Anyone with chronic insomnia?

[nursejackie]

I have had insomnia for about 25+ years. I now accept it and just have to roll with it. Its not getting to sleep that's the problem, it's stayng asleep for the whole night.

I only need about 5-6 hours so if I manage to sleep for that length of time I just start my day, even if its 4am. If I wake at 1am after several hours, I have learned that lying in bed trying to sleep does not work for me. I read, listen to a podcast or a documentary in the dark, and sometimes I can managed another couple of hours sleep, but it may take 2-3 hours to get back to sleep. Its not a big deal now, it's just part of my life.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

For short term relief, "Z" drugs can prove EXTREMELY effective. Thing is, after a week of usage, the drugs in question become habituating and any effect they might have become a placebo, to the point where you'll find yourself craving more and more! AND, people who take these drugs often report doing kooky things, like ordering 50 yards of copper cabling in their sleep.

There ARE longer term sleep medications, whose intentions are often to treat other ailments. Two of the most common drugs are Pregabalin (an antihistamine) and Dosulepin (an antidepressant). In low doses, the drugs' main usage switches to sleep management and can be taken for long periods of time. AND, Dosulepin as well as the other sedative antidepressants have the added bonus of relaxing and cheering you up, adding to your sleep therapy.

 

[bsmcneil]

It is 3:45 AM and I am doing the same. Drinking a cup of coffee puts me back to sleep. I have tried at least six rx sleep meds (on Ambian now) and none work.

Thank goodness I don't have to be anywhere in the mornings. I honestly do not know how peoole survive who have to go into work after being up all night.

I'm curious (and recognize we all have different bodies and meds work differently), which dosage of ambien are you trying (and/or have you tried GeneSight, which can help identify the efficacy of some prescriptions - though I don't know if it works for this issue)? My issue is both around falling asleep and staying asleep - I tried 5 and 10 mg which were so-so but I now take an extended release of 12.5 and it seems to work pretty well.

 

[nw6675]

I'm curious (and recognize we all have different bodies and meds work differently), which dosage of ambien are you trying (and/or have you tried GeneSight, which can help identify the efficacy of some prescriptions - though I don't know if it works for this issue)? My issue is both around falling asleep and staying asleep - I tried 5 and 10 mg which were so-so but I now take an extended release of 12.5 and it seems to work pretty well.

I am on the extended release at 12.5, too. I still wake up every two hours or so and can't go back to sleep for quite some time. Last night I was up from 2:45 am to 5 am. Ugh. I go to sleep at bedtime with no issue, but can't stay asleep.

 

[Walk This Way]

I had suffered from insomnia all of my adult life until a few months ago. I tried a lot of the suggestions given by posters in this thread. Nothing really made much difference until I gave up caffeine 100%. Previously I'd tried limiting it to before 3PM, or just two cups of coffee a day, then only on weekends. It wasn't until I eliminated it completely, even small sources like chocolate that it solved my issues. Now I sleep great! I fall asleep within ten minutes and wake up briefly once in the middle of the night to use the bathroom but fall back to sleep without effort. I go to bed by 11PM, sleep until 6AM, and I feel so good, clear headed, and healthy.
I'm sure some people need more help than just eliminating caffeine, but it's a relatively simple thing worth giving a try.

 

[nw6675]

@bsmcneil curious - do you have any of the known side effects of doing things you don't remember? I have noticed when I do wake up in the night after taking it, I "know" what is going on and feel awake. However, I don't necessarily remember without prompting in the morning.

For example, I posted a response on here in the wee hours and did not remember until someone liked my post! It is happening a lot.

Whew, did not mean to type a novel and you don't have to answer. Just curious

 

[kimmar067]

....I don't have insomnia...I just have to get up to go to the bathroom....SUCKS getting old.

 

[kimmar067]

I had suffered from insomnia all of my adult life until a few months ago. I tried a lot of the suggestions given by posters in this thread. Nothing really made much difference until I gave up caffeine 100%. Previously I'd tried limiting it to before 3PM, or just two cups of coffee a day, then only on weekends. It wasn't until I eliminated it completely, even small sources like chocolate that it solved my issues. Now I sleep great! I fall asleep within ten minutes and wake up briefly once in the middle of the night to use the bathroom but fall back to sleep without effort. I go to bed by 11PM, sleep until 6AM, and I feel so good, clear headed, and healthy....

....if I were to do this, I'd have a KILLER headache that'd last for more than 24 hours!

 

[DLgal]

I had suffered from insomnia all of my adult life until a few months ago. I tried a lot of the suggestions given by posters in this thread. Nothing really made much difference until I gave up caffeine 100%. Previously I'd tried limiting it to before 3PM, or just two cups of coffee a day, then only on weekends. It wasn't until I eliminated it completely, even small sources like chocolate that it solved my issues. Now I sleep great! I fall asleep within ten minutes and wake up briefly once in the middle of the night to use the bathroom but fall back to sleep without effort. I go to bed by 11PM, sleep until 6AM, and I feel so good, clear headed, and healthy.
I'm sure some people need more help than just eliminating caffeine, but it's a relatively simple thing worth giving a try.

I have recently done this too. My sleep hasn't been "amazing" yet, but it has helped me fall asleep much faster. I had to cut out caffeine for other reasons (anxiety, IBS) but hopefully it will alleviate some of my insomnia issues as well. I am one of those people who is super sensitive to caffeine and metabolizes it slowly. A chocolate dessert like a molten cake at night will keep me up and wired ALL night. I can no longer eat chocolate after like 3pm at all.

