Wolfstarr

WOW!

I am someone who has suffered from insomnia since I was a little girl.
I, at 51, still have problems sleeping, more often than not.

Either I cannot fall alseep, or when I fall asleep I have to be super tired from stenuous exercise or lack of sleep from the night(s) before when I couldn't. Then, I don't STAY asleep.

Sleep aids of any kind do not help. Sure, they help me fall asleep, but then wide awake a few hours later. A glass of wine relaxes me but messes with the brain chemistry and again, I either sleep very fitfully or wake up.

I would have dreams that wake me also...scarey, monster-under-the-bed kinda dreams and so vivid and frigntening I had to remind myself I was dreaming. The dreams have decreased over the years. I do remember as a little girl not wanting to go to bed for fear of not sleeping and/or dreaming.
The main component of my sleep problems was and still is, fear.

I have not discussed sleep problems with my therapist. It just seems a second nature to me now that I cannot sleep. I tell myself that eventually I will sleep, one day, and get some rest. And, I do. Once in a great while I get a good night's sleep, and for that, I am thankful.

I am going to investigate this part of my life and try to find a solution. Sometimes we dismiss things as "that's the way it is" instead of "it can and will be better" thinking.

Thanks for this forum. It opened my eyes (pardon the pun) to a part of my life I always accepted as there was nothing I could do anything about.

cwohio

yes - i too am glad to see this. i can't stay asleep - toss and turn all night. i'll be interested to read up on all the stuff that's posted here! LOL)

Wolfstarr

MsB! That is the same with me.

I have tried OTC sleep aides. Anyone please correct me or add if I am incorrect but most OTC sleep aides are Benadryl.

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is an anithistamine that causes extreme drowsiness in many people. It does cause a "dragged out" or "hungover" feeling in the morning.

I have on occasion tried this OTC med and it helped somewhat. Other times it seemed to have drugged me and not made me sleepy.

Have you tried just some hot chamomile tea with valerian root? I know you mentioned you have tried herbs before with no luck. I don't know if it's somatic or it really does work but I like to drink a cup or two of "Sleepytime" tea by Celestial Seasonings before I go to bed. THe one with Valerian root is called "Sleepytime Extra"
Just a suggestion, not a cure as you well know
Most of the time I just like looking at the sleepy bear on the package. It relaxes me!
Best to you Ms B and if I can find any other info for you/us I certainly will post it here.

cmc

hi everyone,
I have had sleep problems too- but am getting better. Has anyone here considered that they may have sleep apnea? This can be a serious thing and it can wake you up. Snoring can do this too. Wolf, my hubby uses the chamomile tea- it can be very strong(not how it's brewed, but the strength of the compounds in it) When I had my tonsils out a few years ago- I had to go off the tea for 2 weeks prior. It can affect the anesthesia- so it must be pretty good to help someone nod off. Lavender oil/scents are good to aid falling asleep.
This may sound crazy, but for awhile there I made myself hot cocoa- from scratch every night. Even though I am caffeine sensitive- I fell asleep every time. Maybe just warm milk will do for some- just like mom used to make.... yeh right.
Another thing I did that goes against everything I ever read about this- watch a funny Tv show and set the timer to go off--- MASH reruns did the trick. zzzzzzzz
Some people fall asleep reading a good book.
sweet dreams,
cmc

Wolfstarr

Ms B--

Did the one diphenhydramine help you tonight? Let us know.

The sleeping thing is such a pain. In talking to my Dr. she says that if I cannot sleep, then I cannot think.
How is your hormone level? That is another reason women are sleepless...hormone fluctuations, night sweats, so on so forth.
Just a thought.
cmc, I love lavender and it does soothe me. I use a a baby lotion that is infused with lavender and it is very calming.

It's 12:12 now and I am watching the Olympics. Prolly not a good idea since it's a very active, stimulating thing to watch. I need to find a boring show on History or something...my luck it will be a reinactment of Custer's Last Stand...

Peaceful restful sleep to all...

lawdog

Hello everyone. I have been suffering from insomnia for approximately 6 years. While I know we all have differing problems, I hope my story will help someone. My problem is falling asleep. Once I actually get to sleep, I will usually stay asleep most of the night. I have heard some of you complain about night terrors. My problem is that I become a clock watcher, and invaribly I will work myself up that I am not going to get enough sleep. Nine hours before wake-up turns into 7, then 5, and finally I get to the point that I have worked myself up to the conclusion I will not get to sleep that night. I know a psychologist would probably tell me that it is my fear of not being able to sleep that contributes to my anxiety.

Now, what I have tried. First, I did try Ambien and I hated it. While it would knock me out, I would wake up the next morning as though 5 minutes had passed. Sounds great, right? The only problem is that my sleep state was not natural. I never dreamed. I would get slpitting headaches during the next day. Moreover, when I would stop using Ambien, I would have nights of sleep in which I had nightmares all night long. I suppose that's from all of my pent up REM sleep. I next turned to Rozerem. This drug would make me sleepy, but never put me out. Also, it left me very drowsy the next day. The final drug I have tried is Lunesta. Lunesta has worked for me. The side effects are not strong and the drug allows me to dream naturally. I use it approximately 2-3 days a week. I personall like the 2mg variety better than the 3mg. One note about Lunesta. I will not "knock" you out. It simply puts you into the mind-set to sleep. This is great if you are relaxed. It sucks if you are wound up and need something more akin to a sedative.

