-
stupid fucking insomnia!!
Ugh..its 5:17 am here and I am still awake.. I got up at ten in the AM too... I just simply can not sleep lately unless I run my ass raged and am dead tired...I have a script for valium too, but that's not even helping me sleep...anybody have suggestions as to how to make myself tired enough to sleep? Tylenol PM, UNISMON, etc dont work for me....
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I have horrible insomnia too. I used to take Ambien for it until I started sleepwalking on it and ended up with a nasty concussion. If you find something that works, let me know. I usually have one good night of sleep per week when being tired all the other nights finally catches up to me.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
^^^
I cant take ambien either..this is embarassing, but here it goes. I took it a couple times. The last time I took it, I woke up and there were french fries all over my bedroom and a half eaten Filet of Fish sandwhich on my nitestand.
Yes, I had somehow "woken up" driven to the twenty four hous McDonalds and come home.
It scared the shit out of me (well thankfully not literally lol!) and I never took it again.....
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
VegasPrincess
^^^
I cant take ambien either..this is embarassing, but here it goes. I took it a couple times. The last time I took it, I woke up and there were french fries all over my bedroom and a half eaten Filet of Fish sandwhich on my nitestand.
Yes, I had somehow "woken up" driven to the twenty four hous McDonalds and come home.
It scared the shit out of me (well thankfully not literally lol!) and I never took it again.....
that's both funny as hell and scary.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
^^^
Lol it's funny as hell. you're right...scary as hell for whomever else was on the road that nite...SRSLY!
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
melatonin? It really helps me sleep when I have insomnia, and it's natural.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
klonopins usually do it for me.
or muscle relaxers. (for whatever reason they relax more than my muscles)
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
^^^
I should try that!!
PR- melatonin gives me nightmares :( I have weird reactions to that, nyquil and ambien... It's odd....
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
VegasPrincess
^^^
I cant take ambien either..this is embarassing, but here it goes. I took it a couple times. The last time I took it, I woke up and there were french fries all over my bedroom and a half eaten Filet of Fish sandwhich on my nitestand.
Yes, I had somehow "woken up" driven to the twenty four hous McDonalds and come home.
It scared the shit out of me (well thankfully not literally lol!) and I never took it again.....
OK since you shared your scary Ambien stories, I'll share ONE of mine....
I went rollerbading at 3am with my passport and cell phone. I thought I saw all my neighbors standing outside but not moving. I know this because I called my friend from my house phone when I got in and he told me all the looney tunes stuff I was saying. Also a neighbor found my passport and cell phone on the maibox and returned them to me....and the really screwy thing is that isn't even the time I gave myself a concussion on that shit and "woke up" to a morphine drip and a CT scan in the hospital.
So yeah, no Ambien for me . That shit is crazy...
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
There are some OTC options beside melatonin: kava kava, valerian root, benadryl, and dramamine, magnesium supplements, and tinctures from the health food/vitamin store. Some of these you can take together. Insomnia sucks. There are also other sleep scripts like Lunesta, Rozerem, and sonata, but if you had problems with ambien, other hypnotics might be problematic. There are options, but not everything works for everyone. It sucks because sometimes you have to experiment to find the best combo. I hope something works...insomnia sucks!
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
^^^
Thanks I think I will definitely try KavaKava
Quote:
Originally Posted by
twisterinAZ
OK since you shared your scary Ambien stories, I'll share ONE of mine....
I went rollerbading at 3am with my passport and cell phone. I thought I saw all my neighbors standing outside but not moving. I know this because I called my friend from my house phone when I got in and he told me all the looney tunes stuff I was saying. Also a neighbor found my passport and cell phone on the maibox and returned them to me....and the really screwy thing is that isn't even the time I gave myself a concussion on that shit and "woke up" to a morphine drip and a CT scan in the hospital.
So yeah, no Ambien for me . That shit is crazy...
''
OMG!! Lucky you're okay that is TOTALLY insane. Lol I wonder why you wanted your passport??
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I had the same problem last night. I got like 2 hours of sleep. I just couldn't stop thinking.
I'm guessing you've tried all the OTC stuff. Sometimes I take NyQuil when I'm not sick to put me to sleep, but it's probably not a good idea. Unfortunately that's the only trick I've got... well that or a bottle of whiskey.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I take Ambien every night now. My insomnia was SO bad I'd go weeks on pretty much no sleep and I was sick constantly from my immune system breaking down. My Dr finally decided that with all my other health problems it was better to take it regularly and sleep then breal down my health even more by not getting any rest.
