SleepingTrouble - Insomnia
MrTolerable
Posts: 1,593 Member
So, I suffer from insomnia really really bad, ever since being a child.. my active exercise has made it where I can fall asleep within 2 hours of getting into bed.. but its bad..2 hours still seems way too long..
Recently read in a mens fitness mag that sleeping is one of the most important times for muscles to grow back together and strengthen and if you are robbing yourself of sleep your not maximizing on your potential gains...
Yoga meditation before bed helps big time.. reading before bed helps big time...
I consume only one caffeinated drink a day...typically between 9-10am.
its odd....you rest in bed physically exhausted and then your mind just races...
Anyone with a similar problem find some solutions?
Recently read in a mens fitness mag that sleeping is one of the most important times for muscles to grow back together and strengthen and if you are robbing yourself of sleep your not maximizing on your potential gains...
Yoga meditation before bed helps big time.. reading before bed helps big time...
I consume only one caffeinated drink a day...typically between 9-10am.
its odd....you rest in bed physically exhausted and then your mind just races...
Anyone with a similar problem find some solutions?
0
Replies
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I suffered from insomnia for over a decade. I eventually got cognitive therapy for it which helped tremendously. Lots of psychological issues with sleep.
Make sure you have good sleep hygiene-- regular wake/sleep times, cool temperature, dark room (turn off all those electronics or cover the lights). Exercise helps sleep, but best to avoid within two hours of bed time. Don't eat a large meal within a few hours of going to bed, but a small snack can be helpful for some people. If you don't fall asleep within approximately 15 minutes, you should get back up. You need to associate your bed with sleep, not lying awake. Google sleep hygiene for more.
Just learning to be OK with not sleeping is surprisingly helpful. Most of the time if I think to myself, "If I don't fall asleep soon I am just going to get up," I end up falling asleep! I think because I have relaxed about it.0 -
I suffer as well - I drink about 3 cups of coffee - nothing after 10:00 am
Although I think my 'issues' are hormonal -
But I'd love to hear what others have to say - suggestions welcome!
I workout daily - about 60 - 90 minutes a day -
I often average 4 hours a sleep...........usually do my workouts around 5:30 pm so it's not right before I go to bed.......
Tired of being tired..............!0 -
Try GABA powder......it really helped be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep0
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Glad you posted this! I suffered from insomnia since early teens to late 20s. I tried every prescription sleeping pill under the sun (and of course all of the OTC stuff too) and they either didn't work or made me feel like I was hungover the next day...without any of the fun the night before. Two years ago, my doctor took away my prescription (boo) and PROMISED me that if I exercised reguarly, I would sleep better. She said to give it two weeks. I haven't touched a rx pill since. Sometimes it still takes me a while to fall asleep. On those nights I'll take 5mg of melatonin and it works now.0
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have you had a sleep study done?
could be something else going on.0 -
Try GABA powder......it really helped be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep
tried it...
I really would like to be as natural as possible.. Kava Root worked better.. but its treating a symptom not the culprit.0 -
have you had a sleep study done?
could be something else going on.
My grandfather suffers from Sleep Apnea.. but I got tested and don't have it.
...even when I finally do go to bed I typically wake up about 3-5 times a night... maybe have to use the restroom once.. but typically I just lay there and think...
...I really don't get it at all.. I have a dream job, dream apartment, designer clothes, great friends, dream Brazilian girl I'm dating, dream body, decent car.... 2 years old now.. but I have no idea why I just can't sleep like the average Joe.. literally my mind just races so fast and is at its most alert... and its when my body is at its most exhausted.
Strangely enough I do almost always wake up though really refreshed.. thats why when I finally can sleep through a whole night I bet it will be amazing to wake up...0 -
I've also suffered from insomnia my entire life. I've tried melatonin, magnesium, warm milk, tylenol pm, benodryl, etc. Only one thing gets me to sleep fast--sex. Do it, roll over, close eyes, fast asleep.0
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I've also suffered from insomnia my entire life. I've tried melatonin, magnesium, warm milk, tylenol pm, benodryl, etc. Only one thing gets me to sleep fast--sex. Do it, roll over, close eyes, fast asleep.
