Help! I have suffered to various degrees for years but at the moment I'm going through a particularly bad patch. If I'm lucky I manage 2-3 hours a night. I take 10mg of Endep each night and have been taking 20mg the last few nights with no luck.
I have trouble getting to sleep and then staying asleep. I have to get up at 5:30am for work and most nights I'm up past 2am.
Tonight I feel asleep on the couch for 2 hours and I'm now wide awake.
I avoid coffee after midday, drinking tea until 4 then chamomile tea. Use a relaxing body wash and shower at night. Try to keep to the same routines for bed times and wake time.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm so tired it makes me nauseated.
Sounds awful! I've heard that insomnia can become a 'habit' after awhile - your body adjusts to being awake at silly times, lol!
Warm bath/shower before bed (sounds like you do this already)
Cut out all caffeine after midday
Warm milk before bed
Valerian rather than prescription meds (mum ended up with a rebound effect from meds)
Notebook by the bed to write down any thoughts/worries
No TV or technology in the bedroom. Turn all tech off an hour before bed.
Don't lie awake tossing and turning. If you can't sleep after a reasonable time, get up and do something, then try again a little later.
Go to bed and get up at a similar time each day.
Maybe also see someone - naturopath, chiro, TCM practioner - to see if there's anything they can do...
Maybe try melatonin, it's the natural substance that makes us sleep. It will help break the pattern. I use it 30min before sleeping, you have to then try and sleep or it keeps you up. I used it for a month and now only every now and then after a couple of sleepless nights. You can buy it over the counter but check it's not going to mess with any medications.
Could you be getting overtired and missing your window to get to sleep?
I find I have to pay close attention to my body's tired signs because if I ignore them and push through I have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep.
Massive hugs - I'm a fellow sleep-disorderist so I understand what you mean by that horrible nausea.
First thing - read up about sleep. It's not just about what you do at nighttime, it's also about what happens during the daytime. For eg, if you're not getting enough sunlight in your eyes & on your skin, your brain won't have the necessary chemicals to switch your sleep button properly. But as much as you need light, you also need darkness at night. Get rid of every possible light source out of your bedroom, including phones, clocks,etc. dim the lights (incl telly & computers) of an evening & use warm coloured lights not bright white ones. I'm sure you know all about caffeine, I have also found things like sugar to be overly stimulating after a certain time at night.
If you're doing all that, and you're still not able to stay asleep, it's time to get help. Sleeping tablets are not the solution. They can work as a short term aid but in the longer term they can break your sleep even more. Getting a referral to see a sleep psychologist (if you think it's a habit/stress issue) or otherwise a sleep doctor. They can send you for a sleep study to find out exactly what the issue is.
The thing about sleep disorders is that you can't ever really work it out on your own. There are a number of significant but treatable sleep disorders, like periodic limb movement disorders, narcolepsy and even sleep apnea that seem like they could be insomnia - but in actual fact there may be another reason why you're awake in the first place. Seeing a sleep doc and/or psychologist can help you go through the possibilities in a logical order until you identify what the exact problem is so you can address it. Screening for depression & getting blood tests etc should be a part if this process as well because these things can also affect your sleep.
Insomnia. Help!!
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