Help! My insomnia is causing me to lose sleep!

[TheVTCGuy]

Pun intended....

OK, so I need advice, any Doctors, Holistic Healers, medicine men, anyone..

Every night, around 10:30 or so, I get sleepy, go to bed, and fall asleep; pretty normal human being so far I guess. BUT, also every night, between 1 and 3 AM I wake up.... WIDE AWAKE. I toss and turn for about 30 minutes, then get up and... play chess on the computer, surf the internet, chat on TRF (like now for example) or do some work. I've actually got some of my best work done at 3 Oclock in the morning. This will go on for one, two, sometimes as much as three hours before I'm sleepy again and go back to bed. I get up 7:30ish and start my day. This happens NIGHT after NIGHT and I end up getting pretty sleep deprived. You would think I'd sleep the night through after a couple days of this, but it does not seem to matter, I STILL wake up, WIDE FRICKEN AWAKE in the wee hours of the morning. It seems the only method of breaking the cycle and sleeping the night through is by taking a pill. I'm one of those that hate taking medicine of any kind (of course I Do take what I'm perscribed for my disease), and certainly don't want to become addicted to sleeping pills, so I limit myself to once (OK maybe twice) a week. But there has GOT to be a better way!

The latest thing I just started trying was doing anerobic (weight lifting) excercise a couple hours before bed, it's only been a couple days so no verdict on that method yet, but how do you guys ensure a good nights sleep? Open for any and all suggestions.... help, Please!!!!!!

P.S. I know what my buddy Leo is saying right now.... take a shot (or two, or three... or four) of your favorite booze and you'll sleep the night through for sure! Sorry Leo, but with my diagnosis and new medicine, alcohol is not an option, (I was a non-drinker anyway).

[OYSTERMANN]

Paul,

How about going to bed a bit later, or even trying various relaxation techniques, such as Yoga?

It must drive you mad and I guess it's one of those things that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, in as much as if you know you're going to find it difficult sleeping, the fact that it's the focus of your attention, leads exactly to that conclusion.

You've obviously got a very alert and busy mind, Paul and it's probably difficult for you to put yourself into shutdown mode.

Just a few thoughts.

[Taffi Abernathy]

This is OTC but some use it with success - http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders...tonin-overview.

[swatty]

Thats happens to me as well Paul, but only if I have had an alcoholic beverage or 2(or more) before going to bed. Some body once told me it has to with liver function .

[figbo]

Originally Posted by swatty

Thats happens to me as well Paul, but only if I have had an alcoholic beverage or 2(or more) before going to bed. Some body once told me it has to with liver function .

Yes Paul,mine is hanging by a thread and I sleep like a baby!

[Титан]

Originally Posted by OYSTERMANN

Paul,

How about going to bed a bit later, or even trying various relaxation techniques, such as Yoga?

It must drive you mad and I guess it's one of those things that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, in as much as if you know you're going to find it difficult sleeping, the fact that it's the focus of your attention, leads exactly to that conclusion.

You've obviously got a very alert and busy mind, Paul and it's probably difficult for you to put yourself into shutdown mode.

Just a few thoughts.

Well said.

[OYSTERMANN]

Originally Posted by Титан

Well said.

Appreciate that, Frank, thanks

[idk01]

Hi Paul, I do the same :-) work till late, easy to do with remote work, I also TRF the same time, the big thing I found that does the trick, get away from the computer late at night and watch a bit of tv :-) get yourself out of work mode, something I find difficult to do, but have found watching a bit of TV and relaxing seems to get me in the mode :-)

[Brunotheboxer]

Take my advice Paul. Find yourself a good Woman.

Also dont lift weight too close to bed time as this can interfere with sleep.

[Idle Swede]

Paul, in all seriousness, it sounds to me that you're going to bed too early??

If I would go to bed at 10.30 PM, (has never happened) I would probably wake up around 4-5 AM.

Come on buddy, at your age, how many Hr's of sleep do you need?

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Idle Swede

Paul, in all seriousness, it sounds to me that you're going to bed too early??

If I would go to bed at 10.30 PM, (has never happened) I would probably wake up around 4-5 AM.

Come on buddy, at your age, how many Hr's of sleep do you need?

Is.. is Leo calling me old?

[Idle Swede]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Is.. is Leo calling me old?

I left out the word fart, didn't I?

[ianbware``]

Try taking ambien the long release one. As one ages you need less sleep. I knew a person who could only sleep 5 hours a night and the doctor told him that is all he needed. For me i need 10 hours of sleep.

[gettocard]

I go through that once in a while.
The last thing you should do is get on the internet while awake. Have a long and hot shower or bath,read a book,whatever,but don't touch the computer .
Don't take any shitty pills,you don't need those. Do not exercise either,stretch,breathe deeply but do not exercise. You need to relax,not get pumped up.
Alchol may get you initially sleepy,but sleep quality worsen with alchol intake. Have glass of milk before bedtime,it contains and aminoacid called tryptophan that induce sleep.

As I've said it happen to me once in a while...3 am sharp and completely awake. Try not to bring to bed your everyday life problems or frustrations,that IS the cause,trust me. It's not easy but that is the main cause.
Man...I hate sleep deprivation. My face gets ugly so does my hairs,I look 10 years older....
Thank god I've been sleeping like a baby for the past month....