I'm used to it now and rarely hallucinate..but the scariest one was when I decided I wanted hamburgers from Taco Bell at 2am(hamburgers?? No idea). Ran out the door before hubby could stop me. Got pulled over by a cop for having a taillight out. I have no idea how he didnt know since I've seen pics of me on Ambien and I look like my face is melting!
I didnt get a ticket OR a DWI thank goodness...I remember him pulling me over,then I remember a brief second driving where I thought "I'm really fucked up and have to drive REALLY slow"
I got home,threw a bag of god knows what from Taco bell on the couch and said "I dont want this crap" and passed out.
Dont remember driving away from the cop,going to Taco Bell,ordering, paying for food,driving home...nada.
After that...I gave my keys to hubby before I took it until I got used to it. I have NEVER seen him so angry with me then he was about that.
I also gave him my phone since I called a friend at 1 or 2 in the morning to tell her that the popcorn was attacking me and I had a penis in my nose.
Yeah...I have LOTS of Ambien stories.This is just the tip of the iceburg!!
Thankfully I rarely have trouble with it anymore unless I take extra. I did scare Yek once though by falling or reaching for something standing on the bed we shared in our Astoria hotel room. Oops. I hadnt slept well for a cpl days even WITH my meds AND I had a restless leg syndrome attack that night so I took an extra 1/2 so I could sleep.
Sorry I scared you Yek..it's funny now though right??
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I broke my vampire hours habit, which lasted over a decade, by forcing myself to stay awake for 24+ hours and then allowing myself only to go to sleep at what I considered a decent hour. I set 3 alarms to make me wake up at what I considered a decent hour.
After that I made myself go to bed again at the same time I did they night before and getting up again at the same time the next morning. Rinse and repeat
Doing that re-set my body clock. The trick is to stick to those wake and sleep hours as close as possible.
Every once and awhile I have to do a mini version of a body clock re-set but I am able to do so fairly easy now.
Another thing I want to stress is NO SLEEP AIDS. They only mask the problem and eventually wont work or you get hooked on them.
Sleep aids should, imho, only be used in very rare situations such as someone who normally sleeps fine but is having an off night. If you are having off nights more than not sleep aids aren't going to help in the long-run and may make things alot worse.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
melatonin and valerian... works PERFECTLY for me.. don't know if any remembers my sleepwalking thread, but I haven't since I started putting these two together.
If I work, two melatonin and one valerin, not working, one melatonin and two valerin or just 2 valerian...
works perfectly, along with ear plugs.. not too much grogginess or crazy side effects.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I've suffered from insomnia for years and I really do sympathize, not sleeping can make you feel like your loosing your mind. I think LadyLuck has the best advice but it won't work for me as I have changeable working hours. During the week I work 9am-5pm then at the the weekend I'm working 8pm-4am.:(
The best advice I can give is when you're lying in bed, if after 1/2 hr you still can't sleep, don't lie there, get up and do something. When I'm lying there and I'm over thinking things, the thoughts just go round and round in my head and I know I won't sleep unless I get up and do something to take my mind off it. Sometimes my bf gets up in the middle of the night to find me doing the dishes! I know it sounds crazy but half an hour of doing something is enough to take my mind off things and save me hours of tossing and turning. Sometimes I take benadryl too but I try not to take it too often coz I'm scared of depending on it.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Oh..and get a sleep mask. Esp if you are working nights and sleeping during daylight. I LOVE mine..it has a pouch and a lavender scented aromatherapy oil you put on a piece of gauze into the pouch. It also has earplugs that play soothing sounds..rainforest, waterfalls, heartbeat. I cant sleep without it!!!
Its a Remington...I got it on ebay for .99!!!
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LadyLuck
I broke my vampire hours habit, which lasted over a decade, by forcing myself to stay awake for 24+ hours and then allowing myself only to go to sleep at what I considered a decent hour. I set 3 alarms to make me wake up at what I considered a decent hour.
After that I made myself go to bed again at the same time I did they night before and getting up again at the same time the next morning. Rinse and repeat
Doing that re-set my body clock. The trick is to stick to those wake and sleep hours as close as possible.
Every once and awhile I have to do a mini version of a body clock re-set but I am able to do so fairly easy now.
Another thing I want to stress is NO SLEEP AIDS. They only mask the problem and eventually wont work or you get hooked on them.
Sleep aids should, imho, only be used in very rare situations such as someone who normally sleeps fine but is having an off night. If you are having off nights more than not sleep aids aren't going to help in the long-run and may make things alot worse.
