This is no good, you must get some sleep to stay well. Can you go back to your doctor and see if he can suggest something different? There are many things you can try that are not medical, like relaxation exercises, meditation, hot baths, herbal teas and aromatherapy. Good luck and I hope you sleep like a log tonight.

Notgood.

Last couple nights, we had very bright moon, which triggers me to have bad dreams and less sleep--- but I'd see if there's something else.

I like lemon balm tea (chamomile is good but if you have allergies to ragweed, it triggers those), melatonin works for my hubby at only 2 mg a night, I also take 200 mg L-theanine (NatureMade makes them as "relax" and my neuro and psych both say it's super safe for me)....

And when I can't sleep I get up and putter around the house a half-hour or so, it sort of resets me to thinking about how tired I am and how good bed feels....

GEntle hugs and rest well,
Leo

You wrote that, "you fight sleep". Does that mean you resist going to sleep? Do you prefer to wait until you are exhausted before trying to sleep?
I am probably reading way more into that than I should.

Wayyyy back in the day when I took better care of myself I used to walk a couple of miles (at a brisk pace) about 45 minutes before bed. I was having full on panic attacks in my sleep at that time and had tried both ambien and xanax. Both helped a bit but wore off quickly. The walking helped more. It wasn't a complete cure but it lessened the panic attacks.

I went through a period like that. I figured out sleeping in my clothing and with bright lights on made me feel safe enough to sleep.

So sorry you're going through sleep deprivation. Kidney disease took me off all p-meds in 2011. I'd been going to sleep with Seroquel for years, so it was a huge adjustment finding a way to get to sleep. I considered it essential to do so. Sleep deprivation to me is a deal breaker for maintaining mental stability and functioning so I can keep my job.

Surprisingly, the answer was here at DS PTSD for me. For starters, people here talked about establishing a bedtime routine. This sounded childish to me as I have medals for insomnia. But having no p-meds to fall back on, I took advice now I once would have blown off.

Likewise the over the counter remedies. I'd had access to the powerful p-meds like Seroquel through my p-doc, so I looked down on over the counter meds. However, once again there was no alternative now. I had lost a job before to my PTSD symptoms, so I bought 5mg Melotonin at Walmart.

I established a bedtime and bedtime routine, part of which involved coming here to DS PTSD to write something at the end of each day. I now usually sleep well, and I've had the same job now since 2011 despite not being able to take any p-meds at all and having complex PTSD.

Just passing along what I got here that helped me.

Still not really sleeping.....sleep out of my bed in the car the best in the day for short periods as weird as that might sound.

Thanks for the advice and support. Always nice to feel less alone in my ptsd

Yikes. I used to have insomnia really bad and I know how hard it is to function like that. I think you should see a doctor about it. It's unhealthy and miserable to try to function like that.

Finally slept would still be sleeping but time to get ready for therapist and it is 12:44 in the afternoon. Started off in lawn chair, then computer chair, then lawn chair, and then this morning bed.