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Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 1:06:55 AM   
darklight17


Posts: 103
Joined: 3/30/2009
Status: offline 		Has anyone had any real luck with insomnia cures? I can't sleep...ever. I get like 2-3 hours a night, and those aren't even steady. I keep flipping from relaxed to a panic state, and it's just killing me. Here is what I've tried:

Tylenol PM- sort of makes my heart feel racy, and nothing too great.

Melatonin- awesome for the first week. No effects really after.

Ambien, Xanax, and something else- yes, I went to the doctor. She wanted to put me in the hospital for a sleep study. So I did, and they just released me 5 days later telling me that while I wasn't getting much, I should avoid the computer before bed (I do), not drink caffeine (I don't), and try relaxing.

I mean, I'm at the end of the line. I read a ton. Isn't that supposed to work?! If I drank more chamomile or sleepy time tea, I'd turn into a flower. Even taking baths is very relaxing, but not sleepy. I've even lined my room in soothing scented candles (which is nice anyway), but nothing.

What can I try still?

PS- First person to say warm milk gets shot in the face. j/k, but seriously, don't say that.

_____________________________

Philosopher's favorite t-shirt.. Front- Nietzsche: God is dead. Back- God: Nietzsche is dead.
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 1:08:27 AM   
BitaTruble


Posts: 9779
Joined: 1/12/2006
From: Texas
Status: offline 		I have the same trouble. Have you tried exercise before bedtime?

_____________________________

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Rock, paper, scissors."

He laughed. "You are the wisest woman I know."


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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 1:09:58 AM   
darklight17


Posts: 103
Joined: 3/30/2009
Status: offline 		I run a 5k every day. I walk all the time at night and such :(

< Message edited by darklight17 -- 5/14/2009 1:10:16 AM >

_____________________________

Philosopher's favorite t-shirt.. Front- Nietzsche: God is dead. Back- God: Nietzsche is dead.

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 1:12:42 AM   
slaveboyforyou


Posts: 3607
Joined: 1/6/2005
From: Arkansas, U.S.A.
Status: offline 		I've had chronic insomnia since I was a kid. I really don't go to sleep, I pass out. I've tried medications, I've tried exercise, I've tried changing my diet, blah, blah. I just learned to accept it; my body succumbs when it gets good and ready.

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 1:49:52 AM   
YoungBlondeSlave


Posts: 953
Joined: 2/7/2006
Status: offline 		i've had major issues with this as well. i'm not willing to use prescription sleep aids though because they cut down on the amount of REM sleep you get. That's the good, refreshing, rehabilitating kind. Also, they're addicting and cause lots of sleeping behaviors ie: sleepwalking, talking, driving (yes, really), eating, sex...etc.

i was once told to eat a baked potato right before bed, the Tryptophan in it (like in turkey) helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. i haven't tried it yet but, i've heard positive reports from those who have. i get home from work anywhere between 11pm and 2am and just don't feel like making one. i say give it a shot, a ten pound sack of potatoes is cheaper than Tylenol PM or whatever else there is. Otherwise, no ideas.

My problem is i'm so totally stressed out with work and school and pulling 12 hour days when i'm only scheduled for 8 really screws up my system. i'm definitely keeping up with this thread and see if i can garner any further ideas/strategies from others.

And, on that note. i think i may try to get some sleep. Goodnight A/all.

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 3:21:50 AM   
housesub4you


Posts: 1879
Joined: 4/2/2008
Status: offline 		Try having sex.  Puts most men right to sleep afterwords

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 5:02:56 AM   
DesFIP


Posts: 25191
Joined: 11/25/2007
From: Apple County NY
Status: offline 		Don't do anything in the bedroom except sex and sleep.
Get up and go read on the couch.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Including weekends.
No naps.
Meals at the same time every day.

You want to normalize your cycle, and some people are really sensitive to any interruptions in it.

_____________________________

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Cynical and proud of it!


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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 5:25:43 AM   
BrokenSaint


Posts: 301
Joined: 10/30/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP

Don't do anything in the bedroom except sex and sleep.
Get up and go read on the couch.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Including weekends.
No naps.
Meals at the same time every day.

You want to normalize your cycle, and some people are really sensitive to any interruptions in it.


