Does anyone else suffer from insomnia?

Maybe this thread should be in the health section.

I have had insomnia for as long as I can remember, even when I was a little girl. I used to sneak and read books under my blanket with a flashlight.

I have tried everything. I can't get my mind to slow down. I have to trick my mind into thinking that I'm not trying to fall asleep. While watching t.v., I sometimes fall asleep because my mind knows that I'm not *trying* to fall asleep. It is just *weird* - I have to play games with my mind in order to make myself think that I'm not trying to go to sleep.

Do any of you have problems falling asleep? I've tried everything that is suggested in books, to no avail. I just lie in bed each night reading for hours, trying to get my mind to forget that I really want to sleep:rolleyes:

whisper - I have that problem sometimes, not always. I know what you mean about tricking yourself into thinking you don't want to go to sleep. That sometimes works for me.

Is there any reason why you can't take sleeping pills? That might get your mind in the habit of sleeping on schedule if you did it for awhile. They used to say Melatonin,( is that the name?, )used to work but then I heard it doesn't so I never tried it.

If you start sleeping regularly at night will all have the benefit of your wonderful and caring posts??

luv ya,

Yes, Whisper,
I also have always had sleep problems. It goes in chunks. Sometimes it will stop for a month. Then it comes back and Ill not sleep more than 2 hours a night for 3 or 4 days. Funny, cuz that is the only time I ever watch TV. I have seen most of the famous movies Ive missed in my busy life at these times. It is actually horrible cuz most of us who suffer from this are actually tired, just cant ahut down. If I know Im not going to sleep by 1:00 AM, Sometimes I break down and take Tylenol PM. It helps. Also, wine causes people to wake up in the night , believe it or not. Before I started having sex regularly with my boyfriend, too much hormone in my bloodstream caused me to loose MUCH sleep, It has been a lot better since Im with the YM now.
You are not alone, Good luck.

Whisper I don't usually have this problem, but when I do, I take what Canche suggests---Tylenol PM. Sometimes even just one is enough to make me a little sleepy. I even tried the store brand night time acetomeniphin and it worked great.
Also I may take a hot bath and go into my room without a TV on or music playing. Just silence, and a good book. I turn the clock around so I have no idea what time it is and get cozy. Oh and even in winter I have a box fan facing away from my bed for the "white noise"effect.
I hope you can find little tricks that help you and get some good sleep soon!

Melodee, I think insomnia grew a lot as a problem in the last decades, rising together with stress. These are two factors that often go hand in hand.

Sleep disorders have been a whole medical speciality for years now, and there are lots of things that a doctor can do to hep you, but usually the studies begin with recording the sleep of the patient and registering the brain waves during sleep to see where exactly the problem is.

I have had insomnia many times in my life, periods when I just can't stop thinking of things... anything will do, it may be the flowers I have to plant next day or the letter I have to write to my mother. My brain uses any excuse possible to stay alert!

I think Carazy opened a thread once about this. We are not few!

I usually take some of the new drugs that make you sleep for a pre determined amount of time, and next day you don't feel groggy or anything. They are prescribed by a doctor. I don't usually need it, but when I see I am not going to sleep well, I don't hesitate. A night sleep is very important for me. Of course one has to be seen by a doctor before thinking of taking those drugs, not only because you need a prescription, but also because you should know if they are what you need.

I have also noticed that I have terrible reactions to caffeine. From tachycardia to arrhythmia, I have the whole pack of reactions. I had stopped taking sodas and teas containing it, and had forgotten about the cellulite cream. When I stopped it, I was completely free of cardiac symptoms, and I also slept better.

You are not alone Whisper
I suffer from insomnia terribly!

I have all different kinds.
Some nights I cannot fall asleep, while other nights,
I fall asleep quickly, only sleep for about an hour,
(a very deep sleep for that hour though), and then
I wake up and can't go back to sleep for hours.
Or I just wake up 3, 4 or 5 times in the night and have
trouble going back to sleep each time.
It is very frustrating to say the least and I will go on
like this for a long time,
(being quite grumpy, emotional and moody),
until I finally catch up on my sleep.
I am not one to take a nap, but sometimes I will do that
if I have been sleep deprived for a long time.
Usually I just end up catching up and sleep
in on one of my days off, (sleeping for a good 12 hours or so).