..typically after sex though I like to shower again to maintain my complexion because I get sweaty during intercourse... by the time I get back into bed my insomnia is still bad...
maybe I'll start doing the cuddle thing and try falling right asleep...0 -
Have you tried keeping a journal? Writing everything down before bed may help calm your brain down enough so that it's not going a million miles a minute when you're trying to sleep.0
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Have you tried keeping a journal? Writing everything down before bed may help calm your brain down enough so that it's not going a million miles a minute when you're trying to sleep.
no... but being the second person in two days to recommend I keep a journal... I will certainly try this.
- from personal experience this worked well for you?
..I'm liking this idea... usually my thoughts are revolving around mild problems and ways to rectify them.. a journal could certainly aid my anxiety and tension prob..0 -
I've also suffered from insomnia my entire life. I've tried melatonin, magnesium, warm milk, tylenol pm, benodryl, etc. Only one thing gets me to sleep fast--sex. Do it, roll over, close eyes, fast asleep.
..typically after sex though I like to shower again to maintain my complexion because I get sweaty during intercourse... by the time I get back into bed my insomnia is still bad...
maybe I'll start doing the cuddle thing and try falling right asleep...
Showering is overrated LOL0 -
Have you tried keeping a journal? Writing everything down before bed may help calm your brain down enough so that it's not going a million miles a minute when you're trying to sleep.
no... but being the second person in two days to recommend I keep a journal... I will certainly try this.
- from personal experience this worked well for you?
..I'm liking this idea... usually my thoughts are revolving around mild problems and ways to rectify them.. a journal could certainly aid my anxiety and tension prob..
I haven't suffered from prolonged insomnia as you do, but I've had stretches of it. I found that if I wrote things down (paper and pen) it would help clear my head. I purposely didn't use a phone or PC so I wouldn't be tempted to do anything else.0 -
I've been having trouble sleeping since November 2013. Falling asleep AND staying asleep. I go through phases where it's not so bad, and phases where it's terrible. Twice last month I was up 38-40hrs straight. Lately I've been able to fall asleep, but then I wake up every 2 or 3hrs.
The only thing that helped me sleep was taking 2.5 codeine pills (that I was originally given for back pain), but even that hasn't really worked for a while. It makes me feel relaxed, like I'm ALMOST asleep, but not real sleep. I wouldn't recommend using powerful painkillers to sleep though, dangerous road I'm told & I try to seriously limit it to only when it's very bad.
On June 5th, I have an appointment with a sleep apnea clinic. My doctor & I don't think I have it, but we need to rule it out before we consult a sleep lab & do a sleep study. I never wake up gasping for air or snoring like my mom does, and I am not overweight (which sometimes leads to sleep apnea). I missed 2 days of school this week because of my insomnia and I was so exasperated, I cried this morning.
As for the list of what DIDN'T work or have results...
- kicking the cat out of the room
- blood tests (Thyroid, anemia, mono)
- multivitamin
- shutting all lights & LCD screens off 2hrs before bed
- nixing the 1 cup of instant coffee I'd have at 9am
- melatonin pills
- chamomile & jasmine tea
- drinking more water
- drinking less water before bed
- changing bedrooms
- leaving my phone upstairs & sleeping in a part of the house where wifi signal doesn't reach
- sleeping on the floor
- testing to see if there was a gas leak in the house
- opening more windows for fresh air
- changing the temperature
- using a humidifier
- leaving tv on for white noise (drives me nuts, can't stand it)
- less exercise before bed
- more exercise during the day
- a tropical disease clinic to see if I had a parasite or virus (Since I recently went to 2 third world countries)
Other suggestions I have yet to try:
- valerian (Not sure what that is)
- lavender oil
- cough syrup
- warm milk with banana & cinnamon
- hemp seed oil
- sleepy time pills from Walmart
- yoga
- smoking weed
- rubbing cucumber peels on my feet
- rubbing other weird things on my feet
- a tablespoon of nutmeg
- seeing a medicine man
- walking at night0 -
lol It's so frustrating when you mention to someone that you can't sleep and they go straight for "Have you tried cutting out caffeine?"
