Insomnia

[undeterred]

I could not fall asleep last night. This is happening to me all too often. I don't think I slept at all and now I am tired- but if I take an afternoon nap, I'm afraid the same thing will happen tonight.

Anyone have success beating insomnia?

[ThomCat]

1. I wish I had success. I'd love to be able to give good advice.

I frequently have nights like that. Even with meds that all cause drowsyness and normally put me right to sleep, sometimes I go straight to over-tired and can't sleep. :(

So, no advice for you, but good wishes for some rest. :hug:

[woo me with science]

2. Yep. Your instincts are right.

Don't nap. Don't allow yourself to sleep during the day. Do calming things at night and don't stress over it. If you refrain from sleeping during the day (it might take a couple of days), your body will eventually get the message.

[skygazer]

3. I have but it was a pretty drastic solution

And I'm not really sure why it worked. I suffered terrible insomnia for close to ten years, along with crippling bi-polar and anxiety. It was almost impossible to work. I was on medication for all of it and the meds to help me sleep just made me really loopy and zoned out but I STILL couldn't sleep. Sucked.

Then I lost my job in Vermont and was thoroughly depressed. Had an email pen-pal in California who had offered to let me stay at his place if I ever wanted to try things out here. Had about $300 to my name when I put my dogs in the car and started driving west.

By the time I hit Colorado, I had stopped taking my meds. By the time I hit California, I was out of money, practically out of gas and had no prospects of anything.

But oddly, I felt great. Met my friend in person for the first time, found a job, still have it 9 years later, met a great guy, got married and I haven't taken any meds or had trouble sleeping since.

I have no explanation for any of that. But every night when I go to bed and every morning when I wake up refreshed, I am so damn grateful.

Hope you get some good, restful sleep soon. :hug:

[succubus.blues]

4. that sucks.

I get that sometimes. More often what happens to me is that I get so overtired, I fall asleep right away when I go to bed, but then wake up 3 hours later only to toss and turn the rest of the night. I don't have any advice, other than the usual stuff, no coffee/soda after 12:00Noon, exercise, eat dinner before 6PM, and turn off the computer and TV about an hour before going to bed and read a book. I don't like to take any OTC meds or anything. Good luck and I hope you can catch some zzzzz's tonight. ((hugs))

[Maraya1969]

5. My mother told me of this old folklore medicine that she swears is

working for her. She puts a bar of soap in the bed with her by her legs. It is supposed to stop restless legs and general sleep.

It maybe that it just makes the sheets smell nice that it helps you sleep.

The other thing she told me and this does work is to open your eyes while you are in bed and in the dark keep them open as long as you can. They will naturally want to close while lying in bed in a dark room but if you keep it up you will notice that with every time that you let your eyes shut because you can't keep them open you will feel a sense of relief and a desire to sleep.

Anyway,

[ghostsofgiants]

6. I had a bout of insomnia a few years back where I was averaging maybe an hour of sleep a night.

Valerian root capsules made quick work of it. They smell like ass though, haha.