The Insomnia Thread - #TeamNoSleep

ldent42

Sorry I couldn't pick a title and I've become a big fan of smartass hashtags.

Anyway I know I'm not the only one on here struggling with insomnia. Anyone wanna share? (their Ambien...kidding...mostly)
I'm pretty sure the melatonin I took 5 hours ago was actually speed. Damn you second tier vitamin brand!

PJ_Soul

I have terrible bouts of insomnia sometimes and trouble sleeping all the time. I've tried everything for years (please no suggestions - i already know them all, lol). I think i must nust have a badly broken internal clock. Can't sleep right now. Have to wake up in 5.5 hours and it's still just not happening. :( It can really make life difficult at times. (:|

ldent42

Yea. I hear ya. I need to be up in 4 but I'm just sitting here twitching. If I wasn't concerned with making too much noise I'd have given up on sleep entirely tonight & started cleaning. And my cable box took a shit earlier so I'm just trolling the forum :-D

PJ_Soul

2.5 hours last night. :((

ldent42

Did you ever try ambien, PJ Soul??
I used to take it when it was super duper imperative that I wake at a certain time and be alert and functional, like if I had a test or a meeting or project first thing. Very rarely did I use it more than once in a week, and usually even less than that. Unfortunately, it stopped working, and the night it did was not fun at all.

brianlux

I'm not a big fan of hashtags but I should be a charter member of this club, hahaha!

I had a doc years ago who prescribed Ambien for me and it did help me sleep but upon waking after taking that drug I always felt like I was coming out of a coma and it left me zombified for half the next day. Now, if I can't sleep I grab a good book and read until my eyes can't stay open. For me, a few hours of natural sleep feels better than a drug induced coma.

2.5 hours is all PJ_Soul? Bummer! You have my sympathies big time!

PJ_Soul

ldent42 said:

Did you ever try ambien, PJ Soul??
I used to take it when it was super duper imperative that I wake at a certain time and be alert and functional, like if I had a test or a meeting or project first thing. Very rarely did I use it more than once in a week, and usually even less than that. Unfortunately, it stopped working, and the night it did was not fun at all.

Yes, I've tried it. Didn't really work. Just put me to sleep for a couple hours and then i'd wake up feeling all fucked up (just like every other sleeping pill, if it made me fall asleep at all). Le sigh.
For the most part I'm just used to this, and actually have pretty amazing stamina, all things considered. But sometimes it gets worse than usual (like this week), and it get truly bad. One time I went 4 full days without any sleep. @-) I felt like fucking Tyler Durden. ) I recall walking down the sidewalk and just falling over 4 times within a couple blocks, and then just started weeping. X_X But fortunately it's not normally anywhere near that severe!

chadwick

i have sleep issues.

chadwick

<..

PJ_Soul

brianlux said:

I'm not a big fan of hashtags but I should be a charter member of this club, hahaha!

I had a doc years ago who prescribed Ambien for me and it did help me sleep but upon waking after taking that drug I always felt like I was coming out of a coma and it left me zombified for half the next day. Now, if I can't sleep I grab a good book and read until my eyes can't stay open. For me, a few hours of natural sleep feels better than a drug induced coma.

2.5 hours is all PJ_Soul? Bummer! You have my sympathies big time!

Thanks! At least it's Friday.
Yes, I normally read too... but I don't feel like I can't keep my eyes open any longer until maybe 3am, lol. Although that gives me a little less than 4 hrs sleep.... so that's not that bad?? :-S
The think that worries me most about my seemingly incurable (so far) sleep disorder is all the shit I keep hearing about how getting enough sleep makes you live longer and reduces your risk of all kinds of diseases and even dementia in old age (not to mention looking older) because sleep is when your body repairs itself. If you're not sleeping enough, you're like a car that doesn't get maintained. Yikes.

Enkidu

I'm in the club. Sonata worked for me for a while and no funky hangover feeling in the morning. Then suddenly it stopped working.

PJ_Soul

Enkidu said:

I'm in the club. Sonata worked for me for a while and no funky hangover feeling in the morning. Then suddenly it stopped working.

