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...
So, I have recently been having issues sleeping. I would say it has been a good 2 months of this now. My initial issue was that I would easily fall asleep but not stay asleep and then have trouble falling back asleep. I am tired and worried, each day that goes by and I don't get sleep. My doc has recommended taking melatonin or the nortriptyline prescribed to me for headaches. Anyone have experiences with these two. Good/bad? I am extremely apprehensive with taking pills.
don't take melatonin unless your brain stops producing melatonin. that is highly unlikely.
One problem with pills or supplements or anything designed to force sleep is they tend to reinforce the idea that the solution to your insomnia is external and resides out of your self-control.
If there is a medical basis for your sleeping problems, then a medical solution such as a drug or a CPAP machine might be in order. Your doctor is the one to consult on this.
However, the majority of people with insomnia have primary insomnia, meaning it is not caused by a specific medical issue. So to get to the root of the problem you must therefore go beyond a medical solution.
Many people respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia. That's the route I went, and it works. I used to have horrible insomnia, but now I sleep well most nights. Not every night, but most, and that's reasonable.
Especially if you have issues with stress and anxiety, CBT may be an excellent solution. CBT enables you to address negative sleep thoughts that feed insomnia. You learn how to replace them something more positive and realistic and supportive of good sleep. You learn potent relaxation methods, sleep timing techniques, and how to create an optimal sleep environment.
For many of us, insomnia is only a symptom. Pills only treat the symptom. CBT is a drug-free and comprehensive method to get to the root of the problem.
You can learn CBT for insomnia from a number of sources, including books, online sleep training programs, sleep therapists, and counselors who know CBT.
You're fortunate to have only had this for a couple of months. Many of us have endured insomnia for years, even decades. Good luck, and please keep us posted with your progress.