NFT: Anyone suffer from insomnia?

first, read about how to sleep and follow all those obvious steps (same bedtime every night, cool dark room, no tv in your bedroom, etc.). they are important.

in addition, i try to do the same thing right before bedtime (glass of milk, etc.).

finally, if I wake up or just can't get to sleep, i get out of bed. read, have a snack, whatever. it seems it's easier to get to sleep after doing this than just laying in bed.

a more comfortable bed and white noise helped me. I have an amazon echo and put on rain sounds every night.

Are you unable to fall asleep at bedtime? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep?

has sleep anxiety/insomnia issues. Whether they cant get to sleep in the first place or are up and down all night or wake up at 4 and cant fall back asleep etc...does anyone sleep soundly anymore?

It isn’t cheap, but you’ll sleep like a baby. Made from one of the most amazing plants that nature has to offer humankind. I have experienced zero (literally zero) negative side effects.

That shit always knocks me out

1. I take Remeron to help.
2. I can fall asleep, but I get up 1-2x and have to eat to fall back. Annoying.

Try to get fresh air
Certain foods at dinner help promote sleep (steak salmon cod)
Read a non stimulating book (I like biographies)
Put your phone on airplane mode so you aren’t getting notifications
Meditation (I like headspace and buddhify)
Invest in a great pillow mattress and sheets
No caffeine after noon
Sex!

Good luck - insomnia is dreadful - if it persists maybe you should speak to a doc to have your sleep monitored for apnea

But really any sort of white noise I think is good.

If you like the sound of running water too I highly recommend the link to the youtube video below, something about it is just super relaxing to me.
Running Water - ( New Window )

I find it hard to sleep at night if I take a nap sometime during the previous day.

It's great because not only can you set to different sounds, but you can adjust the "tone" and find the exact frequency that most calms you.
Sound Machine - ( New Window )

and are churning on things? Sometimes (though not always), it helps me to count backwards from 100. It takes my mind off of what I was thinking about, I get bored and go to sleep. Sometimes, if the churning is really bad and I just need to distract my mind (even if not trying to fall asleep), I count backward from 100 by 3s. Might sound silly but it has helped me on occasion.

and rubbing one out help too. LMAO

In comment 14119416 Leg of Theismann said:

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But really any sort of white noise I think is good. If you like the sound of running water too I highly recommend the link to the youtube video below, something about it is just super relaxing to me. Running Water - ( New Window )

Or it could make you piss your bed

.

In comment 14119427 Anakim said:

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In comment 14119416 Leg of Theismann said: Quote: But really any sort of white noise I think is good. If you like the sound of running water too I highly recommend the link to the youtube video below, something about it is just super relaxing to me. Running Water - ( New Window ) Or it could make you piss your bed

I never understood people who think running water makes them have to pee. Obviously everyone's different. The sound machine I listed has many different sounds. Of course sound can have the opposite effect on many people, for some reason complete silence has never been good for me trying to sleep.

which is why you'll often see me posting here in the wee hours.

I've tried a lot of the otc stuff--melanonin, Zquil, etc.--and none of it works for me.

I have a prescription for Trazodone, which is really hit or miss. Sometimes it doesn't really work, sometimes it works well, but sometimes it knocks me out where I can barely wake up.

I also have a Lorazepam prescription that does help me sleep (aside from helping my anxiety), but that stuff is powerful and addictive and my family is chock full of addiction, so I rarely use it.

Unfortunately the best sleep aid for me is alcohol, but I'm trying to cut back on that (with moderate success) because I don't want to ruin my liver and don't want to develop an addiction.

So, in sum, I haven't found a perfect solution yet, but perhaps someone can glean some ideas from my failures that might work for you--everyone is different.

In comment 14119453 Mike from SI said:

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which is why you'll often see me posting here in the wee hours. I've tried a lot of the otc stuff--melanonin, Zquil, etc.--and none of it works for me. I have a prescription for Trazodone, which is really hit or miss. Sometimes it doesn't really work, sometimes it works well, but sometimes it knocks me out where I can barely wake up. I also have a Lorazepam prescription that does help me sleep (aside from helping my anxiety), but that stuff is powerful and addictive and my family is chock full of addiction, so I rarely use it. Unfortunately the best sleep aid for me is alcohol, but I'm trying to cut back on that (with moderate success) because I don't want to ruin my liver and don't want to develop an addiction. So, in sum, I haven't found a perfect solution yet, but perhaps someone can glean some ideas from my failures that might work for you--everyone is different.

alcohol may help you get to sleep but it can disrupt your ability to get into a deep restorative sleep. (As well as causing you to pee in the middle of the night). Getting at the root of the anxiety and writing down steps you can take to deal with it in the morning in a journal has also helped

In comment 14119453 Mike from SI said:

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which is why you'll often see me posting here in the wee hours. I've tried a lot of the otc stuff--melanonin, Zquil, etc.--and none of it works for me. I have a prescription for Trazodone, which is really hit or miss. Sometimes it doesn't really work, sometimes it works well, but sometimes it knocks me out where I can barely wake up. I also have a Lorazepam prescription that does help me sleep (aside from helping my anxiety), but that stuff is powerful and addictive and my family is chock full of addiction, so I rarely use it. Unfortunately the best sleep aid for me is alcohol, but I'm trying to cut back on that (with moderate success) because I don't want to ruin my liver and don't want to develop an addiction. So, in sum, I haven't found a perfect solution yet, but perhaps someone can glean some ideas from my failures that might work for you--everyone is different.

Have you tried any of the sedative hypnotics yet? Ambien (zolpidem), Lunesta (eszopiclone), etc?

