Your description of problems with sleep sound very familiar. I too visited a sleep specialist who described gabapentin (300mg) to be taken shortly before bedtime. He also recommended going to bed and getting up at the same time each day and keeping the bedroom cool at night. Installing light blocking curtains can help you to stay asleep.

Obviously, avoid stimulating drinks in the late afternoon or evening, and food and drinks that can interrupt sleep.

Allowing the brain to be active before bedtime can interrupt sleep. I love to watch TV or play Solitare on the computer right up to bedtime, but then have trouble getting my brain to wind down. When I lay my head on the pillow, I try to imagine that I'm in a peaceful place, like at the beach or the mountains,

Daytime naps can affect your nighttime sleep. I frequently become very sleepy at times during the day and need to take a short nap. It's important to keep your naps to 20 or 30 minutes max.

Even with all of these methods, there are nights when I either can't get to sleep, or wake up after 2 0r 3 hours. If I can;t get to sleep in an hour or so, I get up and read something or watch TV for a while.

I hope some of these suggestions help you. There are many good sources of information on the Internet dealing with improved sleep (Michael J. Fox Foundation; Davis Phinney Foundation)

C

Cindy1953. Watching TV does that. I do wake and either turn to another channel,or turn the TV off, but I do get a little sleep this way, and I don’t pay extra. I have that Calm is good, but I have a wonderful music station on Cox that also puts me out.

I use the app Calm. There are sleep stories, both fiction and non-fiction. No matter how many times I wake up during the night listening to a sleep story puts me right back to sleep. I’ve been using the app for over a year and have yet to hear the end of the story.

My husband also takes clonazapan and Sinemet Extended Release at bedtime. He sleeps pretty good but still wakes up a couple of times.