As far as OTC products, I have had varying results. Melatonin and Valerin Root do little for me. Two products I do recommend are Sleep MD and MidNite. They are notural products. As for Unisom and its varieties, they do put me into a relaxed state. I usually take one 50mg tablet at night. The problem I presently have, is that I sometimes supplement these drugs with a mixed drink or two to get relaxed. I never drink other than at night to sleep, but I am really concerned that I could develope a problem with alcohol...considering that it runs in my family and the body gradually needs more alcohol to get the same effect. Like many of you, I am searching for answers as well...answers that do not involve drugs or the like. Looking forward to the discussion board. FYI, tried hypnosis and it had no results. Ah Well.

J

rubycanoe

hi,
I have had insomnia for about 61/2 years. I think it might be due to anxiety because it started when a couple bad things happened by people in my family. I fall asleep fine but I wake up in the middle of the night and cant get back to sleep.
I usually take 2 benadryl ,about 50mg over the counter. No side effects. I have allergies too (not bad enough for shots) so I feel it is helping sleep and allergies both.
Sometimes it gets real bad though and this doesnt work.
I have also taken amitriptyline 10mg-25mg for many months at a time. It is an antidepressant but taken at this low dose for insomnia. I feel it has some side effects thought, I feel a little angrier /irritible. it is RX.
I have also tried for RX Ambien, I liked it but it cost $60.00 with my insurance plan and I felt that was too expensive for me.
So I asked my dr and I believe he gave me trazadone? Does that sound familiar to anyone?
It is a sleep drug. I felt like I slept okay but not as much as I would like and my anxiety felt like it skyrocketed, but it was inexpensive.
So here I am still on the benadryl for years and years, but my dr has prescribed zyrtec or other antihistimines for me, and this one is over the counter, cheaper (i buy generic walmart diphenhydramine -spelling?) I think it is $5.00 for 100 pills. It works 90% of the time, no side effects!!
Occassionally I try to get off it but I cant sleep so here I am.
thanks

livefree

I don't know how I missed this forum. I can't tell if I developed sleeping problems since I got sober or if I had them before. I used to pass out drunk to go to sleep. Now I really don't sleep much. When I do, it's at unusual hours. Oh well... I'd rather be dealing with sleeping problems than drinking problems.

Lilya

Hello everyone,

I know it´s egoistic, but I feel so much better reading your shares, because I feel so alone when I cannot sleep. That´s the point of AA, of course. Getting better with the help of people who share the same problem.

I have the same problem as you, Lawdog. I´m a clock watcher too. I keep looking and the clock and counting the hours until I have to wake up to go to work or whatever. This has become so much of a problem, I´ve gone to a sleep therapist. She makes me relax and talk about my anxiety when I´m relaxing. It has increased my anxiety-level, but she said it´s normal to get worse at first when you´re breaking up an old pattern.

Yoga and powerwalking during the day helps, so I keep doing that, and taking only a few hour at a time. I have to remind myself every time to do that. Otherwise my anxiety will spiral out of control.

I wish I knew what causes it, but four years in analysis did nothing for me. It increased my fears, if anything. Cognitive therapy with AA and yoga has been the best result for me.

Sometimes I say to myself: "I´m afraid and I´m anxious,and I´m going to allow myself to be that, just for today." That helps. Letting go of it all sometimes produces better results, because trying to beat the fear causes a lot of stress.

I´m glad I found this thread.

Love and light,

cinderellawkids

As far back as I can remember I laid awake in bed even as a young child to tired to get up, but unable to shut my brain off.

I can say Valerian root capsules help me. But its a whole system I have to follow and some times it doesnt work. I have to have no caffiene after 3 pm. Doesnt stop me from getting sleepy, but seems to trigger early waking. Sleep meds cause nutty dreams and I wake wanting more sleep. Tylenol Pm worked for about 2 weeks, then not anymore.

So high anxiety and stress times nothing works. Other times I have to cut out caffiene after 3 and follow a whole system of taking Valerian root, and doing something mindless for an hour, even if Im ready to drop. COmpletely relax myself, generally staring at my aquarium in the quiet helps. Then go to bed and sorta meditate on nothingness and a peaceful tranquil place until I drift off to sleep. Then it works into early morning. (No matter what time I went to bed.) SO I find myself trying to go to bed earlier each night to get more sleep. If any sound wakes me up forget it. Ill just lay there.

soberinnyc

I had insomnia for four years in early sobriety, only managing to sleep every other day. I tried everything to sleep and nothing worked. Finally my shrink sent me to a psychopharmacologist who knew instantly what the problem was: the side effect of an antidepressant (Nardil). He changed my medication and added Ambien. Finally, I slept like a baby for seven years until the Ambien wore off. Even though it no longer worked, I still had to withdraw from Ambien which meant the insomnia returned. He put me on antihistimes for months and they helped a bit, although I didn't like the quality of the sleep. Nine months later I sleep fine with with no Ambien or antihistimine.

I would never recommend any medication but I suggest seeing a very good physician.