Sorry for your problem. I hope you have seen a sleep specialist if not please do. The route you are taking sounds a little scary. Stay well.

I don't have any answers...but be careful taking Ambien. I wound up in a canyon about a quarter mile from my house...that stuff should come with handcuffs...

always seems to help

I really appreciate the feedback and well wishes, and I agree that does sound scary (perhaps a little scarier than it actually is in real life lol). I'm starting to see a psychologist who I hope can help. Also, I'm scared sh*tless of Ambien because everyone I've known who takes it has had issues; but I'll try bringing it up with my doctor to see what he thinks. Thanks again!

In comment 14119515 Chris in San Diego said:

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I don't have any answers...but be careful taking Ambien. I wound up in a canyon about a quarter mile from my house...that stuff should come with handcuffs...

I've had several friends with similar experiences, so I've steered clear of it.

In comment 14119453 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

which is why you'll often see me posting here in the wee hours. I've tried a lot of the otc stuff--melanonin, Zquil, etc.--and none of it works for me. I have a prescription for Trazodone, which is really hit or miss. Sometimes it doesn't really work, sometimes it works well, but sometimes it knocks me out where I can barely wake up. I also have a Lorazepam prescription that does help me sleep (aside from helping my anxiety), but that stuff is powerful and addictive and my family is chock full of addiction, so I rarely use it. Unfortunately the best sleep aid for me is alcohol, but I'm trying to cut back on that (with moderate success) because I don't want to ruin my liver and don't want to develop an addiction. So, in sum, I haven't found a perfect solution yet, but perhaps someone can glean some ideas from my failures that might work for you--everyone is different.

Mike from SI...look up Dr. Claire Weekes on Youtube and Amazon for anxiety. She changed my life.

In comment 14119526 Mike from SI said:

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In comment 14119515 Chris in San Diego said: Quote: I don't have any answers...but be careful taking Ambien. I wound up in a canyon about a quarter mile from my house...that stuff should come with handcuffs... I've had several friends with similar experiences, so I've steered clear of it.

I was on ambien. My advice is don't do it. I managed to quit - it was not easy.

Knocks you out like a sledgehammer, it’s kind of scary. Bruised myself more than once running into stuff while coming back to bed after getting up to pee. And it really didn’t address my problem well, which is waking too early and not getting back to sleep. By that time the Ambien’s worn off.

I’m much happier with Lunesta. Doesn’t knock you out hard — it’s a much more mellow action. And it lasts longer so you sleep thru the night.

But everyone’s different and reacts differently, so you may need to try different things.

In comment 14119425 Leg of Theismann said:

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and rubbing one out help too. LMAO

Actually that’s a fact because it releases some protein which causes sleepiness.

In comment 14119418 Steve in South Jersey said:

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I find it hard to sleep at night if I take a nap sometime during the previous day.

Naps are fine just not longer than 20-25 and that’s when you first try to nap not when you fall asleep.
See the link
Link - ( New Window )

Yup. I have had sleeping problems forever.

I realize this isn't an option for everyone because of work-related drug testing and perhaps just being against it in general, but indica strains/oils make an absolutely huge difference for me.

I don't really smoke much at all otherwise - but it's a godsend for my sleeping.

You can really just get the same benefit from pure CBD without the "high" which I also use. But obviously you have to be careful with where you buy it from and you have to make sure what you're buying is legit.

I've tried melatonin, Ambien, valerian root, theanine... you name it. None of those things helped me sleep.

I literally have taken ambein and it had no effect on me at all. I still tossed and turned all night and might have slept for 4 hours tops.

I have a couple podcasts I'll listen to with an earbud in one ear. "Sleep With Me" is one of them where the guy drones on for an hour, and others are just random ones on topics I like...one's called "Star Trek the Next Conversation" where they comically review episodes and the other is a James Bond podcast called James Bonding. Or I'll stream WFAN. Tends to work

puts me to sleep too

Will help with the anxiety and the sleep.

You should absolutely try it before you take scary stuff like ambien.

In comment 14120218 bigbluehoya said:

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Will help with the anxiety and the sleep. You should absolutely try it before you take scary stuff like ambien.

I have CBD but never use it because I workout in the morning and when I take it before bed my muscles feel too relaxed like they are in a hot tub.

Acts as a very strong anti-anxiety agent which calms the nerves before sleep. Have suffered from insomnia since elementary school and that's the product that finally did the trick

Woke up at 4:30 this morning.

In comment 14119384 Banks said:

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a more comfortable bed and white noise helped me. I have an amazon echo and put on rain sounds every night.

I do the same. Soft rain or a trickling stream. Search for ambient sounds on google. It helps.

For about 6-7 weeks a few years ago I had nearly an impossible time falling asleep. My heart was frequently racing, I spent night after night hopelessly trying to fall asleep in bed before giving up and going out to the couch in my living room where I would be frequently be awake until 4-5 am. Ultimately I was getting 1-2 hours sleep every night.

It was brutal. I tried melatonin and other sleep aids but they really didn't work. On the advice of some medical professionals in my family, I began taking daily supplements of magnesium glycinate. I can't say for certain that worked, but it wasn't long after beginning that I began sleeping normally again without the racing heart.

helps, but settling the mind at night is very hard.

Exercise program.
Lorazepam or Klonopin prescription (sp?)
Diphenhydramine (it is the stuff in Nyquil that makes you drowsy - except it doesn't have everything else that Nyquil has) - I think this is sold as Benidryl.
Melatonin.

Mix 2 or 3 of the above and you will be out ....