Pretty sure that's what happens with all sleeping pills (as well as melatonin). Your body just builds up an immunity to all of it. They call these pills non-habit forming, but I say that's bullshit. Okay, you won't suffer actual withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it, but I figure that anything that forces you to incrementally increase the dosages beyond what's recommended for it to keep working IS habit forming, at least if you want to sleep.

lukin2006

Yup ... Life long sufferer of never getting enough sleep at night, not sure I'd call it insomnia but I only get a few hours sleep a night and the odd time I'm up almight.

brianlux

PJ_Soul said:

brianlux said:

I'm not a big fan of hashtags but I should be a charter member of this club, hahaha!

I had a doc years ago who prescribed Ambien for me and it did help me sleep but upon waking after taking that drug I always felt like I was coming out of a coma and it left me zombified for half the next day. Now, if I can't sleep I grab a good book and read until my eyes can't stay open. For me, a few hours of natural sleep feels better than a drug induced coma.

2.5 hours is all PJ_Soul? Bummer! You have my sympathies big time!

Thanks! At least it's Friday.
Yes, I normally read too... but I don't feel like I can't keep my eyes open any longer until maybe 3am, lol. Although that gives me a little less than 4 hrs sleep.... so that's not that bad?? :-S
The think that worries me most about my seemingly incurable (so far) sleep disorder is all the shit I keep hearing about how getting enough sleep makes you live longer and reduces your risk of all kinds of diseases and even dementia in old age (not to mention looking older) because sleep is when your body repairs itself. If you're not sleeping enough, you're like a car that doesn't get maintained. Yikes.

Do you take naps? I'm also a little concerned about that as well. I would worry less about that if I could take naps (which I only do once or twice a year)- at least that would add to the total hours of sleep. I read somewhere that in some cultures especially pre-industrial and pre-agricultural cultures, humans didn't sleep through the night but actually slept off and on day and night.

PJ_Soul

brianlux said:

PJ_Soul said:

brianlux said:

I'm not a big fan of hashtags but I should be a charter member of this club, hahaha!

I had a doc years ago who prescribed Ambien for me and it did help me sleep but upon waking after taking that drug I always felt like I was coming out of a coma and it left me zombified for half the next day. Now, if I can't sleep I grab a good book and read until my eyes can't stay open. For me, a few hours of natural sleep feels better than a drug induced coma.

2.5 hours is all PJ_Soul? Bummer! You have my sympathies big time!

Thanks! At least it's Friday.
Yes, I normally read too... but I don't feel like I can't keep my eyes open any longer until maybe 3am, lol. Although that gives me a little less than 4 hrs sleep.... so that's not that bad?? :-S
The think that worries me most about my seemingly incurable (so far) sleep disorder is all the shit I keep hearing about how getting enough sleep makes you live longer and reduces your risk of all kinds of diseases and even dementia in old age (not to mention looking older) because sleep is when your body repairs itself. If you're not sleeping enough, you're like a car that doesn't get maintained. Yikes.

Do you take naps? I'm also a little concerned about that as well. I would worry less about that if I could take naps (which I only do once or twice a year)- at least that would add to the total hours of sleep. I read somewhere that in some cultures especially pre-industrial and pre-agricultural cultures, humans didn't sleep through the night but actually slept off and on day and night.

I actually have a nap room at my office. ) So I try to nap for half an hour or whatever every day, but it's not really nap. More like resting my tired eyes for a bit. :P Still, it helps me get through the rest of the day.

Lukin2006, I'd say it definitely sounds like you have insomnia or some other kind of sleep disorder unless you are one of those VERY rare people who for some reason actually only physically need a few hour's of sleep to be at their best. My grade 3 teacher was like that.

lukin2006

PJ_Soul said:

brianlux said:

PJ_Soul said:

brianlux said:

I'm not a big fan of hashtags but I should be a charter member of this club, hahaha!

I had a doc years ago who prescribed Ambien for me and it did help me sleep but upon waking after taking that drug I always felt like I was coming out of a coma and it left me zombified for half the next day. Now, if I can't sleep I grab a good book and read until my eyes can't stay open. For me, a few hours of natural sleep feels better than a drug induced coma.

2.5 hours is all PJ_Soul? Bummer! You have my sympathies big time!

