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

I have a problem falling asleep too. What works best for me is a strenuous cardio workout (30+ minutes) and then a hot shower just before bed. I usually put on a movie too...one I have seen so many times that I can literally close my eyes and listen to it and see the movie in my mind. I will usually drift off to sleep after that. Of course I take Klonopin and Sonata as well.

Your problem is the fact that you're looking for a "drug to work".. your insomnia is mental, not physical. You need a mental solution, not a physical drug solution. Drugs can help short-term, but they eventually stop working.

You need to look at meditation techniques, and taoist yoga positions for insomnia. It works great for me. You have to commit though.

Originally posted by TheArchaeologist
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.

Actually, I've been a horrible insomniac since childhood. Even high doses of Rohypnol or Ambien, or Klonopin, or Valium or Xanax don't work on me.
But Melatonin 5 mg works every single time.

Use to have the same problem, but a lot of mine was thinking too much, but, I did find something that worked, actually a couple of things.

One is, imagine a chalkboard, use your hand or someone else's hand, and imagine the eraser. Only use a hand. Draw a 1 circle it, erase it and go on, draw 2 cirlcle it erase it and so on. I could never get passed 5 and I was out. Really don't even remember exactly, but it worked for me.

This might sound strange, but since I learned about a few things and the english language I started saying sleep, backwards, over and over, didn't get very far on that one either. So, you say peels. I humored myself because it was peels. Ha But it works for me.

Medication come sometimes can have an opposite affect too. I don't like to do that, but there is another over the counter that works sometimes too. Benedryl. Allergy medication, but it is cheap, non addictive and works for me at times I have had insomnia in years past. And yes, Valerian root works too. Smells like dirty socks, but it is very good. Plus, liquid Lobelia. You just have to re-train your brain. Hope you can find some remedy.

I've suffered from insonmia for over 20 years. There are a few pieces of advice I can give you:

1) Stay away from pills. Even if you find one that will work for you, it is only a mask for the issue. Once you try to get off of the pills, you will be right back to square one, or worse, your body will become dependent on them. Breaking tht addiction is not something you want to go through. Trust me.

2)Look at your diet. Cut out sugars and stimulants after 2 pm.

3)Aroma therapy works amazingly well. Lavendar works best for me.

4)Meditation. It often can relieve anxiety, but beyond that, true, deep meditation can actually replace sleep.

5)Do not, ever, try and force yourself to sleep. If you cant doze off, get up and do something. Watch a movie. Read a book. Work on a hobby. Anxiety will compound itself, when you start to stress about not being able to sleep.

6)Now, Im not saying I take this route, but marijuana is an amazing sleep aid (so i have heard
), and it wont cause the addictions of other drugs.

Check out this book. Dr.David Servan-Schreiber (Without Freud/Prozac)
Book: "Instinct To Heal"
www.instincttoheal.org...


The guy is on the mark in re how to retrain thought processes after trauma & illness in regards to healing. You might check it out.. Very innovative. He's right on with thought processes (imo).
Take care!



reply to post by TheArchaeologist

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Try acupuncture. I've used it on many people for problems related to insomnia as well as trauma and it has worked. Another thing used in Chinese medicine for relaxation/sleep problems is pearl powder. Often with trauma, the changes in the body go beyond its biochemistry.

You are not releasing energy

Pent up energy will lead to anxiety.

If you want to sleep you must release this energy with exercise

You say you have a 4 year old, you also haven't been able to sleep in almost 4 years

You need to exercise to the point of exhaustion

It will then not be your decision to make whether you sleep or not

It will ultimately be a battle of whether your willing to put your body through the strenuous activity in order to "max" it out and force a shutdown

Can you post a list of your typical diet?

Originally posted by ADUB77
You are not releasing energy

Pent up energy will lead to anxiety.

If you want to sleep you must release this energy with exercise

You say you have a 4 year old, you also haven't been able to sleep in almost 4 years

You need to exercise to the point of exhaustion

It will then not be your decision to make whether you sleep or not

It will ultimately be a battle of whether your willing to put your body through the strenuous activity in order to "max" it out and force a shutdown

I get your point, but unless you are someone who has dealt with extreme anxiety, I have to say, you really dont get it. Exercise helps. A lot. But often anxiety is mental energy, not physical. And while working out can be a mental outlet, it can also serve as a distraction FROM the mental side of things.

Getting exercise is never a bad thing, but it is not always the cure all for anxiety.

Meditation really helped me.
Second.

