Insomnia

-L-

Well-Known Member
#1
I have insomnia for years, I have tried a lot of medications, I follow a sleep routine, I have followed all the guidelines to sleep better, nothing helps me.

It is severe insomnia, I can go even a week without sleep, or 30 minutes, and when I get to sleep it is at most 4/5 hours, I don't know what it is to sleep 8 hours straight.

My doctor says they can't do anything for me.
 

Daphna

Ninja of light
#2
I have insomnia for years, I have tried a lot of medications, I follow a sleep routine, I have followed all the guidelines to sleep better, nothing helps me.

It is severe insomnia, I can go even a week without sleep, or 30 minutes, and when I get to sleep it is at most 4/5 hours, I don't know what it is to sleep 8 hours straight.

My doctor says they can't do anything for me.
Have you tried melatonin? I couldn’t imagine going without sleep. That’s gotta be rough. Is it racing thoughts that keep you awake? Or is it something physical?
 

-L-

Well-Known Member
#4
Have you tried melatonin? I couldn’t imagine going without sleep. That’s gotta be rough. Is it racing thoughts that keep you awake? Or is it something physical?
Yes, I have tried melatonin and it does not help me.

I do not know if it is physical or not, but for example yesterday I took an orfidal to sleep (lormetazepan) and I have not slept, I can notice how physically I am exhausted, I can not even have my eyes open, but instead I can not sleep.
 

Daphna

Ninja of light
#7
Yes, I have tried melatonin and it does not help me.

I do not know if it is physical or not, but for example yesterday I took an orfidal to sleep (lormetazepan) and I have not slept, I can notice how physically I am exhausted, I can not even have my eyes open, but instead I can not sleep.
Sorry to hear. Do you drink caffeine or eat a lot of chocolate?
 
#8
Sorry that you've been suffering from insomnia for so long.

Whenever I have a bout of insomnia, I get an acupuncture treatment and it clears up right away. I don't know if you'd get the same results, but insomnia is something that acupuncture can treat. Chinese herbal medicine can help too. The links in my signature have more information, and the acupressure self-massage, also in my signature links, may be helpful.

A meditation practice might be helpful, especially right before bed.

The book Curing Insomnia Naturally with Chinese Medicine by Bob Flaws, Blue Poppy Press, may be worth reading. I haven't read that particular book, but a book in the same series on depression. It may only be available as an ebook, or possibly through a library.

I have followed all the guidelines to sleep better, nothing helps me
You may have already tried these methods for treating insomnia, but I'll post them here just in case there is something helpful that you haven't come across yet.

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html
http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits

You might want to try taking off your shoes a couple hours before bedtime (as long as you are wearing socks that are warm enough).

Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom salts an hour before bedtime might be helpful.

I hope something can help
 

KM76710

Kangaroo Manager
SF Pro
SF Supporter
#10
No insomnia here but whether age or otherwise my bladder and sometimes my colon wakes at 3 or 4 in the morning, then it is a bitch to really fall asleep afterwards to get the full 8 or 9 hours of snoozin'. LOL
 

Daphna

Ninja of light
#11
No, I also avoid eating two hours before sleeping
That’s a good practice. I sometimes suffer like you do until I make sure I am neither too hot or too cold. Sometimes I have to switch positions on my bed. For some reason, I sleep better with my head pointing to the East. It’s worth a shot. If you do already, try sleeping across your bed from side to side. It could be your mattress.
 

-L-

Well-Known Member
#12
That’s a good practice. I sometimes suffer like you do until I make sure I am neither too hot or too cold. Sometimes I have to switch positions on my bed. For some reason, I sleep better with my head pointing to the East. It’s worth a shot. If you do already, try sleeping across your bed from side to side. It could be your mattress.
The mattress is comfortable, I really do not know what can be.
 

A_J_R

Well-Known Member
#16
I'm bumping this thread. I have insomnia as well. I believe it's stress and depression related. Nothing works, not meds, not exercise, nothing. I'm getting desperate because it's such a catch-22. It's like I can't relax my stress and anxiety without sleep, but I can't sleep because I suffer with stress and anxiety.

I'm not likely to do acupuncture, which was suggested her (mostly for $ concerns), but I wondered if there were other tips? I'm going to look at the binaural beats thing.

