Mid 50’s is a right time to explore the habits that can lead to bigger issues in our 70’s and beyond.
One can become physically dependent on the Benadryl.
OP, I think your sleep issues alone warrant a visit to the doc. A sleep study or something might be in order rather than a swig of Benadryl nightly. And if I were you I’d go through this thread and write down all the other “symptoms” you have to run by him as well. 56 is pretty young to have too big a concern about memory issues.
If I were you…
- make a doc appt.
- join a club, volunteer, take a class at a univ or through the library or something to get out AND get our mind active.
- get outside! Take a walk daily. Go to different walk venues to stimulate your mind with your surroundings.
- Look for more opportunities to “talk outloud” - seriously! If your family is quiet and you are retired and at home a lot you don’t have the opportunity to use your words enough!
- Get off social media for longer stretches. That includes CC. No matter what, it's not real world.
@LeastComplicated - benedryl! That’s your culprit, right there. A couple of years back I read about one of the most scary side effects, and immediately threw the ZZZZZQuill out (I used to take it at night before important meetings at work the next day so I could sleep well and uninterrupted) - For your sake, stop right away: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667
@LeastComplicated, I just turned 57 and could have written your post. Yes, I’m still going through menopause, with the attendant sleep disorders, but I have no vitamin deficiencies, I work out every day, and I work as a writer/editor so I’m using my mind constantly. But there’s no question that my cognitive functioning has decreased, and I often forget names/details of things I used to know or mix up words when I speak. I also occasionally forget common words, which is both frustrating and embarrassing. Last year I went to the customer service department at Target because I had forgotten a step stool that I’d paid for in the bottom of a cart. And I couldn’t come up with the name–I had to get the receipt out of my wallet and look at it as the clerk waited for me to tell her what I had forgotten. And I remember talking to my mom and describing “something kids jump into after it rains” when I couldn’t come up with the word for “puddle.” I was extremely worried, especially being in the profession I’m in. So I did a basic memory screening (see below) that’s supposed to be 97 percent in detecting early Alzheimer’s/dementia, and I passed with very high marks. They evaluate you based on others of the same gender, age and educational attainment. What the screener told me was that my inability to come up with words or remember certain things at times is COMPLETELY NORMAL and is simply a function of normal aging. In a way, that was very comforting–but also disturbing. (I agree with no Benadryl. That just can’t be helping you.)
And here’s the article that let me know about this testing program:
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/05/26/columnist-david-whiting-tests-for-memory-loss-as-way-to-watch-out-for-alzheimers/
Benedryl makes me wired so I don’t take it. Stay away from screens for at least an hour before going to bed.
I think you should make a trial of not taking Benedryl and see if it helps. I also suggest having a neurologist to a baseline test of your memory now. You are probably fine, but my MIL had early onset dementia that cause all sorts of problems before we knew it was an issue.
My ex-husband was referred to a neurologist recently for memory lapses. Two prominent reasons became evident…nightly alcohol use/abuse and depression, both of which can be causes. He refused to acknowledge the cycle of depression/drink/depression/drink and swears he has beginning dementia of sorts. I’m not saying that alcohol is an issue for you but its worth looking at if you do imbibe on a regular basis.
You might also want to download the program f.lux. It’s a program that adjusts your screen to pinker tones in the evening.
Thanks everyone for your input. To assure you, I do have a neurologist/internist who I see regularly (along with some other specialists). They know about my sleep problems and have all decided Benadryl is the best option for me. I was the one who brought up the study re anticholinergenics with them. I mean, the choice was that option, becoming addicted to a much stronger medication, or just not sleeping. A person can’t survive on 2 hours sleep/night, and that’s what I was getting for about a year. I was absolutely miserable. My family was affected. Google the effects of lack of sleep. Here’s a short summary, but I suggest doing the search yourself for detailed information if you’re interested.
Sleep loss (less than 7 hours per night) may have wide-ranging effects on the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems, including the following:
Obesity in adults and children
Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance
Cardiovascular disease: heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, stroke, inflammation, and hypertension
Anxiety symptoms
Depression
Cognitive impairment
I have a minor heart condition (my outpatient procedure last week was related to that) and the effects of lack of sleep on my cardiovascular and mental health played a role in my doctors making the decision to recommend Benadryl for me. And I think it was a good one considering how much better I feel now. I’m now getting 8 hours a sleep most nights which has been wonderful. It’s obviously it’s a Catch 22 situation for me - get no sleep and suffer the consequences, or take a med for that and still suffer the consequences. Not to be morbid, but I decided what was best for me was to keep my heart healthy and be alive for my kids.
I have been working on diet and exercise for several months. I’ve made good progress, have lost almost 20 lbs and reduced my sugar consumption drastically. I drink nothing but lots of water.
I’m going to take your advice and do more things to stimulate my brain. Also when I finish this last comment, I’m going to Amazon and order some books to read to reduce my time online. Give me some suggestions for some good recent mystery/thrillers please if you have time 
Thanks again for your comments. Knowing I’m not the only one dealing with this helps tremendously.
OP: have you had your thyroid levels checked?
Brain fog, low hear rate, feeling cold and tired are all signs of thyroid deficiency. Very easy to diagnose and treat. BUT, your doctor needs to test you, and get you firmly in good range, not just to the edge.
