Insomnia, and NOTHING works to fix it. I am looking for those who might be able to offer their exp

Hello, I am in my mid/late 30's.

4 years ago I had a traumatic even happen to me, and since that time I have had issues with anxiety. I am not a wallflower, I THRIVE on extreme sports, racing, snowboarding climbing, you name it. However this issue involved a child, and affected me in ways I cannot explain.

I'll skip over therapy etc. Yes, I have been.

Here's where I am. I can take 5 lunesta, and literally 10 klonopin, and it does ABSOLUTELY nothing to help me sleep. Please don't explain how dangerous this could/can be. I am well aware. However after living for years not being able to sleep, you become less worried about such things.

I am not ignorant, I am not a drug addict, I am not a drinker, I have a high level job, but lack of sleep or poor sleep for about four years is just too much.

The pharmacist says ambien and lunesta ARE the two most potent out there.....I am half afraid to ask the doctor again because he really is trying.

Anyone else had this problem? Did you find a drug that worked?

Thank you in advance!





Please no PROPOFOL JOKES. This is quite serious. And I would prefer no herbal remedies etc, not that I dont believe in them, but I am well past the strongest stuff out there.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Read a book.
And put on a CD with ocean waves sounds.

It sure makes me sleepy.

You does not need drugs to sleep.
What you need, is make your brain -want- to sleep.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Try something natural like herbs, they'll work better then big pharmacy. I hate to say, amazing you aren't dead from the drug cocktail. Go to your local herb store.

Various pathogens, such as mycoplasma, can become activated after traumatic events. I would suggest trying orthomolexular therapy. I was a partial insomniac for a while, but that ended rather abruptly when I started taking high doses of various nutritional supplements. Try high doses of the b vitamins, 3 & 6.

Good luck, Brotha.

I could not fall asleep for years without sleeping pills, now I don't need anything to aid my sleep.
You have to detox from all that crap that only increases in dosage over time as your body gets use to it.
Try all natural Valerian root, you can find it at most drug stores. It stinks but works well to relax you before bed.

i too suffer from imsomnias, the best way for me to fall asleep peacefully is stay two days up and then only rest.

but its not advisable.

what i have found to work greatly is asides meditation and the odd cup of tea, the use of brainwaves or binaural beats, some work great to induce sleep, like a white noise for example, but the last times i tried i used the schumann resonance and it worked like a charm.

im usually very sensitive to external stimulus when trying to sleep, but i found these type of sound waves to have a very effective calming and sleeping inducing effect. if sleep is the intended usage i apply them for.

not to mention other effects, but it deffinatly helps me sleep better.

reply to post by Heartisblack


Valerian seem to be, a safe option.
Since it is beeing used, for children with insomnia.

i once new a girl that couldnt sleep for 3 years and nothing worked and i suggested valerian root extract from gnc one before bed and she got 6 hours sleep she couldnt thank me enough...that or warm glass of milk might help.

Ashwaganda is a herbal remedy that's supposed to work. Haven't tried it myself and I know you said no herbal. I have to say.... I don't know how pc this is but Marijuana, medical or otherwise is excellent if you are just looking for sleep. Non addictive but habit forming if you use it every night.

I think if your case is serious and you need something every night you really shouldn't be trying sleeping pills. You will become immune to them if you use often and they are also addictive. Your best bet... Some green.

i feel your pain, iv been an insomniac for many years and liek you the stuff the docs gave me done nothing. or made me hyper the problem with th epills though is that your body gets used to them very quicker and as you have noticed you find yourself taking more and more, take a look at your nighttime routine, i know it sounds silly but this is actually very important, you need ot find time to have a wind down routine, bath, soothing music, hot milky drink, things like that. stay away from high activity stuff at nights like war games on the 360 as an example lol things that get the adrenilin pumping.

diet is also important factor aswell funny enough, this site offers good advice symptomsofinsomnia.org... as does www.well.com... and www.bupa.co.uk...

personally i hate taking meds, i try to keep as stress free as i can (very hard with 5 kids and 2 jobs) you need to find a way to destress your body, and chill the adrenilin glands

hopefully u get somthing sorted

reply to post by TuXXXeR


that is not 100% effective, to some it gives out that effect yes.
but to me for example, thc keeps me awake instead of putting me to sleep.

I also suffer from insomnia.

I have a few tricks that help, my favorite is to turn on the air conditioner and set it very low. Cold enough to make my windows frost. I curl up in blanket to stay warm and eventually, I might just fall asleep.

I have tried various drugs and they do little for me. If the A/C trick does not work, I just accept the fact that I will stay awake and try to be as productive as possible. Eventually sleep will come.

I too suffer from insomnia I guess but I have it under control and it doesnt really bother me anymore.

I sleep about an average of 25 hrs a week which seems to be enough for me.
I was once like your self and just couldnt sleep, what helped me was setting up a routine that I did every night before bed.

For example, dinner at 7, tv till 9, an hour on the net, shower brush teeth, go to bed read an hour then lights out.

The first few nights it wont work and youll be restless but stay there and in a few days your body will get the idea.

