Insomnia Support Group
Insomnia is a symptom, rather than a disease, and is characterized by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or chronic (longer than three...
I've had insomnia for years. There has been a couple of times that I have gone 2 or 3 days with zero sleep. It takes me hours to get to sleep and then I keep waking up. I get maybe 3-4 hours total a night... on a good night. I have improved my sleep by getting a filter for my computer monitor and shutting it down no later than 8pm. I also drink a big mug of chamomile tea early in the evening. I shut the tv off at 10pm usually. I read in bed to get relaxed.
Whenever I use melatonin, and I only use 1/4 of a 1 mg tab, the next day I feel very odd. Just icky.. it's so hard to explain, but it's a bit of depression, anxiety and impending doom. Does anyone else have any similar experiences to share? A cousin told me that she thought it might be just that my brain is so NOT used to getting rest, that it feels weird the next day. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mind! I would appreciate any input!
Whenever I use melatonin, and I only use 1/4 of a 1 mg tab, the next day I feel very odd. Just icky.. it's so hard to explain, but it's a bit of depression, anxiety and impending doom. Does anyone else have any similar experiences to share? A cousin told me that she thought it might be just that my brain is so NOT used to getting rest, that it feels weird the next day. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mind! I would appreciate any input!
The difference is that I often use melatonin, but I find lately it doesn't help much. I can still be up for hours afterwards, and I still consistently wake during the night. I don't feel funny from the melatonin the next day, but it does cause strange Dreams sometimes. If anyone else has any helpful advice for the insomnia, I would also really appreciate it. I've tried bedtime teas, but they don't help much.
melatonin is a hormone that affects the entire body. It is produced naturally in the pineal gland in response to darkness, and facilitates sleep. Supplemental melatonin is sometimes prescribed by docs to help the blind sleep (who cannot use darkness to stimulate the pineal gland), and to help people adjust from jet lag. It's benefit as a sleep aid for other people is inconclusive.
If you have no underlying medical or psychiatric issues causing your insomnia, you might be well served to look at yourself rather than seeking an external solution. For most people, primary insomnia is caused by some combination of bad sleep habits and excessive worry about the idea sleep.
Sounds like you are making an effort on the sleep hygiene part. You might consider also using CBT sleep training methods for more tools along these same lines. These methods include ways to turn down the stressful thoughts and anxiety you likely associate with sleep, and that tends to reduce insomnia.
Good luck.
I have no medical issues that would affect my sleep and do realize that I was causing the majority of my sleep issues by being on the computer too late or watching tv too late in bed. What are CBT training methods? I need to look into everything that I can do myself. I do not want to ever take a prescription med. I need to fix this on my own!
If you do have a legitimate underlying issue, then yes, melatonin and valerian root (I've used 'em both) are often recommended as an alternative to an Rx sleeping pill. And I'd go with either of those as an alternative to the sometimes troubling side effects (including the potential for dependence) of Rx sleeping pills.
I don't use anything artificial now, just try to lead a sleep supportive lifestyle. That includes the CBT-based adult sleep training methods that I learned several years ago. They work. Try google searching that for much info and resources online.
I had better luck with Ambien.
Now that I'm on Saphris it works like magic every time.
There's nothing wrong with taking medication to sleep. Some of us need to. Just don't pull a Heath Ledger: take too many meds out of desperation and never wake up.
Honestly, the best thing for me has been to pick a consistent wake-up time every single morning, and never look at the clock during the evening or night hours. Just make sure in advance that you set an alarm for when you need to wake up. :)