NO! I actually INCREASED my caffeine to see what would happen! (/Sarcasm)
OF COURSE, I've tried that! -___-
Mini rant...0 -
I can't stay asleep for s***! I tried valerian root someone recommended - did nothing. Neither did prescription sleeping pills. I fall asleep ok but I'm up in 45 min and then every two hours like clockwork. So frustrating!
Oh and I tried banana tea. You boil banana peels and drink the water. Yeah that doesn't work either.0 -
I've been having trouble sleeping since November 2013. Falling asleep AND staying asleep. I go through phases where it's not so bad, and phases where it's terrible. Twice last month I was up 38-40hrs straight. Lately I've been able to fall asleep, but then I wake up every 2 or 3hrs.
The only thing that helped me sleep was taking 2.5 codeine pills (that I was originally given for back pain), but even that hasn't really worked for a while. It makes me feel relaxed, like I'm ALMOST asleep, but not real sleep. I wouldn't recommend using powerful painkillers to sleep though, dangerous road I'm told & I try to seriously limit it to only when it's very bad.
On June 5th, I have an appointment with a sleep apnea clinic. My doctor & I don't think I have it, but we need to rule it out before we consult a sleep lab & do a sleep study. I never wake up gasping for air or snoring like my mom does, and I am not overweight (which sometimes leads to sleep apnea). I missed 2 days of school this week because of my insomnia and I was so exasperated, I cried this morning.
As for the list of what DIDN'T work or have results...
- kicking the cat out of the room
- blood tests (Thyroid, anemia, mono)
- multivitamin
- shutting all lights & LCD screens off 2hrs before bed
- nixing the 1 cup of instant coffee I'd have at 9am
- melatonin pills
- chamomile & jasmine tea
- drinking more water
- drinking less water before bed
- changing bedrooms
- leaving my phone upstairs & sleeping in a part of the house where wifi signal doesn't reach
- sleeping on the floor
- testing to see if there was a gas leak in the house
- opening more windows for fresh air
- changing the temperature
- using a humidifier
- leaving tv on for white noise (drives me nuts, can't stand it)
- less exercise before bed
- more exercise during the day
- a tropical disease clinic to see if I had a parasite or virus (Since I recently went to 2 third world countries)
Other suggestions I have yet to try:
- valerian (Not sure what that is)
- lavender oil
- cough syrup
- warm milk with banana & cinnamon
- hemp seed oil
- sleepy time pills from Walmart
- yoga
- smoking weed
- rubbing cucumber peels on my feet
- rubbing other weird things on my feet
- a tablespoon of nutmeg
- seeing a medicine man
- walking at night
I see you havent really thought this one through.0 -
...I really don't get it at all.. I have a dream job, dream apartment, designer clothes, great friends, dream Brazilian girl I'm dating, dream body, decent car...
LOL so everything is absolutely perfect and youre the greatest, but your car is just decent? What do you drive?0 -
I don't have insomnia, but when I do have a little trouble relaxing enough to fall asleep, I take one of my husband's prescription Clonazepams. They're just .5 mg tablets for him to take as needed for anxiety/sleep. You might ask your doctor about this. They help my husband, too, and he suffers from PTSD.0
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...I really don't get it at all.. I have a dream job, dream apartment, designer clothes, great friends, dream Brazilian girl I'm dating, dream body, decent car...
LOL so everything is absolutely perfect and youre the greatest, but your car is just decent? What do you drive?
Yep, I thought the same thing! Lol! : )0 -
I don't have insomnia, but when I do have a little trouble relaxing enough to fall asleep, I take one of my husband's prescription Clonazepams. They're just .5 mg tablets for him to take as needed for anxiety/sleep. You might ask your doctor about this. They help my husband, too, and he suffers from PTSD.
