Sorry to hear this. We all struggle with sleep to some degree, but my take is you don't lose until you stop trying to make it better.

That, and to me thinking "insomnia is winning" is like thinking "my runny nose is winning". Insomnia is only the symptom, like a runny nose is a symptom of a cold. So to me this suggests something else is going on with you. You can treat the symptom with sleeping pills that unnaturally force sleep, but the permanent solution is to get to the real root of the problem.

Presuming you have been to a doctor and are treating any underlying medical issues, your solution may be nonmedical.

If were you I certainly would want to talk to someone about my lack of confidence and negativity. This suggests depression, which is often closely linked to insomnia.

The reality is sleep is as natural and necessary a human mind-body function as drinking or breathing. Just look at how peacefully a baby sleeps. Rest assured you are no different than any other human being that ever lived. Sleep comes you also inevitably and at some point irresistibly.

So just a thought: maybe you are taking your sleep struggles to be some sort of indication that you as a person are somehow flawed or defective, when the focus really should be on your attitudes and behaviors that are contributing to the problem.

In my opinion, you need a break...a long break. Give up on your ambitions and plans. People do not care what your achievements are, and how well you can do in life. If you are in such a bad situation, quit your job and drop of from school. As you will not have such a pressure from all fronts, then you will be able to objectively estimate the depth of the problem. Recovery will take time and efforts. I wish you good luck.

Hypnos, I respect your opinion and I believe your advises are always wise. But, I stopped to believe that insomnia is always a symptom. If it would be so, antidepressants and anti anxiety drags will always help with insomnia. This is not so. For example, I am sure I have depression, but I am a strong person and I keep functioning even being deeply depressed. When I was prescribed antidepressants, they did not effect my sleep at all. Xanax also does not help. Then, you compare it to breathing process, yes it is natural to breath effortlessly, but not for the people with asthma, for example. Sleep depends on many chemicals in our brain and body. And, people stop sleeping when those elements got out of balance. Well, that's right chemical dis-balance can result from depression, stress and anxiety. But, it does not mean that if you treat initial problem, the chemicals will get to normal. Not every biological process is reversible.

Biatta, if you believe, as you say, about chemical imbalances, then my take is you should try to treat those imbalances with a doctor the best you can. You should try to understand specifically what those measurable imbalances are, so you know what your dealing with, and so you know when they have been corrected.

Sleep, on the other hand, is at some point a completely autonomic function. In other words, we sleep when we let go and allow our subconscious minds and bodies to take over, at least until we've had enough sleep.

And the drugs you took to treat depression and anxiety are just that. They are not intended as sleeping pills per se. The fact that you didn't sleep better using them suggests they weren't completely effective in improving the depression and anxiety.

Personally, I also believe there are nonmedical aspects of treating depression and anxiety that drugs cannot fix. These nonmedical aspects have to do with your thought processes that may be flawed, inaccurate, or unrealistic. To treat these, I suggest counseling that will enable you to get to the root of the negative thoughts that breed depression and anxiety, and also fuel insomnia.

These thoughts are controllable. Doing so goes a long way to help make it better.

Hypnos, the problem is that the chemicals that effect sleep are not measurable my the modern methods. This is the problem. Then, even if they were measurable, there are no drugs in the current time to fix this imbalance. Let say, if your body does not produce enough Melatonin, first there are no tests to measure the level of this chimerical during the night. And, this synthetic Melatonin is not the same as the one our body produce. More than that, this supplement can not synchronize with our body's natural Melatonin, this is why it mostly does not help. Another example, Adenosine triphosphate, this chemical is responsible for switching btw the awakening stage and a sleep. It is not measurable and it is not replaceable. As to the thoughts, I agree with your we all have some power other it. What most of us have no power over is the life circumstances we live in.

First off, I'd like to say that despite not sleeping long enough ideally(Got woke up by dogs early and today ) but despite that, I did a good job working today. I feel very tired but I'm in a much better place metnally today than I was that day. However, I would like to comment on some of the stuff you said Hypnos. First off, there are MANY undiagnosed mental conditions I suspect I have which need to be treated.

That being said, I think most of them are GREATLY exaggerated by the lack of quality sleep that I experience. Some of the "depression" like saying insomnia is winning that you're referring to I feel is more so reality than depression.