I've tried everything you have mentioned here and more. The resetting your body clock thing has NEVER worked for me. It only adds to the problem. I have had crazy SEVERE insomnia since I was a kid and going weeks at a time without sleep is worse than taking a sleep aid !It makes you feel crazy. I had a schedule when I was a kid with school and shit but I was always run down, tired and cranky. It wasn't until I finally started experimenting with sleep aids that I got some sleep ....So I don't think you should discourage people from taking something that can really help them. They have been a life saver for me. I'd rather take something than go days or weeks at a time feeling strung out and sleepless !
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Also, my Ambien story TIMES TWO:
Embarassing: I literally thought I was walking through a meadow with friends picking flowers in a sun dress. When M found me I was naked in a street talking to invisible cats and picking up pebbles.
Funny: During sex on Ambien I looked up at my partner and said, "Should you be doing this with one of your students, Professor Snape?!"
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
^^ I agree. I wouldnt suggest it for everyone,but sleep aids have saved my life. I was sick conservatively 250 days a year because my immune system was so wrecked from not ever sleeping. I couldnt function. And I tried everything possible to avoid taking sleeping pills every night, but finally my Dr told me that it was better to do that then risk my health getting any worse. Esp since I have a condition that can be fatal if it gets any worse..I cant risk my health.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
twisterinAZ
I don't think you should discourage people from taking something that can really help them.
Uhm, ok. I was just trying to share what worked for me, what I learned about insomnia, things to avoid and so on. You know, trying to helpful. Guess I shouldn't have bothered :(
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CKXXX
^^ I agree. I wouldnt suggest it for everyone,but sleep aids have saved my life. I was sick conservatively 250 days a year because my immune system was so wrecked from not ever sleeping. I couldnt function. And I tried everything possible to avoid taking sleeping pills every night, but finally my Dr told me that it was better to do that then risk my health getting any worse. Esp since I have a condition that can be fatal if it gets any worse..I cant risk my health.
Exactly. If I don't have my 'sleepytime' meds, I won't sleep. I've gone for more than a week without even taking a nap. I really have tried almost every alternative to taking the pills. I would love to knock out a couple from my cocktail, but when nothing else works, I'm going to take something to put me to sleep before I get sicker than I already am.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
I second the idea for a slepp mask. I've had one for years and it really does help for sleeping durig the day. i also use earplugs sometimes too which are another big help.
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
i have some serious sleep issues. my anxiiety is so bad that i have to sleep with the tv on, turned down just low enough that i can make out what's being said but at the lowest volume that that's possible, and my lamp next to my bed has to be on. (if i'm alone. with someone i can sleep in the dark but i still prefer the tv on.)
i think its a combination of anxiety, the fact that im not in the dark and quiet, and my schedule. on nights i dance, i almost always have to take a xanax to sleep well. i still wake up because i always wake up to pee, but without it i would wake up a lot more. but i feel more like i actually slept on xanax than if i took a sleeping pill or nyquil. those make me feel like i passed out and i'm groggy the next day. xanax feels like a deep sleep to me.
i used to take melatonin, and the brand i bought kept me awake. i swear it made me sleep HORRIBLY. that was 3mg. i could take my brother's, though, which were 1mg and a diff brand, and i slept fine.
i used to be able to go to sleep and sleep fine, for a looooong time, and now i just cant. its really frustrating. its weird, though, on days i dont work (i work day and night job on the same days and then have every other day that i do neither) i have to go to bed early and i usually can fall asleep. i think now it's a pattern to be able to fall asleep those nights and not the nights i dance.
ive tried not taking a xanax after work bc i should be tired enough to sleep, and i slept horribly. took a while to fall asleep, and i woke up a million times.
ok, after all that rambling.. haha.. thats crazy that your valium didnt even work. that literally slows your body down.. and you still couldnt sleep? that would suck bigtime. valium gives me crazy scary dreams.
alright, enough with my non helpful post. :P i was hoping to find some solutions in this thread but i just dont know what would work for me!
-
Re: stupid fucking insomnia!!
sometime its even my own fault! like right now i could fall asleep.. im feeling droopy from my demerol and i could go to sleep.. but i dont want to. dont ask me why. its not like i havent been sitting at my computer since i got home almost 5 hours ago. i'm not going to miss anything :P
its like i hate actually going to bed. i am so screwy. at least a good deal of the girls here are insomniacs too so i dont have to be bored! plus, golden girls is on. :D