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 some bad spells of insomnia before but this one definitely takes the cake, sleeping 1 to 5 hours a night, usually falling asleep within 45 minutes to an hour but always waking up about 1 to 5 hours after I fall asleep and of course, I can't get back to sleep. I take a myriad of drugs for depression, anxiety and insomnia. Remeron, Trazodone, klonopin or sometimes even xanax, both used to work and don't work anymore. I also will occasionally add a benadryl to that. I called my doc and she suggested adding Seroquel, I tried that before and I gained a lot of weight and also had some strange side effects. The meds actually seem to be making it worse, so naturally you think about SFI, not a hypochondriac but no one seems to have insomnia like this, the doctors just shake their heads.
I''m 44 now and my insomnia started back in my late 20's, started on benzos not long after that and have been on them for 15+ years. Looking back, that was a huge mistake. Now in the process of looking for another job and moving so I am under a lot of stress. I feel tired when I go to sleep, I just can't understand the waking up. I had a sleep study in 2011 that was clean but I've gained some weight since then, not sure how to get my doc to order another one.
Anyone here have this kind of insomnia despite being on a cocktail of meds?
I''m 44 now and my insomnia started back in my late 20's, started on benzos not long after that and have been on them for 15+ years. Looking back, that was a huge mistake. Now in the process of looking for another job and moving so I am under a lot of stress. I feel tired when I go to sleep, I just can't understand the waking up. I had a sleep study in 2011 that was clean but I've gained some weight since then, not sure how to get my doc to order another one.
Anyone here have this kind of insomnia despite being on a cocktail of meds?
I'd be curious to hear what strategies you are going to implement for a holistic approach. While I haven't suffered quite to the extent that you have, I believe it's because I've viewed the importance of my sleep holistically from the get-go.
Before anything else, let me say that you shouldn't do anything without consulting your licensed professional. But I think the conclusion about benzos and meds are pretty unanimous across this board. They are addicting, often work for only a few weeks, and can leave us with more anxiety than what we began with. Not to mention the onslaught of depression and then antidepressants, thus the cocktail of drugs we can find ourselves in.
My recommendation is to move toward the holistic approach. Some of the things I would recommend is to research the body's circadian rhythm and exercise when your body is most prime for it. By all means drink coffee, but not after maybe 2pm. Don't fear a nap in the afternoon, but limit it to no more than 30 minutes. Wake up at a consistent time every day (Yes, even during the weekends!). Journal so that you can increase emotional awareness which can lead to feelings of being in control.
One last thing I'd like to mention is that there is some literature that shows the more active our minds are during the day, the more tired it will be at night. When you mention that your insomnia started in your 20s, I wonder if that's because you're no longer in school/university and become bored once 'locked' into a career. Take on a new hobby. Learn something. Choose a couple of books to get through - maybe pick some self help books (I can recommend some good ones not related to insomnia). And let us know if anything improves.
Know that there is hope. Your insomnia is not special or worse than anyone else's. Don't give it more power than it deserves. Good luck!