I am so sick of this insomnia!! I cannot sleep for more than 4 hours at a time. I usually wake up and need to use the bathroom & can NOT fall asleep again for about 2-3 hours later. I usually take a Benadryl as soon as I wake up, but I still don't fall asleep quickly. And then, whether I take something or not, I am very sleepy again and can easily go back to sleep, but by that time, it's almost time to wake up with my girls! I have been like this for YEARS. Before I had kids, I worked (for 2 1/2 years) an 8-5 job, my sleep NEVER was regulated then either (waking up at the same time every day didn't help to get me on a schedule). I have tried praying when Im trying to get back to sleep, counting backwards, focus on breathing, everything I can think of basically. I really needed to be able to sleep tonight bc I have a busy day, and since I frequently wake up in pain, I took two Tramadol (50 mg each), AND two Benadryl. I STILL only slept for 4 hours. Ive been using some Vitamin B12 for the past 5-6 weeks, because I read that it helps your body produce Melatonin and wanted to try that first bc I also need more energy during the day (from not sleeping!). It hasn't worked AT ALL. I guess it's time to try Melatonin, but a friend of mine said it only helps her for about 4 hours. I've read so much about insomnia, and have tried all the normal stuff, and nothing is working. And trust me, 4 hours is not enough because on the days that I have not been able to fall asleep again, I am so super tired & in a zombie like state all day long and it's miserable! I've even given up my beloved coffee! So, all I drink is water, and occasionally, some milk, but not very often. I try not to drink too much water in the evenings so I won't have to get up to pee, but I ALWAYS get up to pee. Anyone else have this problem? I do not want to take a Rx to help with this. I just want a natural solution. I was going to try chamomile tea, but I read that it can have a diuretic effect, so I can forget that! TIA for your input :)
I'll add too (since I pee a lot), that I am not diabetic. Not even close.
Thank you so much Mommas! I got a lot of useful information from you all. I will try these wonderful suggestions & keep my fingers crossed that something works. I appreciate your input & sympathy =)
I've had trouble sleeping for 15 years or more. It has only been in the last year that I begain taking Melatonin. It has helped so much. Oddly enough, it helped reduce the urge to pee in the middle of the night. Seems like a read somewhere that it is one of the hormones that helps your body reduce the need to urinate during sleep. I still don't sleep great. I try not to get stressed out when I do wake during the night. Good luck.
I have issues with sleep. I've started taking this product that I found at Walmart. It's Unisom's Natural Nights Nighttime SleepTabs. It contains calcium, B6 and melatonin. I've also cut out any and all caffeine (not that I drink much anyway). I take Holy Basil because of my kidneys. It's supposed to help calm your mind. The back says "used in India for reducing the negative effects of stress by lowering cortisol production in the adrenals. In vitro research shows the ursolic acid in holy basil inhibits COX-2, an inflammatory enzyme. As a powerful adaptogen, it helps maintain normal blood sugar levels when used as part of your diet, as well as promote focused clarity." (One side effect of it though is that it cleans out your kidneys...which means it helps me get rid of kidney stones!)
In addition, I stop all electronics after 9pm. (Ok, I try to stop all electronics.) I have insomnia and I went to a doctor that does sleep studies and so on to find out how to sleep through the night. One thing he told me was to go to bed really late (early in the morning) then wake up really early. When I woke, I was to get out of bed, and immediately get myself out into the sun! I was so tired the first 5 days!
After 5 days, I could go to bed an hour earlier. So here was my schedule:
Day 1-5: Go to sleep around 4am. Wake up at 7am and sit outside drinking coffee while reading the news.
Day 6-11: Go to sleep at 230am. Wake up at 7am and sit outside while reading the news. (I tried to get off the coffee, and allow my body to deal with the sleep deprivation.)
Day 12-23: Go to sleep around mindnight. Wake up at 7am, stand outside and do yoga.
Day 23-30: Go to sleep around 1030. Wake up at 7am, stand outside and do yoga.
I'm at day 300+ and I'm in bed by 10 every night and usually asleep by 11. I'm awake every morning at 630am. It doesn't matter how bad I slept at night, how many times I woke up...I still get up and get the sun in my face. (Which reminds me, no sunglasses while outside! The doctor said that this inhibits the sun sending signals to your brain that it's time to wake up.)
This is what worked for me, and the suggestions my doctor made for my insomnia. I'm not suggesting it will work for you, but I'm saying that it helped me, and hey, it's worth a shot right?
Good luck hon! I hope you get some quality sleep!
ETA: I meant to tell you, one other tip the doctor gave me was to take a hot shower before bed. Stepping out of the hot shower, and into a colder room triggers something in the body that promotes sleepiness.
Sleep? What is that? So you heard that the Zombies were coming? That would be me too!
