness that interferes with my sleep and there are days where I’m very fatigued. I usually don’t ride on days when I’m feeling really exhausted and sometimes have to cancel lessons. Does anyone else deal with riding on a lack of sleep or with fatigue caused by an illness or condition? How do you cope?
I have fibromyalgia and the loss of sleep that goes with it. Advil PM became my lifesaver. It is the only way I get any sleep. I have been sleep deprived to the point of hallucinations! Do whatever you have to and get sleep! This may mean new bed, I need extra soft and squishy. Not eating after 3 or 4pm also makes a huge difference. You will need to experiment and find what works for you. Hot bath or heating pad in bed before sleep can really induce relaxation for me as well. Peace and quiet are super important as well.
I have an array of autoimmune issues that can cause sleep issues. Right now I’m sleeping like a baby again (knock wood)! My routine is to take my Synthroid and Calcium/Mag/Zinc supplement at night, take an OTC sleep aid, and CBD oil. I’ll add a small drink (but not too much alcohol, it can have the opposite effect!) if I am really wound up at bedtime. And if I do awaken during the night to go to the bathroom, I always take some TUMS, which help me get back to sleep faster. Best wishes to you!
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I have a sleep disorder (narcolepsy w/o cataplexy). I’m sorry you’re going through this!
If you haven’t yet seen a sleep specialist, you might want to consider that. You may have a co-morbid sleep disorder (ask me how I know that sleep disorders sometimes go undiagnosed for years even after seeing lots of doctors).
A sleep specialist will also have good suggestions to deal with your specific sleep issues. As Myout mentioned, it can take a lot of experimentation to deal with insomnia.
For what it’s worth, melatonin and guided meditations for falling asleep were super helpful for me when I was dealing with insomnia. I used podcasts, but you could probably also get them on CD, perhaps even from the library.
My insomnia is treated now, but I still practice pretty strict sleep hygiene (blah). I go to bed by 11pm and get out of bed between 7-8am almost every day, including most weekends. I avoid eating and drinking alcohol for a few hours before bed, and I sleep in a really dark room, or with an eye mask. If there is outdoor noise (especially intermittent) I use a white noise app on my phone.
You also asked about coping with riding while dealing with fatigue. I am usually not fatigued so much as sleepy, but I do get “narcolepsy days” sometimes when, despite all the sleep routines and meds, I just feel super tired.
When I’m having a bad day just going to the barn with no expectations for myself can be nice. Sometimes I just do a long grooming session or let my horse hand graze for a bit, and if I do ride I don’t have any goals in mind except for perking myself up a bit. For me, a lot of time once I am focused on something else I really don’t feel as sleepy, but I know sleepiness and fatigue are very different things! It does help me to just go be outside, say hi to the barn cats and see the horses goofing around, even if I just feel better mentally, and still just as sleepy.
For lessons, I try to have the same attitude, since if I start stressing about not performing well I will feel just as bad physically, plus I will be upset about having a bad lesson. If possible I will nap before a lesson, and drink something caffeinated on my way over. For me the main thing I do to deal with my bad days is just trying to accept that I am not going to be having an awesome day physically, and to try to be kind to myself about that. One good thing about riding is that even if I’m feeling bad, being around horses usually makes me feel some better.
Best of luck figuring this out!
Wow, thanks so much everyone!!
MissCoco I appreciate what you said about being kind to yourself and acceptance. It will keep that in mind. I always get down on myself when I have a bad lesson because I’m tired.
Seeing a sleep specialist can help. I have sleep apnea related to Ehlers-danlos syndrome. CPAP didn’t work but an oral sleep device made by a dentist has helped. I also try to schedule lessons/riding at the time of day I have more energy, which in my case is late morning/early afternoon. Sometimes I find I feel better once I get on and start riding, but if not then we’ll do a shorter or easier lesson.
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I’ve been using Tylenol pm a bit and it helps but there are many days when I go to the barn and just groom my horse. You really have to be kind and gentle to yourself. That can be difficult for hard charging, goal focused riders.
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Edit
I want you to know, you are very much not alone. Iget, on average, 3-4 hours of sleep, MAYBE, a night. I’m not quite sure how I’m functioning at the moment. What I have found to help may sound reallllllly silly
I want you to know, you are very much not alone.
I get, on average, 3-4 hours of sleep, MAYBE, a night. I’m not quite sure how I’m functioning at the moment.
What I have found to help may sound reallllllly silly
