I've always had episodes of insomnia, but this one is killing me. I get home from school and I am utterly exhausted, I can barely keep my eyes open. By the time I finish my homework and studying it is usually around 10 pm. I lie down and nothing happens, nothing. I just lie there for hours trying to fall asleep. For the last three weeks I have not been able to fall asleep before 3 am, and I have to get up by 7 am at the latest.
One night I couldn't sleep at all. I laid in bed all night, 6 am rolled around before I even started to feel sleepy. I decided to skip my morning class (economics) and the next day the teacher had a fit about it. The thing is, I live 35 miles from the college and after staying awake all night I just couldn't bring myself to drive 70 miles roundtrip on no sleep.
Usually I take a couple of benedryl and it at least helps some, but the last couple of weeks it hasn't helped at all. I'm in biology now and it is hard to keep my concentration up for two hours lecture followed by two hours of lab when I haven't slept more than four hours in the last three weeks. I hope I don't blow my GPA. :dzed:
Yeah thanks StriverSN but the melatonin I have actually comes in that specific dosage, so I am not taking too little unless 3 mg is simply not enough for me , I have no idea. I wish that was all I was doing wrong , if so,I would just take 2 a night and get some sleep!
I dont know what I will do I have come to absolutely dread bed time since I know pretty certainly it only brings tossing and turning for countless hours and more frustration. I have tried relaxing music( nature sounds white noise and stuff like that) counting backwards ( and forwards for that matter)progressively talking (in my mind) through my body relaxing starting at the toes and then working up ..etc, etc, etc .I have tried it all or very nearly anyway~
I don't know what is wrong with me either. I am relatively new to the insomnia thing too. I can remember a time not even a year ago when I would joke about being able to sit in bed with a Mountain Dew and still go right to sleep. Not the case for the past 3 months or so. I actually spend all day dreading nightfall, because everyone in the house is sleeping but me and I worry endlessly about not being able to sleep. it has gotten so bad that every person I see (at work, while out, etc) I look at them and think "oh that person can be having such a good time today because they can go home and sleep, and I can't." I will overanalyze every noise that occurs in the house and I will deliberately lay there awake and wait for a noise. (Even though I sleep with a fan on for white noise and earplugs). I will do this all night. I have taken the Ambien CR for quite a while now. Some nights I have been able to sleep up to 6 hours once I finally fall asleep (this takes over an hour usually). but, most nights I take it I sleep from 11pm to about 2-3 am, then I am awake again. I am depserate for some real help for this problem. Venting helps minimally, though.
I don't know what is wrong with me either. I am relatively new to the insomnia thing too. I can remember a time not even a year ago when I would joke about being able to sit in bed with a Mountain Dew and still go right to sleep. Not the case for the past 3 months or so. I actually spend all day dreading nightfall, because everyone in the house is sleeping but me and I worry endlessly about not being able to sleep. it has gotten so bad that every person I see (at work, while out, etc) I look at them and think "oh that person can be having such a good time today because they can go home and sleep, and I can't." I will overanalyze every noise that occurs in the house and I will deliberately lay there awake and wait for a noise. (Even though I sleep with a fan on for white noise and earplugs). I will do this all night. I have taken the Ambien CR for quite a while now. Some nights I have been able to sleep up to 6 hours once I finally fall asleep (this takes over an hour usually). but, most nights I take it I sleep from 11pm to about 2-3 am, then I am awake again. I am depserate for some real help for this problem. Venting helps minimally, though.
Wow, that is brutal... I really feel for you.
A few things you may have already tried:
1) Keep a journal by the bed -- any worries or thoughts that pop into your head, write 'em down and tell yourself that you'll look at it in the morning -- this can help you to let go of it.
2) Avoid caffeine after noon... or totally if you can (I simply couldn't)
3) Avoid fluids after about 1800 or so in order that bladder twinges don't wake you or disturb you
4) Get a white-noise generator so that you can't hear noises.
5) Practice sleep discipline: I have trouble with mind chatter and have learned over the years to be able to focus on a black spot about 1/2" behind my forehead while counting over and over 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 (sometimes I switch to 3/4 time)... when I find my mind wandering, I don't beat myself up or think about it, I just doggedly go back to my "spot" and my counts
6) Don't, don't, don't look at the clock... nothing makes it harder for me to go to sleep than to know what time it is and how soon I have to be out of bed.
7) Try to go to bed at the same time every night.
8) Sleep alone... movement in the bed can be disturbing.
9) Try another med. I find Lunesta to be more effective for me than Ambien (sadly, it's been taken off of our formulary and it's pricey). Try not to take the med more than a couple days in a row, just to reduce the liklihood of tolerance.
10) Talk to your doc about once or twice taking a larger dose of the med and then checking into a motel for a day or two of catch-up rest.
I feel your pain! I have terrible insomnia.I love ambien,but I stopped taking meds b/c I dont want to depend off it to sleep.I have tried everything in the book to try to sleep.The funny thing is I actually slept great the night before I took boards.Now, Im waiting for my results and sleep is not happening! My husband lays down and is out minutes later.Im so jealous.It makes me feel better that im not the ony one wide eyed at 3am!
Thank you for all the suggestions. I did forget to mention that my man is out like a light minutes after he gets in bed too, and that just makes it so much worse for me--knowing that he is sleeping and I can't--no matter what. And to the person who said to sleep alone (is it Music Box in my Heart?)--you are right about that. However, ask him how he feels about that. Not good.
There may be more going on than you realize. See your PCP. When my insomnia started, I self medicated with Benadryl and melatonin to no avail. Then I progressed to Xanax 0.25mg (w/MD script), then to Xanax plus Benadryl. Finally, my PCP sent me to a sleep doc. Low and behold, the questionnaires and sleep study discovered I have restless leg syndrome. Heck, I thought my jitters were nervousness due to not being able to sleep. So, I now take 50mg of Requip at about 9pm and have few problems sleeping except for vivid dreams sometimes. I still keep Xanax on hand for the evening before an exam or rough clinical, it seems to keep vivid dreams at bay.
there are many reasons why you get insomnia. the most important thing is sleeping hygiene. first is reduce coffee. or after noon don't take coffee. and also learn how to relax before sleeping. in day time, regular to do excerise .....let body tired ....
Simpleplan
120 Posts
I could not sleep at all the night b4 the NCLEX.