Thanks! At least it's Friday.
Yes, I normally read too... but I don't feel like I can't keep my eyes open any longer until maybe 3am, lol. Although that gives me a little less than 4 hrs sleep.... so that's not that bad?? :-S
The think that worries me most about my seemingly incurable (so far) sleep disorder is all the shit I keep hearing about how getting enough sleep makes you live longer and reduces your risk of all kinds of diseases and even dementia in old age (not to mention looking older) because sleep is when your body repairs itself. If you're not sleeping enough, you're like a car that doesn't get maintained. Yikes.

Do you take naps? I'm also a little concerned about that as well. I would worry less about that if I could take naps (which I only do once or twice a year)- at least that would add to the total hours of sleep. I read somewhere that in some cultures especially pre-industrial and pre-agricultural cultures, humans didn't sleep through the night but actually slept off and on day and night.

I actually have a nap room at my office. ) So I try to nap for half an hour or whatever every day, but it's not really nap. More like resting my tired eyes for a bit. :P Still, it helps me get through the rest of the day.

Lukin2006, I'd say it definitely sounds like you have insomnia or some other kind of sleep disorder unless you are one of those VERY rare people who for some reason actually only physically need a few hour's of sleep to be at their best. My grade 3 teacher was like that.

I'd prefer to be one of those people that could easily sleep 8-9 hours a night, or be a sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

PJ Soul a nap room, that's nice...I'd take advantage of that.

brianlux

Two days straight waking up after not enough sleep with intense lower back pain. Ice and ibuprofen. Zombie mornings and long nights...

PJ_Soul

Brian, that suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Maybe go get a prescription for some Naproxin for the back? It's a pretty harmless drug but works fairly well for that kind of pain (it it's not debilitating) and doesn't affect your brain during the day.

brianlux

Two day

PJ_Soul said:

Brian, that suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Maybe go get a prescription for some Naproxin for the back? It's a pretty harmless drug but works fairly well for that kind of pain (it it's not debilitating) and doesn't affect your brain during the day.

Thanks, PJ_Soul. Unfortunately, I've tried that "little blue pill" as C. calls it and it's never done a thing for me. Ice and ibuprofen seems to be the only things that will help until I can get in to see my chiropractor and hope my kidney or liver or whatever the pain reliever it affects will forgive me. What a strange configuration the upright human body is. All that weight an wear and tear on an upright frame. Mother Nature, what the HECK where you thinking? :-))

PJ_Soul

Lol. I'm pretty sure ibuprofen is only bad for the kidneys, not the liver. So no worries, you have two kidneys.
Yes, evolution fucked up on that one for sure!

brianlux

PJ_Soul said:

Lol. I'm pretty sure ibuprofen is only bad for the kidneys, not the liver. So no worries, you have two kidneys.
Yes, evolution fucked up on that one for sure!

)

Annafalk

Sometimes I have problems sleeping and I have come to realize it's because I'm in the wrong mood.
It's very hard to sleep if you are stressed, angry or feel bad in some way. It's important to be in a peaceful mood to feel forgiveness and at least some optimism.
I know I'm good at stating the obvious but still

PJ_Soul

Annafalk said:

Sometimes I have problems sleeping and I have come to realize it's because I'm in the wrong mood.
It's very hard to sleep if you are stressed, angry or feel bad in some way. It's important to be in a peaceful mood to feel forgiveness and at least some optimism.
I know I'm good at stating the obvious but still

Yes, stress and anxiety has a profound effect on sleep!
But for me, i suspect that happiness and contentment is just as much a cause of my insomnia. I have a strong feeling that I subconsciously reject sleep because it's such a waste of good living time, lol.

Annafalk

PJ_Soul said:

Annafalk said:

Sometimes I have problems sleeping and I have come to realize it's because I'm in the wrong mood.
It's very hard to sleep if you are stressed, angry or feel bad in some way. It's important to be in a peaceful mood to feel forgiveness and at least some optimism.
I know I'm good at stating the obvious but still

Yes, stress and anxiety has a profound effect on sleep!
But for me, i suspect that happiness and contentment is just as much a cause of my insomnia. I have a strong feeling that I subconsciously reject sleep because it's such a waste of good living time, lol.

Hahaha...it's great that you are excited about your life

ldent42

brianlux said:

Two days straight waking up after not enough sleep with intense lower back pain. Ice and ibuprofen. Zombie mornings and long nights...

