serious insomnia -- need help

[Bertha Venation]

Nightly insomnia, had since childhood. Would like to hear from people who've also experienced it, and would like to hear what works to help you fall asleep and/or stay asleep. Thanks.

[WindRavenX]

1. some tips!

-Take a wicked hot shower/bath before bed. When you get out into the cooler rooms (and your bed), you get really drowsy.
-Drink warm milk
Don't drink anything with caffeine ~3 hours before bed time.
And if all else fails, watch CSPAN :)

[toddzilla]

2. double dose of nyquil

ambien works wonders but costs a fortune. valerian root never did squat for me.

other than that.. i don't know-watch lord of the rings, it always bores me to sleep.:silly:

[Dookus]

14. I'm one of those people...

for whom Ambien did diddly-squat. Nada. Zilch. I could take a double dose and then go out water-skiing. OK... I don't actually water-ski, but you get the idea.

I went through a wicked bout of depression-induced insomnia a couple years ago. Tried EVERYTHING. The only thing that had any effect at all was Trazodone. Now I take one maybe once a month, but at the time, I took one nightly. Made a world of difference to me.

[CivilRightsNow]

17. Valerian works wonders for me..

Infact, I just took one and my eye lids are finally starting to get heavy :)

The thing about Valerian is, you cant just buy the cheapest bottle you find at your local Drug store. Go to Whole Foods, or order from an organic shop, get good quality herbs..


Someone suggested the tea, but valerian smells and tastes disgusting, I recommend the capsules.

I used to do nyquil, but I just felt so groggy in the morning.. plus it isnt very healthy. Either are all the prescription drugs that were mentioned in this thread.

Very rarely are prescription drugs the panacea that they are claimed to be.

[Sperk]

3. if all else fails...count Bush's lies! Your body will force sleep

as a survival mechanism. :evilgrin:

[populistmom]

4. Valerian tea

and a good nightly routine helps me most of the time (but not always).

[ewagner]

22. Great suggestion

My wife swears that the nightly routine is the best thing for sleep. She has disciplined herself over the years into this routine and, I swear, she's asleeep before her head hits the pillow.

[Bertha Venation]

23. educate a sister, popmom, will you please?

Help me out of my ignorance. What do you mean by "nightly routine?" Here's mine: turn off TV from the night's re-run of "Law & Order," turn off laptop from an hour or two of solitaire (while watching L&O), turn off house lights, turn down thermostat, brush teeth, go to bed.

Is that a "good nightly routine?" I feel stupid and ignorant here.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. I've just accepted that I'm gonna be up at night a lot.

I have a job that doesn't require any set schedule. I just try to enjoy my long nights.

[LynneSin]

6. Meletonin

Get the stuff you put underneath your tongue - 3mg.

I have serious insomnia and my cat isn't helping my case.

[tkmorris]

9. I second the Melatonin

I have had chronic insomnia for almost 30 years. Melatonin is the only thing that has ever worked for me and that includes everything from weak OTC stuff to moderate doses of prescription stuff. It isn't foolproof but it will make you tired. I have investigated it pretty thoroughly and there are no known side effects at all.

[foreigncorrespondent]

7. Wish I culd help you, Bertha...

...but I have no idea what the miracle help for insomnia is.

I go through stages with mine. For weeks on end I will be fine, and be able to drift of to a peaceful slumber, but then out of the blue it hits me, and I will be tossing and turning for the most part of the night.

[Paranoid_Portlander]

8. 42 years experience here.

I find that one-eighth of a capsule of Kava under the tongue does the job for me. Warning: there have been reports of adverse effects on the liver or kidneys, but I am taking a tiny amount. Does anyone know if Kava is banned now?? I tried Ambien once, and it made me feel emotionally drained and empty the following morning. Ambien does do the job of producing sleep for those who are desparate for sleep. I find that melatonin keeps me awake.

[pansypoo53219]

10. when i get it occassionally

playing cards on Yahoo!Games helps me(i play sheepshead). play calm music. or i try and write a story/movie. and it makes my other thoughts keeping me up go away.