I have tried over-the-counter sleeping aids,
but they were of little help for me.
I also tried having an alcoholic drink each night before
bed, but that did little to help.
I don't want to see a Dr. for it, but not sure what
else to do.
I have what I call, a hyperactive mind-
like a lot of people that are physically hyperactive,
I am that way mentally, and it is my many thoughts,
worries, ideas, and concerns that keep me awake.
My job is very physical and active-
and I also power walk and work in my gardens,
it surprises me that I don't sleep better because of that.

Canche had mentioned sex-
I bet that would work for me, but at the moment,
not an option. Need a man for that!
I do know that massage is a great aid for me
to get a good night's sleep.
And once again, I need a partner for that!
LOL

It is nice to know I am not alone with this problem.
It's annoying to say the least.
I have had it all my life too-
but has gotten it's worst these last few years.


<FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=768A76 FACE="Lucida Handwriting">~Sage~ </FONT><img src="http://ChasingDownTheBlue.homestead.com/files/femme.gif">

<FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=Black FACE="Tempus Sans ITC">They say theres a place
where dreams have all gone
They never said where
but I think I know
Its miles through the night
just over the dawn
On the road
that will take me home </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=Black FACE="Freestyle Script">Mary Fahl</FONT>

Originally posted by abby

If you start sleeping regularly at night will all have the benefit of your wonderful and caring posts??

luv ya,
:) If I start sleeping at night, I guess that I won't be up posting as much at 2 and 3 in the morning, lol. Thanks for the compliment, Abby.

I used to take herbs to help me sleep. I will go and get some more today. I take vitamins and herbs during the day (when I remember to do it), but I've run out of the herbs for sleeping.

My ex-husband's 90-year-old German grandmother used to visit us for three months each year. She always brought large amounts of Klosterfraumelissengeist with her. She insisted that it was the magic potion that has kept her so healthy for so long. She used to put 3 teaspoons of it into fennel tea for us every night. She and I would drink it together to fall asleep more easily. I need to order some of it over the net. It's a powerful herbal concoction orginally made by nuns - it's about a million proof alcohol, though:D . Oma used to brag about how she never touches alcohol. My ex-husband used to laugh at her and say that her 3 teaspoons of Klosterfraumelissengeist had enough alcohol to keep her tipsy for an entire 24 hours, lol. Anyway, I'll order some of it today.

Originally posted by Canche
Before I started having sex regularly with my boyfriend, too much hormone in my bloodstream caused me to loose MUCH sleep, It has been a lot better since Im with the YM now.

Well, that hasn't helped me any, lol. Unfortunately :(

It feels better knowing that I'm not alone with this, though. Sometimes I have the impression that I'm the only person on earth who has this horrible problem. I don't know anyone else who has such a hard time falling asleep. Even working out at the gym hasn't helped any. Being exhausted hasn't helped. I'll get some Klosterfraumelissengeist;)

Originally posted by MrsHedgeHog

By the way, unusual sleep patterns and insomnia have been linked to high IQs, if anyone's interested ;)
Ah ha! That explains it!:D ;)

Thank you to everyone who replied to this thread.

I used to take benedryl every night (antihistamine) - the same ingredient that's in Tylenol p.m., minus the pain reliever. I had to take 3 or 4 for it to have any effect at all on me. I went to the doctor about two months ago. When I told him that I take Benedryl, he gave me a different antihistamine that he said works better. It's called Atarax. It does work better, but it still takes me a very long time to fall asleep. I try to only take it if I haven't fallen asleep by 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. He said that I probably have a hyperactive mind. He wanted to prescribe Effexor (an antidepressant) because he said that it would help. I didn't want it because when I took a different SSRI (Paxil), the sexual side effects were *horrible*. I'd prefer exhaustion any day over those horrible side effects. I didn't have the same problem with Zoloft (still couldn't sleep, either), but I somehow just don't want to take antidepressants again. I'm going to go buy some herbs today.

Kelly, I've never been able to sleep during the day. I wish I could.

Sage, I always seem to have quite a bit of stress in my life. I'm still waiting for the day that I don't - I'm beginning to think that day will never come, though.:rolleyes:

Whisper I was the opposite. I slept way too much, it was like i could never get enough sleep. This really put alot of strain on my daily routine..I went to my doctor and he got me to have a blood test...the results were that i was Aneamic.

Also i get abdominal pains from time to time and they don't let me sleep ...so i tried a herbal medicine and it put me to sleep in five minutes. It's called 'Night Herb Drops' and is alcohol free.

