If I don't start sleeping I'm going to freak out!

Have you tried contacting the makers of Ambien or Klonopin? Some drug companies have programs for people who can't afford their medications.

It might help.

This is true!

oh and i forgot progressive muscle relaxation is another thing that can help

oh wow Klonopin is Clonazepam? ok was wondering what it was! god your health system really does suck! its a $3 script for a 3 month supply from any doctor in nz, try sending it to the nz manufacturers!

ps Lunesta well only help you get to sleep and not keep you asleep and you need to be in bed within 15-30mins of taking or it can have an opposite effect and keep you awake

Espie's sleep programme has been shown in clinical trials to be effective, i recommend it over medication any day. Here's a link if you're interested: http://www.goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/sleep-adhd-fatigue

I will certainly look into it! Most of us prefer not to take meds...but, when you suffer with something and the alternatives don;t work medicine is better than never sleeping. Sleep deprivation is terrible! I will look into this though. Thanks!

You're welcome :flowerforyou: For severe insomniacs the sleep restriction is the most difficult but most important part of the treatment but it's so worth it as it's very effective. I'll see if I can find you some trial results later. The reason it works is because sleep is a habit and if your're body is in the habit of getting say 4 hrs sleep a night, you need to start at that point and establish efficient sleep and then slowly stretch the window. It can be hard accepting little sleep at first as most people are desperate for more but think of it this way: if what you are doing now isn't working, what have you got to lose?

PS I agree sleep deprivation is terrible, so terrible it's sometimes used as a form of torture.

I said earlier I would post trial results for CBT for sleep. Here is a brief article summarising the evidence base: http://www.beckinstituteblog.org/2011/02/cognitive-behavior-therapy-and-other-evidenced-based-treatments-are-new-standards-for-certain-sleep-disorders/

If you are intersted, here's a summary of a trial of Elspie's CBT programme which includes sleep restriction:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796799001576

By the way in the UK the drug you were on would usually only be prescribed for short term use as there are issues with dependence (addiction) and tolerance (reduced effectiveness) in the longer term. Thought I would mention as it must be hard to feel you can't get a drug you need due to being out of work. Here in the UK the guidelines for Drs are that they offer other forms of treatment first, such as CBT (not that they always follow the guidelines). The impression I get is that in The US (assuming that's where you are) there is far greater reliance on medication , not because it's more effective but because it's more profitable.

Ok I'm in the same boat and have been this way for years do many issues. Have you checked internally to see if your stressed out or whatnot. I slept good this week only on Tuesday night bc I worked out real hard and was real tired from Monday bc I have real bad work anxiety..I tried the sleeping pills but then I get scared of taking them bc it's hit or miss. Same with benadryl. I hope a resolution to your issue happens quickly bc sleep deviation isn't good at all for the body and even worst the mind.

Have you considered/tried light therapy? I have a lot of problems sleeping as well, but I found light therapy has helped.

My wife and I use this ( http://goo.gl/Lgwz9 ) for waking up and going to sleep (it has a dusk setting that slowly dims the light based on the timer you set). During the day we use this ( http://goo.gl/FPWXi ).

...I hope that helps.

oh and i forgot progressive muscle relaxation is another thing that can help

oh wow Klonopin is Clonazepam? ok was wondering what it was! god your health system really does suck! its a $3 script for a 3 month supply from any doctor in nz, try sending it to the nz manufacturers!

ps Lunesta well only help you get to sleep and not keep you asleep and you need to be in bed within 15-30mins of taking or it can have an opposite effect and keep you awake

Clonazepam is the generic version of Klonopin and runs around $13 for a 30 days supply. You can look up the info on Epocrates online. Price check different pharmacies for the generic prices. Smaller family owned pharmacies can usually be very competitive.

yes clonazapam is very inexpensive here in canada. my last script was 80 .5mg tablets and it was 20 bucks. my problem is that i can't get to sleep, once i am asleep i can sleep forever. when i really can't sleep i take gravol- an anti-nauseant. i think it is called dramamine in the usa- idk if i spelled that right.