Insomnia Anonymous

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  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    Hi sleepless people,
    Have a good rest of your weekend, or start of the week
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
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    I have been unable to sleep for the last few hours These re the times of day i crave empty calories
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    Yep...I always have to eat before bed, something carby like potatoes, french fries, bread, chips etc. It makes me feel happier which helps me relax - as I say at 4:51, still not even in bed!
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    @strifechick do you take any preventatives for your migraines? I have migraines every damn day. I do take a boat load of medication, but if I didn't, well I wouldn't function all ever. I also have chronic insomnia. I totally get where you are coming from.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    I was on an awesome med for migraines and sleep. I got the best sleep ever on it. Amitryplitine. But I gained 80 lbs on that med. My sleep has been horrible every since, and my migraines are worse
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    YvetteK2015 wrote: »
    @strifechick do you take any preventatives for your migraines? I have migraines every damn day. I do take a boat load of medication, but if I didn't, well I wouldn't function all ever. I also have chronic insomnia. I totally get where you are coming from.

    I currently only take Topamax for prevention (plus some supplements like magnesium). But I have been around the block with medications.

    I just started getting the migraines about 5 years ago out of the blue, before that I never had a single one in my life that I can recall. And I have literally been on every single medication out there that can be used to treat or prevent migraines (dozens of anti seizure drugs, anti depressants, even blood pressure medications, while I already have very low pressure to begin with, etc..) I've also been through acupuncture, chiropractor, even PT and none of that has helped either.

    I was on tons and tons for a while and I was just having side effects and no benefit so I just cut them all off but the topamax which seems to slightly lower the intensity of some but doesn't do anything much for frequency.

    As a side note I've had dozens of different scans of my brain, neck, and everywhere else and there are no physical problems that are causing them either. I'm unable to work at the moment because of how often and how bad I get them so it's pretty terrible.

    My doctor hopes if she can get the insomnia under control it might help the migraines scale back a bit.

  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    IslandGal3 wrote: »
    I'd give anything to sleep like I did many, many years ago.

    I never really slept great but I would love to go back to the days where I could get like 5-6 hours a night. It didn't seem like a ton at the time but that would be amazing at this point!
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    I just switched from melatonin in pill form to liquid form. Also, just some information, melatonin is not like a sleeping pill where if you take a larger dose, it will work faster or keep you asleep long. It's a hormone. Large doses can actually keep you awake and make you more agitated. Sleep specialists would only recommend no more than 1 mg, but a little more wouldn't hurt. So if you are taking 5-10 mg, it might actually be counter productive and leave you exhausted.
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    YvetteK2015 wrote: »
    I just switched from melatonin in pill form to liquid form. Also, just some information, melatonin is not like a sleeping pill where if you take a larger dose, it will work faster or keep you asleep long. It's a hormone. Large doses can actually keep you awake and make you more agitated. Sleep specialists would only recommend no more than 1 mg, but a little more wouldn't hurt. So if you are taking 5-10 mg, it might actually be counter productive and leave you exhausted.

    My doctor is the one that recommend the dose I was on, she said it was the best for what I was already taking and due to some digestive issues medications don't always properly absorb right into my system so I often take weird doses of stuff. I trust her judgement on the dose so I would stick with it for me personally.

    I have never tried the liquid form though. I haven't even seen it before maybe I will try to find it and see if it absorbs into my system better than the pills do. Where do you typically buy it from?

  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    @strifechick I found the liquid form on Amazon. The brand I use is called Sleep Soundly. I love it. It has no taste at all, so you can add it to a drink, or just take it orally.

  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    YvetteK2015 wrote: »
    @strifechick I found the liquid form on Amazon. The brand I use is called Sleep Soundly. I love it. It has no taste at all, so you can add it to a drink, or just take it orally.

    Thanks I'll have to give it a shot! I know a lot of the time pills aren't nearly as effective as the liquids!
  • iamlucky86
    iamlucky86 Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm an insomniac too But there's not much I can do as I take meds. These make me experience very vivid dreams and I then wake up and it becomes difficult to go back to sleep.

    However, restricting caffeine intake in the evening and the use of mobiles and screens also helps. The screens emit blue light which inhibits the body from releasing melatonin and can disrupt sleep. I've done this and noticed a dramatic improvement in sleep.
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    iamlucky86 wrote: »
    I'm an insomniac too But there's not much I can do as I take meds. These make me experience very vivid dreams and I then wake up and it becomes difficult to go back to sleep.

    However, restricting caffeine intake in the evening and the use of mobiles and screens also helps. The screens emit blue light which inhibits the body from releasing melatonin and can disrupt sleep. I've done this and noticed a dramatic improvement in sleep.

    Been there tried all of that. Wish it was something simple for me.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    I can't take regular sleeping pills like ambien and lunesta. I call them my wide awake pills. When I tried taking them in the past, I would get a burst of energy and be pissed off all night. That's why I had to move to old school antidepressants that worked for sleep, but....80 lb gain. Had to come off them. Now I'm back to trial and error of medicine with off label use for sleep. No luck as of yet. And I know when I get less than 2 hrs sleep, it's level 10 migraine for me all day. I've been dealing with this issue for 15 yrs now.
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    PLMD aka restless legs/arms is killing me right now! Had a massive attaclnlast night and it's been going on for well over 24 hours!

    I can't stand still, I'm in tons of pain! I really wanna just skin myself! It's like I don't belong in this skin!!!

    This is the worst because nothing helps! I've been to the gym multiple times to "get my mind off it" and took several hot showers! No hope! Plus my meds are useless!!!
  • BrinaBecnel
    BrinaBecnel Posts: 122 Member
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    I just literally can't sleep... I don't know if it's stress or what?! Maybe I'm just too tired to sleep.
  • FeraFilia
    FeraFilia Posts: 4,664 Member
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    Almost 3am and I can't sleep. Again.
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    Every night. It doesn't matter how much or little sleep I get it... I just am always wanting to stay awake when I should try to go to sleep.

    I always get so stressed out too, just counting down the hours 'till I have to be somewhere (usually work, but any appointment really). Then I do ok at first the next day, but mid-day I am a disaster. I always perk up in the later evening....to repeat the cycle.

    I have given up caffeine - which helps a bit with the mid-day slump.
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
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    5am here and guess what? No sleep! Oh great times! I tried laying down all night hoping for something, about to give up all together though...

    This is the worst!!
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    So I had a surprisingly good 11 hour day at work today with ~2 hours sleep. I always get stressed out thinking about how I will function in the world with so little sleep.

    Question for others - does anyone else have a wonky appetite when they are very tired?

    Occasionally when I am tired at work I have contemplated eating sugar by the teaspoon (gross I know). It just comes to my head that "this is what I need right now". I haven't done it yet! Typically don't have a sweet-tooth at all.

    Also, when I am tired I have problems feeling satiated, I just keep wanting to eat food even tho I am really not hungry.

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