I'd give almost anything for 6 or more straight hours of sleep. At least for one night. But if I could find a way to enjoy sleep again, I know it would help with so many of my issues.

I'm also close to asking my doctor to prescribe a sleep study. My friend's husband did it and said the study helped guide him towards the right meds.

Btw: Not sure this means anything at all, but often as my body begins to drift, I get images of loved ones who have passed away and it makes me wake up. Does anyone else have this issue, where something kind of startling comes to them right as their mind drifts?

And I should say getting to sleep is tough, but my main issue is STAYING asleep. I usually wake up at 3 and lay there til 5.
 

-L-

Well-Known Member
#17
I'm bumping this thread. I have insomnia as well. I believe it's stress and depression related. Nothing works, not meds, not exercise, nothing. I'm getting desperate because it's such a catch-22. It's like I can't relax my stress and anxiety without sleep, but I can't sleep because I suffer with stress and anxiety.

I'm not likely to do acupuncture, which was suggested her (mostly for $ concerns), but I wondered if there were other tips? I'm going to look at the binaural beats thing.

I'd give almost anything for 6 or more straight hours of sleep. At least for one night. But if I could find a way to enjoy sleep again, I know it would help with so many of my issues.

I'm also close to asking my doctor to prescribe a sleep study. My friend's husband did it and said the study helped guide him towards the right meds.

Btw: Not sure this means anything at all, but often as my body begins to drift, I get images of loved ones who have passed away and it makes me wake up. Does anyone else have this issue, where something kind of startling comes to them right as their mind drifts?

And I should say getting to sleep is tough, but my main issue is STAYING asleep. I usually wake up at 3 and lay there til 5.
Im sorry that you are also going through the same problem, it is horrible, my problem is to fall asleep and to stay asleep.

I also tried everything, and nothing helped, the only thing I recommend is that under no circumstances take benzodiazepines, they are really addictive, in a few days they stop working and when you stop taking them you have withdrawal symptoms for a long time. Instead, better try antidepressants that produce sleep, they work partially for me (sometimes I do not sleep even if I take them) but they do not produce tolerance or dependence.

Right now I am taking trazadone, it helps me a lot to sleep but the next day I wake up like a zombie, I have tried the rest of antidepressants and they are even worse in that sense, so I have to choose between not sleeping, and living like a zombie .
 

Waves

Well-Known Member
#18
Hello

I suffer too. Are you anxious? Worry? Fears? I am and is why I cannot sleep. Also do you work 8-12 hour days? Helps. Sympathy. Waves
 

HappyKitty

Works during the day, doodles at night.
#19
Im sorry that you are also going through the same problem, it is horrible, my problem is to fall asleep and to stay asleep.

I also tried everything, and nothing helped, the only thing I recommend is that under no circumstances take benzodiazepines, they are really addictive, in a few days they stop working and when you stop taking them you have withdrawal symptoms for a long time. Instead, better try antidepressants that produce sleep, they work partially for me (sometimes I do not sleep even if I take them) but they do not produce tolerance or dependence.

Right now I am taking trazadone, it helps me a lot to sleep but the next day I wake up like a zombie, I have tried the rest of antidepressants and they are even worse in that sense, so I have to choose between not sleeping, and living like a zombie .
sleep does takes a lot of effort. meds won’t be the answer to all. what is that everything that you’ve tried if you had insomnia for so long... I can’t stress this enough but you can’t do this alone. what abt therapy? and about that bed time routine and sleep guideline- they won’t work immediately, how hard have you follow? do you know its really ok to keep changing bed time routine and sleep guideline whenever your sleep doesn’t work? its not like “oh it doesn’t work, I’m gonna give up” however shit slow it is, acceptance doesn’t come like that. just my 2cents, do you want to keep track of sleep diary? see the patterns of your sleep and see like if it doesn’t work, why? if it works, why? if you can’t stay asleep at night, what do you usually do? if its not the meds, why can’t you sleep in the first place? how do you take care of yourself during the day? best of luck in managing insomnia. X
 

HappyKitty

Works during the day, doodles at night.
#20
It is severe insomnia, I can go even a week without sleep, or 30 minutes, and when I get to sleep it is at most 4/5 hours, I don't know what it is to sleep 8 hours straight.

My doctor says they can't do anything for me.
Did you tell your doctors in details or just that? If your doctors can’t take you seriously, either go therapy or show them your sleep diary. X
 

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