Insomnia, anyone?

[alphabassetgrrl]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Yay for sleeping! May your restful sleep nights continue.

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Well, like I said, my friend helped me get through the night before last, and then last night, I was just able to doze off after some deep breathing. I remember trying to think about a day at Disneyland, walking through the park with friends... I also avoided caffiene at all costs...
Thanks for all of the tips

[PrincessY]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I got a full nights sleep,

Good news, indeed. So, what did you do different?

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I got a full nights sleep, and despite a slight headache, am feeling pretty good! ! Huzzah!

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

An issue I have with sleeping pills, besides the whole side effects part, is I don't like being dependant upon anything. Are they easy to come off of when you feel you've had enough, or is there a withdrawl process?

[SorcererMickey]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I have the opposite problem with Ambien. Keeps me up and gives me the hangover feeling the next day.

I've been on Lunesta for a while and I love it. I fall asleep within an hour of taking it, sleep 8 hours and get right up in the morning.

[NeverNeverland]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Maybe you should try some books on tape? (or I guess they're probably on CDs by now LOL!)

[Ginarella]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Last night was better!! My friend Rick is in town and stayed with me last night (Don't worry, he's my gay "husband", lol)... anyway we were just chatting in my room and I decided to lie down. It was around 10 and he was surfing the interweb and decided to read an article about sleeping to me... and I FELL ASLEEP while he was reading to me!! I slept until 3 in the am! Woohoo!! I know it's still not as great a sleep as I was hoping for, but it was a solid 5 hours and I am hoping for even more tonight...

It sounds like you need a friend near you to keep you company in order to fall asleep. You may be more relaxed knowing someone is near by.

I don't sleep well either when my hubby is away on business trips. It takes me a good hour to fall asleep when he is not around.

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I really hope you get to the bottom of your insomnia. *hugs*

Thank you for the well wishes, Missviolet

welcome to my life
What helps me get to sleep is... imagining? fantasizing? Just picturing some scenario and letting it play out in my head.
Good luck to you. I hope that you an find a resolution!

NNL, I think thats a really good idea. It's just been really hard for me to keep my mind on one thing lately... it likes to jump around..

Last night was better!! My friend Rick is in town and stayed with me last night (Don't worry, he's my gay "husband", lol)... anyway we were just chatting in my room and I decided to lie down. It was around 10 and he was surfing the interweb and decided to read an article about sleeping to me... and I FELL ASLEEP while he was reading to me!! I slept until 3 in the am! Woohoo!! I know it's still not as great a sleep as I was hoping for, but it was a solid 5 hours and I am hoping for even more tonight...
My dad read bedtime stories to me as a child and I would always fall asleep while he was reading, so it makes sense that having a male voice reading to me would be soothing. He left this morning so hopefully tonight I'll just follow the pattern and get more sleep..
Thanks for all of the well wishes, everyone! I will keep you posted. Feel free to keep adding tips

[FrumiousBoojum]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Warning about Rozerum: NO.

I took it. I was up all night. Took it again -- might have been a fluke. Up all night again.

My sister tries it. She's not only up all night, but what little sleep she did have caused her to have some horrific dreams.

Stick with Ambien CR. It attacks your awakagens so nicely.

[pveticket]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

During the summer I can't fall asleep, during the school year i want to stay up laater, so much to do, but even after going to bed at 9 or 8, waking up at 6 is hard to do

[NeverNeverland]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

welcome to my life
Melatonin doesn't work for me. cold meds (some) did until they changed their formula. Tylenol PM does now but I don't take it 'cuz I don't want to get dependent on meds.

What helps me get to sleep is... imagining? fantasizing? Just picturing some scenario and letting it play out in my head. I do try breathing slowly too. I also have this new Johnson and Johnson lotion "Melt away stress dreamy Night Lotion" I dunno if it works or it's psychosomatic but I seem to sleep better when I use it!

One bad habit I have is stretching when I wake up esp. in the few hours before I have to get up. I think that just wakes me up more. It's a bad habit to break... I don't even realize it until I'm in the middle. I can't nap, either, I try but never fall asleep. For some it helps for others it doesn't.

Good luck to you. I hope that you an find a resolution!

[Missviolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I feel you! I was thinking about you and your problem last night right before I fell asleep and guess what?! It might be contagious! It took me like an hour to fall asleep. ME! I'm the sleep queen!