I actually used to be prescribed to them when I was in college- and it worked very well..
However-I'm really trying to stay 100% all natural with my diet, I rarely consume any alcohol now, and its a very rare occurrence I eat processed food... zero zero juice unless its veggies I've put into the juicer myself...
Also, I used to have substance abuse problems and one of the ways I've been able to conquer that struggle is to not put potential things I can abuse in my peripherals... I know myself and the temptation would be just too great.
@Ilikelamp - A bit embarrassing to say the least, once you consider the type of lifestyle I live... and the fact I'm a libertarian and not a liberal - but a 2012 Prius C lmao
I know, I know... 'it fits in your purse when you go places'
Other suggestions I have yet to try:
- valerian (Not sure what that is) - doesn't work for me
- lavender oil - never tried
- cough syrup - doesn't work for me
- warm milk with banana & cinnamon - don't consume milk or cinnamon
- hemp seed oil - worked at first then doesn't work for me
- sleepy time pills from Walmart - doesn't work for me
- yoga - def helps, but not a great deal
- smoking weed - helped at first then def made the insomnia worse, and I quit a while back because it makes you overall lethargic and apathetic - Don't recommend bud
- rubbing cucumber peels on my feet - cucumber baths help a littlee - never tried just rubbing it on my feet tho
- rubbing other weird things on my feet - make my imagination race why don'tcha?
- a tablespoon of nutmeg - sounds like a dangerous idea to me
- seeing a medicine man - I am the medicine man XD
- walking at night - I feel like this would be like exercise before bed?
I'll continue trying the journal idea.. did it last night, and I went to bed at basically 11, fell asleep somewhere around 1am, and woke up 3 times through out the night
once at 1:40ish
once at 3ish
once at 3:30ish0 -
lol It's so frustrating when you mention to someone that you can't sleep and they go straight for "Have you tried cutting out caffeine?"
NO! I actually INCREASED my caffeine to see what would happen! (/Sarcasm)
OF COURSE, I've tried that! -___-
Mini rant...
I feel ya.. my doctor did the same thing to me.. since then I have about one cup of coffee a week and only between 9am-11am.
Typically its one cup of tea every day at 10am.0 -
I had insomnia BAD. it went away after I made a few changes but came back when I started taking adderall. What I do now is get myself into a routine of having to wake up at the same time every day and stick to it.
Only downside is that once I'm in the routine, even if I go to bed at like 2 or 3 am I am still up at 7 am and unable to go back to sleep.
A friend of mine on here gave me some great advice for stress relief that I actually used for my insomnia. Check out soothing non lyric classical music or something that has a laid back feel to it and listen to that before bed. I also cut back on my caffeine and switched to having a cup of Chammomile Tea before bed, and making sure I turned off the T.V. and lights before heading to bed. I also made sure that my mind was clear of any worries I had from the day, or else I would wake up with night sweats or be unable to fall asleep.
If you're having issues beyond that, try looking at your sugar intake, some people are really sensitive to it and don't realize it. Some people recommend Valerian Root, or Valerian Root tea, but since I haven't had it yet I can't recommend it, but figured I'd suggest it.
I also heard that if you consume 1/4 cup of raw poppy seeds in very short amount of time, it is equivalent to a legal dose of morphine. That'll put you right to sleep too lol
Good luck bud!0 -
Yes yes yes, and it's more common than you think.
Start with valerian root or melatonin. Valerian works quicker but not as effective as melatonin. 5mg of melatonin is usually good to get you 6 hours of sleep at least. Some people do the Sleepytime tea in the evenings too.
If those don't work, talk to your doctor, it could be you have sleep apnea.0 -
Okay, so I am not alone.
In to see more suggestions.0 -
Yes yes yes, and it's more common than you think.
Start with valerian root or melatonin. Valerian works quicker but not as effective as melatonin. 5mg of melatonin is usually good to get you 6 hours of sleep at least. Some people do the Sleepytime tea in the evenings too.
If those don't work, talk to your doctor, it could be you have sleep apnea.
^yeah I did talk to my doctor I don't have sleep apnea..
appreciate the input tho, could certainly be good for anyone else reading this.0 -
I have had insomnia for about 12 years. I go to sleep but can't stay asleep - waking every hour or so and mind racing too. I have tried everything...simply everything mentioned in this post. I did have a sleep study as a last result and I do have sleep apnea. The doctor was very surprised as I don't fit the "body type" for apnea. So I have used the CPAP machine for 2 years and in my opinion it is just another thing that is a hassle and keeps me awake. Physically I know I must use it for my cardiovascular system, but it is such an annoyance.
So, for the past ten years, I have used a low-dose prescription sleep aid. I am NOT a pill person, but finally resorted to this out of pure "need to sleep". My son is a pharmacist and he indicated that a sleep aid is not designed for prolonged periods, but is better in the long run than not sleeping at all. He outlined the physical ramifications from insomina and the damage that it does to the body. At least with the sleep aid, I get about 4 consecutive hours of sleep per night. I can function on that...I could not function on No Sleep.
Just my two cents.....0 -
have you had a sleep study done?
could be something else going on.
My grandfather suffers from Sleep Apnea.. but I got tested and don't have it.
...even when I finally do go to bed I typically wake up about 3-5 times a night... maybe have to use the restroom once.. but typically I just lay there and think...
...I really don't get it at all.. I have a dream job, dream apartment, designer clothes, great friends, dream Brazilian girl I'm dating, dream body, decent car.... 2 years old now.. but I have no idea why I just can't sleep like the average Joe.. literally my mind just races so fast and is at its most alert... and its when my body is at its most exhausted.
Strangely enough I do almost always wake up though really refreshed.. thats why when I finally can sleep through a whole night I bet it will be amazing to wake up...
Money and dream women don't buy happiness or peace of mind.
I liked the pp idea of cognitive therapy.0 -
So, I suffer from insomnia really really bad, ever since being a child.. my active exercise has made it where I can fall asleep within 2 hours of getting into bed.. but its bad..2 hours still seems way too long..
Recently read in a mens fitness mag that sleeping is one of the most important times for muscles to grow back together and strengthen and if you are robbing yourself of sleep your not maximizing on your potential gains...
Yoga meditation before bed helps big time.. reading before bed helps big time...
I consume only one caffeinated drink a day...typically between 9-10am.
its odd....you rest in bed physically exhausted and then your mind just races...
Anyone with a similar problem find some solutions?
Yes, all my life. I wasn't allowed to have caffeine as a child, so I can't blame that - I became a coffee drinker in college because I couldn't get through my days on 3-5 hrs a night (if I was lucky).
Going to bed and laying there in the dark and quiet is like a sensory deprivation chamber I think, for me, and then my mind is "free" to go off to the carnival for hours on end. I hate it but if I try to "not" think, I think about thinking and about the process of thinking and on and on it goes. If it's really bad, having a person who can endure listening to my thoughts about life for a little while LOL or, if I have no one to talk to, writing stuff down in a journal helps a lot. Just getting some of my more interesting (to me) thoughts out of my head, is helpful.
Melatonin works pretty well most nights. I take it around 7:30 or 8 if I'm aiming for a 9 pm bedtime.0 -
Personally I do not have this issue, but my wife does take Trazodone for sleep and has a very tough time sleeping without it. Another friend really did suffer from insomnia for a very long time, and finally started taking Melatonin. At first it didn't help him one bit. He was told that it was natural, and that he could take several at once if needed. and finally started getting some rest when he took 7 or 8 at once of the Wal-Mart brand, Spring Valley maybe? Anywho, that helped his body get back on a schedule and now he's down to three a night and sleeps at least 5 hours, which is pretty good for him.
I hope this helps.0
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