Terrible Insomnia?

PJFAN_seattle

Does anyone else get terrible insomnia? I usually can't fall asleep until atleast 4am, and then I can barely function at school. My wonderful father has it too.
How do you guys function with so little sleep??

LikeAnOcean

A few glasses of wine before bed does it for me.. I used to get it on and off pretty bad.


This girl I just started seeing barely get 3 hrs a night. I don't know how she does it.


Insomnia is hell.

PJFAN_seattle

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few glasses of wine before bed does it for me.. I used to get it on and off pretty bad.


This girl I just started seeing barely get 3 hrs a night. I don't know how she does it.


Insomnia is hell.

Haha well wine isn't an option for me, my dad has some sleeping pills that he sometimes lets me used, but I don't like those cuz then its too hard to wake up

Sucks for your girlfriend! I get usually atleast 4 hours and feel awful all day.

12345AGNST1

I always have trouble falling asleep. Lately however I've been falling asleep faster, but it's only on occasion.

I would honestly just learn to deal with it. I heard sleeping pills just make it even harder to fall asleep when you're not on them. Question: are you always tired?

pumpkinhead

I have the same problem. Now I work night shift at a hospital-so now its good. When I do need to sleep at a normal hour I take a Benadryl. Puts me to sleep. This is an old nurses trick. A lot of hospital workers use it. It's cheap (you can buy the generic brand) no hangover effect, not addictive. no bad side effects. Benadryl is used mostly as an anti-itching remedy and for babies. Try it. You'll like it. I've been using it off and on for decades. Take it about 1 hour before you want to go to sleep. It takes that long to kick in.

Paka

people, fuck those drugs. I had tough problems with sleeping. for a while the falling asleep was a problem and then (and still) the waking up doesn't work that well - I feel like a rock in the morning.
taking pills'n'shit is just helping for the moment but wont do it in the long term. it'll even make it worse. grapple with your psyche partypeople. meditate. listen to and think about the messages and signs your body is giving you and don't just ignore them by consumption of bullsh. we should get rid of this kinky western tradition.

pumpkinhead

Paka wrote:

people, fuck those drugs. I had tough problems with sleeping. for a while the falling asleep was a problem and then (and still) the waking up doesn't work that well - I feel like a rock in the morning.
taking pills'n'shit is just helping for the moment but wont do it in the long term. it'll even make it worse. grapple with your psyche partypeople. meditate. listen to and think about the messages and signs your body is giving you and don't just ignore them by consumption of bullsh. we should get rid of this kinky western tradition.

Dude I'm not talking about drugs like Ambien. I'm talking about Benadryl. Do you know what it is? Look it UP!

theserialthrilla

it can be loads of things that make you stay awake...my mind goes crazy somenights just thinking about crap.gets worse when you have kids..but try different things.some helped me..only use 1 pillow worked for a bit..read before bed until your eyes get heavy..wine can make you stay awake ive found so dont think your missing out on that one..and do not eat to late at night. do you play sports or at least an active person..if not thats part of it as well..ive slept better since ive taken up playing soccer again..


but in the end its a bitch and you got to do what you find best...sorry bud there is no easy answer.

Claireack

Had some really bad patches of insomnia.

Keeping to a nightly routine can help, stop drinking caffeine, lavender oil on your pillow, healthy eating and exercise, camomile tea. I usually have no problem getting to sleep, but wake up again shortly after. If you do this don't lie there, get up and read a book, don't lie there worrying about it. I could go on and on about sleeplessness. Have also had prescription medication for it which helps short term.

pandora

When you get to be my age terrible sleep kind of goes with the territory. Can't beat it then don't try to- I just get up and read or watch TV. I figure my body doesn't need more sleep.
Wine helps you relax and fall asleep if thats the problem but if its waking at 2 or 3 am and not falling back to sleep there isn't much you can do. I wish I could turn my mind off and sometimes TV will help with that and I will doze back off.

Who Princess

pumpkinhead wrote:

I have the same problem. Now I work night shift at a hospital-so now its good. When I do need to sleep at a normal hour I take a Benadryl. Puts me to sleep. This is an old nurses trick. A lot of hospital workers use it. It's cheap (you can buy the generic brand) no hangover effect, not addictive. no bad side effects. Benadryl is used mostly as an anti-itching remedy and for babies. Try it. You'll like it. I've been using it off and on for decades. Take it about 1 hour before you want to go to sleep. It takes that long to kick in.

This is what my husband uses for his insomnia. It seems to help him a lot.

