overcome insomnia

I used to think sleeping pills were the answer to my prayers. But they are simply not made for long-term use, and now I know why. It made me severely depressed. So depressed it took me a while to figure out the pills were the culprits! So I can’t take them anymore. I’ve tried just about everything else on earth when it comes to techniques and drugs…blackout curtains, earplugs, music, aromatherapy, hypnosis, you name it. Sometimes they help a little, sometimes not. Things that seem to help in minor ways include eliminating coffee, regular exercise, and/or yoga before bed. Once in a while California Poppy Extract works. (It gives you very vivid dreams!).

I’m going to try the Zeo and see if it helps. Frighteningly expensive, but at this point I’ll try anything.

Friend at work said she tried this drug and slept great. I still don’t sleep great, but it has helped me get to bed earlier when my tendency is not to do so.

one day Im doing great and the next day…nothing. This is my top goal because if I can’t sleep, it is less likely that I will accomplish any of the rest.

I have had no severe insomnia in the past week. I have been exercising and I think that is helping. I still wake up around 4:00 and am in a “wakeful state” I could get up if I had to and be ok for the day, but most often I choose to lay in bed and listen to the fan and the steady breathing of my husband. I am unable to eliminate coffee from my life so if this is the best I will ever get, then I can live with it.

I go to bed at 9:00, and usually fall asleep without much difficulty. The problem is that two maybe three nights a week I wake up anywhere from 1:00am – 4:00am and cannot go back to sleep. It is so frustrating, because I have to get up at 6:00 to get my kids up and off to school and get myself ready to go to work. Then I am exhausted all day and don’t feel like doing anything. Although I do take ambient on occasion, I don’t want to get dependent on them.

probably my biggest and most difficult obstacle…when I sleep at night, I am superman.

I have this weird problem, whenever i take a nap, say for 45 minutes, at night, when i try to sleep, i can’t…. Its like i have this limited sleep time, when i minus some time, my body will wait till that time is up, then i can sleep again..

i’m not exactly sure what it is that i have. regardless of how exhausted i feel, i just can’t get myself to fall asleep at night. my mind just wont shut off… unless it’s day time. that’s the part that confuses me about whether or not it’s insomnia. i can climb into bed and fall asleep right away in the broad daylight, but at night it’s a different story.

i’ve tried counting, closing my eyes and creating an environment, relaxing each muscle in my body starting with the toes and working my way up, baths, warm milk (REALLY bad idea for me i found out later), ice cream, melatonin, reading. i’ve also tried getting out of bed to do something for fifteen minutes if i couldn’t fall asleep right away.

i’ll try anything that doesn’t involve perscriptions. i don’t like medicating my problems, i like to overcome them myself.

I suffer from a sort of pseudo-insomnia. I have no trouble getting to sleep and seem to get 7 or so hours sleep, but within an hour or two of getting up, I’m feeling light-headed and tired. Tried everything; pills, going to bed earlier/later, nothing helps.

Something’s broken and I don’t know how to fix it.

“Take A Bath Like A Big Girlie

This is the best Thing ever. Seriously.

The routine started around 9pm as I gathered all the stuff (conveniently placed in a basket), used the death-trap pink fluffy slippers (non-slip soles, but non-non-slip fluffy bit the feet go on!)

Started the bath running and dumped “far too much” bubble bath into it. On letting the bottle settle, I discovered I’d added about three quarters of it… or approximately 10 times too much. Wheee!

Three nightlights on the end of the bath, one scented candle on the toilet cistern.

Rosé wine, choccies, book all lined up along the side of the bath. Puff and moisturising washy stuff put at the tap end.

MP3 player outside bathroom door set to Nick Drake, then Sigur Rós, speakers plugged in outside and sat inside with the cable under the door.

Then… one and a half hours of swigging (only the second time I have ever drunk alcohol at home on my own), reading, chocking (I loved the half-melty chocolate), relaxing. Two refills required to rewarm the water. 2/3 of the bottle of wine drunk. All the chocolates eaten (1000 calories! eek!)

It was absolute pure unadulterated bliss. I got out around track 8 of Sigur Rós which gave me continued entertainment while I wrapped the biggest warmest fluffiest towel in the world round me, dried off, moisturised all over and slipped into bed.

I’ve never felt so sleepy before without also being mentally or physically exhausted. This was just a pure relaxed sleepyness.

In summary… I recommend anyone to do this as soon as possible. I’d suggest you do it on a night you can go to bed relatively early, and allow at least two hours before that bedtime for the bath. Oh… an empty house helps, too. I think it might have lost out somewhat if it had been interrupted. Actually… next time I’d probably unplug the phone too, just in case.

I think I might make this a monthly occurrance.”

well.. seems like it helped that person get some sleep. so thats what i think i’ll do tonight.