[AlFrankenFan]

11. I have it too

I've had it since I was 8. I walk around outside or watch TV or more recently, go on DU. Sometimes I meditate.

[cliss]

12. BV, I used to have insomnia

but I don't anymore. It's really horrible because you can never get caught up on your sleep; you're always "behind". Here are some tips I used to fight it:

1) don't take naps in the afternoon when you start to keel over. Stay tired, and then hang in there until your regular bedtime (mine's 11:30 pm) then get up at your regular time (mine: 7:00 am). Even if it means that you'll be dead tired for a few days (because you couldn't get to sleep some nights) try to hang in there and establish some sort of sleeping routine. We humans do better with some sort of routine.

2) cut out caffeine completely. Switch to non-caffeinated or herbal tea.

3) don't smoke because it's a stimulant. Nicotine coursing thru your veins can keep you up.

4)don't drink. It tends to suck out your vitality and energy anyway. You need it for tomorrow.

5) get a lot of exercise, even if you're dead tired. I try to jog 3 miles every day if I can. You really do sleep better if you've gotten a good workout outside in the fresh air.

6) try to stay away from prescription drugs, or any drugs for that matter. Skip sleeping aids. They just fuck up your system and leave you addicted.

Good luck and Sweet Dreams! :smoke:

[LastKnight]

13. had it as long as i remember.

drove my parents nuts when i was a baby with it. imagine how bad babies are anyway, let alone one that clinically has problems sleeping. some quiet thinking... just putting my life in order in my head anyway seems to calm the mind and make me tired, i dont fall asleep any easier though. but if it can help somone else... why not throw it out there.

-LK

[Kanary]

15. Bertha, you have my profound sympathy

People who sleep well are soooo lucky! Life is so much easier when you can keep your eyes open.

I don't know what you've tried, and what you haven't, but I'm going to give it a shot here.

First of all, I think that different things work for different people. It's a drag, but the experimentation seems to be the only thing you can do. For those of us with serious sleep problems, all that stuff about "sleep hygiene" is a bunch of hooey.

First of all, I try to not swallow a lot of emotions during the day. If I'm feeling something, I let myself feel it, otherwise it will come back to bite me at night. Same with worries... better to give worries some time during the day, and hopefully find at least a bit of solution, rather than try to hold it at bay, and have it come back worse when you really want to sleep.

I'm different than some of the other posters.... If I've gotten behind in sleep, I find that often taking a bit of a nap during the day can help relax me, and I'll then sleep better at night. One of those individual things, I think. When things get really bad, I have to rely on something to help me, and that is when I take 1/2 Tylenol PM with the dyphenhydramine. It's not good to use it very much, because it really dries out the system. For me with my eye problem, that's bad news.

Melatonin seems to work well for some people, but for others of us, it makes us very jangly, and it's an uncomfortable feeling, and doesn't help with the sleep. I think it's one of those things you have to try and see what works. Triptophan used to help me when it was available.

If you're having problems with waking in the night and not being able to go back to sleep, so that any sleeping pill will just make it impossible in the morning, there is one that has a much shorter life called Sonata. Sometimes, if you are careful about all the other things that affect sleep, taking something like that for a while can get your body into a better rhythm. Might be worth a try.

The thing that I found that seems to help me sounds really hokey. I got the tape of Oxycise, for the weight-control part of it, and found that once I really got the hang of the deep breathing that she teaches, that it helps me at night to do a bit of it when I get into bed, and I seem to go to sleep much easier, and stay asleep better. Again, I wouldn't have thought something like that would make a bit of difference to me, because my insomnia is quite persistant, but it does seem to help.

I hope you do find some answers for yourself. It makes a world of difference to be able to get some sleep!

Good luck to you.... and .... goood sleep..... :)

Kanary

[onebigbadwulf]

16. Exercise and tryptophan rich diet

Tryptophan is a precursor to Serotonin and Melatonin which is the chemical that regulates your SCN (supra-chiasmatic nucleus) and keeps you on a regular sleep-wake cycle.