Vigorous exercise during the day and using lavender soap and oil on your pillow also help.

Try it dude, if it doesnt work Ill flash my bare bum on Bourke st (Aussie saying, Bourke st is very busy)

1. Stop drinking coffee if you do. Cut out all caffeine (sodas, energy drinks, etc).
2. Exercise. Vigorously for 45 minutes every day.
3. Take herbs and drink chamomile tea before bed. Four Sleep Herbs
4. Stop taking pharmaceutical drugs. They will only continue to mess with your natural clock. If you must take a drug, make it something more natural that causes tiredness and a sense of relaxation.

It will take a while for this regime to take effect, but it should help you out quite a lot. (unless you're already doing all of these things).

Good luck.

You have 2 routes you can take and I won't say one is better than the other as all people are different. If those medications are not working for you your doctor can give you something that will knock you out so you can sleep. There are medications that work for some and not others and there are medications he can prescribe that are so potent you will have no choice but to sleep.

The other route is to simply stay awake. I don't have insomnia but I just don't seem to have the need to sleep on any type of regular basis and will sometimes stay awake for 2 plus days. Eventually I do crash though and will sleep for 13 or 14 hours straight. That's just the routine i've been in for awhile but it works for me.

So stay awake till your body decides enough is enough. Read books or work around the house, play video games or study a new language but you don't need to lay in bed staring at the ceiling wishing you could sleep.

Originally posted by tomten
reply to post by Heartisblack

 

Valerian seem to be, a safe option.
Since it is beeing used, for children with insomnia.

edit on 2011-6-11 by tomten because: speel check

Yes, Valerian root and a moderately sized glass of wine should do the trick. (I prefer a subtle semi sweet red for this) I had an issue with restless sleep/insomnia for a while, and this is what did it for me. The wine allowed me to relax long enough for the effects of the Valerian root to kick in and send me off to a nice restful sleep. Take the Valerian root about 45 minutes before you are ready to relax and have your wine.

I know of a particular "weed" that WILL put your ass to sleep if you take enough of it, no doubt about it, gauranteed everytime!

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
1. Stop drinking coffee if you do. Cut out all caffeine (sodas, energy drinks, etc).
2. Exercise. Vigorously for 45 minutes every day.
3. Take herbs and drink chamomile tea before bed. Four Sleep Herbs
4. Stop taking pharmaceutical drugs. They will only continue to mess with your natural clock. If you must take a drug, make it something more natural that causes tiredness and a sense of relaxation.

It will take a while for this regime to take effect, but it should help you out quite a lot. (unless you're already doing all of these things).

Good luck.

Right on.

I had very bad insomnia for years.

Don't drink sugar or caffeine.

Exercise intensely every day

Thank you for the above comments, the caveat is,

I have tried relaxing baths, soothing candles, I have tried valerian root, melatonin. I have tried relaxing and reading.

I have tried a glass of wine, I have tried a cup of chamomile tea, fact is, I lay around miserable all night. I can be awake for two days sometimes, which is hard when you have a four year old, a job, and a husband. It is, impossible.

I have cut out caffiene, even in food items. I am at a lost. Todays pharmas are not supposed to create addiction, and I often skip a month or more because I hate spending $120 for pills that do not work very well.

I am not passing judgement, but I do not smoke pot. I never have, not even as a kid, and I dont believe I ever will. I wouldn't even know where to get it. It just doesn't interest me.

Yep big insomniac here. Ive learned to live with it and do my tricks when I need to sleep. Most common problem I have is over active mind and restless legs.
What I had to do was eventually learn to make do with whatever sleep I got, even if I sleep 4 hours, its a good 4 hours. I do not go to bed until I am fully tired and just ready to crawl in and sleep. I make sure to have a TV on, loud enough to hear what they are saying (you dont want to be thinking about what words they are saying, just hear them). It helps keep the mind quiet, focused on one thing....and its best not top be watching the tv, just turn away and listen.
With my restless leg issue (it actually kinda hurts if i dont end up moving them) I try stretches (especially in the feet, and legs) and if it starts in bed I bring my legs up to my chest, if it doesnt go away, I get out of bed. Reason being I don't want to start associating my bed with discomfort and lack of sleep, it will only make things worse (can't remember where I read that but its very helpful). If you are tossing and turning, get out of bed, and spend 10-20 minutes stretching. Oh and biggie for me is not to get anxious about time, you really need to change your perceptions on that. I use to get very stressed out not being able to sleep by a certain time. "I have work in 3 hours" or "damnit, its almost 4 am". It causes some anxiety doing that every night, worrying about how long you're sleeping only to prevent yourself from sleeping lol.

Ive stayed from sleeping meds, I do not get a restful sleep with those, I just fall asleep faster and thats useless to me in the end. I need to be alert the next day, and ive adapted to live off very little to no sleep pretty effectively doing it this way and not relying on sleep meds (stay away from Amitriptyline, awful med).

Good luck OP, I hope you adapt, and I hope you stay away from the sleeping meds, I just can't see any benefit to them in the long run, and it doesn't give you restful sleep.