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Insomnia anyone?

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asscherisme

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 6, 2006
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Aggg, I am having awful insomnia. I have had it on and off in spurts in the past, but its the worst ever right now. Going through a rough time with it. Can''t seem to get my mind off all the stuff I''m worried about.

This insomnia is the worst though. I know I am going to feel awful and tired tommorow but I can''t sleep.

Anyone else? Ideas? I''m can''t or rather not willing to take sleep medications becuase I MUST be able to hear my kids or take care of them in the middle of the night if they have a problem. Also need to get up early to get them ready for school. One of my kids sleepwalks so I also have to listen for him.
 
Have you tried Chamomile tea? it helps you relax and does make you drowsy that might help.
 
Drink a beer or a glass of wine. I''ve been drinking beer to try to get to bed earlier. I was on summer break and not getting to bed till 3 and getting up at 11. I need to wake up at six now so I need to get to bed at 11.
 
*hugs* That sucks.
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In NZ they sell a tea called ''Sleep Tea'', which I think is Passionflower & Chamomile... and it seems more effective than chamomile alone... you definitely feel it working. Can you get ''Natracalm'' over there? It''s a herbal sleep remedy, so you''ll still be able to look after your children & wake if you need to.

I would suggest taking extra time to wind down before bed.. maybe read a little, or watch some TV... whatever it is you like to do to unwind.

A glass of beer or wine is always nice :)

How about enjoying it whilst relaxing in a nice warm bath, maybe with candles and some gentle music....

I''d be trying to get my other half to give me a back & shoulder massage too, for added stress relief... if you''re single, can you book in somewhere for one?

Failing that, you could try acupuncture, which can fix all sorts of stuff.

I really hope you get some good sleep soon. See your doctor if things don''t improve... insomnia can be a symptom of depression.

*sending you lovely warm sleepy vibes*

x x x
 
I am having one right now. I have insomnia "almost" always two days before my period. I think it has something to do with hormonal imbalance. Whenever I can''t sleep I know it is coming. After that I am ok.
 
I downloaded sleep sounds on my ipod, ya thunderstorms, rain, waves. It really helps. A glass of milk and a book also helps.

Try and avoid any stimulants after 2pm, caffiene, meds, nicotene. Your bedroom should be a haven, remove anything that is a potentially brain stimulation (tv etc)

I learned one trick from my Grandma you keep a piece of paper and pen by the bed and write down whatever worries are on your mind when you can''t sleep. Then take the paper and drop it off the end of the bed and visualize it falling into a box. With your mind wrap the box and tie string around it. It sounds silly, but it really works.
 
Do you have any caffeine in your diet? I''ve heard that the first thing sleep clinics require people to do when getting treatment for sleep conditions is to have them cut caffeine completely out.

For me, it always works to be physically tired if I want to sleep. If you work out, you could move your workout to right before bed.

Good luck! I sure hope you get back into your sleep schedule soon!
 
Well, i notice if I exercise that day it helps. Also drinking sleepytime tea with Valarian helps too.
 
Well I got the kids to school and am sitting here with my starbucks triple (3 shot of caffine) mocha.

I don't want to drink alcohol to sleep.

I am the child of both an alcoholic mother and father and I choose to never drink because I that. Never had a problem because I have always stayed away after seeing how alcohol destroyed them and I have a fear that it may be in my genes so better to never drink at all. When I was younger, before kids my friends loved that I don't drink because I was alwasy the safe driver :)

Tea is worth a try, can't hurt right.

I do drink way too much caffine. Its a cycle, can't sleep so drink caffine all day long. I have to admit I drink way too much diet coke all day and when I get the kids in bed, I go right for a glass of diet coke. I should switch to caffine free diet coke or cut it down after 2pm.

Skippy, great idea on the excercise. I do some but not enough. Now that the kids are in school I have 2 hours to myself in the morning so its worth a try to use excercise to walke me up instead of caffine.

Great ideas, keep them coming. I have an hour before I have to pick up my daughter, I am going to get off the computer as soon as I finish my coffee and go for a walk :)
 
I suffer from it to and I try hot baths and warm milk. Nothing works that well, and I also will not take pills or anything.