Follow the link below and it will give you details.

http://www.optimahealthcare.co.uk/products/nightherbs/nighth001.html

I dont know if it's availabe in the US..but if you want to PM me then we can arrange something. :)

Thanks, Meena. The drops contain many of the herbs that I buy individually for sleep. We have GNCs here. I am going to call today and see if they carry the drops.

Your welcome! :)

Hi Whisper,

You are definitely not alone in your sleeplessness. I'm a lot like you. Maybe it's the German Descent. I had insomnia as a child too. Since then, it's been a regular part of who I am. The real stressful times do make it worse, but it's pretty much there anyway. I know it's part of my genes because my mother's father was like that and so is my mother, my sister, and my half-sister. One thing that has helped me is that I've accepted it as part of who I am. When I'm up late at night and can't sleep, I used to then start worrying about how much sleep I was getting but then I remind myself of all the things I've managed to do on no sleep, and manage to relax. I also take comfort in the fact that some very creative people were like me. I understand Mozart did his best work in the middle of the night.

Here's what has helped me: First my environment - I have a king sized bed all to myself. The room is painted a light, mellow peach color and all my paintings in the room are Monet. The curtains and lots of accessories are white linen and Battenburg lace, and it's rarely, if ever, cluttered. I also decided to put my treadmill in another room instead of my bedroom.

Secondly - if I need to sleep, I make sure that I don't take in any caffeine later in the day or in the evening and if I feel like having a snack, I go ahead even though people say it's the worst time to eat.

Third - if the thing keeping me awake is that I need to get something done, I just get up and do it - I'm almost always better in the the end.

Last - there's a prescription called Ambien that works really well. My doctor prescribes 1-2 tablets as needed and I usually only take 1/2, and not every night. I'll go for months without taking it, but then, I might need it for a few nights in a week.

One final thing that surprised me that helped - I don't have a dog anymore, but when I first got my puppy, I started sleeping like a baby. I guess it was the comfort of having the little thing around. Good luck to you.

The one thing I do not do being as sleepless as
I am, is get up and do something when I can't sleep.
I am the type person that if I get out of bed one night
at 3am to read, I'll wake up every night at 3am to read.
I have a very good built in alarm clock.
I just lay there and try my best to relax and drift
back to sleep.

The most annoying form of insomnia I can suffer
with is the type where I will wake every hour on the hour.
It leaves me feeling so tired the next day.

My ex was the opposite of me-
he overslept.
His naps would be an average of 3 to 4 hours and
he didn't wake up refreshed or in a good mood at all.
He was an early riser and and an iron worker-
so yes, he had a reason to be tired, but even on the days
he didn't work, he'd take the long naps, (sometome times
2 in one day).
Then he'd wake, eat, grumble about life and go to bed early.
It was excessiveto me.
I also think his sleeping so much in the daytime is why
he was such a restless sleeper at night.
The last year or so of being married to him, I refused
to sleep in the same bed with him because he fidgeted
so darn much-
and with my insomnia, it would keep me awake for hours.

To this day, I have not known a person to sleep as
much as my ex did, (does).
My son complains about it when he spends the weekends
with his dad. Makes him a lazy man that doesn't want to go
do much and that's no fun for an 8 year old kid.
But whadya do?
My ex doesn't think he has a problem.



<FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=768A76 FACE="Lucida Handwriting">~Sage~ </FONT><img src="http://ChasingDownTheBlue.homestead.com/files/femme.gif">

<FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=Black FACE="Tempus Sans ITC">They say theres a place
where dreams have all gone
They never said where
but I think I know
Its miles through the night
just over the dawn
On the road
that will take me home</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=Black FACE="Freestyle Script">Mary Fahl</FONT>

Originally posted by AdirondackHiker

One final thing that surprised me that helped - I don't have a dog anymore, but when I first got my puppy, I started sleeping like a baby. I guess it was the comfort of having the little thing around. Good luck to you.
We have dogs and cats galore.

You are probably right about the genetic component. My mother and three of my sons are the same way.

Originally posted by Sage
The one thing I do not do being as sleepless as
I am, is get up and do something when I can't sleep.
I am the type person that if I get out of bed one night
at 3am to read, I'll wake up every night at 3am to read.

I just stay in bed every night and read. I've tried to turn off the light and let my mind drift off (as Jeremy tells me to do). It doesn't work for me. I've tried it so many times.

