Help Sleeping problems

[Deleted member 13227]

I am going to see a doctor after the weekend about my insomnia meanwhile I am wondering if anyone here have any tips.

As soon as I lay on my bed to sleep my headache gets worse, I start to have racing and depressing thoughts and I wake up early I the morning and can't fall asleep again.

I have started eating healthy, no phone before bed, warm shower, exercise in the afternoon etc. but still nothing works

 

[Jean4]

I am going to see a doctor after the weekend about my insomnia meanwhile I am wondering if anyone here have any tips.

As soon as I lay on my bed to sleep my headache gets worse, I start to have racing and depressing thoughts and I wake up early I the morning and can't fall asleep again.

I have started eating healthy, no phone before bed, warm shower, exercise in the afternoon etc. but still nothing works

I have 0 tips. Please let me know what the doctor says. Nothing works for me.

 

[The Hunter]

What works for me is not caring about it. I just stay up entertaining myself until I get tired. in the bed, let the thoughts come and go. If you're two days awake, don't mind. All this is easy to say, but hard to put into practice. I hope you can learn these things with time. (I take benzos, but just because I'm already addicted, I already have tolerance, it doesn't work anymore, I just take for fear of having seizures, and I intend to do a slow withdrawal soon.)

 

[HopeDiesLast]

Ambien is the only thing that works for me, and I'm not having any negative side effects. Of course it's not meant for longterm use...but I'm already at the point where I'm dependent on it. My psych doesn't see anything wrong with it, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried about it.

 

[Quarky00]

Exactly what both 2 above me said.

Zolpidem (on top of benzo/others) + paradoxical intention (avoiding effort to sleep)

 

[chris8000]

If I were you I'd look into medicinal herbs before drugs for insomnia. They can be just as strong and don't have withdrawal problems and other side effects.

Your name says indianboy, so I guess you might know the Indian herb ashwagandha. Can be really good for sleep. Me, I take tinctures of valerian, skullcap, lemon balm, passionflower, poppy, and mix them all together, drink before bedtime, and it works really well.

You might want to look into mindfulness meditation for racing thoughts, works for some people. Fixing the time I get into bed and get out helps me too because it regulates the sleep cycle.

 

[134340]

I agree with what @The Hunter said, your best bet in the meantime before you see the doctor is to do your best to put less pressure on sleeping. I have the same issues with racing thoughts, then I start thinking "I'm only going to get x hours of sleep, I'll be so tired, I have to sleep right now, etc" and then I definitely can't sleep. I find that square breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4, repeat) is helpful sometimes because I'm focusing less on the thoughts and more on counting my breaths. I'm on trazodone for sleep and when it works, it's fantastic, but I find it to be quite unreliable for me. Insomnia sucks, I hope you find some answers at the doctor.

 

[k75]

For awhile, I was prescribed Seroquel for sleep issues. My psychiatrist likes to call it the miracle drug for the depressed insomniac. It definitely put me to sleep, but I hated how it made me feel. All the next day, it was like I was hung over. Still, if you're desperate, it seems to work well to make people sleep.

 

[AlexM]

I take sleeping pills. My therapist said there is no depression without sleeping problems.

 

[mothfly]

I know this will sound dumb but what about the mattress? I don't think it's the cause but it might be worsening it. That's all that comes to my mind. I was told by my neurologist to never try to force myself to sleep. Instead I should wake up every day at the same time, no excuses. And in the evening, go to bed just when I feel really sleepy. I don't do that though... therefore can't say if it works. Personally I think you're just really really stressed at the moment and struggling with this myself, I cannot offer help, besides emotional support I guess haha. I'm gonna try guajacuran and shower myself with light. I can tell ya later if it helped.

 

[brainpain2]

A strict sleep schedule. Do not vary your wake up and sleep times more than 2 hours, preferably one hour (very hard with all the shift work jobs out there). Do not nap longer than 20 minutes. Avoid screen time and TV before bed. Light reading is okay, especially something boring. No coffee 8 hours before bed.

