Horrible Insomnia!!!!!

[Disneylover79]

Please help me overcome it!! I take melatonin and Unisom...I am going to take a hot/warm shower in about 30mins to see if it will help me!! But I am OPEN to anything you can offer!!!!

FYI- I am coming off of some meds (non narcotic) for my nerve pain (because we want to have children) and it has got me all screwed up...so I have an appointment with my dr on Wed...

I hate that I feel sleepy so then I go to bed and then I toss and turn!!!

 

[minkydog]

Maybe a short term sleeping pill would be in order. Unisom is pretty lightweight. I wouldn't be afraid to try. Some people do get habituated to sleepers, but that is usually those who are taking them long term, like months and months. It might get you over the hump, anyway.

 

[JessicaR]

I'm not sure what medication you are coming off of but if your sleep was not disturbed while you were taking it and it is now, could be the culprit.

Insomnia is just the PITS! Sorry you are dealing with it. Maybe discuss it with your doctor. Unisom is useless for me.

Hope you get a good night sleep.

 

[prncess674]

I found that I had terrible insomnia when I wasn't prepared in the morning. My mind would race worrying about everything I needed to do in the morning. I started by putting my clothes out for work in the morning down to the bra and panties. I packed my work bag and anything I could prepare the night before for my lunch when I took one. Everything for breakfast was out on the table (cereal box, bowl, spoon, napkin, banana, coffee cup) ready to go.

Also having a bedtime routine is helpful. I cut out all caffeine after lunch and when I got home I made a peaceful time up until bedtime. The overhead lights in the bedroom are kept off to keep the bedroom mood slow. Turn off the TV, take a relaxing bath, rub luxurious lotion into your skin, set a pad and paper by the nightstand to jot down the thoughts that are clogging your mind, set some easy reading by your nightstand and just try laying in bed before you jump up to do something. If you really can't sleep then get up and do a task that you absolutely despise such as dust baseboards.

Another thing that really helped me sleep was clean sheets and a comfy pillow! Sounds crazy but when was the last time you bought a new pillow. If it is yellowed and lumpy then you could probably use an upgrade. Kids and pets should be banned from the bed. Having little people/critters kicking all night can make it a miserable night.

 

[arminnie]

Several good friends of mine worked with addiction at a psych hospital. The patients were always requesting sleep drugs (when they were coming down). Now I am NOT implying at all that you fall in this group!! Just wanted to give some background for their advice.

They said they always told the patients - you will fall asleep eventually even if it takes a few days. I am probably a pretty good example of that this week. I could not sleep at all last week. Stayed up all night two nights and maybe got 2-3 hours of sleep on the others.

Last night - I fell asleep about 1 am and slept until almost 3 PM!!! So I am a pretty good example of their thoughts.

But in my opinion for normal people like you if you really cannot sleep after a prolonged period it may be time for a prescription sleep aid on a short term basis.

 

[acejka]

Does benadryl do anything for you? What about lavender scented stuff?

I usually take a steaming hot bath and then lay in front of a fan that is pointing under a blanket so it kind of makes a "wind tunnel" and that helps ease me to sleep.

OrI alternate between editing photos an playing bubble buster on my phone until my eyes get tired.

 

[ElizK]

I have a Deep Sleep ap on my iPod. I was having some pretty awful insomnia after my mom died last month. I was surprised that it actually helped. It's a $1.99 ap, I think. My brother is a psychiatrist, and he was the one that recommended it to me. He also recommends it to patients.

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

Several good friends of mine worked with addiction at a psych hospital. The patients were always requesting sleep drugs (when they were coming down). Now I am NOT implying at all that you fall in this group!! Just wanted to give some background for their advice.

They said they always told the patients - you will fall asleep eventually even if it takes a few days. I am probably a pretty good example of that this week. I could not sleep at all last week. Stayed up all night two nights and maybe got 2-3 hours of sleep on the others.

Last night - I fell asleep about 1 am and slept until almost 3 PM!!! So I am a pretty good example of their thoughts.

But in my opinion for normal people like you if you really cannot sleep after a prolonged period it may be time for a prescription sleep aid on a short term basis.

hum, this is interesting. I have not slept for what? 40 years! I get maybe up to two hours a night if I am lucky. So I guess I disagree.

 

[disneymarie]

Please help me overcome it!! I take melatonin and Unisom...I am going to take a hot/warm shower in about 30mins to see if it will help me!! But I am OPEN to anything you can offer!!!!

FYI- I am coming off of some meds (non narcotic) for my nerve pain (because we want to have children) and it has got me all screwed up...so I have an appointment with my dr on Wed...

I hate that I feel sleepy so then I go to bed and then I toss and turn!!!

I use something called Calm, but found the generic. It is magnesium citrate, Epsom salts.....but has a citric taste added. It is made like tea. But don't over due as it can help if you are constipated too...( I have a huge bag that I soak with but would never use to sleep with) I do not know why it works so well, but it does.

When I bought Bio freeze CALM was a sample but very expensive so I looked up the natural ingredient and found one online. I do not like medications so any time I find something that is natural and works I love it.
I am sure they will have it at the drug store in the natural vitamin area.

 

[arminnie]

hum, this is interesting. I have not slept for what? 40 years! I get maybe up to two hours a night if I am lucky. So I guess I disagree.

Oh now after another week of little sleep (4 hours a night max) I think I may agree with you.

At the hospital they were dealing with people coming down off of drugs so it was important not to give them any substitute narcotic. Ambien is classified as a restricted drug. I can see where they were coming from too though.

Unless someone has known addiction problems I think there is nothing wrong with requesting help for sleep problems.

 

[Carnie]

I had it recently, I didn't know I was pregnant.

Now that I'm not, it's subsided.

 

[Jeafl]

I never really had trouble falling asleep, but I had trouble STAYING asleep. For probably the last 15 years I would wake up at exactly 3:00 am (no matter what time I went to bed--weird!) and never could get back to sleep. After all these years I finally told my doctor that I was exhausted and couldn't take it anymore.

He prescribed a very mild, non-addictive sleeping pill for me that has changed my life! It's super cheap because it is a generic, and there are absolutely no side effects at all except a slightly dry mouth in the morning. I will never be without these pills again. As an aside, they also help if you have nagging pain at night. I have severe back issues and it helps with that too.