I know that feel, bro

I can barely walk today. I finally got an MRI this week. Hopefully I'll have a diagnosis and a plan to fix it by the end of next week. Is one of your vertebrates trying to escape from your spine? That's what it looked like to me on the x-ray. But the Chiropractor was yappin' in my ear about how he could fix me right up in a couple sessions and I won't need to see the physical therapist and blah blah blah. I'm sure he had a bridge for sale too.

I feel like a fool for not taking the pain pills when he offered them. I just felt uncomfortable accepting a prescription from some dude i'd met for about 30 seconds.

brianlux

ldent42 said:

brianlux said:

Two days straight waking up after not enough sleep with intense lower back pain. Ice and ibuprofen. Zombie mornings and long nights...

I know that feel, bro

I can barely walk today. I finally got an MRI this week. Hopefully I'll have a diagnosis and a plan to fix it by the end of next week. Is one of your vertebrates trying to escape from your spine? That's what it looked like to me on the x-ray. But the Chiropractor was yappin' in my ear about how he could fix me right up in a couple sessions and I won't need to see the physical therapist and blah blah blah. I'm sure he had a bridge for sale too.

I feel like a fool for not taking the pain pills when he offered them. I just felt uncomfortable accepting a prescription from some dude i'd met for about 30 seconds.

Sorry to hear about your back issues, Ident42. I had a friend who had back surgery and it helped big-time even though most of his friends warned him against it. He also could barely walk. But he did a lot of research and it turned out best for him.

My back issues are basically just wear and tear on the vertebrae from years of lifting heavy boxes of books. I managed to get by with the help of a good chiropractor, icing and occasional electro-stim and ibuprofen. If these ever fail me, I might have to consider surgery but not without a second or third or fourth opinion and a lot of research.

I worked in a health library for a few years and that was the one big thing we encouraged people to do- to advocate for oneself through education. You may have been on the right track turning down meds from a doc you didn't know well. Maybe go to one of these sites for info on the medication before taking it:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/patient_care/conditions_treatments.html

Wish you well, Ident!

ldent42

Thanks Brianlux. It's not like I didn't know what he offering me - I've been on vicodin and percocet before (I'm all kinds of messed up) but I just thought it was really weird that he wanted to give me a prescription for that so freely. Especially since I have an unfortunately high tolerance for that stuff I know how careful most doctors are about handing it out. Plus as it was my first visit I had to sign all those papers - and there was one about prescription opioids that i'd never seen before. That's what really put me off from accepting his offer.

Kinda regretting it now though. I'm getting a new mattress next week to see if it helps before I agree to anything crazy. I am just happy they don't want to do surgery, they want to do physical therapy. The previous doctor I had been seeing wanted to jump into surgery right away.

shetellsherself

I have occasional issues with insomnia but fortunately for me I know what triggers it... Caffeine. If I have even 1 cup of regular coffee or more than 1 square of dark chocolate my brain just won't shut off that night. So bizarre that I'm that sensitive. After not sleeping I will also will be prone to the terrible cycle of "I didn't sleep so I need a cup of regular coffee" which of course makes me function for awhile and get through my work day but then I crash and can't sleep the next night. Usually day 2 will be a migraine day. So my suggestion is avoid caffeine.

brianlux

We need to revive that "Go to bed!" thread.

Maybe I should try that. Good night!

JWPearl

shetellsherself said:

I have occasional issues with insomnia but fortunately for me I know what triggers it... Caffeine. If I have even 1 cup of regular coffee or more than 1 square of dark chocolate my brain just won't shut off that night. So bizarre that I'm that sensitive. After not sleeping I will also will be prone to the terrible cycle of "I didn't sleep so I need a cup of regular coffee" which of course makes me function for awhile and get through my work day but then I crash and can't sleep the next night. Usually day 2 will be a migraine day. So my suggestion is avoid caffeine.

Yes caffeine after midday is no good either is chocolate and especially ice-creme because vanilla causes insomnia and many people do not know this but I learnt the hard way of course and if you google it you will see for yourself, love the internet, but I dont get much sleep because my meds cause restlessness unfortunately.

ldent42

Do you guys ever over sleep after you didn't sleep? My sleep is completely screwed now. I slept like 12-14 hours of repeatedly interrupted sleep after previously only sleeping 2-ish hours each of the two previous nights.

I don't have time for this right now! :-(