Alcohol is not really a sleep aid, it really has the opposite effect.

I am so sorry, I know that it is tough, I deal with this all of the time. I get a couple of hours a sleep on my worst nights, or none at all. I have stayed up all night before.

All I can say is once you get the kids to school clear your day if you can and get some sleep.
 
Ditto on the exercise and the caffeine - I have chronic insomnia and these are two of the things that really help me. I do drink diet coke, but never after about 2pm in the afternoon unless I have to be up all night.

Also, try to google "sleep hygiene" and see if you can incorporate some of these suggestions. Some have already been mentioned here - no TV or laptops etc...in the bedroom, for example.

Some other things to consider - get really really nice sheets. Ever since I was a baby I have a much easier time falling asleep and staying asleep on flannel sheets. So now we have invested in really top-quality flannel, and it is very comforting to me, so that helps a lot.

Also, and I know this is tough, but if you can try to stick to a schedule (going to sleep within 1 hour of the same time every night and same with waking up), that helps as well.
 
Sorry you suffer from it too. I have 2 hours not a whole day free since my youngest is only in school for 2 1/2 hours and there is driving time.

I do admit that sometimes I''m so tired during the day I will let her watch a video in my bedroom while I lay down and the older kids are at school. Its not quite sleep but at least I recharge for 45 minutes or an hour while the video is on.

I did end up getting 3 hours last night so at least its something.
 
I know you said you don''t want to take pills, but have you tried melatonin? It''s a vitamin supplement. I started using it because I suffer from insomnia as well. It does not knock you out like any other sleep medication does, it just helps ease you into sleep. I have to wake up early and I''ve never overslept while taking it. I do not experience any "sleep hangover" or any negative side effects at all.

Also, I am a light sleeper by nature, and even when I take it I can still be woken up very easily. If you''re at all interested, maybe try it while your children are staying the night with a friend or something.
 
HI:

Yes, I have insomnia. I try and stick to night time routines, getting to bed at the same time and not:

-drinking ETOH. INterferes with nornal sleep patterns
-exercise at night (I do early in AM tho) b/c it stimulates me.
-spening a lot of time on the computer activity or watching TV--stop an hour before sleep.

-I read and do crosswords, but they relax me; but research shows that these activities are thinking activities and therefore stimulating....
-I don''t drink warm milk but it worth a try.
-try writing down your worries before bed, and once they are on paper, write a big "The End'' on your paper and put it down. Train your mind iinto thinking it is the end for the day.

cheers--Sharon
 
I second the no exercise and caffine rule ...but also find that sugar based foods and any food that breaks down to give you energy(potatos,corn,pasta ect)should be avoided.I have insomnia regularly (look how many times im on the forums at 1 or 2 am)...caffine free hot drink helps me...also reading or breathing exercises help me...also knowing that ive really tried to get through that list of stuff during the day helps me sleep and not worry getting things done.
 
Benadryl. I take it to sleep because I have insomnia also. It doesn''t make you zombie-like, you should still be able to hear your kids,
 
Date: 8/25/2008 4:14:30 PM
Author: Tuckins1
Benadryl. I take it to sleep because I have insomnia also. It doesn''t make you zombie-like, you should still be able to hear your kids,
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I used to take Benedryl to sleep too, but now I''m taking other things for other reasons that sometimes help me sleep. (I take Flexeril for my fibromyalgia and that helps) Benedryl is harmless. It will just make you drowsy enough to get you to zzzzzzzland.
 
Is it insomnia if it takes you up to two hours to fall asleep, and then you don''t stay asleep once you get there? If so, count me in!

I''ve read that you should make sure your bed is a place for sleeping only--no reading, doing homework, paying the bills, sorting the mail, television watching in bed, as that affects your body''s response to the space. I don''t know if that''s valid, but it''s worth a shot.
 