Did you get your thyroid checked? I had an overactive thyroid, went through treatment, did not help with sleep, but did help me loss a ton a weight! I was on the B12 also, no help. Green tea does help!
I have never; ever slept more than two hours a night! I remember when I was young, my lovely mother would yell at me to go to sleep, and I could not. She would tell me that I would have to stay in my bed until everyone else got up (I could not even use the bathroom!) Then I developed a sleep walking habit, and she would wake me (big no-no!)
These sleepless nights helped raise two children who woke up every 20 minutes as newborns!!! They inherited my sleep habits, sorry guys, and they are not HAPPY!!
Now I have too many loud neighborhood children (who do not go inside until 4 in the morning-nothing like hears a basketball bounce all night long.) We do not have AC, and usually have to close the windows at night so no one climbs in (and it was 103 outside the other day!) Gun-shots and sirens all night long. Trains that go by every 15 minutes tooting them darn horns. Birds start squawking at 2 am. I usually take my dog for a walk at 4:00 am (he loves it as he is nocturnal.) Did I mention I work full time (have to be to work by 5 am) and have a part-time job? Haven’t had a real vacation in 23 years, I need one!
People ask me how I do it, I am ready for a nap at lunchtime, but people wake me up and say I need this, I need that-leave me alone!!! Oh what I would do for a peaceful night’s sleep….
This could be my post...this sleep problem has plagued me for years...yes, it is a curse. I too wake up to go to BR and can't get back to sleep.
I started taking just 1/4 tablet of Chortrimeton (antihistamine) when I wake up at 3-4 in the morning. I actually chew it so it gets in my system fast. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's the best I've got. I don't like Benedryl...it always drys out my mouth and makes me groggy the next day.
I find that if I get some good exercise earlier in the day, that helps me get to sleep...also, if you get some sunlight during the day (let the sun hit your eyes), this helps regulate your circadium rhythms which may help too.
No easy answer, but I've gotten to the point that I do sleep occasionally which is the best I can hope for.
No, I don't sleep well and never did. Perhaps that's why the Up All Night With A Nursing Baby years didn't effect me that much.
I can't remember the last time I slept 3 consecutive hours. Maybe never.
I just work with it. I don't REALLY need it. And in this way, too, I believe we're all very different. For many it's the end of the WORLD if they don't get 6 consecutive hours in one night.
I hope you can nap. Just a half hour nap every couple days saves my life.
:)
I read an article recently written by a lifelong insomniac. She finally just went with it instead of fighting it. After she woke up and couldn't fall back asleep, she'd get up and start her day early or just do whatever she wanted. She said she felt WAY better being productive than tossing and turning in bed. Of course, if she got tired again, she'd go back to bed. But she figured out that she was functioning on 4 hours of sleep anyway, so why not get something done?? GL!
It depends. I sleep really well when I have exercised that day. On lazy days, I toss and turn all night.
I'm sorry you are a having a tough time. Good luck in finding a solution!
Do you use the restroom every 4 hrs when awake??? if you don't i would push fluids early and try to flip so you are peeing during the day and not at night.
lol I"m reading the Code to JOy and am going to try some combo self regressiong/visualizatin/hypno/acupuncter on myself to deal with my math phobia. maybe you have a sleep phobia.
or you might want to see a dr and get a complete work up.
I definatley don't have this problem :)
You should try the Melatonin. I have had sleep issues for the past year. I tried Melatonin, but it didn't really work that well for me. I still woke up during the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep.
I now use Unisom gel tablets and they seem to work really well. They are non-narciotic, non-habit forming. I do believe that because although I have used it for almost 10 months, I don't have to take it all the time to get to sleep. For example, I never take anything to sleep on the weekend. I figure I can sleep late (GD is 10 so she can get up by herself) if necessary. And I don't have a hard time falling asleep when I don't take it. In fact, I ran out and have been 6 nights with no sleep help and have slept great! Don't know what that's about but I am so grateful. I did get another bottle because I'm sure this euphoric sleep will elude me again one day soon, but for now I'm sleeping on my own.
So like I said, I would try the melatonin and if that doesn't work, try Unisom.
I know you don't want an RX but I'd be you if it wasn't for lorazepram/ativan. I am very disciplined about how I use it as of course I don't want to get addicted. Just having it I think helps. There's no hangover etc and I can take it a few hours before I get up and it's fine. Some nights I figure I'll just be tired the next day and I luckily do get back to sleep. But then I know I can at least take it the next night if I run into problems again. I"ve also heard good stuff about Calms Forte.
Do you take anything that could be a stimulant? For example, the benedryl - it's just benedryl, not benedryl-D, right? And natural supplements can be stimulants too. I take lemon bioflavinoid for an ear issue, and it is a mild stimulant, I can only take it in the morning, not in the evening. Stimulant effects of supplements aren't always known, so I would stop taking anything before bed.
