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

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


My sleep problems are pretty extreme. But its not me, it's aliens that torture me horrifically remotely, and then on top of that they turn that sleep button off and there's simply no way I can get to sleep.
The only thing that helps is insane amounts of liquor. Usually the "aliens" will tone down the remote torture and on top of that I'll be so drunk and need of sleep so bad, that either they'll "pass me out" and have me sleep walk and do some really crazy stuff (they'll misplace all my stuff, switch my clothes, etc). Or, I'll get a chance to tie myself up and get to sleep (they still untie sometimes even if I use a zillion knots, and even tied up they can squiggle me around to a different location so I wake up in the closet).
So, my suggestion is liquor. Since it may not be aliens that are keeping you awake at night, it might even work better on you. For me, nothing really works and there's really no where to turn for help (it's the aliens, get it?), but it seems to keep me alive since I get some sleep. I typically only use it to get to sleep, but sometimes if the... err, "torture session", is too impossibly unbearable, I'll get some liquor. So it's mostly an as needed sort of sleep/torture drug.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


i know this might sound daft but take clock out of the room so you dont chase the hours get a fan in the room on low to block out other noises acasia berries will detox you and aid in sleep but most of all is not to think about sleep or lack off sleep as this alone will keep you awake
hope this works for you as it did for me good luck and sweet dreams

I read through the first 5 pages and didn't see anyone mention this and thought it may be of value.

How dark your are surroundings ?
I sleep so much better when in total darkness compared to the street lit side of my house.

The release of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, is controlled by the circadian clock in the SCN. Its levels rise during the night and decline at dawn in both nocturnal and diurnal species. Melatonin has been called the hormone of darkness because of this pattern. The SCN controls the timing of melatonin release; melatonin then feeds back on the SCN to regulate its activity. In mammals, for example, most of the brain receptors for melatonin are located in the SCN. Research has demonstrated that administering melatonin can produce shifts in circadian rhythms in a number of species including rats, sheep, lizards, birds, and humans. These effects are most clearly evident when melatonin is given in the absence of light input. Thus, for example, giving melatonin to blind people can help set their biological clocks. Melatonin is available as an over-the-counter nutritional supplement. Although claims are made that the supplement promotes sleep, the evidence for this is inconclusive. Potential side effects of long-term administration of melatonin remain unknown, and its unsupervised use by the general public is discouraged.

Source : science-education.nih.gov...

Also, have you tried any of these countdown relaxation audio tapes, I find they are subtle enough to distract the brain from the traumatic thought processes enough to calm and prepare your brain for sleep. Nightmares are still possible though unfortunately.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist
If you really want a solution and not just attention, I suggest physical exercise; go swim in the ocean, in a lake or river...not just some laps in the pool or find some physical labor like dig a ditch...burn off the extra energies that have built up.

My insomnia is awful.. Im almost used to it now though which is the worst thing. I think if staying awake was an olympic sport Id be in the running for a medal.

Also, Im only laughing at this subject now because I had 5 hours sleep last night and feel more human than I normally do!

Mine has gone on for a couple of years and progressively got worse, currently stay awake for 3/4 days at a time and generally only fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion, rather than just tiredness. The first 2 days I can get on with everything pretty well, but after that its such a battle to do anything productive.

Tried literally every single over the counter sleeping tablet in existence. Eventually went to the doctor and was prescribed 10mg, eventually going up to 30mg (per day) of diazepam. While they were very nice tablets, made me feel all chilled out and at peace with the world even taking the 30mg dose (probably closer together than I was supposed to) did not make me drop off to sleep!

Eventually, my doctor switched me onto 7.5mg of zopiclone. These work an absolute treat! Only problem is tolerance builds up quickly to them (only been using for around 3 months and already need 1 and a half to have the same effect), and they're highly addictive. Which means can only afford to take maybe 2 a week to prevent myself from losing my home, life, job, and living on the streets searching for my next fix of sleeping tablets!

So yea, am only going roughly 2 days without sleep now, so am a happy girl.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Too bad your not a drinker because my advice would be stop taking pills and drinking always helps me sleep. I'm a usuall toss and turner ill lay down and not fall asleep for hours

reply to post by TheArchaeologist

I consider myself an expert on this subject. During my teens on, without a sedative of some sorts, I would go up to 23 hrs a day awake. Very hyperactive both mentally and physically. Beyond an above average IQ and a somewhat hyper adrenal gland, I am John Q Public. Lay still for hrs and nothing.
Early on, benadryl allergy medicine seemed perfect. If I took it an layed down, out in 20 with no dragging the next day. Well, my body seems to have a thing for developing tolerances for meds rather quickly. After about a yr, it faded in effectiveness. Went to alcohol(beer, booze, wine) for an for a short short period(not a drinker), but the profuse sweating it out as well as feeling extremely dehydrated and nausea the following day stopped that idea cold. Finally, wanting to steer completely clear of any pharmaceuticals, I have found the 2 most effective sleep remedies that work for me, spend several hrs cutting/splitting wood right before bed time, or smoke a joint before I lay down.
1 other thing I tried with some success is to find if you have a wind-down time. A time of day when you're naturally tired a feel like a nap, then build your schedule around that time period.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


How much meat do you eat?

I was drugged up to fall asleep for a really long time and I got fed up of the drugs and started to just detox myself. One thing I noticed is I stopped eating so much meat, and my acne went away. My body felt overall, more balanced. I still had a little trouble sleeping once in a while. On days I can't sleep, you have to recreate what makes a human sleepy in the first place. When twilight approaches, turn the air conditioning down by a couple of degrees. Turn all the lights down low. Go for a walk when it's getting dark. When you walk back into your house, the cooler air and the quiet dark room should lull you enough to sleep. At least it always worked for me.

