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 have no trouble falling asleep, but when it comes to staying asleep, every night is literally a nightmare. If I can sleep 3 straight hours without waking up, I am lucky. And when I wake up, I feel wide awake. Sometimes, I am up for hours before I fall back asleep, or if I wake past 3 or so, I am usually up for the day. Most nights, I end up getting about 5 hours of fragmented and very restless sleep.
I have tried multiple medications, both RX and OTC (Xanax, Gabapetin, melatonin, trazodone, Unisom). Nothing seems to work. The Xanax works the best, but even that does not prevent these awakenings.
I have anxiety and depression, so I know these are contributing to it. I have been on SSRIs to treat them, but my sleep actually feels worse taking the SSRIs because I get side effects like vivid dreams and night sweats, along with the fact that the 3 meds I have tried so far do not help keep me asleep.
I am desperate at this point and up til now, have been trying not to stress about not being able to sleep because I know that will only worsen it. But I am starting college classes in a few months and really need to get my sleep fixed before then. Any advice? Can anyone relate?
Thank you for reading.
I have tried multiple medications, both RX and OTC (Xanax, Gabapetin, melatonin, trazodone, Unisom). Nothing seems to work. The Xanax works the best, but even that does not prevent these awakenings.
I have anxiety and depression, so I know these are contributing to it. I have been on SSRIs to treat them, but my sleep actually feels worse taking the SSRIs because I get side effects like vivid dreams and night sweats, along with the fact that the 3 meds I have tried so far do not help keep me asleep.
I am desperate at this point and up til now, have been trying not to stress about not being able to sleep because I know that will only worsen it. But I am starting college classes in a few months and really need to get my sleep fixed before then. Any advice? Can anyone relate?
Thank you for reading.
My suggestions would be to first bring this to the attention of y our prescribing doctor. There may be adjustments to your meds possible to support better sleep.
But an observation: if you're getting 5 hours, even if fragmented, that's actually not too bad. 5 hours is likely within your range of core sleep, and studies have found it's possible to perform just fine for extended periods with just core sleep, if necessary.
That doesn't substitute for good sleep, obviously, and there are many types of sleep hygiene behaviors you can employ that should help. These include daily exercise, which tends to increase the amount of deep sleep, the most refreshing type.
Also important to expose yourself to bright light first thing upon awakening, and try to keep a consistent wake time as much as possible. These actions will have the effect of regulating your circadian rhythm, and synchronizing it to your homeostatic sleep drive. These two internal processes are the two most important that control sleep.
Would also encourage you to seek counseling for anxiety and depression, if you are not already doing so, as understanding and releasing the recurring and distorted negative thought patterns can go a long way to making this better. And that also helps sleep.
Dardi - I am sorry to hear you deal with the same type of sleeping pattern. I had never heard of Silenor, but did a little research about it and I may bring it up to my doctor when I see her today. That is frustrating that you weren't able to continue the drug because of the reaction. I really hope you find some relief soon and start feeling better. I really appreciate you sharing your experience with me.
is a mental and spiritual practice from India inspired yoga based on the control of movement and breathing.