This is sound advice. I've suffered from chronic sleep dysfunction my whole life, and this does tend to help to a certain extent. Do not exercise heavily right before bed. Just a good half hour or so of walking around or jogging would be sufficient, you're aiming for a moderate amount of activity, as strenuous and light, both will not help.

When all else fails I rely on my tried and true melatonin. It's OTC, and already in your body. It's easy and feels alot better than regular old sedatives. It's also however very easy to fight off. So no running around after you've taken it, park your butt on your bed for a half hour doing nothing.

Also if you're in bed, unable to sleep for a while. Get up. Laying in your bed awake only will hinder your future efforts.


_____________________________

In the name of progress,
In the name of madness
Drum beats faster
Crowd shouts louder
and chaos replaces order
VnV Nation - Nemesis

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 5:32:08 AM   
janiebelle


Posts: 332
Joined: 4/29/2009
Status: offline 		I have had luck with using a consistent "sleep cue".  Choose one CD (or DVD if you sleep with TV on) and play it low in the background when you settle in to go to sleep.  Use only the same CD, do not play it at other times.  If you don't fall out during the CD's first play, get up, try again in an hour or two.  Your brain eventually ignores the sound, and the mind wanders into sleep.
It's a form of hypnosis that works wonders for a lot of people.
j

(in reply to darklight17)
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 5:54:09 AM   
samboct


Posts: 1817
Joined: 1/17/2007
Status: offline 		You've gotten good advice for your sleep hygiene from the above posters- but nobody's addressing the underlying cause.  Sounds to me like you've got some type of anxiety disorder that may benefit from some talk therapy.  You've tried the pharma approach- doesn't seem to be helping.  Go find a good shrink.  Try the American Psychoanalytic Association as a start.

Sam

(in reply to janiebelle)
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 6:07:58 AM   
CatdeMedici


Posts: 2257
Joined: 10/20/2008
Status: offline 		DON'T:
 
Exercise after 6PM
Eat after 7PM
Read in bed
Watch TV in bed
Drink tea, no matter how caffeine free it is, it isn't
Drink coffee after 3
Tylenol PM etc have traces of scopalamines in them which is a stimulant
 
 
DO:
 
Develop a relaxation visual, some place you can go in your mind free from clutter, etc, concentrate, feel it, enjoy it. I go to the porch on an old farmhouse, when I look right, there is a small red barn, when I look left its a field lined with trees etc, when I look ahead, its grass loaded with daisies--the weather is always perfect, there is a gentle breeze--I've done it so much, when I can't sleep, Im off in less than 5 minutes.

_____________________________

I am the Cat, holder of the whip and chair.

"Let's see-whips, dips, chains, chips, yep sounds like a party to Me!"

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 6:52:58 AM   
NuevaVida


Posts: 6707
Joined: 8/5/2008
Status: offline 		Great advice so far.  When I was suffering from severe insomnia (2-3 hours a night), Lunesta was the only drug I could take without notable side effects.  Meditation also helped me.

That said, I learned the reasons for my own insomnia were all emotional.  Once I was able to overcome the hidden demons keeping me awake, I began sleeping more soundly.  I'm up to about 6-7 hours a night now.  Since you said you go into a panic state, I wonder if the reasons for your lack of sleep are emotional, also.


_____________________________

Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly.



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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 6:55:48 AM   
Mercnbeth


Posts: 11766
Status: offline 		you could try marijuana.
 
Washington State has medicinal laws that do not provide for insomnia as a basis for affirmative defense, but you could petition the Department Of Health to recognize you as a medicinal marijuana user, anyway, so that you would be in accordance with state laws...should it work for you.
 
this slave makes cannabis butter, then makes edibles (like brownies or cake) to be eaten at bed time.  it makes all the difference in the world between getting 2-3 hours of sleep or 6-8, like a normal person.
 
best of luck to you.

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 8:22:29 AM   
marie2


Posts: 1690
Joined: 11/4/2008
From: Jersey
Status: offline 		For me daily exercise helps, not right before bed, but at some point during the day.  I like Tylenol PMs too.  But sometimes I toss and turn even through those.  The best thing I've found so far...believe it or not...is to read before bed. 

