Sick of (from) Insomnia....

I have a problem. I cannot sleep. I have had this problem since I was a baby, and it was diagnosed several years ago as Chronic Idiopathic Sleep Onset Insomnia.

That means that it is:
1. All the time (chronic)
2. No underlying mental or physical cause for it (idiopathic)
3. Can't fall asleep but have no problem once I actually fall asleep (sleep onset)

I can fall asleep any time during the day, but once it gets dark, I cannot fall asleep.

I have tried everything from changing my environment to herbal remedies to prescription sleeping pills. The only thing that works is the prescriptions, but they make me loopy and weird, so I don't take them that often.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help me, because I am tired of surviving on an hour or two of sleep every night. And, I have numerous chronic illnesses and the lack of sleep makes them worse.

Help!!!

I can't offer a cure but I can offer empathy -- that sounds very similar to my sleep patterns. Insomnia starting as an infant, inability to fall asleep at night, sleepiness during the day. And since I've had substance abuse issues (not unrelated to being unable to fall asleep!), I avoid sleeping pills entirely.

A psychiatrist told me I have insomnia and delayed sleep phase circadian rhythm disorder. He recommended that I get a light therapy lamp and start every day by sitting within 2 feet of it for 20 minutes. It was kind of pricey but I think it helps some when I'm good about using it. He also recommended melatonin -- I forget the dosing exactly but I think it was 1/2 pill 2 or 3 hours before bedtime, other half at bedtime. That did nothing for me, but you might give it a try. The schedule is very different than any I've seen elsewhere, and he said that the strength of pills sold is way higher than you need to get maximum benefit.

I hope it gets better for you, and hang in there! Insomnia can be just awful and totally disruptive to your life.

reply to post by americandingbat


I've done the light therapy to no avail. Melatonin helps....but only if I take 75 milligrams or more. People aren't suppose to take more than 15 mgs at a time.

I am just at my wits end. The dog is getting fed up with me. My boyfriend knows what the problem is, but he is getting aggravated.....not at me, but at the problem and lack of solutions.

My last doctor tried everything with me and his last piece of advice was to knock back a few drinks every night before bed. Needless to say, I found a new doctor and am having to go through every thing once again.

It's horrible, and I am sick of people (my family and friends) telling me to just sleep. If I could, I would.

The other one that always gets me riled is "well, no one ever died of insomnia, think of it that way."

And good for you finding a new doctor -- knocking back a couple drinks to sleep was what started me down a really painful path. I know what you're going through, and it is brutal on relationships. I have cats now, which are naturally nocturnal and usually have to adjust to their owners' diurnal schedules, so they're pretty okay with it. But when I was living with a man several years ago, he couldn't understand and couldn't deal with my insomnia.

EDIT: to add another pet peeve. My mom has insomnia too, not as bad as mine, but bad. My dad is one of those people who can fall asleep on command, anywhere anytime. Every time I mention sleeping problems, he says "why couldn't you have gotten my genes?" :shk:

[edit on 10/11/08 by americandingbat]

reply to post by americandingbat


I know; that annoys me to no end. Everyone I know falls asleep within seconds. I hate them......

And, people have died from insomnia and due to someone else's insomnia: Source

My boyfriend, Jeff, is great. He's nocturnal, too, but by choice. He gets mad at the condition, not at me. He also gets mad at what the condition does to me in relation to my other problems.

It is effecting my job....I am constantly late. Luckily, I am the only one who knows what I am doing in my office, so that balances the late thing out for now. It is effecting my relationship....even though he is sitting here shaking his head at me right now. It is driving my dog insane....of course, she's not all that normal anyway. My friends and family don't get it, so they make jokes about it. And, it is making my other conditions worse (Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (yeah, ironic), Lupus, Migraines, Epstein Barr, etc.....yeah, I need a body transplant)

I guess I am just fed up. Tons of money spent on:
1. Herbs (valerian, chammomile, special teas)
2. Medications (melatonin, Ambien, Ativan, Valium, Xanax, antidepressants, because, as you know, all sleeping problems are caused by depression and not vice versa)
3. Environmental changes (new bed, black out blinds, light therapy, sound therapy, aromatherapy, new linens, feather bed)
4. Other "cures" (accupuncture, temperature changes, hot baths, warm milk, etc)

Guess I just needed to rant, and Jeff didn't want to get yelled at again.....


:shk:

[edit on 10/11/2008 by skeptic1]

i say working out helps. whenever i cant sleep I just work out and a lot. try doing things that cause physical exhaustion. maybe your mind is stimulated easily, i know mine is.. so when i go to sleep i put on a tv show that i do not give 2 cents about.. and boom.

hope that helped!

I don't suffer from insomnia anymore but I used to...

I was given advice such as this:

Diet
No stimulants after 5pm (coffee, tea & alcohol)
Music - play calming music - avoid TV (news can be unsettling)
and have sex or an orgasm to relax you b4 trying to sleep

well that is what I was told to do. That didn't help so I ended up going to see a chinese herbalist who gave me some chinese herbs/drops and no joke, the first night I took them... out like a light. Slept like a baby...

And no problems since

reply to post by skeptic1


I used to have insomnia too then I began looking into alternative methods other than pills for my sleep. What I find helps is wiggling your toes before bed. This actually massages your accupressure points throughout the body and has a soothing effect. I also try to see my consciousness split in half. One side being the active mind and the other the quiet mind. I focus on the quiet, calming part that wants to sleep. Just focus on the sleeping aspect and that feeling that is accompanied with it. Thats usually what I do. If all else fails there is good old exercise. I'd recommend swimming.

I saw a 'sleep expert' on a talk show recently. One of the things he recommended was a warm bath before bed.

I suffer with insomnia but I found something that helped quite by accident. Because it's getting colder I put an extra duvet on the bed. Somehow the extra weight made me feel more 'tucked in' and it helped me to sleep. Of course, being warm enough made a big difference too.