Melatonin is good for helping people fall asleep, but not stay asleep. I have heard that you might be able to find a slow-release formula that could help, but I've never looked for it in the store so I don't know if it's easily available.
Also - just something to keep in mind. You say that you don't want to take a drug to help. But the reality is that you are using VitB12 as a drug, you will be using melatonin as a drug, and benedryl is a drug. So if you a doctor can give you a drug that will help you and allow you to stop taking all of those things, and maybe help you cut down on the tramadol, that would be a very good thing.
No one mentioned chinese medicine. Is there a acupuncture practitioner near you? Accupuncture is very relaxing, I always fell asleep on the table after the needles were put in, and there is a special place in the neck that my doctor would insert needles she called the "good night" spot. I would sleep really well for about 3 nights after a session. The times she did not do that, I didn't sleep as well. She also blended herbs that I would take to help with specific health issues. First thing you need to check is all your bloodwork to rule out any health issues or hormonal imbalances. I've had sleep issues for years, and I have to say that chinese medicine helped me the most. I have not done it since my son was born last year, but I am going to start going back soon. Also exercise in the morning and no caffeine after 12 pm, as well as getting sun light in the morning all help.
This happened to me a few years ago.
I attribute it to a few things:
-stress
-being a mom
-not getting enough exercise at that time
-my diet changed (for the worse)
-and last but not least, aging. Getting closer to peri-menopause (sp?)
What helped?
-finding ways to deal with the stress
-exercising more! Finally getting the chance to exercise)
-eating a better, well balanced healthy diet.
-I tried Melatonin when I was at my rope's end....it would only last 4 hrs &
I would wake up
-limit alcohol intake (like having more than a glass of red wine near bedtime
-limit water intake too close to bedtime. I would make sure I got my intake
earlier in the day.
Try anything & everything.
Exercise
Call your doctor
Limit alcohol intake
Btw, after having kids, I always have to get up to pee! I try to do it w/o opening my eyes much, walking around too much. Just go, use the latrine & back to bed as quickly as possible.
If my insomnia that morning lasted too long, I would get up & go sit on the couch or comfy chair in the living room.
Look into juice plus. It will give you energy during the day and might help you sleep better at night all with giving you good nutrition. Check out the website at rhoustonjuiceplus.com
Call me with any questions. I hope you are able to get sleep. Not sleeping stinks!
Melatonin helped me A LOT, and I can take it at 3 am and go back to sleep for another 4 hrs.
If I don't exercise and have a note pad by my bed I am up all night wondering, thinking,planning, etc. If I have a note pad, I can write it down and be done :).
I, too, have used the Benedryl route, but I prefer the Stress B complex and exercise.
If you have the luxury, get a massage and see if you sleep better after that. Even one night of 8 hours is wonderful and then you can justify a weekly massage! (massage really has helped me as well, but I don't get to do it once a week, more like once a quarter- lol)
If push comes to shove - go with a Rx - you are already taking benedryl (a medication). I know, not the same thing, but if it works . . . .
Good luck!
I normally sleep very well. During menopause I went through several years of insomnia. It's the pits! But I'm back to sleeping easily again, even tho I wake up an average of 3x a night to use the bathroom. I'm usually asleep again within 5 minutes.
I also take Benadryl occasionally for my allergies and only take it at night because it makes me drowsy. After a couple nights or more of Benadryl, my first night trying to sleep without it is difficult. So I think that if you use it regularly, it might make it harder to get to sleep without it. I also notice I build up a tolerance for Benadryl. It becomes less effective if I use it alot, then I need more.
Coffee helps me sleep if I drink it early in the day. None after 2 pm. When I've had alot of coffee in the morning, I'm tired by mid-afternoon. Since you like to drink coffee, perhaps you can time yours so it wears off about the time you need to get to bed.
Praying in bed can make me think too much about needs and problems. Have you tried memorizing scripture and reciting in back in your mind as you doze off? Psalm 23 always soothes and relaxes me, and helps put my mind in a good state to go to sleep.
SLEEP? Can you please define that for me? It has been so long since I had a good nights sleep I forgot what it was.I went to bed at 215pm last night and woke up at 600am today. I have been like this for years, tried lots of things. I feel like I live my life as a zombie! HATE IT! Add to it I am weening off predisone right now and lets just say I AM MISERABLE right now! Opps sorry for the rant! I hope you get some good solutions to your problem, I will follow your post to see what info is given! THANKS!
have u tried any of the tylonal pm products.. theo nly one that worked for me was the cvs or rite aid brand of aleve pm (mayb excedrine pm.. it was one of those 2 but not tylonal or advil those never worked)