Jeremy's mother brought a few Ambien from France. She had them for the plane ride. She gave me the rest because she saw how tired I always was. I've been chipping at them for months, lol. I only take a little piece when I'm desparate and it's 5:00 a.m. or so. Most doctors I've gone to said that they don't like prescribing sleeping meds because the person often gets dependent on them. I'll just buy the herbs. I'll let you know if it works.

Originally posted by Sage
The one thing I do not do being as sleepless as
I am, is get up and do something when I can't sleep.
I am the type person that if I get out of bed one night
at 3am to read, I'll wake up every night at 3am to read.
I have a very good built in alarm clock.
I just lay there and try my best to relax and drift
back to sleep.

The most annoying form of insomnia I can suffer
with is the type where I will wake every hour on the hour.
It leaves me feeling so tired the next day.

Good point. Each person has to find out what works for them.

For me, sometimes (but not every night), if I've left work undone, it contributes to my sleeplessness. If that's the case, if I just get up and get my work done, I tend to fall asleep better. I'm lucky in that usually once I do fall asleep, I'm fine. I don't recall ever waking up every hour. Sage, that must be so tiring.

Originally posted by whisper
Jeremy's mother brought a few Ambien from France. She had them for the plane ride. She gave me the rest because she saw how tired I always was. I've been chipping at them for months, lol. I only take a little piece when I'm desparate and it's 5:00 a.m. or so. Most doctors I've gone to said that they don't like prescribing sleeping meds because the person often gets dependent on them. I'll just buy the herbs. I'll let you know if it works.

As far as Ambien becoming addictive, I haven't had a problem. I've been using it on and off for years. I think the key is to make sure it doesn't become a habit. For me, if I go through a few nights of sleeplessness, it becomes even harder to fall asleep and my insomnia escalates. That's when I find it's most helpful to take an Ambien. I find it's effective without making you feel drugged or 'hung over' the next day. A friend of mine uses it too and she finds it's helpful.

BTW, what herbs do you find most helpful? I've heard Chamomile is good but it never made any difference to me.

Originally posted by AdirondackHiker

BTW, what herbs do you find most helpful? I've heard Chamomile is good but it never made any difference to me.
Camomile never worked well for me, either, ....even the European camomile.

I've had some success with hops, valerian root (although too much valerian can create nausea the following day), skullcap, passion flower, linden flower, and fennel. I also take calcium and magnesium sometimes. The herbal sleep enhancement teas don't work for me, either.....not unless I add a little of "Oma's famous Klosterfraumelissengeist" to it;)

Originally posted by whisper
Maybe this thread should be in the health section.

I have had insomnia for as long as I can remember, even when I was a little girl. I used to sneak and read books under my blanket with a flashlight.

I have tried everything. I can't get my mind to slow down. I have to trick my mind into thinking that I'm not trying to fall asleep. While watching t.v., I sometimes fall asleep because my mind knows that I'm not *trying* to fall asleep. It is just *weird* - I have to play games with my mind in order to make myself think that I'm not trying to go to sleep.


YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You've nailed it!!!


I always have this problem too. When i sleep it's easier to fall asleep due to the lack of thinking. I thought i was the only one who did this. Reading also helps fall asleep sometimes. Though going to sleep and just lying there in the dark...my mind tends to think about all sorts of things. Sometimes i could just be lying there from 3-4 hours cause my brain is also not slowed down.

I remember when i was younger and i learned to "trick" my brain for certain situations. For example if i were to go to an amusement park the next morning, i wouldn't think about it going to sleep because if i did i'd be up all night. Going to bed i would try to block out any mental stimulation or excitement. I dont know it this makes sense to other people.

in conclusion...you're not the only one.:D

Originally posted by MrsHedgeHog
By the way, unusual sleep patterns and insomnia have been linked to high IQs, if anyone's interested ;)

COOL!:cool: :D

Manofmisteree, I am going to go and make myself some herbal tea right now! It probably won't do much good, but it's all I've got; I forgot to buy herbs today (typical).

Originally posted by whisper
Manofmisteree, I am going to go and make myself some herbal tea right now! It probably won't do much good, but it's all I've got; I forgot to buy herbs today (typical).

Best of luck to you. I just took a 2 hour nap so i may be up till 12 or 1 am:( .

That Klosterfraumelissengeist is starting to sound good.:D

Geez, what a name!

hmm...try meletonin...that worked for me in all the jet lag i went through ...try it..you may like it !

Originally posted by Amina315
My question is...do any of you feel like your insomnia has had a serious negative impact on your relationship, education, job, etc?