In some cases a hypnotic won't work alone. Two years back I was in a similar situation however I have to be very honest with you, I didn't take 5s or 10s of anything. My doctor prescribed an antipsychotic (Olanzapine) with an hypnotic (Chlordiazepoxide). At first it didn't make any sense why he prescribed an antipsychotic but that night, it just knocked me out and I slept for 8 hours straight. I was suffering from insomnia for almost 3 months. I had tried Alprazolam which worked initially but it just worsened my anxiety after a few weeks. Ambien couldn't keep me asleep for more than an hour. I'd suggest you talk to your psychiatrist and ask if he'd be willing to prescribe an antipsychotic.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Find a "Sifu" or martial arts instructor who practices meditation, and some of the old traditions. You'll learn to use you're body as a tool and be able to control it, that includes your mind. Then you can shut it down when you want to in order to sleep.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


A couple suggestions (Don't know if they've been mentioned already; just replied instead of reading through)

1. [This is not meant as condescension or disrespect] First and foremost, you need to resolve the traumatic event you mentioned. You will get nowhere until you have truly dealt with it. I had some serious issues with my dad's death about 10 years ago. I don't know how many times I had thought that I was over it, just to let it get to me again. I was on a downward spiral and didn't even realize it. Whatever may have happened to you... you need to come to terms with it before you'll ever be able to make any real progress. Stay away from the psyche meds - find a therapist who will make you break.

2. Try going to a neurologist, if you haven't yet. There are quite a few neurological conditions that can cause restlessness.

3. Try the opposite of depressants - stimulants! I had the same issue for quite sometime. Could never fall asleep, and when I stopped drinking caffeine it made it worse. I became a zombie and no amount of sleep aids or muscle relaxers would help.

I started drinking Monster energy drinks so that i could at least remain coherent when i couldn't sleep. After a couple days of the high energy levels and a couple crashes; somehow the Monster ended up helping me get to sleep. I would drink one of the 32oz cans and fall into a good 6-8 hour sleep. (And not the nasty coma crash type).

I guess it's like the old adage, fight fire with fire. Or the way that ritalin and adderal helps people [that actually have] ADD.

4. Try Taurine. [Monster contains a bunch of this.. maybe this is why #3 worked for me] It's an amino acid that has a calming effect on the entire nervous system. My doctor actually recommended it for a chronic pain issue I have. When i started taking it, I was not only relieved of the majority of the pain, but I am now able to sleep normally (Usually from 1 AM to 8 AM!). [Just so you know... I had the insomnia prior to the pain, so it wasn't just the pain keeping me up.]

5. White Noise generator, or maybe smooth jazz. You can't deny that Kenny G is soothing.

Anyway, good luck to you. I know how rough insomnia can be, and I know how frustrating it is for your body and brain to slowly go into zombie mode.

i just started getting insomnia because i stopped smokin weed, that is the best medicine for all sleeping disorders

go to the root of the lingering thoughts, pull em out; then you'll find peace to enable sleep....

I was in the same problem as you are now OP. But I have gotten my medical marijuana card. It truly helps. Sorry if this isn't what your looking for, but hey it might work for you if you don't intend in pumping man made chemicals into your body.

I am a scientist/engineer, and get very little sleep. The trouble is, the more you try and keep yourself awake, the less likely you are to be able to get some sleep when you want it. I have found the miracle cure, it is Melatonin.

A natural substance your body manufactures itself when it wants to sleep!

Get it at CVS. Over the counter, about $15 for 100 caps. Take one or 2, and don't make any plans.

It works!

I've heard some people have success with fasting for a few days. Not that you sleep better during the fast, but some people think it works well to reset the sleep cycle as well as detox from prescription meds, including sleeping pills.

Edit: Jburns makes a good point, depending on the med going cold turkey is something to watch out for.

Everyone has made some great points as far as reducing tolerance to the medications go. However, it is extremely important to remember that benzodiazepine withdrawal causes very severe symptoms. If you do plan to go this route it is very important that you carefully titrate down your dose. In the event you are successful in detoxification, studies have shown 0.5-3 mg of melatonin is very effective in producing sleep.

I still have to stand by my suggestion to ask your physician about a stronger benzodiazepine or even a sedative such as a medium acting barbiturate.

i recently read a story about fatal familial insomnia. not to scare you. im not sure if you mean you literally haven't slept at all, or you just have trouble sleeping.

wiki:
en.wikipedia.org...

I've been an insomniac all my life, I found getting over my belief that you actually need to sleep was the most useful thing that happened to me.

I learned to meditate, one hours meditation is equivalent to a full nights sleep for the mind and body, which is enough to keep functioning safely.

I feel for you buddy, I really do, but your real problem is the trauma, the brain actually has difficulty processing between hemispheres when trauma is involved, try moving your eyes left to right continually when your think about your issues, it will help the brain signals cross the hemispheres. Otherwise you always hit the same loop, over and over.


ox

I can not sleep. many many years.
I have tryed tablets.
they work at first.
then my body gets use’t to them.
I do this with most drugs.
Now I just dont bother trying to hard to sleep.
dont let it bother you that you can not sleep.
still bo to bed for 6 hours.
make it dark and use ear plugs.
I play out stories in my mind.
its like dreaming.
and in would help you a lot to meditate.
use the breath as a focus.
concentrate on the breath as it passes over your top lip.
do this for 30 each day at the same time.
after 6 weeks do it in the morning and at night.
you may not get to sleep.
But you will feel good.
and I would rather feel good than have a good nights sleep.
some times my body goes to sleep and ny mind is still active!
one time I got up to go for a pee.
and I just ended up on the floor.
my body was asleep.
unless you have tests.
you will not know how deep you go.
Just dont let it bother or worry you.
and just lay in bed for 6 hours.