Severe Insomnia

[TripletDaddy]

Is it truly insomnia if you can fall asleep the first time? I have found that my standard nightly routine remains uninterrupted. I fall asleep no prob, although I traditionally do go to bed on the late side. Unfortunately, if I wake up at all for any reason in the middle of the night, I cannot go back to sleep because all these things flood into my head.

This morning I went on a walk in my 'hood at about 5:30-ish or so. It was interesting to see so many people out and about at that hour....I saw 8 or so people that had already started their day...walking/running, one guy gearing up his boat, etc. I also shot baskets for about 20 minutes.

[Shaka]

No kidding. I know a not-insignificant number of church members who would SCREAM if their doctors told them to drink a small glass of wine every night, but have no qualms at all taking prescription sleeping drugs, some with far worse side effects, to accomplish the same purpose.

When I mention anxiety being a factor, I don't mean to the degree of a person experiencing debilitating anxiety attacks. It can be a small, underlying amount of anxiety that keeps the mind just above the threshold and won't allow it to shut down and go into the REM sleep cycle. Sometimes a low level dose of anti-anxiety meds will be just enough to allow the person to relax and sleep. At least this is how it was explained to me.

Honestly, if a doc told me to do this I'd do it. I think there's a big difference between taking a shot at the behest of a doc or drinking for recreation. Having sampled a few adult beverages in my youth I doubt that wine would do the same thing for me that Ambien does.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I feel for you DDD and SMR. I have been on the road for a week and I don't sleep well on these trips. I am the walking dead today.

[kccougar]

Is it truly insomnia if you can fall asleep the first time? I have found that my standard nightly routine remains uninterrupted. I fall asleep no prob, although I traditionally do go to bed on the late side. Unfortunately, if I wake up at all for any reason in the middle of the night, I cannot go back to sleep because all these things flood into my head.

This morning I went on a walk in my 'hood at about 5:30-ish or so. It was interesting to see so many people out and about at that hour....I saw 8 or so people that had already started their day...walking/running, one guy gearing up his boat, etc. I also shot baskets for about 20 minutes.

I typically have no trouble at all falling asleep. Only occasionally does it take longer than a few minutes from the time my head touches the pillow. However, there are times when I have a lot going on at work where I have the problem you are having. I go to sleep fine but if I wake up any time later than about 3:00am I can't fall back asleep because my mind immediately fills up with what needs to be done that day. In my case, the only solution has been to catch up on what needs to be done at work so I don't feel so pressed.

[SeattleUte]

I think the knowledge that all of you are strung out on all these freaky drugs will only add to my late night anxiety. I care about this place!

Knowing this happens to others actually makes me feel better, like my problems might not be as insoluble as they seem. It's not a rational feeling, I know, but one I have nonetheless.

[jay santos]

Woke up at 3, couldn't fall back asleep immediately. This is my process.

A Melatonin will usually put me back to sleep within 10-15 minutes, but will knock me out for about three hours.

So if I wake up more than 3 hours before wake up time, I pop the Melatonin.

If I wake up between 1.5 and 3 hours before wake up time, I pop the Melatonin and turn my alarm clock off and live with waking up a little late.

If I wake up less than 1.5 hours before wake up time, and spend more than 10 minutes trying to get back to sleep, I get out of bed.

[falafel]

Every day for the last week, and several odd days before that, my 8 year old son has come into our room in the middle of the night and slept on the floor. He's consistently waking up in the middle of the night and I'm not sure why. He tells us he can't sleep. Sometimes I have to give him a half of a benedryl to help him.

[Babs]

He said it's used off-label as a sleeping aid. My body chemistry must have been really out of whack if something as strong as Seroquel didn't even work.

You should be relieved it didn't work. Seroquel is an anti-psychotic. If it's effective for insomnia, it's an indication that the insomnia may be rooted in a mild manic or psychotic episode.

[TripletDaddy]

It's happening again. Lame.

[Commando]

Meanwhile my bedtime gets to be later and later as the days wear on... its gonna be bad at church tomorrow @ 9:00 a.m.

[TripletDaddy]

Meanwhile my bedtime gets to be later and later as the days wear on... its gonna be bad at church tomorrow @ 9:00 a.m.

I'm sitting in the living room reading online, waiting for enough light to go outside and shoot baskets.

[Viking]

This might not sound empathetic but it is.

After bear stearns fell I couldn't sleep for two months. Literally.

Finally at the end of June I took all of our holdings to cash.

I could sleep again.

In retrospect, I really think my mind was not letting me sleep until I did what I knew was needed.

You probably know what you need to do. Do it.

[LA Ute]

I'm sitting in the living room reading online, waiting for enough light to go outside and shoot baskets.

Hey, DDD, I understand this is a very common problem. I certainly know many people who have it. I do. I'm up now for early meetings, but I've been awake since 4:30. This is pretty much a daily routine for me. I'm out like a light when my head hits the pillow, but i cannot sleep beyond 4:00-4:30, sometimes earlier. This started when I got into my 40s, when I could never sleep past 6:00 a.m. The wakeup time just got earlier and earlier. My doctors (and some basic reading) have told me this just happens with age, as our bodies produce less and less melatonin. That's why melatonin (3 mg, 5 mg, or even 10 mg) helps some people.

Usually I can sort of doze for an hour or so after waking up. I've got the same problem as kc - once I start thinking about the day I am wide awake, so have learned how to think about other things so I can keep dozing (usually that works, but not always).

For me, melatonin at least an hour before bedtime helps. I also take diphenhydramine 25 mg most nights, sometimes only half a tablet. It's available over the counter, is cheap, and is non-addictive. Pretty much the main ingredient in Benadryl. it is in Advil PM, Tylenol PM (or whatever that's called), and Unisom. ER Coug endorses this one. For me, for some reason, that gets me and extra hour or two of sleep. If I take more than one (sometimes only one) I can be a little groggy when it's time to wake up, so I usually limit the dosage.

Of course, on days when I need to get up really early (plane flights to the East, e.g.) the "ability" to wake up early is a gift. Silver lining, you know.

Anyway, you're certainly not alone. Hope you can get a nap in today.

[TripletDaddy]

Ugh. It is happening again.

[myboynoah]

Ugh. It is happening again.

Is it usually only one night, or does it go on night-after-night? This happens to be occasionally, so I get up and go through emails, read the paper, or watch old sitcom reruns on TV. Even though I may not go back to sleep, I always figure I'll catch up the next night, or the next.