Amina i cannot answer that question from the perspective of someone suffering from Insomnia but i was the opposite...i selpt too much and i couldn't ever get enough sleep..I became very lazy and weak.

It effected my education hugely. My attendance was extremely poor hence my grades suffered. Lucky for me i decided to take a year out before i continue with school next year...so i will be doing a part-time course before my next academic year so i can gain more credits to get into a better university.

I went to the doctors and had a blood test. Turned out that i am aneamic, I've been precribed tablets and I have to say that they have helped.

Originally posted by Amina315


I find it especially horrible b/c I work two jobs and am very busy...so the only time I have to get sleep is in that very short window of time at night. It has gotten to the point where once I leave my first job it seems like a count down..because before I know it, it's midnight and I'm not asleep and I'm getting panicked because I know I have to be up at 6 and function at a high level until late at night...

I can also be particularly evil if my SO distrubs my sleep b/c it's so rare that I actually do get to sleep...so when I do I really flip out if anyone wakes me up.
This describes me exactly! I just hate it. Poor Jeremy......if he accidently wakes me up, I'm like Mr. Hyde (from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) - it's terrible. I don't mean to react like that.

I do the same thing that you do......I get panicked thinking about having to wake up in the morning and get so worried about falling asleep that it becomes even more impossible.

Ravenmagdalene here at Agelesslove encouraged me to go back to a doctor for it. The doctor prescribed Atarax (an antihistamine - I'd told him I was taking Benedryl), and it has helped me; it's not perfect, but it does help.

Meena, it's so good that you went to a doctor. I was anemic once and after I took the iron for 3 months, I was fine. You will feel so much better!

I hope they found out what was causing your anemia. I was a size 2 at that time and wasn't eating enough, I think. I was in a horrible marriage and never had much of an appetite (now it's the opposite, lol).

Let us know when you start feeing better.

Originally posted by Amina315
He will get phone calls all night long and be in and out of the bed for his work...each time his phone rings I am awake..each time he gets up...leaves, comes back, etc...That would be torture for me. Is there no solution? You'd both be so much happier if you could find some kind of a solution to that problem. Too bad there's not some kind of a silent, vibrating phone that he could wear on his body when he goes to sleep....then, he could silently slither out of bed so that he wouldn't disturb you. Then again, by the time he'd get out of the bed and go into another room to answer the phone, the caller would probably have hung up.

I'm a fulltime caretaker for my ailing, elderly mother. Whenever she beeps me in the middle of the night (she can no longer walk and sometimes falls out of bed), I am up for the rest of the night or most of the rest of the night. Fortunately (for her *and* me), it doesn't happen all the time or I'd certainly turn into a zombie.

Is there not a solution for you? It would be sad if you had to sleep in separate rooms, but you do have to find some kind of a solution before your relationship and/or your health are destroyed.

I hate info-mercials! I hate the snow! I hate religion t.v. at odd hours!! I need remedy for my sleep dis-order...I worry about bills and such at the end and beginning of each month....i usually am ok when my finances are handled
phew!
that is why I have insomnia!
Yvette

Amina, let us know what you finally come up with.

I have had trouble sleeping for many years. I was getting by on 3 hours of sleep per night for a long while and it has stretched out some now, but it varies. Sometimes it seems i have barely gotten to sleep when I wake and need to visit the bathroom. By the time I am back in bed I again have the difficult problem of shutting off and going to sleep. There are nights that i have to get up 2 or 3 times, and that shoots down any REM sleep. I am a diabetic and that is the reason for the have to get up thing. But even when i was a child, I remember that after so long of trying to sleep and not making it, I felt my bed was litterally throwing me out. My body became so uncomfortable that i couldn't stay in bed any more. On some nights like that, i have been able to lay on the couch or sit in a chair and fall asleep. I took the melatonin when it was going around that it helped. But it didn't help me. I already take Aleve (2) at night before bed for my arthritis, so I couldn't take more pills. I am interested in the herbs whisper was talking about. Of course, with diabetes, I can't use alcohol either. :confused:

Silverlasha, I definately relate to what you wrote. I keep forgetting to take the herbs, though. I have to make it a routine each night.

Here it is 1:30 in the morning and I feel like I could jump up out of bed and run around or dance! Jeremy is lying here next to me sleeping like a baby, while I sit here typing on my laptop. I should turn this computer off; it seems to rev me up even more.