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 8:44:53 AM   
flcouple2009


Posts: 2784
Joined: 1/8/2009
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: slaveboyforyou

I've had chronic insomnia since I was a kid. I really don't go to sleep, I pass out. I've tried medications, I've tried exercise, I've tried changing my diet, blah, blah. I just learned to accept it; my body succumbs when it gets good and ready.


That's the way things always worked for me.  I would go days getting at best 2 or 3 hours a night then come home from work one evening and just pass out at like 6 and sleep till 7 the next morning.  Then start it back all over again.  Nothing ever worked to help me sleep.  As I've gotten older the insomnia has eased up a little.  Now I get 4 or 5 hours a night, lol. 

(in reply to slaveboyforyou)
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 11:29:55 AM   
Arpig


Posts: 9930
Joined: 1/3/2006
From: Increasingly further from reality
Status: offline 		I also have heard that eating chicken or turkey before bed can help. Years ago I asked at a traditional chinese herbalists shop about insomnia aids (nothing else had worked, so what the hell, eh?) and they sold me something called "pearl pills" which worked rather well (not really sure why I stopped taking them though, likely the cost, though I can't recall how cheap or expensive they were, it was a looooong time ago)

_____________________________

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Ha Ha...Charade you are!

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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 3:42:51 PM   
LafayetteLady


Posts: 7683
Joined: 5/2/2007
From: Northern New Jersey
Status: offline 		You don't say how long this has been going on.  I get the feeling that it hasn't been a "forever" kind of thing like some of the people here have experienced. Everyone suffers from sleeplessness on occasion.  It does sound like you might have some added stress in your life lately that could be the cause.  Of coure, not being able to get to sleep raises your stress and makes it worse.  My life has a LOT of stress and I often have bouts of insomnia.  Things work at first, then stop.  One thing is to alternate things you find to work.  Melatonin works just for a week, so take it for a week, then move on to something else, while your body resets itself to not having the extra melatonin.  Have you tried Benadryl or other antihistamines?  Sometimes they will give you some relief on a short time basis.  Ambien doesn't work for everyone.  I know that was one of the ones that didn't work for very long with me, and since it is mad expensive, I don't bother with it.  If you can figure out what might be stressing you out, that would be a good first step.  Learning how to turn some of the stress off temporarily is a lot more difficult.  It took me a long time to learn how to "shut down" at night and it isn't always possible.

To my knowledge, it is pretty unusual for Xanax to not help.  It is typically prescribed in very low doses and that might have been the problem.  Of course, you could also be stressing with the "God, I hope this works" making everything ineffective.  All of the suggestions are great, I've tried a lot of them with some success.  A big one is not staying in bed watching the time pass on the clock.  If possible, try taking a few days off from work, and let your body decide when it will go to sleep.  Some believe that will "reset" your body clock.  Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet. 

Keep in mind there are many different types of insomnia.  The inability to fall asleep, to stay asleep, to get restful sleep are all different.  Lavender is supposed to be relaxing.  I haven't found it helpful, but you might.  I feel for you, I really do.  Figuring out WHY you are suddenly having trouble sleeping will be the best way to finding a way to get to sleep.  Good luck!

(in reply to Arpig)
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 3:51:52 PM   
darklight17


Posts: 103
Joined: 3/30/2009
Status: offline 		Actually I was narcoleptic as a teenager, and I think the effects of provigil are catching up to me. This has been going on awhile now- 4-5 years- and I don't see it passing. Now these pearl pills sound right up my alley.

As for Xanax- it does help somethings...like if you take enough, you don't care that you aren't sleeping. I have a neverending supply of that one due to social anxiety, but addictive drugs aren't exactly my solution for anything, even in the short term.

Benedryl and Tylenol PM are the same thing as far as sleep is concerned.

Time off of work just isn't going to happen due to the nature of the beast. I love working though, and I'd die before I stopped doing what I do.

Thank you all for the suggestions and stories. I'm going to look up these pearl pills which sound decent. Due to my philo degree, I feel like I have to trust men with decent beards.

_____________________________

Philosopher's favorite t-shirt.. Front- Nietzsche: God is dead. Back- God: Nietzsche is dead.

