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I'm just curious how many hours of sleep per night most people actually need. I quit ambien last week...I've been taking it for 10 years, and 10 years too many. I was afraid I actually forgot how to sleep on my own. Luckily, I only had a couple of nights with little sleep & since then, I'm averaging about 6-6.5 hours a night. I feel great. I guess I'm just surprised since I always needed 7-8 hours with Ambien. I guess 6 is all I need?
Congratulations on quitting after 10 yrs. and still able to sleep. I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after those nights when I'm lucky to get 6 hrs. And they occur only after taking trazodone, doxylamine (Unisom sleep tabs), or diphenhydramine (Benedryl generic) on alternate nights.
Congratulations on quitting after 10 yrs. and still able to sleep. I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after those nights when I'm lucky to get 6 hrs. And they occur only after taking trazodone, doxylamine (Unisom sleep tabs), or diphenhydramine (Benedryl generic) on alternate nights.
I'm sorry you have so much trouble. I grew up having sleep problems and convinced myself for years that I just wasn't programmed to sleep on my own and that I needed Ambien. I'm realizing recently that I don't think I ever had healthy enough sleep hygene. Exercising every day & only going to bed when I'm sleepy (instead of when I think I should go to bed) seems to be doing the trick for me. It's only been a week and a half though, so we will see. Good luck and sleep well
I'm sorry you have so much trouble. I grew up having sleep problems and convinced myself for years that I just wasn't programmed to sleep on my own and that I needed Ambien. I'm realizing recently that I don't think I ever had healthy enough sleep hygene. Exercising every day & only going to bed when I'm sleepy (instead of when I think I should go to bed) seems to be doing the trick for me. It's only been a week and a half though, so we will see. Good luck and sleep well
Thank you, but at least I went 70 yrs. before developing insomnia, whereas many of you poor souls started much younger. Bummer.
Well, an unfortunate update...I was doing really well, but this week is horrible. The last 3 nights I have gotten about 3-4 hours of sleep. I start falling asleep on the couch normal time (about 9:30 or 10pm), go up to bed, and every time I start to drift off, I jolt awake. Kind of like a bout of anxiety, but instead of the typical 'random thoughts popping into my head' there are no thoughts with it, just kind of a 'zap.' It's torture. This is the type of insomnia that made me start ambien 10 years ago, when I was literally down to zero hours of sleep. Hoping it's just a short-term problem
I feel like I need 7 hrs but usually get 3 or 4 hours, sometimes less. If I am busy at home on those days when I haven't slept well the night before, I sometimes take a nap but usually not. I am so tired sometimes I feel like crying, but I keep plugging away at my various tasks. On the rare occasion that I get 7 hours of sleep, I have the energy of a 20 year old and it is such a great feeling to not feel exhausted. I can't take narcotics of any kind (they all make me sick and cause my respiration to drop to dangerous levels) and I don't think that is the answer anyway. I have had a sleep study and I do not have sleep apnea. I am not overweight. I think it is just age and hormones.
My body has always required a TON. Like, if I'm going to get less than 5, I may as well not have any...and 6 feels the same as 9 for me. I don't truly feel "rested" most days unless I get over 9, with some exception, pending how I went to bed.
I sleep 5-6 hours a night, maybe 7 hours on the weekends.
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