Exercise helps stimulate neurogenesis in your brain which demands slow wave sleep to accomplish and therefore a greater demand for sleep.


Good luck.

[scarlet_owl]

18. I'm an insomniac. Even if I take sleeping pills,

my mind still races. I hate when my body is worn out, but my brain is still active. It feels like all of my muscles are tense. I don't know if I can give you advice, as nothing has ever worked for me. For some reason, I just sleep better in the daytime. Here's a hug to help you through the night. :hug:

[Booberdawg]

19. I suffered from insomnia my whole life up until about 11 years ago

I board meetings in my head constantly - I called it musterbation. It was exhausting.

Since 11 years ago when I was finally treated for depression I have rarely had a sleepless night. I take an antidepressant now and it has completely changed me. I take a different antidepressant at night because the main one causes me to wake up a hundred times at night, but I am so much more rested now. I can't remember life without a good nights sleep anymore - it just never happens.

[moz4prez]

20. read a John Grisham novel

Or masturbate. Masturbate between the pages of a John Grisham novel.

Never fails.

[Bertha Venation]

21. can't tell you how much I appreciate this response

and all of your good suggestions. Thank you! More suggestions are welcome.

[brook]

24. another...

I have tried many things already mentioned. Some worked - others didn't. A warm bath with either chamolmile or lavendar bath gel from the Healing Garden (I think it's a national brand available in drug stores) helps a good deal. I usually also burn candles with soothing floral scent - then spritz my bed with a matching spray. I start the process early in the evening and take my time. It could be the ritual and the scents combined do the trick, don't know.

If noises are a factor in waking you, try a white noise machine - or radio or tv at low volumne. It will *white-out* jarring noises that might otherwise wake you.

Good luck and sweet dreemz.

[curlyred]

25. HTP-5 is great

In a house of insomniacs, we alternate the following: melatonin, valerian capsules(stink, but they work), HTP-5, and in extreme cases, benadryl.

No caffeine, no naps. You may want to check the timing of your evening meal.

Best wishes towards sleeping. :)

[DS1]

26. I had it for 3 months straight once

It was amazing how I could still operate on a half hour's sleep at best for that long, usually I'm dead tired with less than 8 hours.

Anyway.

I bought this book, it said to forget trying to fall asleep, but concentrate instead on trying to stay awake. Funny how child psychology works, but I'd be reading a book, fighting to keep my eyes open and pow, dead to the world.

[nuxvomica]

27. Homeopathic remedies that have worked for me

"Nux Vomica 30X" is for insomnia caused by too much of something: to much food, too much mental work, too much smoking, etc. Symptoms include sensitivity to noises, irritability, gastro-intestinal discomfort, racing thoughts. "Coffea cruda 12C" has also worked for me when "nux vomica" didn't fit the picture or didn't work. If you try a remedy and it doesn't work, don't repeat it more than once in the same evening.

[coyote]

28. I started having insomnia 3 years ago...

I went to a doctor and he gave me a medicíne called Opipramol. It´s basically an old tricyclic anti-depressant but have recently discovered that it does wonders for sleep disorders. It was a lifesaver to me. This is drug is hardly known as a remedy for insomnia in the States....perhaps because it is now produced as a generic and there are no kickbacks to the docs. I know the drug is widely prescribed in Germany.

The other that worked for me was taking Xanax before going to bed. However, there are varying opinions about its addictiveness and long term use. I know people who have taken Xanax for 15 years with no problems. In any case, you would have to talk to a doc.

If you do not want to take the drug route....then I suggest exercise. When I say exercise, I mean anything aerobic and do it to exhaustion (as long as you are healthy enough to do hard exercise to begin with). That always helped me and there are studies out there on the web that shows exercise does improve sleep (especially if exercise is done in the morning as opposed to evening).

I had one holistic doctor who said it was my bedroom that was my problem (feng shui was her expertise). That my head should be facing north or east when I sleep, and they I should sleep on a firm mattress and wear wool....but I didn't buy into that at all.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck.