insomnia

[chippy_]

Hi Guys
New to this site, can anyone please help me
I am having a lot of trouble sleeping generally getting about 2 to3 hours broken sleep per night unless i take a sleeping pill then I can get between 4 and 6 hours pretty good sleep
I used sleeping pills on and of for a few weeks but I don’t want to take it regularly as I hear it can be very addictive, (I had a very stressful family breakdown and court case which is where the initial insomnia started because of anxiety and depression. I am still on an antidepressant but I think the anxiety has eased a lot but my sleeping will not return. I have tried regular bed times and waking times, no coffee or coke, dark room, reading for 15 minutes before bed (after watching TV etc

[Gambit87]

Hi Chippy!

Welcome to the forums!

I don't sleep more then 6/6.5 hours. I avoid sleep pills because they make me feel so hungover.

I usually eat dinner fairly early (6-7pm) At around 9:30pm I make myself a peppermint tea and put something on TV and just zone out and I go to bed around 11-11:30. This is usually enough for me to get to sleep.

If im feeling tense - I take a warm shower, do some meditation and breathing exercises.

I also make sure my bedroom is cool otherwise I wont sleep if its too hot.

Do you exercise much? I havent tried it but I read its best to do exercise in the mornings.

I suggest googling sleep hygine - theres some useful tips on there too.

[Bluegirl2014]

insomnia is worst!! Clearly as I am writing this at some terrible hour in the am I too suffer. Sometimes I try not to beat myself up & accept that tonight is not my night for sleeping, because the more anxious I am about my lack of sleep, the more panicky I get so I'm not just tired from lack of sleep but exhausted and drained from overthinking and being anxious.

Other nights I go through my list of strategies with varying degrees of success, such as 'tapping' if you haven't done this it seems a bit weird but sometimes helps you can follow various people on youtube and put in what you want to work on such as tapping & insomnia, anxiety etc. I like Brad Yates ones. I try meditating or mindfulness but if i'm panicky I need to get back to a base level before this works.

It sounds like you have had to deal with a lot, and I completely understand your unwillingness to use sleeping tablets. It might be worth checking with your GP about the timing of antidepressants, to see if it would help changing the time of day you take them.

Wishing you sweet dreams and a restful night

[S_D]

Hi Chippy,

Welcome to the BB forums. So sorry to hear about your difficulties sleeping. Something that has worked well for me when it comes to getting a good nights sleep is flotation therapy (look up float tanks and the role of magnesium in falling asleep if this interests you). Another tip would be to find some Yoga Nidra for sleep (guided meditation) videos online. Hope this helps!

[Petal22]

Hello, sorry to hear of your sleeping difficulties.... maybe try meditation... you could find some helpful ones for sleep .... on google.... google a guided meditation.... 😀

[Dilly2]

I have had sleep problems off and on for years and tried everything with varying degrees of success and mostly failure. Recently I started taking magnesium after our doctor recommended it for general health and I bought some online. It's called a magnesium sleep lotion - I was sceptical at first but it has made an amazing difference.

I would mention you really need to lift your magnesium to a certain level before if really takes effect - I've been taking a daily magnesium tablet too to build that up.

It's a lovely-smelling smooth lotion (has lavender and chamomile in it too) and, strangely, you rub a small amount into your feet just before you go to bed. My problem has mostly been waking frequently during the night and struggling to get back but since I started the lotion (on my second pump-pack bottle now) I find that even though I still occasionally wake up I usually go back to sleep quickly, and my sleep is deep and peaceful.

I have joined this forum as I have just been diagnosed with general anxiety and depression - health worries for myself and my husband plus other traumas. I am now taking an antidepressant which the doctor said was likely to cause insomnia but so far I have continued to sleep well!!!

I hope this helps someone.

[Cookie60]

Hi Chippy , I am the same , can’t sleep more than a couple of hours a night , tried melatonin which did give me some relief but found I was strung out the next day , i drop of to sleep ok but wake after a couple of hours and then that’s often it and don’t go back to sleep at all , I don’t know where to go from here as I am constantly exhausted , it’s like I am afraid to sleep now

[Andre_P]

Oh insomnia is a bastard. I took a sleeping med for 1 and a half weeks (which I regret). At first it was ok but I had strange side effects, like stronger ocd the next day and paranoia after my sleep cycle was finished (so basically on my next cycle I was afraid of getting woken up).

Basically I tried to stop and now I can’t sleep. Not only can I not sleep but when I almost fall asleep I get a sudden jump/shock and wake back up.

I’m soo tired but can’t sleep. I know how you feel ay. I know one thing, sleeping meds are bad. I gotta try and tire myself out with some exercise or something.

Hope it gets better for us all 👊

[Mary S1]

After many years of suffering, medication and meditation, the only thing that helped sometimes were sleep stories that divert your mind. 

[zachery_f]

It's good to hear that you have taken steps to try to improve your sleeping habits, but unfortunately it doesn't sound like it has been very successful. I understand that you don't want to rely on sleeping pills, so have you considered trying a device like the Dodow Sleep Aid Device? It's a small device that you put on your bedside table and it helps you fall asleep with a gentle rhythm of light. The dodow sleep aid device reviews are overwhelmingly positive and many of the reviews mention that it works great for people with anxiety and depression. If you're looking for a natural way to get better sleep, this might be something worth considering.