[AAMD11]

Ambien always helps me

[Idle Swede]

I slept like a baby one night last week = slept 1 hour, woke up crying, slept 1 hour woke up crying, slept 1 hour.......you get the picture.

[TheVTCGuy]

Leo! You know that's what happens when you start drinking the cheap stuff!

[axxeman01]

Just schedule your weight lifting for 1 am :) Not really sure, I take Trazadone for that, although a full pill leaves one groggy in the AM which is no fun whatsoever. Are you stressed out? The exercise will help with that (I'd do it in the morning).

Mini vacation maybe? Few days off can do wonders for the mind, even if you don't necessarily associate your stress with your job, a change of scenery in general might be nice!

[Rolex Junky]

Try to get some sort of physical activity during the day that tires you out.
Try to relax and unwind both physically aswell as cognitively (no work or PC) at least 1 hour prior to bedtime. There are many options available for this.
Dont exercise close to bedtime.
As you get older you need less sleep; so try going to bed at a later time; like 23:00-23:30.
When you awake try not to get out of bed unless its for a bathroom break or a non sugary/ alcoholic drink.
Dont consume any sugar or alcohol at least 3 hours prior to bedtime.
In the worse case you can try taking melatonin for a period of time to better regulate your sleep cycle. (consult your MD about this option)
Consider consulting a psychologist/ psychiatrist. You might have unsolved issues that lead to an unnatural buildup of stress that prevents you from relaxing and having a good night sleep.

[CoopJr]

What about a hot shower before bed Paul...that or a soak in the hot tub works for me.

[Титан]

Originally Posted by CoopJr

What about a hot shower before bed Paul...that or a soak in the hot tub works for me.

Allan I really hope you are not by yourself in the tub, or people will start to talk. ;)

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by Титан

Allan I really hope you are not by yourself in the tub, or people will start to talk. ;)

Actually I am in by myself most of the time For some reason, my wife doesn't like it.

[andy2die4]

Maby a filling snack could help, wakeing up because of hunger is something my kids would do. Now they get Kelloggs and a good night,

[rfknauss]

Paul, have you tried reading a good book in bed until you get so tired you just fall asleep?

[Mike B]

Also, if your on the computer before you go to bed that doesn't help either.
Well, then again, you said you can GET to sleep fine, but you wake up during the night, so maybe more exercise ??
Since I started running again, I've been a lot less tired that I usually am (I'm 24, and go to bed around 11PM, which for someone my age is INSANE, I should be staying up until at least 2AM lol).
But ya, try doing some outside activities until later in the evening (a movie, maybe bowling, etc.) get home later then you usually would, unwind, a nice hot bath, etc. and hit the pillow at like 11-12AM ish.
For me, I'm the opposite, I'm always tired, and I get like 6-7 hours of sleep every night lol

Good luck Paul !!

Mike
PS - Check your Skype for a message from me :)

[lek0708]

Hi Paul,

I'm a fellow insomniac so I can relate. I've taken ambien, trazadone, seroquel before for sleep, all with different, but intense side effects -- if you're interested just ask and I'll tell you more.

I know you said you're not big on pills, but I'm going to give Faith's suggestion a thumbs up. The medication I use now (rozerem) works on the brain's melatonin receptor and it does help me sleep without feeling like a zombie the next day. You can buy regular melatonin OTC and try it without worrying about becoming dependent/addicted -- it's a more natural solution.

Otherwise,
make sure that your sleeping room is dark, and quiet - and don't watch tv or work in your bedroom, or where ever you sleep if you can help it.

Hope you get some rest soon.

[TheVTCGuy]

It seems like Melatonin is the thing to try! I'm going to do it! If anyone has any specific supplement they reccomend I'm open for suggestions!

[bobp315]

I do that every once in awhile too, sleep trouble runs in my family. If I wake up in the middle of the night, like wide awake, I don't try to fight it by tossing and turning. I get up and get a drink of water or take a hot shower, then I watch some TV. I have to do something to keep myself from thinking "If I don't get to sleep, I will be too tired to do___ tomorrow." because then I'll never get to bed. I don't mess with the pills either. I like to have full control over my body and I really don't want something artificially knocking me out if that makes any sense.

[ParisDakarBmw]

I've been taking Ambien for 3 years. I sleep really good at night. I have a VERY active mind, and it won't turn off for bed.

Ambien CR (controlled release) will put you down like a bear tranquilizer, and keep you asleep for 7 hrs.

I had that for a while, and scaled back to the Ambien 10 mg.

Try thr melitonin for a while, but it didn't work as well as the Ambien for me.

You might look to try Kava Kava root. You make it into a drink, and toss it back. You'll do absolutely nothing but relax. That's what the natives in Fiji, and Tahiti drink. I read a book that talked about it. I tried nightime tea that had it and it was calming. I tried straight Kava powder & water. That was a very relaxing evening. It's legal, but doesn't taste anything less than ground tree bark. It works.

[cody p]

i've had early morning awakening for years now - tried all the 'remedies'. i just live with it and accept it as karmaic payback for something or the other i shouldn't have done in some previous life:)