And, seroquel

 

[Mizzmini45]

I haven't slept in 8 months. I sleep on and off for 2 hours at a time until I wake in a panic attack.

For awhile, I was prescribed Seroquel for sleep issues. My psychiatrist likes to call it the miracle drug for the depressed insomniac. It definitely put me to sleep, but I hated how it made me feel. All the next day, it was like I was hung over. Still, if you're desperate, it seems to work well to make people sleep.

Really? I might try it

 

[APharmaDestroyedLife]

I have started eating healthy, no phone before bed, warm shower, exercise in the afternoon etc. but still nothing works

Have you recently gone off or on an medications? How long has this been going on?

 

[k75]

I haven't slept in 8 months. I sleep on and off for 2 hours at a time until I wake in a panic attack.

Really? I might try it

Yep. I hesitated to recommend it because of that hangover effect and a lot of people hate it, but like I said, if you're desperate it might help.

It is super sedating. I was in a partial hospital program where the doctor liked to prescribe it, and you could always tell who was taking it because they'd be unable to stay awake all day. If you manage to stick with it long enough, the daytime stuff tapers off and you can function ok. I stopped taking it, though.

 

[Mizzmini45]

Yep. I hesitated to recommend it because of that hangover effect and a lot of people hate it, but like I said, if you're desperate it might help.

It is super sedating. I was in a partial hospital program where the doctor liked to prescribe it, and you could always tell who was taking it because they'd be unable to stay awake all day. If you manage to stick with it long enough, the daytime stuff tapers off and you can function ok. I stopped taking it, though.

I'm really desperate at this point. I'll ask for it at my next psychiatric appointment

 

[k75]

I'm really desperate at this point. I'll ask for it at my next psychiatric appointment

I really hope you find relief. Sleep problems make everything so much worse.

 

[Mizzmini45]

I really hope you find relief. Sleep problems make everything so much worse.

They sure do. They turn days into years when you can't sleep anymore

 

[Final Escape]

Ambien is the only thing that works for me, and I'm not having any negative side effects. Of course it's not meant for longterm use...but I'm already at the point where I'm dependent on it. My psych doesn't see anything wrong with it, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried about it.

I wish I had some I can't sleep well either.

 

[Francois]

I was also struggling with severe insomnia and it degraded my quality of life a lot.

Currently I use two medicines to sleep. Both is fairly cheap with generics available and they compliment each other greatly to help me sleep.

Amitriptyline and Oxazepam.

You could talk to your doctor about these and try it out. Obviously you should see a health professional beforehand.

 

[justanotherday]

I'm really desperate at this point. I'll ask for it at my next psychiatric appointment

Watch out for weight gain potential
Seroquel can cause it.
I went to a sleep specialist because I cannot sleep, and have tried lots of things over the years. The idiot proceeds to prescribe Ativan ! It is one of the most addictive Meds out there.

 

[Mizzmini45]

Watch out for weight gain potential
Seroquel can cause it.
I went to a sleep specialist because I cannot sleep, and have tried lots of things over the years. The idiot proceeds to prescribe Ativan ! It is one of the most addictive Meds out there.

I thought Ativan was a anti anxiety med

 

[justanotherday]

I feel like I cannot win.

I thought Ativan was a anti anxiety med

Well, I guess doctors prescribe these things for more than one problem. It is supposed to help with anxiety as well. You are right.

 

[Mizzmini45]

I feel like I cannot win.

Well, I guess doctors prescribe these things for more than one problem. It is supposed to help with anxiety as well. You are right.

Yea I guess it helps with sleep to the more I research

 

[BPD Barbie]

They gave me a strong allergy medication which makes you drowsy, it gets me and keeps me asleep, but now I can't even sleep an hour without it.

 

[mathieu]

I take seroquel. Not sure I'd really recommend it because of the side effects. I want to get off it.