I've had really bad insomnia off and on during my life. Mainly problems with falling asleep. It was very bad when I was a teenager and I would just lie awake in bed for what felt like half the night. Since then, I've had it at different times. I've started to have it again recently but I think it's because of medication I take for migraines.

What other people have suggested are good ideas. I also took a sleep medication for a short time but it made me feel very draggy the next day and I didn't like feeling dependent on it. Try to tone down your activity as you get close to bed time. If I'm wound up or excited I have trouble sleeping. I don't lie awake and worry as much as I did when I was younger but it took a lot of practice to teach myself not to do that. Mostly telling myself not to think about those things now, save it for tomorrow.

I also try to do something monotonous before I go to bed. It makes me sleepy. Reading helps a lot of people but I just get interested in what I'm reading and want to stay up. If you can think of something dull and repetitive to do before bed or when you can't sleep, try that and see if you start to get drowsy.

Good luck! Insomnia can really be a bitch. :evil:

81

when i can't sleep, i move to the couch and fall asleep like a baby. don't know why, but it works.

i've taken tylenol PM, but the next day is hell getting up.

Ms. Haiku

My insomnia rarely takes me past 2am. It's a drag. I'm started to think I just don't like my bedroom even though it's a nice quiet place. My couch is near the door so it's cold. I started to run more, so hopefully, that will help. Also, I removed caffeinated drinks from my diet, and it hasn't really stopped the insomnia, yet, but I can see a natural tiredness coming into play in the night down the road.

eyedclaar

Exhaust your body and your mind will follow. Push yourself out on the running trail, chop a cord of wood, wrestle an alligator, do something active!

mickeyrat

eyedclaar wrote:

Exhaust your body and your mind will follow. Push yourself out on the running trail, chop a cord of wood, wrestle an alligator, do something active!

Eyed, you for got "WORK IN AN ACID MINE"!!!!!!!!

youngster

Sometimes when I have difficulty falling asleep I just start reading a book. I know it's not hardcore like taking pills or getting blitzed, but it works for me.


About 3 pages in I just start drifting. Many times I don't even realize I fell asleep and wake up with the book on my chest.

eyedclaar

mickeyrat wrote:

eyedclaar wrote:

Exhaust your body and your mind will follow. Push yourself out on the running trail, chop a cord of wood, wrestle an alligator, do something active!

Eyed, you for got "WORK IN AN ACID MINE"!!!!!!!!

That's just for my child laborers. Trust me, they sleep like the dead. In fact, um... nevermind.

PJFAN_seattle

12345AGNST1 wrote:

I always have trouble falling asleep. Lately however I've been falling asleep faster, but it's only on occasion.

I would honestly just learn to deal with it. I heard sleeping pills just make it even harder to fall asleep when you're not on them. Question: are you always tired?

yeah im always tired prolly cuz i get no sleep lol
ive tried stuff like taking a bath, listening to relaxing music, etc nothing helps, except sleeping pills but then getting up is hard. I could try exercising more that might help

mickeyrat

eyedclaar wrote:

mickeyrat wrote:

eyedclaar wrote:

Exhaust your body and your mind will follow. Push yourself out on the running trail, chop a cord of wood, wrestle an alligator, do something active!

Eyed, you for got "WORK IN AN ACID MINE"!!!!!!!!

That's just for my child laborers. Trust me, they sleep like the dead. In fact, um... nevermind.

OP is like 17? Too old?

eyedclaar

mickeyrat wrote:

[OP is like 17? Too old?

Yeah, I have little use for teenagers. They spend the entire work shift trying to keep their baggy pants from falling of their non-existent ass.

rhcpjam1029

Claireack wrote:

Had some really bad patches of insomnia.

Keeping to a nightly routine can help, stop drinking caffeine, lavender oil on your pillow, healthy eating and exercise, camomile tea. I usually have no problem getting to sleep, but wake up again shortly after. If you do this don't lie there, get up and read a book, don't lie there worrying about it. I could go on and on about sleeplessness. Have also had prescription medication for it which helps short term.

i have the same problem...i'm able to fall asleep but once i do, the slightest of noises wakes me up. it could be my dog just scuffling around on the sheets, or the wind blowing outside. then after that, it's hell trying to go back to sleep. i'm still a teenager and need to wake up at 6:50 which is pretty hard to do when you go to bed at 11 and wake up again at 11:30. plus waking up at 6:50-7 is a bitch anyways.

there is one thing that has helped me frequently in the past...and the guys here should know what i'm talking about.

