Cure for insomnia?

[adidas7fire]

I haven't been able to sleep well for almost a year now due to dreams. I can fall asleep just fine but after about 4 hours, I'm tossing and turning and when I have to wake up, it's like someone has thrown me around like a ragdoll. My back and neck hurt so much and I can't figure out why I am unable to sleep thru the entire night.

 

I have tried sleep sedatives but they only make me really drowsy in the mornings... same with Ambien and Xanax. I even tried herbal remedies such as warm milk, lavender baths, and valerian root vitamins... nothing has helped.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to have a good night's sleep or any idea what may be causing this???

[Lily04]

Hey,

 

Have you been under a lot of stress lately? How long as this insomnia been going on for? I had REALLY bad insomnia during school (i.e. I typically wouldn't go to sleep until around 6:00-7:00 a.m.) and after coming back home I isolated the reasons why:

 

1) I wasn't sticking to a regular sleep routine... or if I would, it'd be going to sleep around 7:00 am and then waking up around 1:00 pm which isn't much better. You need a routine, and if you're going to bed/waking up at different times everday it will be difficult to establish good sleep patterns.

 

2) The room. I need quiet, darkness & I learned I can't sleep in a small, enclosed room. I'm not sure if I'm claustophobic or something I don't think so, but I need SPACE to sleep. So changing to a larger, darker room really made things easier for me.

 

I personally found reading before going to sleep also helps and setting a firm schedule that I need to be in bed by, latest 1:30 a.m. (I have to get up at 7:00 a.m.)

 

For you, I think environment may be something to think about... do you have a really stiff bed that's hurting your back/neck? Is the mattress something to think about? How is the lighting/space in your room? Do you have any allergies? How is your sleep routine? Maybe setting some ground rules like not going on the internet an hr. before you go to bed would help for example. I also found that working out a few hrs. before I go to sleep (typically 3-4 hrs.) helps.

 

If you're still experiencing problems, going to a doctor may help although all I found he really did was give me a pamphlet about sleeping, told me the best thing to do is get a regular sleep routine, gave me sleep medication (which didn't help and was the strongest one on the market) and told me he'll schedule a trip to the hospital for some sleep analysis clinic thing which never ended up happening 'cause he went on vacation & just never got back to me... and my sleep problems are pretty much gone now anyway. Those are likely the options he'll present for you. He also suggested seeing a psychologist because of the stress I was under.

 

Hope that helps... I think just re-evaluating your environment might help if pills don't (and pills aren't a good long-term solution anyway.)

 

Lily

[renaissancewoman101]

Are you suffering from anything like sleep apnea? That can cause you not to get a good night's sleep. Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for very brief intervals during the night and then your sleep gets interrupted as your body kicks back into the breathing. You should see a doctor about it and they can get you a sleep test (where you sleep in a hospital room and they hook you up to sensors and EKGS and all that to see how your body reacts at night during your sleep cycles).

[MARYGIRL]

I totally feel for you!! I too had insomnia for a little over a year! It sucked! Mine was different from yours though. I couldn't fall asleep, I'd lay awake and stare at the ceiling until 3-4am. And when I did fall asleep, I couldn't stay asleep. And I didn't feel like I had slept. The only reason I knew I had fallen asleep was because I'd look at my clock and see that almost 2 hrs had passed, though it felt like it had only been 10 minutes!

 

You just go around like a zombie, never really awake, and never really asleep.

 

When I talked to my doctor she gave me some suggestions before they finally decided to temp. put me on Ambien:

 

* get a regular excersise routine

* ONLY sleep (and sex of course) in your bed. No eating, reading, watching tv in bed, etc.

* No caffeine after 4 or 5 pm

* Take a relaxing bath before bedtime

* Make sure your room is totally dark at night

 

I'm also wondering if it could be your mattress that's making you toss and turn? Are you sure it's your dreams? Are you having nightmares? I get nightmares a lot too. Sometimes it helps me to make sure I watch something funny or romantic right before bedtime.

[vesper]

adidas - I have been taking melatonin - a natural herb that produces the same chemical in your brain when you are in deep sleep. Its all natural and it helps you fall asleep.

 

It regulates your sleeping patterns, so it helps your body react to light. When the sun comes out your body naturally wants to wake up and melatonin helps regulate that.

 

It is taken regulary for people who travel internationally a lot and need a way to regulate their sleeping patterns.