For some reason, THE SECRET came to mind. If you keep telling yourself you cant sleep, well, you already know1
Besides, if one really cant sleep for weeks and months on end, the body either goes to sleep for you or... heart failure!

Stuff that work for me:

Evening gardening/landscaping. It's relaxing and strenuous at the same time.

feeding and watching my koi/pond during sunset.

Warm milk together with melatonin and a dash of instant coffee. yes, coffee when with milk, helps makes we sleepy after 15 mins or so. good luck

I definitely agree on maxing out on exercise = good sleep.. I think that's big part of/ maybe not complete but huge part of it.

reply to post by ADUB77

One more thing I can add:

Don't focus on getting sleep. Focus on getting rest. Your body and mind can rest, and recover, even when you are not asleep. Truly focus on relaxing your muscles. Then your mind. Train your mind on on simple thought. Nothing with any depth. Focusing on the color black works for me for some reason. But everyone is different.

This type of rest is the only reason I functioned in my early 20's when it was at its worst for me. I could go days without sleeping, but spending 4-5 hours RESTING every day really helped.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist

First, I have read none of the replies, so forgive me if I am repeating the advice of others.

Doctors generally prescribe drugs. You are lucky if you find a doctor that prescribes a remedy.
So, get off of the damn drugs.
You must deal effectively with the traumatic experience. You cannot escape it...as you are probably well aware by now. This may take some help, but should be dealt with as soon as possible.
This is a dangerous condition, because your mind WILL rest, but not on a natural cycle. In other words, you will "check out" mentally out of mental fatigue, and this could be dangerous to you and others. Think driving and head on collisions. That sort of thing.

I believe you are quite capable of healing yourself, if you listen to yourself. Meditation, as opposed to medication, is how you DO that. So learn to meditate.

I have to wonder if your not someone whose body just doesnt NEED that much sleep. Youre trying really hard. Id try and forget taking anything and thinking about it...just stay in a waking state. Perhaps then, after a time, your body will just naturally "crash".

There are people in this world that need no sleep and get along fine. Maybe thats it. Youve done everything else. How about just accepting it? Then see what happens.

I mean...are you even tired? Exhausted? If so, then thats a real problem. But if youre just trying to because you THINK you need to sleep...well maybe not....??? And with so many drugs taken already....I dont think theyre the answer for you....

Dear Archaeologist

I think your brain is on overload.
Well, if you put out streetlights I consider
that you have powerful telekinetic abilities
and! you don’t care much to spend time on understanding this.
Telekinesis is a mind/brain/consciousness related phenomenon
with its roots being likely of sub-atomic level like all manifestations.
Some research shows there is a lot of activity in the cortex of the brain in relationship to this.

I think, if you pay more attention to your unusual gift,
you might change your sleeping pattern.
I also think, you ought to get closure
on that trauma that happened to you 4 years ago.

I too know all about insomnia and do have my tricks also.
I too love archaeology, and therefore I assume
you would have the same way like me, that I am very curious and want to know.
So my trick is to watch my favorite movies over and over.
I put them on in a portable dvd player next to my pillow.
I get real comfortable. And because I know the outcome,
it is not important to keep watching. I can fall asleep,
because it keeps me from thinking.
I unplug the player, so it eventually runs out of battery and doesn’t wake me up.

The best thing though that happened is
that my insomnia has improved
after I’ve been away on a holiday for 3 months.
I was very aware that coming back home
my old surrounding will trigger old memories and behavior.
But with conscious effort I was able
to knock the old patterns more successfully.
Maybe you could start with changes to your immediate environment
like rearranging your bed, new pictures and décor,
different linen etc etc. that break old anchors.

And since I am absolutely against chemicals and their long-term effects
and since you have tried everything else anyway
and you had such terrific comments here on ATS
I shall add one more option though:
I go to bed very very early, because the winding down period
also needs its time
and I get up very very early in the morning too
so I am tired after having done a good and long days work.

Six beers, two bongs and a root usually does the trick for me!
But thats just me.

reply to post by TheArchaeologist


Bah take two-3 phernergan + 3 Mercyndol night time strength And put some hypnosis deeper inductions on softly in ur headphones. lay on your back arms and legs straight, not touching, and you will nod off.
Get them from www.warpmymind.com (though last time i tried d/l them from there the downloads wouldn't work for me.

I used to have trouble getting to sleep after taking naughty things, but with hypnosis i''d be out like a light within 5 minutes. Trance Deep for Me ;-P Deep Deeper ;-P

Originally posted by Screwed
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!

get the skins out and roll yourself a nice big blunt
marijuana WILL put you to sleep, no doubt