PJFAN_seattle

rhcpjam1029 wrote:

i have the same problem...i'm able to fall asleep but once i do, the slightest of noises wakes me up. it could be my dog just scuffling around on the sheets, or the wind blowing outside. then after that, it's hell trying to go back to sleep. i'm still a teenager and need to wake up at 6:50 which is pretty hard to do when you go to bed at 11 and wake up again at 11:30. plus waking up at 6:50-7 is a bitch anyways.

there is one thing that has helped me frequently in the past...and the guys here should know what i'm talking about.

i think we all know what you're talking about...

zootown

Het Kidd- you live in Seattle right? Well, I live in Missoula, and have struggled with the blues and accompanying insomnia for years. this year, on the advice of a homeopathic doc, I started taking Vitamin D3 everyday. This is the vitamin that our bodies naturally produce when our skin is exposed to sunlight--obviously something that is rare in the winter in the NW. So, the D3 helped me with both the blues and the sleep- you might give it a try! Good luck!

PJFAN_seattle

zootown wrote:

Het Kidd- you live in Seattle right? Well, I live in Missoula, and have struggled with the blues and accompanying insomnia for years. this year, on the advice of a homeopathic doc, I started taking Vitamin D3 everyday. This is the vitamin that our bodies naturally produce when our skin is exposed to sunlight--obviously something that is rare in the winter in the NW. So, the D3 helped me with both the blues and the sleep- you might give it a try! Good luck!

interesting, i will try it out thanks for the info

norm

PJ_kidd_9-21-22 wrote:

rhcpjam1029 wrote:

i have the same problem...i'm able to fall asleep but once i do, the slightest of noises wakes me up. it could be my dog just scuffling around on the sheets, or the wind blowing outside. then after that, it's hell trying to go back to sleep. i'm still a teenager and need to wake up at 6:50 which is pretty hard to do when you go to bed at 11 and wake up again at 11:30. plus waking up at 6:50-7 is a bitch anyways.

there is one thing that has helped me frequently in the past...and the guys here should know what i'm talking about.

i think we all know what you're talking about...

hot chocolate? :? :think:

oona left

Have you tried Melatonin?

Your body naturally produces it (converts it from serotonin) in response to darkness.

It is available as a supplement (note: not a drug). Take a 3 mg pill, cut it in half, and take it half an hour before going to bed. Works like a charm!

Exercise is good, too

Hammerdonkey

I use Ambien. I needed it after my brain surgery because my brain wasn't regulated for a long time.

Anyway, it works like a charm. No side effects other than a little memory loss during the time right before you fall asleep.

It's an incredible help to those of you like me that can stay wide awake until 3 or 4 in the morning.

WaveCameCrashin

No
I can't stay awake...

Flagg

Edit: Wrong thread!

Claireack

rhcpjam1029 wrote:

there is one thing that has helped me frequently in the past...and the guys here should know what i'm talking about.

Don't know if it works the same for girls, and I don't think my hubby would appreciate it - or then again he might :?

TravisTheSky

theserialthrilla wrote:

there is no easy answer.

After a dozen years with brutal insomnia, I found a VERY EASY ANSWER: Get the chemicals out! I stopped eating processed food and switched to organic. For over 6 years now, I've been sleeping like a baby! (I'm 36.) When I was younger, I was amazed that most people would just 'fall' asleep sitting up watching TV at night. It boggled my mind. How could others merely 'fall' asleep when I could not even sleep if I tried?!

Guess what? I now just fall asleep, sitting up, watching TV at night!!!! OH my gosh, I'm normal! I wake up after drifting off for several minutes, and realise, "Oops! Time to go to bed." So I go to bed and I sleeeeeeep. Such bliss.

My insomnia began when I was 17 like you. I was in senior year of high school and also working part-time. I thought that I couldn't sleep because of the stress. But I also drank a full bottle of "Caffeine Free Diet Coke" every evening. [Hand me my puke bucket! ] Could any substance possibly be more anti-health?

Anyway, I finally got the picture when I was 30. I developed a scary rapid heartbeat, so I thought that I had become intolerant of caffeine. I stopped drinking my beloved beverage COFFEE and my pulse was better. One day I accidentally drank organic coffee and my heart was symptom-free. Turns out I could drink as much organic coffee as my heart desired. (Fun pun) So I "Went organic" with all my food and bevs. My heart 'condition' never happened again ever! I slept every night, up to ten hours a night! And I lost 28 pounds, still eating whatever I loved as long as it was organic!

My insomnia was really poisoning from preservatives and flavourings and such.
I call that a very simple answer.