My CHs come during the day, and rarely late in the evening but NEVER do they wake me at night.

However, in the last few nights, I've woken up pretty much spot on 3am each night. Not with a headache, just woken up. I haven't been consistent with my bedtime, there is nothing particularly routine about any part of my day (I'm shocking with schedules).

Do you think it means anything???

My sleep cycles get really wigged out on cycle. Not sure how much is med related, how much is CH, and how much is just in my head! ;D

Joe

It would be interesting to time your 3AM wakeups with completion of a REM cycle...CHs love REM (or hate depending upon your point of view) REM sleep. And as you'll discover, the Beast is a shapeshifter. It will morph just to plague you. So, sleep. But if you begin to suspect the Beast is lurking around the edges of your dreams, and kickin' you in the side around 3AM, be prepared to hit it hard with O2 at the first sign. I've never noticed O2 as a sleep inhibitor, although the pain of an attack sure can be. Be prepared, and may this moment pass from you. Blessings. lance

copied this partial conversation from Dr. Sewells page. The comments follow the article "Which Side is Your Headache?"

"This is the first time I have seen mention of an absence of autonomic symptoms. I am mildly surprised to see that I am joined by 4% of cluster sufferers, all the while thinking I was a complete freak with no company.

Not at all! Even more interesting are those patients who have autonomic symptoms but no pain. I had one who used to wake up at the same time each night with a runny nose and didn't put it together with his former cluster attacks until I asked him about it."

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I would be curious to know if you experience any of the other "symptoms" without the "pain"?

Hi Mel
Have you tried Melatonin it may help in getting you through the night.
I am chronic & just going through a very low hit cycle but have dealt with sleep deprivation now since about 2005; I toodle of to bed usually around 9-9:30pm (yea I know I'm getting old :) )& will usually wake again for a tutty break around 11:00 pm, go back to sleep until 1:30-2:00am & that's it wide awake for the rest of the night, I've had to learn how to completely relax simply to rest the body & not be tuckered out the next day.

Natural Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland on orders from the hypothalamus starting at low doses & building up so that sound sleep occurs & gradually tapering of when we've had enough sleep; given that we have wonky hypothalamus's it only stands to reason that the pineal gland may chuck a wobbly as well & not produce the melatonin as would normally happen, that's where Melatonin sups may help you.
What I have written above may not be purely & technically correct but is only to give you an idea of how it works.
Unfortunately Melatonin doesn't work for me, tried it at various doses for no luck but that's the nature of the beast we battle with, but the pills aren't a waste of money as my wife now uses them instead of taking a relaxer to go to sleep.

Cheers
Barry

Barry_T_Coles wrote on Feb 24^th, 2011 at 10:37pm:

given that we have wonky hypothalamus's it only stands to reason that the pineal gland may chuck a wobbly

Hi, Barry. Hey, what's "chuck a wobbly?" Sounds cool, but that language barrier thing ya know...seriously, is it from cricket? Just awonderin'. Blessings! lance

Even when I am not in cycle, I wake up 1 1/2 hours after I go to sleep.  This is when my first night attack normally happens when I am in cycle.  Cycle or not, I just can't sleep through that first REM cycle.

As a Navy pilot and Westpac sailor who's made more than a fair share of port calls down under, I went looking for my trusty Aussie English for Beginners primer.. "Let Stalk Strine."

"Chuck a wobbly", means to have or throw a tantrum or lose your temper.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Batch, that's very funny. We get exposed to so much of the American lingo that we just know what it means, but I know how confusing some of our sayings are to non-Aussies. We even confuse ourselves sometimes  :D Or maybe it's just me that gets confused. I'm confused easily.

Batch wrote on Feb 25^th, 2011 at 12:36pm:

"Chuck a wobbly", means to have or throw a tantrum or lose your temper. Take care, V/R, Batch

You got it in one Batch, I hereby pronounce you an honorary Aussie

Cheers
Barry

Barry_T_Coles wrote on Feb 25^th, 2011 at 8:28pm:

Batch wrote on Feb 25th, 2011 at 12:36pm: "Chuck a wobbly", means to have or throw a tantrum or lose your temper. Take care, V/R, Batch You got it in one Batch, I hereby pronounce you an honorary Aussie

It's the same over this side of the ditch (Tasman Sea) with us Kiwis (New Zealanders) using a lot of similar expressions to those used in Oz (Australia).

And with the amazing stuff that Batch has done, he is an honorary Kiwi too (joining the race to adopt him).

I don't know how to do the stupid bloody quote thing so:

Mike said: "he is an honorary Kiwi too (joining the race to adopt him)."

Mike, you know that as soon as you adopt him, we claim him anyway. Like Russell Crowe, Sam Neill, Lamingtons, Pavlova etc etc. They are ALL Australian. Even NZ is really ours. Everything except that accent :D

Now back to a question from DereksGirl that I didn't answer... I generally don't get any of the autonomic symptoms, except the occasional stuffy nose. I also get bilateral pain. And I once had a CH that lasted all day. Which The Headache Specialist With Whom I Am In Love said he had seen in one other patient as well. I am just a total freak of nature. One of a kind.

But like I said to the Neurologist Who Is A Moron, I don't care what the hell they are called. I just want them to go away. And if O2 does that, and if the traditional CH meds regime does that, then call me a freak of nature and say they are not CHs, but let me have the O2 and keep writing me the RXs for the meds and I'll be happy. And let me stay here with you guys, and I may stay sane.

Melby29 wrote on Feb 25^th, 2011 at 10:45pm:

I don't know how to do the stupid bloody quote thing so: Mike said: "he is an honorary Kiwi too (joining the race to adopt him)." Mike, you know that as soon as you adopt him, we claim him anyway. Like Russell Crowe, Sam Neill, Lamingtons, Pavlova etc etc. They are ALL Australian. Even NZ is really ours. Everything except that accent :D

You can keep Russell Crowe!

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Both are really well done, especially the second. But please don't get any ideas, we like not being part of Australia!