(in reply to LafayetteLady)
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RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 6:14:36 PM   
LookieNoNookie


Posts: 12216
Joined: 8/9/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: darklight17

Has anyone had any real luck with insomnia cures? I can't sleep...ever. I get like 2-3 hours a night, and those aren't even steady. I keep flipping from relaxed to a panic state, and it's just killing me. Here is what I've tried:

Tylenol PM- sort of makes my heart feel racy, and nothing too great.

Melatonin- awesome for the first week. No effects really after.

Ambien, Xanax, and something else- yes, I went to the doctor. She wanted to put me in the hospital for a sleep study. So I did, and they just released me 5 days later telling me that while I wasn't getting much, I should avoid the computer before bed (I do), not drink caffeine (I don't), and try relaxing.

I mean, I'm at the end of the line. I read a ton. Isn't that supposed to work?! If I drank more chamomile or sleepy time tea, I'd turn into a flower. Even taking baths is very relaxing, but not sleepy. I've even lined my room in soothing scented candles (which is nice anyway), but nothing.

What can I try still?

PS- First person to say warm milk gets shot in the face. j/k, but seriously, don't say that.


Been there, done that.

Did the study....mask....snorkel...all the graphs....

Had a great bed frame built...better....not perfect.

Gonna look next week at the Sleep Number bed,,,heard it's fabulous.

Looking at your picture...you're young....ya have to solve this in the near term.

We can't talk about herbs here...verbotten....but I've heard it's very effective.....not that I would personally know of course...but I've been told it's highly effective.

(Naturally, I would never suggest such a thing...speaking strictly from a medicinal frame of reference)....

However, if one found such a thing to be useful (through various medical references....for sleep only), I would encourage all things which might open doors (or close them) as to sleep.

That being aside...

I've heard over and over again that the "Sleep Number" bed is a very useful tool as to same.

I've been meaning to go check it out personally.

I'm told they're very expensive beds....but I've also been told they last for 30+ years.

A bed is a wise investment under any conditions....more so, like a decent car, with your situation.

For the record....I did estazolam ("Prosom"), I did all the over the counter pills (they actually can work, so long as you don't abuse them)....and...for the record....I got hooked on estazolam (did it for 12 years), and it's like coming off of Heroin when you opt to become a naturalized human.

Don't do it.

Find a good bed.

(And a good looking woman who gives blow jobs often).

I'm not sure if the blow jobs will do the trick....but....

('couldn't hurt :) )





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Profile   Post #: 19
RE: Insomnia... - 5/14/2009 6:40:35 PM   
Aylee


Posts: 24103
Joined: 10/14/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: darklight17

Has anyone had any real luck with insomnia cures? I can't sleep...ever. I get like 2-3 hours a night, and those aren't even steady. I keep flipping from relaxed to a panic state, and it's just killing me. Here is what I've tried:

Tylenol PM- sort of makes my heart feel racy, and nothing too great.

Melatonin- awesome for the first week. No effects really after.

Ambien, Xanax, and something else- yes, I went to the doctor. She wanted to put me in the hospital for a sleep study. So I did, and they just released me 5 days later telling me that while I wasn't getting much, I should avoid the computer before bed (I do), not drink caffeine (I don't), and try relaxing.

I mean, I'm at the end of the line. I read a ton. Isn't that supposed to work?! If I drank more chamomile or sleepy time tea, I'd turn into a flower. Even taking baths is very relaxing, but not sleepy. I've even lined my room in soothing scented candles (which is nice anyway), but nothing.

What can I try still?

PS- First person to say warm milk gets shot in the face. j/k, but seriously, don't say that.


I have had sleep difficulties since I was a child.  Nothing worked.  A few years ago they did do a sleep study on me.  (When the sleep problems first popped up, sleep studies were not popular.)  It was a one night thing.

They sent me to the sleep doctor here in town, a pulminary care physician.  She prescribed Restoril.  The generic name is Temazepam.  The stuff takes about an hour to kick in, but it works wonders. 

I suggest making a list of EVERYTHING that you have tried, and taking it back to your sleep doctor.  Xhe should be able to prescribe something.

One more note:  Alcohal WILL put you to sleep.  It is not the best idea, but if you are having several nights of not sleeping, you will get some sleep.  There are side-effects, of course. 

_____________________________

Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

I don’t always wgah’nagl fhtagn. But when I do, I ph’nglui mglw’nafh R’lyeh.

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