True, anatomy is a hard class but I've never had to drop a class before. I'd be lying if I told myself that insomnia didn't play a major role in this resulting. I remember having worse insomnia and resulting symptoms than ever. I've read that different people need different amounts of sleep however, it's extremely important to get how much you need. When you are getting little to no sleep and this has been going on for five years, the side effects become worse and worse. This is going on as I'm getting older, have more pressures, responsibilities, etc. I'm grateful for living with my mom and being rent free.

If I was on my own then I'd be functioning even worse than I do now. I feel okay today but I realize that I don't just have a problem, I have a chronic situation. I'm a very healthy person minus my sleep and mental health. I eat healthier and exercise more than most. If I wasn't a health freak then I'd probably be in the emergency room every day with the severity of my problem. From research, i've also learned 2 characteristics of insomniacs that I share. 1. I have a high metabolic rate; I probably eat 4-6,000 calories and don't gain weight. 2. I have a higher body temperature than normal people.

There's stuff I can do but I feel pretty bleak given my characteristics which tend to promote poor sleep. But I'll take it 1 day at a time and try to get better. I've gotten stronger mentally but the progress has been EXTREMELY slow and sleep is hindering progress is many things.

OK some good replies here. So yes, it's one day at a time, but key to making it better is to understand your situation in realistic terms.

Thinking that insomnia is caused by some unusual chemical imbalance or other mysterious unknowable cause that can't be measured is more common than you might think. We see this a lot on this board.

My question is what good does that do?

If you have been examined by a medical professional and are told either that you have no identifiable underlying medical conditions, or you are treating them, then why continue to buy into this negative idea?

Doesn't it only give you an excuse that reinforces your insomnia?

You think you have this inexplicable problem that causes insomnia, so when you don't sleep it confirms that "truth". But what if you're wrong?

What if it's only an inaccurate distortion with no basis in reality? What if you really don't have this mysterious defect? Why not go with that? What would happen if you just let that negative thought go, the one with no confirmed basis in reality? Doesn't that make more sense?

Wouldn't that tend to take some of the pressure off you? And if you did that might you possibly sleep a little better?

The only other thing I can think to add is to look at any medications you take, some can cause insomnia. But it doesn't seem like you are on anything.

Being "normal" is highly overrated. I am nearing my 60th year. I have seen people with every advantage who failed. I've also seen people with few advantages who did well. What you start with isn't always what you finish with.

I will try my best to not wax philosophical, while trying to bring this "facet" of human nature to bear upon this discussion.

A lot of us feel we are sufficient to the task when assessing our own well being. This is problematic.

Me...I...have found that the healthier my "inner life" is, the better I am able to overcome physical and emotional challenges.
You can call this "inner life", whatever you wish...

BUT, it is not seated in your emotional make up.
It is not seated in your intellectual and reasoning capabilities.
Nor is it seated in your core personality traits.

We know this, because this "inner life" can and does make
paradigm shifts that oppose our conventional conscience.

I'm already sliding sideways on this, because words like "spiritual"
"prayer" or "God" actually help us process what we dont fully understand.

When I lay my head down at night, I find that if I am at peace with myself...I will sleep.
If I keep short accounts with conflict and adversity during my day,
I have no raging battles to confront at the end of the day.
My pillow is not the place to practice relaxation or warfare.

The crap that life throws at us, accumulates throughout the day.
What is worse, we often mutter the word stress and try to ignore it.

Before you blast me about chemical imbalances, underlying health issues and all the other physiological reasons for insomnia,

I am simply saying that humans have overcome hardcore physiological adversities by finding something a little deeper.

I could trot out a pretty big health list of why I cant sleep.
So I ponder,

Sleeping is not necessarily the biggest goal in treating insomnia.

I wish everybody here the best of luck in finding what works,
even if that means perceiving adversity in a more positive light.

Slayer, I feel for you and I can relate on many levels.

At 54, I had to blow out of full time school. It was a very hard pill to swallow. It was my chance at changing careers after 30 years of very punishing work in the building trades.
It felt like watching the sun set for the final time in my life.

I take stock, as my path probably leads "through" this thing called insomnia. Not around or over it.

I'm certainly not going under it!