Ask Me Help Desk - Advice for an Insomniac?

Advice for an Insomniac?

Put simply: I can't sleep. I've tried meditation, I've tried listening to music or reading before bed, I've even taken sleeping pills (although not strong ones). I'm at my wits end because I'm starting to look, act and feel like a zombie. The reason I can't sleep is that there is a few too many things on my mind and every time I try to stop thinking about it, it works for a little while, but just as I get close to falling asleep it comes back in my mind. What few hours of sleep I can get is riddled with strange and frightening dreams. And the less I sleep the worse my mental and physical health is getting. I really don't know what I should do. Should I try a stronger sleeping pill? Or an alternative? Any advice?

Have you established a definite bedtime routine? Do you sleep with a sound machine (white noise) running? Have you tried melatonin?

I feel your pain. I've had insomnia (sounds like your symptoms exactly) for almost 10 years. I have a couple suggestions:

Sleep routine - go to bed at the same time, even if all you do is lay there. Get up at the same time, even on your days off, no matter how much it hurts - it will help you feel tired at night.

Exercise - Safely wear yourself out at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Severely limit caffeine - If you can manage it, only have it in the morning

OTC meds - I've tried a lot of over the counter solutions. The most reliable for me was Alteril. It's a combination of L-tryptophan, valerian root, and melatonin.

Prescriptions - It's not something anybody wants to need, but they can help. Lunesta worked best for me, but, obviously, take your doc's advice and be really careful with the side effects.

Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmcar529

I feel your pain. I've had insomnia (sounds like your symptoms exactly) for almost 10 years. I have a couple suggestions:

Sleep routine - go to bed at the same time, even if all you do is lay there. Get up at the same time, even on your days off, no matter how much it hurts - it will help you feel tired at night.

Exercise - Safely wear yourself out at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Severely limit caffeine - If you can manage it, only have it in the morning

OTC meds - I've tried a lot of over the counter solutions. The most reliable for me was Alteril. It's a combination of L-tryptophan, valerian root, and melatonin.

Prescriptions - It's not something anybody wants to need, but they can help. Lunesta worked best for me, but, obviously, take your doc's advice and be really careful with the side effects.

Good luck!

The sleep routine and exercise sounds like a great place to start. Although, what country is this Alteril sold in? Because I live in Australia and I know not all medications are named the same in different countries. If not I will look into a similar brand. And thank you for your advice.. it's actually a lot more helpful and relevant than my GP's advice!

Ooh, I didn't think of that. It's sold in America, but all the components are pretty common over the counter meds. Your GP or pharmacist may be able to recommend something similar if it's not the same thing there.

All right. Thank you again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangechild

Alright. Thank you again.

You're welcome! I hope everything works out for you.

Go to bed even if you just lie there awake? NO, I totally disagree, as do all the insomnia experts.
I get onto the computer (and answer questions here and one other place), turn on the TV, listen to music, read. If I get tired, fine, if not I don't stress over it.
Since you say you have worries, you really need to write them down! Sort them by importance and jot down some possible solutions next to each one. Some might be almost impossible to solve in one sentence, but write them down anyway. Have a section on the page for the easy ones you can do within the next few days. If you have money worries, do an accounting of your income and expenses and debts, and work on a budget (which could take days, so don't try to finish it all at once).
I slept 4 hours tonight and know why - my friend emailed me just before I went to bed about the death of her son. I slept fitfully. Why lie there in the dark?
I am fortunate that I can get a nap in during the day. Can you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by joypulv

Go to bed even if you just lie there awake? NO, I totally disagree, as do all the insomnia experts.
I get onto the computer (and answer questions here and one other place), turn on the TV, listen to music, read. If I get tired, fine, if not I don't stress over it.
Since you say you have worries, you really need to write them down! Sort them by importance and jot down some possible solutions next to each one. Some might be almost impossible to solve in one sentence, but write them down anyway. Have a section on the page for the easy ones you can do within the next few days. If you have money worries, do an accounting of your income and expenses and debts, and work on a budget (which could take days, so don't try to finish it all at once).
I slept 4 hours tonight and know why - my friend emailed me just before I went to bed about the death of her son. I slept fitfully. Why lie there in the dark?
I am fortunate that I can get a nap in during the day. Can you?

I admit the lying awake in bed part doesn't work, but for me neither do the computer, music or reading. I've tried all three and each time ended up staying up the whole night.
And no, I've never been able to sleep during the day - I'm too busy mostly, but its also that I'm just not programmed to be able to sleep during the day.
However, I have been writing about my worries, and sometimes it helps me close that door, but mostly it just leaves me empty and thinking more about the problem. I write about what the situation is exactly and how I feel about each and how I can fix it. Sometimes I can't find a solution so I keep thinking about it.

Tell us the worry if you want...

Quote:

Originally Posted by joypulv

Tell us the worry if you want...

Well I'm not giving names or distinctive details but I kind of have a stalker situation where I live. This man has been obsessed with me for over 5 years. He was actually sort of family, but once my mom found out, he was told to stay away from me and my family, since he threatened to kill my aunt and hurt my mom over some problem. He'd been making my family's lives a misery for years, but the year before last he stopped contacting my family, me included. But a year ago he kept emailing me, telling people I was his girlfriend, and I threatened to tell the police on him. He hasn't contacted me for a long time, but a few months ago I received a text from a number I didn't know while I was at my University campus eating lunch which said: "You're eating right now aren't you?". Of course I flipped out and since then I've been looking over my shoulder everywhere I go, and having pretty weird and scary dreams. I guess to be honest, I'm just avoiding sleep to avoid the nightmares.