*sigh* Me too. I think mine is related to hormones so at least if I''m not sleeping I know there is a light at the end of the tunnell and I''ll be able to sleep in a few days. For me, the problem isn''t falling asleep. I have no problem with that. Frequently I wake up at 3ish and stay awake for 2 hours. I do notice that when I have a midday caffinated beverage I don''t sleep as well. Exercise helps too.

Also, it sounds like you know this asscherisme, but, alcohol is bad for your sleep patterns. You may fall asleep easier, but, you won''t be getting the kind of sleep you need. For years my mom used alcohol to fall asleep. Then she needed more and more until she was a full blown alcoholic. She has stopped drinking, thank goodness (I''m so proud of her)! Drinking to fall asleep - or drinking for any purpose other than a tasty occasional treat can be very dangerous!
 
Date: 8/25/2008 3:07:08 AM
Author: Diamond Confused
Drink a beer or a glass of wine. I've been drinking beer to try to get to bed earlier. I was on summer break and not getting to bed till 3 and getting up at 11. I need to wake up at six now so I need to get to bed at 11.
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Alcohol is very bad for insomnia. Once it wears off, you'll end up waking up in the middle of the night! The more you drink, the more this can happen.

I've had a lot of problems since moving and I do take medication and only found a few things that work. One is benedryl, but I feel groggy in the morning, so I can only take 1/2 of one. Sometimes if I wake up in the middle of the night, I take only a tiny bit of Xanax (say .25 mg). It's not a lot, but helps tremendously if I'm up at 4 am!

As was suggested above, writing down your stress triggers can help relieve them from being on your mind. Also, (and I swear by this) learn a good relaxation technique. This will help you learn to calm your body down.

Miranda - mine is waking up at early hours too. I don't even drink caffeine AT ALL, so this problem can be entirely stress (almost OCD) related. Overthinking about problems.
 
I guess the magic little pill Xanax is out of the question? Actaully, it might not be...it's not a sleeping pill and just chills you out when you have a freak out or melt down and can't turn your brain off....You can absolutely still function during the day with it so there is no problem with it at night...it won't impact being able to care for the kids...I'd ask your doctor about it....it's really magic for this impossible situations...for me that was driving to the Bronx for Court at 9:30 am LOL...
 
Date: 8/25/2008 9:09:09 PM
Author: moremoremore
I guess the magic little pill Xanax is out of the question? Actaully, it might not be...it's not a sleeping pill and just chills you out when you have a freak out or melt down and can't turn your brain off....You can absolutely still function during the day with it so there is no problem with it at night...it won't impact being able to care for the kids...I'd ask your doctor about it....it's really magic for this impossible situations...for me that was driving to the Bronx for Court at 9:30 am LOL...
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Xanax is very particular to the person. I found even small quantities (such as .25-.5 mg) knock me out and if I take it more than a few days in a row, I end up with more anxiety during the day, so I take it just as often to keep me from being a total zombie on a regular basis. It's best in VERY small doses because it's addicting.

ETA - oh, also, I can easily wake up from it if one of my kids needs me, which does make it a good sleep aid.
 
I've, um, heard that sex can make you relax and help with sleep.... yeah... heard that somewhere...
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Date: 8/26/2008 2:22:15 AM
Author: trillionaire
I''ve, um, heard that sex can make you relax and help with sleep.... yeah... heard that somewhere...
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Actually, that''s the best cure. :)

x x x
 
Well I'm seperated and living with my young kids, but still married so sex is not an option
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Yoga can be nice and relaxing. There is a dvd I like that is called AM and PM Yoga that I have used before. I hope you sleep better soon.
 
Wow asscher I can totally sympathize now.
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I slept 0 hours the night before last and about 1-2 hrs last night. I am EXHAUSTED.
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And I made the mistake of taking benadryl(sp) last night..then I still couldn''t sleep..but since I did fall asleep around 7 AM..I am now even more exhausted. I didn''t complete a sleep cycle.
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Just wanted to commiserate.
 
Ambien is really the best, but if you''ve got to get up at night with your kids, it may knock you out too hard. Melatonin works pretty well for most people I''ve known who have tried it - it helps your body get into a good sleep rhythm, but doesn''t knock you out to the world.
 
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