Otherwise, I think exercise and less benedryl might help you.
Good luck!
@astor77 Yes, I have thanks. The low BP, heart rate, and fatigue are due to my heart problem (a defective heart valve).
Thanks for this thread, @LeastComplicated. I am reading with interest and will continue to follow. I am 59, menopausal, and recently retired. About four years ago, I started experiencing a notable decline in the ability to find the right word quickly, and it still scares me as I used to be able to speak rapidly and fluently without thinking. Now, I feel like I’m slowly searching my word quiver and still ending up with a lame arrow, a bit off-target. I’ve also started to do things like opening the wrong drawer or kitchen cabinet when reaching for common items that should be reflex. I also can’t recall with certainty whether or not I’ve seen a particular (not recent) movie that I once could find instantly in my mental library. What frightens me is that I used to be known for my memory, almost photographic. That is completely gone. My memory palace is failing me. I don’t think anyone notices the decline because they can’t see my mental search and I function well, but I am becoming depressed about it. So, hugs to you, I understand.
I’ve been a writer/editor/data analyst for most of my career, but this started while I was still heavily engaged. I’ve taken B12 for years, get sufficient rest, but not as much exercise as I know I should. I keep passing this off as “aging sucks,” but maybe I need testing. I’m afraid of that though. 
@ChoatieMom Thank you and hugs back to you. I’ve been doing much research on the many effects of menopause, and I don’t think this process in our lives gets as much attention from the medical community as it deserves. It is very frustrating.
At 57, I’m finding I’m grasping for words sometimes, mostly adjectives rather than simple nouns. But as a writer/editor it is frustrating. The other day, I was trying to come up with “ornate,” and it took a while. Sigh.
My other issue is extremely short-term memory loss (displacement?). It’s that walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there thing. Or being about to Google something and then can’t remember what it is. It eventually comes back to me, but, again, so frustrating and a bit worrisome.
I had heavy duty chemo in my mid-40s and went into menopause then, so I attribute some of this to residual effects from that.
You sure the thrillers aren’t just going to keep you up?
People on CC and my husband seem to really enjoy the Louise Penny mysteries. I haven’t gotten around to them yet, I’m not a big mystery reader because I tend to cheat and look at the end and spoil the fun. The only mysteries I read regularly (more for the characters than the plots) are C. S. Harris’s Sebastian St. Cyr series set in Regency England well and Lois McMaster’s Bujold’s Vorkosigan books which started off as space opera, then threw in a couple of romances, then a whole bunch of mysteries and I’m not sure how I’d even catorgorize the last one. I love them, but you have to be willing to read sci fi.
everybody forgets things so i wouldn’t worry so much. But i will say that being retired at 56 is pretty darn young (how did you pull that off? 
and being isolated from people might be accelerating the issues.
I believe i"d really pick up fitness things…do you hike? That would be a good one. There was a great piece in the Times about the impact this can have https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/well/move/a-1-hour-walk-3-times-a-week-has-benefits-for-dementia.html
Four years age at age 55 I had neck surgery. The surgery went quick, but it took 4 hours before I was “awake enough/aware enough” enough to where they would move me out of recovery and into a hospital room. I remember being woken up multiple times. Each time someone would tell the nurse to give me more fentanyl.
Point being this… it took me a very long time to get my mind back and I assume this was drug related. I would forget words. I would say the complete opposite of what I really meant (totally embarrassing) and at times I would type the opposite letter on a keyboard. I type properly using my home rows so instead of selecting a letter with my right index finger, I would use my left one. The most interesting thing, is that when I would lose a word I could actually see the word in my mind, but always in cobalt blue and always in chalkboard font. (neurologist was fascinated by my blue visions)
I took up teaching English to refugees and also taking a Swedish language class. Both really helped. I really like one of the previous comments that suggested those of us who are alone most of the day should join a club where we have the opportunity to use our words.
OP - I think you should consider a fitbit type watch that will tell you each morning how many times you woke up and measures your light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Keep in mind that as we age we get less of that too! My SIL is a horrible sleeper and she recently started using a APP called Calm. She says it really has helped.
@LeastComplicated sorry to hear about your defective heart valve. Are your sleep issues related to your heart condition?
Also, can understand your need to sleep more than 2 hours a night, and why you need some kind of meds to sleep better. It’s a very hard trade off.
Are you, also, taking some cardiac meds for heart valve issue ? ACE inhibitor ?
@mathmom LOL, probably but they’re worth it .
I think I just bought the latest Louise Penny mystery. Yep, I checked and I did :). I also bought The Dry, Since We Fell, and The Child Finder. I’ve probably missed a few of the Penny books, I’ll have to fill in the gaps later.
The St. Cyr books look very interesting. I’ll put one of those on my next order. The newest one looks good, but I’m wondering if I should start at the beginning? I’m sorry, but I probably wouldn’t like the sci-fi. I have a hard time getting interested in genres that aren’t closely tied to reality. My daughter would probably like them though, she has more adventurous tastes :).
Thanks for the suggestions!
I’d read the St. Cyr books in order for sure. There’s a story arc that is important to the character’s development.
I’m always trying to share Bujold with other people, but am well aware that lots of people just don’t like sci fi.