I really feel for you and I can also vouch for the Ambiem.. that stuff is so nice. It's gentle and I didn't get an side effects (I usually do). I hate taking prescription too... but that Ambien really works.

I usually read right before bed.. it helps calm me. Maybe try that while having warm milk?

I really hope you get to the bottom of your insomnia. *hugs*

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

And so the sleep issues continue. Last night, I took a hot bath, drank some hot tea, and cozied up in my covers. I actually FELT exhausted rather than all wired up so it seemed promising, but I just couldn't fall asleep. Finally, at around 2 I dozed off, and woke up at 5... so I got 3 whole hours of uninterrupted sleep.
It's an advancement in the sense that I slept for 3 hours straight, but not as great as I was hoping for. Tonight I am going to try the meditation thing and some hot milk to see if that works for me...
Tim- I hate taking prescription medication for anything. I tend to be sensitive to all side-effects, so I'm going to hold off on that-- but I will keep your suggestion in mind if this goes on for much longer.
I REALLY appreciate all of the tips you are giving out, guy's. I'm sure they are helping more than just me. ! I'll keep you posted.

[FrumiousBoojum]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

I have a genetic mild Narcolepsy, so while Narolepsy and Insomnia are not the same thing, it does have its similarities.

My current regime is to take Provigil (400mg a day) to keep me awake and Ambien CR (12.75mg a day) to get me to sleep and keep me there. Sleep disorders are a pain. In fact, I really want to sleep now.

I really suggest seeing a sleep specialist, not just your doctor. Your doctor will be able to at least refer you to one, but a specialist is what you need. The visits are some of the least painful you'll ever have -- it's almost more of a counseling than anything. The sleep studies are the biggest pain -- they'll hook you up so that you look like a suicide bomber and just hope you get to sleep. It's very difficult to sleep in it, but they really don't expect you to have the best night's sleep, anyway.

There's always a possibility of the inability to sleep being linked to something that you can take care of naturally without the need of medications. For example, if it is apnea that is the cause of the sleep disorder (even a mild one, like snoring), you can either lose weight if you are overweight or play the didgeridoo for 15-30 minutes a day to help strengthen your throat muscles (which will help keep your airways open when you sleep).

If you happen to be not allergic to the ingredients of Ambien CR, I highly recommend it. I sleep so nicely when I take it -- dreams get really freaky when I don't!

Are you experiencing any hypnagogic hallucinations yet?

Keep away from stimulants during the day -- at least the few hours previous to bedtime if not all day. Also, I hear drinking a few bottles of rum before you go to sleep can help knock you out...

BTW: Nap. It's recommended that you take 3 half-hour naps during the day for optimum health. If you have sleep disorders, your doctor may give you a prescription for naps if you work full time. Hopefully, your employers won't deny it and will understand that the naps you have during the time you are there will improve your work.

[aashee]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Looking at the time of this post, the answer is YES!

[alphabassetgrrl]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Good luck getting a full nights' sleep. It's unhappy when you can't sleep.

Things that work for me-
some tv watching
hot cocoa made with milk
a hot cup of tea (just about anything herbal does it for me)
meditating (it's hard to actually stay awake - I always fall asleep)
walking around the house and checking everything. I know it's secure but then I remember my nice warm bed and it is so much more attractive so I get back and cuddle the covers and then most of the time I can sleep.

Long-term: I second the no distractions in the bedroom thing. Don't read, don't eat, don't watch tv in the bedroom. Sleep and sex only.
Get yourself in some sort of regular sleep pattern. That way your body starts to know the cues that mean bedtime is approaching. I do really bad at this.
Avoid caffeine.

I don't know what to say about the nightmares, except re-imagine them turning out differently. How can you change it to be happier? It's your dream!

Sweet dreams!
**hugs**
-k

[joannabanana]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

My microbiology book works every time.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Oooh.. I love tea.. I'll have to try that out, MV!
Melatonin has never worked for me-- unsure why..

could be its not high enough of a dose. some people need 2 MG's sopme 5 my mom takes 7 Mg

[QuietViolet]

Re: Insomnia, anyone?

Ok, so I took the plunge and took an hour nap this afternoon when I got home from work. I feel nice and relaxed. Hopefully, it won't hinder tonight's sleep..