I can understand what you are going through. i have noticed i am catching a lot of colds and bugs, i believe it is because my immune system is been taxed to death. i am now averaging 3-4 hours a night and even that is broken sleep. I am doing nothing today because i have work at 4.30pm and need to reserve the bit of energy i have to do my job. it is a pretty miserable existance isnt it?
I have only tried natural things like valerian but i recently gave in and took some valium, it helped me sleep for 2 hours so to me that is not worth it.
I keep meaning to spend less time in bed but i just feel so rubbish i lie in. Have you tried the sleep restriction? it does work but its so hard to do. If i didn't have to work every evening and drive there then i would do it again.
I hope you get the answers you need at the sleep clinic and you get your sleep back. x

Many of us can relate to the hell of insomnia. It's no fun to say the least.

To make it better, which it can be, it's important to understand insomnia is invariably only a symptom of something else going on deeper that is causing the sleep problems.

I presume your family doc has either cleared or treated you for any underlying medical conditions. However, for many if not most of us, insomnia's true roots are not medical. They are often some combination of bad sleep habits and excessive worry about the idea of sleep.

These two issues can be a potent disruptor of sleep, and because they are not strictly medical issues, drugs or sleeping pills alone cannot effectively treat them.

I think it is a good idea to get another opinion from the experts at the sleep clinic. In particular, I would encourage you to consider using CBT methods, which are effective treatments for these nonmedical issues. I suspect the clinic may recommend them.

Please keep us posted if you can.

Peri Menopause is also a cause of Insomnia because if the hormone changes. I use Melatonin and ZzzzQuil and it helps. If you are a woman between the age of 35-51 it could be hormonal.

In my experience, drugs only seem to mask the underlying problem. Since it has been going on for so long, I would advise trying to get medical help to verify that there is nothing physically preventing you from sleeping. If you are physically OK, then it is definitely a mental issue, which is quite commonly the case with us insomniacs. Perhaps you are not engaging in healthy sleep hygiene or maybe are suffering from stressful situations that are keeping you up at night? It is difficult to know exactly what is wrong but don't worry. Progress can definitely be made just do not give up and continue searching for the root cause of your sleeping difficulties. Keep us posted!

Hi MarieYvonne

Sorry to hear about your sleep troubles. Have you looked hard into sleep hygiene techniques? There is an awful lot more to this than just the usual tips about exercise, diet etc. In my opinion if you get really into it and make a big effort to take on board as many of the techniques as possible, you will have the best chance to help improve your quality of sleep. It might not cure your insomnia, but it could go some way to help hopefully. I will link below to a website which lists a huge range of sleep hygiene stuff.
Good luck with it!!
http://www.nosleeplessnights.com/sleep-hygiene/

Marie i am sorry that you are going through this. I have never heard of that medication that you are taking and i am a nurse.. I have tried numerous sleep meds that leave me so groggy the next day. I am also suffering bad. I am weaning off zoloft and having horrible sleep and nightmares:( It horrible to wake up soo exhausted every day.. I pray things get better for you and let us know how things turn out...

Sorry to hear you're going through this hell. I can say the same for myself.

I've tried everything. Seems as if the only thing that helps is sleeping medications. I am there with you. You are definitely not alone.

Also make sure that if the sleep doc orders a sleep test, that it is a full in-lab "PSG", not a home apnea screening. Unless you have obvious significant sleep apnea (which it sounds like you probably don't), you will want the sensitivity and accuracy of a PSG.

You can start basic CBT-type instructions right away. I like sleepfoundation.org for good advice for better sleep. Great advice on this blog too that you should follow.

Harp

I'm in the same boat. From Sept to Nov. I think I only had 10 hours sleep during the whole time. The only thing that broke it up for me was a change of scenery when I spent 2 days with an old friend.
I still have sleepless nights, but not as many. Now I can fall asleep OK, but still have that 3:30 wake up thing going. If I can't go back to sleep by 4:00, I'll call it a night and get up.
Writing down and executing things on my todo list seems to help. Also Kava tea seems to knock me out for now. Although I haven't experienced any side effects, the list on the box is extensive and what you read on WebMD is scary. Right now, I don't mind losing a liver