 

[slo]

I was literally at the doctor this morning getting a refill on my Trazadone (sp?) for my insomnia. The medicine helps slow my mind down and doesn’t make me feel loopy. I take a 1/2 pill on calmer days and a full pill on days that might make my mind race. I’ve been taking this for about 3 years now and it helps me a lot. It doesn’t knock me out like an Ambien would, but that’s ok, I don’t want that. I want to function in the middle of the night in case of emergency or whatever else could happen.

I also do the following…..
*drink very very little of anything after 7:00pm
*definitely no caffeine
*No eating close to bedtime. The only thing I will eat is an occasional sugar free yogurt
*no TV watching in bed (I read every night before sleep)
*sleep mask for complete darkness
*cold house
*No getting up to use the bathroom unless I absolutely have to. I do believe that your body gets into a routine - sleep, wake, need to pee, sleep, wake, need to pee - you have to try to train your body to break that cycle.

Insomnia Sucks!!
I hope all my fellow insomnia suffers get whatever help they require to help them sleep better

 

[LuvOrlando]

Repetition helps, same exact behaviors like same TV show at same time etc sort of soothes me into relaxing, the safer I feel the better. When I can't sleep I wake up and try to legit bore my mind back to sleep, I will watch a tedious documentary on something completely calming or read a very tedious subject, the kind where I need to reread a paragraph 4 times - so I basically replicate school boredom.

 

[Silver saucer]

I have found that getting anything at all to help with sleep from the doctors is darn well impossible where I am.

 

[ThistleMae]

I use Melatonin, 20 mg of the quick dissolve with 5 mg of muscle relaxer. This combo works great! Melatonin does not work for everyone, so you just have to try it. I started with 3 mg. and after trying differing doses, I need the 20. I also wake up very clear headed in the morning. The muscle relaxer has been prescribed for me for neck issues due to some loss of cushioning in my discs. Since it's such a small dose I do need the melatonin as well. I also have to take it a few hours before going to sleep as it does take awhile to work. And....when I feel like I'm getting sleepy I put on episodes of Seinfeld. I've fallen asleep through every season, over and over again. It keeps my mind from wandering thoughts for the few extra minutes I need to doze off. I always shut it off just right before I know I'm going....zzzzzzz.

 

[mrodgers]

In some states, there's something that is legal that immensely helps with sleep issues....

 

[bsmcneil]

@bsmcneil curious - do you have any of the known side effects of doing things you don't remember? I have noticed when I do wake up in the night after taking it, I "know" what is going on and feel awake. However, I don't necessarily remember without prompting in the morning.

For example, I posted a response on here in the wee hours and did not remember until someone liked my post! It is happening a lot.

Whew, did not mean to type a novel and you don't have to answer. Just curious

I personally don't have that experience but I would say that my experiences have been about it being harder to fall asleep and I don't recall (so maybe that's the issue) waking up once I've taken it and gone to sleep. There's no evidence of me FB posting, making Amazon purchases, etc. I do snore more when I take it, apparently. I also tend to wake up feeling a little bit more groggy - which could be a problem for some folks. I, on the other hand, was always the obnoxiously awake and alert person when I first woke up - so now, I feel like I just fit in with most people who need a few minutes to wake up .

 

[bsmcneil]

I use Melatonin, 20 mg of the quick dissolve with 5 mg of muscle relaxer. This combo works great! Melatonin does not work for everyone, so you just have to try it. I started with 3 mg. and after trying differing doses, I need the 20. I also wake up very clear headed in the morning. The muscle relaxer has been prescribed for me for neck issues due to some loss of cushioning in my discs. Since it's such a small dose I do need the melatonin as well. I also have to take it a few hours before going to sleep as it does take awhile to work. And....when I feel like I'm getting sleepy I put on episodes of Seinfeld. I've fallen asleep through every season, over and over again. It keeps my mind from wandering thoughts for the few extra minutes I need to doze off. I always shut it off just right before I know I'm going....zzzzzzz.

See - this is one of those examples of how different people respond to different medications. I once took a muscle relaxer after a surgery - and I slept for the next 24-36 hours. I thought, "Never again." I was so perplexed when I woke up in a completely different day than expected!

 

[nw6675]

@bsmcneil thanks! I figured I would hear from you late at night I just got up as usual, yuck.

Seriously, I sm glad you don't have the wonky side effects!

 

[ThistleMae]

In some states, there's something that is legal that immensely helps with sleep issues....

Yes, available in Vermont. I have friends who swear by it!

 

[ThistleMae]

See - this is one of those examples of how different people respond to different medications. I once took a muscle relaxer after a surgery - and I slept for the next 24-36 hours. I thought, "Never again." I was so perplexed when I woke up in a completely different day than expected!

OMG, LOL....so true that people's physiology is so different.

 

[Music City Mama]

I was literally at the doctor this morning getting a refill on my Trazadone (sp?) for my insomnia. The medicine helps slow my mind down and doesn’t make me feel loopy. I take a 1/2 pill on calmer days and a full pill on days that might make my mind race. I’ve been taking this for about 3 years now and it helps me a lot. It doesn’t knock me out like an Ambien would, but that’s ok, I don’t want that. I want to function in the middle of the night in case of emergency or whatever else could happen.

Just curious, how many mgs is the pill of Trazadone you're taking?

I was talking to my GYN at my annual the other day about my sleep issues and she says she takes a combo of Melatonin, Magnesium and Benadryl every night. That would not work for me since Benadryl actually wires me instead of making me sleepy.

I take something most nights -- I usually alternate between half of a Unisom (the kind with doxylamine, not diphenhydramine) or Melatonin (4 mg). About 3 times a month I will take .5 mg of Klonopin.