Any Advice for Sleep Issues for My Hubby?

He should speak to his doctor and get a sleep study done. If he has apnea and needs a machine, he'll fell like a new person.

Diane B is exactly right on the melatonin issue. My daughter has severe sleep issues (a confirmed diagnosis of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome combined with what is called disarranged sleep). We got quite a lot of education about what is called "sleep hygiene" (sleep routines). My daughter has been through many, many sleep studies of all kinds.

First, the melatonin problem. Any melatonin that says FDA approved on the label is fake or inaccurate and not to be trusted. The FDA does not approve or disapprove melatonin. Our sleep specialist (a nationally ranked specialist) told us that the study that Diane B is referring to showed that most melatonin brands that were tested either contained way too much (or way too little) melatonin, or no melatonin at all, or inconsistent amounts from pill to pill in the same bottle, or fillers like sugar or vitamin C or something else. She instructed us to only order melatonin from the Life Extension Foundation (lifeextension.com), because their melatonin passed all the requirements and they submit their products for independent testing (don't worry, I'm not selling anything - it's just a source for good quality vitamins and supplements and resources and information). Melatonin from Life Extension isn't any more expensive than anywhere else - it's often cheaper in fact.

They sell a timed release 6 hour melatonin that releases slowly. Melatonin should be taken a couple of hours before bed. A quick release form can be taken two hours before bed, and then the slow-release one can be taken just before bed. 1 mg is probably not enough for a grown man. My daughter takes 750 mcg and then 3 mg at bedtime.

Make sure that there's no electronic screen time before bed. There's a blue light in computers, tablets, tvs, phones, that can't be perceived by the normal eye, but the brain perceives it and responds by waking up. No electronics for at least an hour before bed. If your husband must watch tv or work on the computer or read his iPad, you can buy goggles that eliminate the blue light online. If you look up blue light reducing goggles or glasses or screen filters, you'll see plenty.

Another helpful thing is Tart Cherry Juice. You can find it in some grocery stores, and in places like Sprouts and Whole Foods. It has to be tart cherry, not black cherry or any other cherry juice, and it should be not from concentrate and with no other ingredients. We buy one from a brand called Smart Juice. Studies have proved that people who drink a glass of 100% tart cherry juice (not from concentrate) before bed had significantly better sleep.

There's also a relaxation breathing technique that helps some people. It's called the 4-7-8 method by Dr Andrew Weil (there's lots of instructional videos online). It doesn't cost anything, it's just a relaxing breathing technique, and it can't hurt to try it for several nights.

Another relaxation breathing technique to try before bed is to lie still, take a deep breath in, count to 10, and breathe out while counting to 10. But the important thing is, the chest should not rise and fall. The abdomen should. If the chest is rising and falling, the breathing is too shallow.

When he wakes up, make sure to get exposed to daylight ASAP. Going from a dark bedroom to a bathroom with fluorescent lighting won't signal the brain to start waking up. First go to a natural light window and expose the brain and eyes to sunlight.

There! There's several tens of thousands of dollars of sleep training and testing for you! Hope it helps!

It sounds like he would be a good candidate for an overnight sleep study to determine the cause of his disturbance.

Was the melatonin suggested by a doctor? The reason I ask is because a supplement can be beneficial for people whose brain (specifically the pineal gland) does not produce enough melatonin naturally, but detrimental to those who don't have the deficiency. Taking it without a medical need can make his sleep problems worse. (My son takes it occasionally after a neurologist determined that he wasn't producing normal levels.)

What does he do when he wakes up? I often have a sleep pattern similar to his. If I do something simple like have a cup of (no caf) tea and go back to bed, I might only be up for 30 min. If I get up and turn on a screen (any screen - phone, TV, computer, kindle), I will be up for much longer. If I just lay in bed and toss and turn, I will also be up for a long time.

It is much worse if I take any kind of stimulant in the evening - coffee, soda, or anything else with caffeine, or sudafed, etc. Make sure he's not getting any stealth stimulants - like the sudafed in Claritin-D.

Hi might be going to bed too early. He might not need that many hours of sleep. He might need sleeping pill that's not a natural remedy for this. Sometimes our biorhythms are off and to reset them we need to take a med to knock us out every day around the same time so we can get our body on that biorhythm.

Then he can wean off, like take one every other night, then every third evening, etc...so his body is still getting those deep sleep nights and adjusting to no meds to help.

I think it's hard on people.

If he's ever worked the 3rd shift it's harder for his body to get on a routine and stay on it. It was messed up. If he's ever worked shift work then his body is messed up and he can lose years of his life expectancy because he won't have an easy time sticking to one schedule.

Have a sleep study done just to make sure there isn't a medical issue at play too.

Does he snore? Does he eat within a few hours of going to bed? Any stomach issues?

I'm not sure the melatonin is helping. In fact, it may be hindering. There's also the issue of where he's getting the melatonin and who manufactures (not distributes) it. There have been major media reports of reputable stores (e.g. GNC and Whole Foods) who are carrying products that don't even have in them what the label claims. One thing to look for is a patent on the product (not just melatonin but any supplement or sleep aid) which means they've submitted their product to much more scrutiny.

He's falling asleep way too rapidly but he's not staying in a deep sleep cycle - REM sleep is essential to feel rested. He should see his doctor and discuss the feasibility of a sleep study. And if he hasn't had a physical in a while, it's time! If he has sleep apnea, that can be addressed in a number of ways but it's absolutely critical that he look into it because there can be effects in other areas. Moreover, is he driving while in this sleep-deprived state? That's a huge health hazard, to himself and others. Please - if you want to help him, don't let him avoid this. It doesn't matter how super busy he is - he needs to be seen. Meantime, if you have children, don't let him drive them.

There are numerous articles on what our ancestors used to do when they woke up. An 8 hr night has not always been the case. If he tends to be awake for 2 hours, what does he do and could he do something less wakeful? Secondarily, could he come home after work and take a short (key: short) nap to offset the middle of the night waking?

I find I sleep longer and better if I have some exercise in the afternoon.
It can't be too close to bedtime but a walk or a run several hours before bedtime might tire him out enough to stay asleep all night.
It might be time for his to stop having any caffeine after noon.
I find I'm more sensitive to it the older I get.
No tv or screens 2 hours before bedtime (reading a book is ok).
I like a cool bedroom to sleep in.