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Though slightly oversimplified, there are two types of insomnia. One is difficulty going to asleep, and the other is difficulty staying asleep. Which do you have?
I have difficulty staying asleep. I also wake up several times a night. My doctor prescribed an old antihistamine for me called Hydroxyzine HCl several years ago. It has been more helpful that any sleeping pill or technique I have ever used, although I still don't feel very energized in the morning.
Yes, I have insomnia too. I've had it for many years but it's worsened in the past few years that I've been dealing with some medical issues. I take a muscle relaxer to help me get to sleep, but as evidenced by the time of this post, I wake up in the middle of the night because of the severe pain.
I've used many of the products and prescriptions already posted, to no avail. It's exhausting because our bodies need restorative sleep in order to heal and function. It's definitely a vicious cycle.
I've also heard from two different doctors to try some unorthodox methods. One said to have more sex and the other told me to smoke weed. The first point wasn't an issue and I never tried the second one or went back to either of those guys.
I've heard that exercise helps because it tires the body out but I've also heard it gets the heart rate up which keeps the body alert. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try to see if it helps you. I use a walker so strenous exercise probably would cause more harm for me.
I give my kids Melatonin sometimes and I bought a meditation CD for them. They seem to like it and will start to settle down as soon as I turn it on. They don't have trouble staying asleep though so you and I may be dealing with a totally different beast.
I've also heard that keeping a journal by the bed helps. You can write about the issue or the situation or whatever you want until your body naturally falls asleep. I've had some success with that approach.
Oh, and have you ever had a sleep study done? I was diagnosed with sleep apnea last December. My CPAP machine doesn't seem to help me get better rest so I stopped using it as often as I used to. It might be worth mentioning to your doctor in case there is a physical reason you aren't sleeping.
I hope you find something that works for you. I am exhausted almost all the time now with no end in sight. It's beyond frustrating.
I hope you find something that works for you. I am exhausted almost all the time now with no end in sight. It's beyond frustrating.
I can completely relate to what you are going through. I have suffered with severe insomnia for the last 15 years. It has negatively affected every aspect of my life.
I hope you find something that helps distract you from the pain. Have you tried Restoril? It seems to help with my pain most of the time. But I will admit, it does have a groggy after effect.
I have heard that weed helps a lot of people. I haven't tried it myself. If you can get a medical prescription it may be worth a try. I think lack of sleep is far more harmful to your health than weed.
I have not tried Restoril but will look into it and talk to my doctor when I go back. I am totally miserable. The pain is bad enough, but the lack of restorative sleep is torture! I wake up just as tired as I went to bed. I live in NC now and we don't have any medicinal marijuana laws here. I have been following the grassroots discussion about putting it on the agenda to discuss but it looks like a bunch of people oppose even talking about it.
The sad part about it is if a four-legged animal had as pain and distress as I have or many people have years of insomnia, they would be put out of their misery. Humans are expected to "deal with it" when our quality of life slowly disminishes right before our eyes.
I have not tried Restoril but will look into it and talk to my doctor when I go back. I am totally miserable. The pain is bad enough, but the lack of restorative sleep is torture! I wake up just as tired as I went to bed. I live in NC now and we don't have any medicinal marijuana laws here. I have been following the grassroots discussion about putting it on the agenda to discuss but it looks like a bunch of people oppose even talking about it.
The sad part about it is if a four-legged animal had as pain and distress as I have or many people have years of insomnia, they would be put out of their misery. Humans are expected to "deal with it" when our quality of life slowly disminishes right before our eyes.
All the best to you too.
Exactly. I especially love when someone who doesn't suffer in this manner gives advice such as "did you try spraying lavender on your pillow?" or "a benadryl knocks me right out, you should try it."
Exactly. I especially love when someone who doesn't suffer in this manner gives advice such as "did you try spraying lavender on your pillow?" or "a benadryl knocks me right out, you should try it."
You may need to take a vacation to Colorado.
Here's a funny story. I had a situation many years ago that caused me a great deal of pain and I almost always ended up in a hospital stay. At one point, I was in the hospital eight times in about a six month period. I went to visit my parents after one hospital discharge because I needed to return something of theirs. My father pulled me aside and said "Well, why are you going to the hospital so much. Did you try X? I thanked him for his input and walked away. To this day, I still can't make my brain make that make sense. Really? Who in their right mind does not attempt some kind of rest or home remedy for a condition BEFORE they opt to go the hospital route? Short of a tragic accident, I don't know anybody that doesn't try to figure stuff out for themselves before opting for a trip to the ER. It's certainly not the most relaxing and uninvasive option around. lol
I'm at the point where I just smile and nod at people's silly comments. I'd like to think they at least mean well.
I have difficulty staying asleep. I also wake up several times a night. My doctor prescribed an old antihistamine for me called Hydroxyzine HCl several years ago. It has been more helpful that any sleeping pill or technique I have ever used, although I still don't feel very energized in the morning.
Scooby Snacks,
That's the same problem I have. I don't know Hydroxyzine HCL at all, but I do know that the OTC generic form of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) has helped me to stay asleep through the night -- or at least most of it -- for the past ten years or so.
Full disclosure: I'm a pretty big guy -- 6 feet tall, 240+ lbs -- so I take three OTC pills every night. The sleep I get isn't always the absolute-best, but it beats the heck out of lying there in the dark, staring up at a ceiling you can't even see (because its DARK...)
I'm doing this with the full knowledge and tacit consent of my physician, by the way. And every now and then -- about twice a year -- I stop taking the pills for a week or so just to 'reset' things back to zero.
It ain't elegant, and it ain't even entirely kosher, but danged if it don't work -- for me anyhow.
Have you tried counting sheep? Wait a minute, I am not being flippant -- I found that it really works. (for me, anyway) It so happens that I can hear my pulse, so that helps, I count pulse beats instead of imaginary sheep jumping over a fence.
Here's how it works. The reason you can't sleep is because your mind is preoccupied with thinking about issues that are compelling enough that you resist letting go of them. If you count sheep (or anything else), the process of diligently counting and keeping count occupies enough of your attention that you can't also think about the issues that are keeping you awake. Keep forcing yourself to concentrate on keeping up the steady accurate count. Not just saying numbers to yourself in your head, but actually counting some series of events, real or imagined. At the same time, make sure you are not holding any muscles tense, do a body inventory aned check all over and relax tense muscles.
After a few minutes of counting, you may suddenly discover that you've lost count. Start over again, 1 2 3 . . . After a while, if your body actually needs sleep, your count will start being interrupted by little dream fragments -- keep on counting. Pretty soon one of those dream fragments will take over and lock in, and you'll be asleep.
You could try Somabien it worked for I seem to build a tolerance for them but they do work and its mostly natural or derived from natural sources don't take to many you will feel like you have a hangover I think that might the Phenibut.
I have difficulty staying asleep. I also wake up several times a night. My doctor prescribed an old antihistamine for me called Hydroxyzine HCl several years ago. It has been more helpful that any sleeping pill or technique I have ever used, although I still don't feel very energized in the morning.
Yup, me too. I was going to suggest something like that. My physician suggested that I try the generic form of Benadryl (diphenhydramine), which can be purchased over the counter. I find that the morning low-energy/foggy-head thing passes within an hour. I just don't jump right out of bed and straight into things that require quick reaction time or physical/mental agility.
You may also want to adjust the dosage for your body size and weight. I'm a big guy (6 feet tall, 240 lbs.) so I take three over-the-counter diphenhydramine pills at night. You might be able to get the same effect with only one pill. And, of course, the only way to find out is to try it.
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