What has helped you with sleep/insomnia - post links

[MonkeyMan]

Here's what helps me. I need to do all of these, otherwise I have trouble sleeping.
1) Setting the thermostat so that my bedroom is cold and I need multiple blankets to feel comfortable.
2) Getting into bed 2 1/2 hours before I want to fall asleep, turning out all the lights, and listening to my favorite calming music or nature sounds in the dark for those 2 hours; this definitely helps to calm my thoughts.
3) Putting an ice-head-wrap (available from Amazon) around my head, and one behind my neck.
4) Reading for about 20 minutes right before I want to sleep.
5) Putting white noise on and wearing earplugs so outside noises don't wake me up.
6) Avoiding anything stressful after 6pm, and caffeine!
7) A little warm chamomile tea - but not more than that (otherwise will have to get up to pee).

 

[christiankatz]

5) Putting white noise on and wearing earplugs so outside noises don't wake me up.

This one helps me the most, along with having a freezing cold bedroom.

 

[Patterson]

Melatonin

 

[lenora]

I'm a hard-core insomniac....try 35 yrs. or more of it.

I know that I can't laugh at night, but enjoy a nice-ending film.

No caffeine after noon for me....herbal teas and I have to stop drinking by 3:00 p.m. That's helpful these days.

I can watch TV until late, read until late; can't remember the name of either a film or book, but the contents I do retain.

Melatonin has never, ever done it for me. Nor has valerian, passion flower, etc.

Anything used more than 2 days in a row is out. I've been to sleep clinics twice...I swear that everyone leaves with the same 'script....Trazodone and everyone's upset b/c they've been there before, too.

I don't know the reason for my insomnia and at my age, I now get very tired during the day but a nap is out of the question. I slept well last night....and no, I can't explain it.

I just have plenty to do, send letters, things I have to work on....and just live with it. What choice do I have after so many years? I do believe that extra mg. can help, but that's only a guess. Allergies definitely don't help, but if you have them you're kind of stuck. Try Vick's Vapo-Rub rubbed under your nose. Apparently no oils should be put into the nose itself as it can end up causing damage to the lungs.

Definitely a cold room. What is it about that that makes us feel cozier? I can't take many blankets, but freely use my electric blanket. It's easier to sleep in the winter than the summer, especially in July, August and part of Sept. We cool the bedroom way, way down....but it just isn't the same. Even the sheets feel too heavy.

I avidly read these comments about sleep. @Mary....is taurine still working for you?

I can't even fall asleep w/o the plain old purple foam earplugs, so use them every single night...and often forget to take them out.

I think (but can't say for sure) that sleeping on one's back is the best way to do go about it. I'm a side sleeper by nature, but have found myself fast asleep on my back...so it's worth a try.

Praying or thinking good thoughts always helps. At the rate I'm going, I'm not going to be much good at being dead, am I? Well, the world really needs fixing so I'll have plenty to do.

Good luck to all you insomniacs out there....I hope you find help somewhere. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Jo86]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I reckon one of the major problems with insomnia is the absence of a will to sleep for most people. I know it's a big part of my problem with sleep, and is for many people in their 20s and 30s currently. I can be dead tired, but just feel like it's depressing to go to bed now, like my day has gone by too fast and I don't yet feel I've done enough, so I stay up, watch some stupid video on YouTube, and then 25 more, go to some forum, Facebook, have a snack...

I'm sure if I could convince myself I NEEDED to sleep earlier, consistently all year long, that would solve a big part of it.

 

[lenora]

Hi @Jo86.....nope, that's definitely not my problem. I slept well until probably my mid-20's. Later I was found to have ACM - Arnold Chiari Malformation and other neurological problems. The Syringomyelia - SM and ACM both had fluid backing up into my brain, and the sleep center was destroyed (for normal sleep). Surgery didn't help, destruction had been ongoing.

What I wouldn't give to go back to those Halcyon Days and experience proper sleep. Just close your eyes...and you're off. I love to watch my husband fall asleep like that, "I"m going to sleep" and he's gone. He's 77 so he's fortunate.

I've been to sleep clinics, and all I come out with is that I have a lifelong problem....and a prescription for trazodone. (Everyone who goes to a sleep clinic comes out with a 'script for trazodone). So I know the reason for the problem, but nothing can be done. I'll stay wide awake for 3-4 days, that's not unusual.

Summer is worse than winter....the coolness helps, I believe. But even at that I may do OK for 2-3 nights, and then it's awake time as per usual. I've tried everything. In the beginning with ME I had the typical FM sleep.
Exhaustion like no other, but the sleep was so fractured that I literally could hear every word said in a room near me. So there are those of us who have a mechanical reason for the condition we're in....I'm certainly not saying everyone but all the vitamins, minerals, sleeping pills (which I no longer even try) everything is a waste on me. The amazing thing is that the lack of sleep doesn't kill you, but it would make the ordinary person exhausted to the point of not doing their job, or so I would think. Let me say, that I am tired.

I can't/don't drive any longer b/c I have other problems and the meds cause me to be distracted for very short periods of time. I couldn't live with knowingly hurting another person, so I made my choice. My husband is now retired & likes to take me out (not that I'm going too far afield these days) and of course Uber, Lyft and the like. I can suddenly fall asleep in short bursts (5 min. or so) thus you can see the problem.

So, give me plenty to do, books to read, letters to write....and you can rest assured that you can sleep, I'm on watch. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Jo86]

Hi @Jo86
So, give me plenty to do, books to read, letters to write....and you can rest assured that you can sleep, I'm on watch.

Alright excellent timing then because I was really struggling with this 15 page text translation and I was wondering if you could...

Seriously though: I'm not a doctor who's practiced for 50 years, and lead experiments myself to know for absolute certain, so I can't speak. But I'd imagine, intuitively, there's a psychological component in every insomniac individual. I don't think it's the case for the chronic fatigue, heck, if you simply have some jerk infectious bacteria hanging out in your gut that's enough to see you bedbound for a decade or two, and you might be the most positive person there is. But with sleep, besides the physiological abnormalities, I'd imagine in most cases there's some sort of a dysfunction caused by the individual themselves, involuntarily.
In any case, if there's a problem there's a solution, or there isn't a problem at all.

 

[lenora]

Trust me @Jo86.....I have plenty to keep me busy, too much if the truth is known. Fortunately there's no big hurry.

I'm sure that a psychological component can be found in many cases of insomnia and certainly routine means a lot. How about if I end my viewpoint by saying I think there's a problem....well, know it. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Wishful]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I reckon one of the major problems with insomnia is the absence of a will to sleep for most people.

Nope, not for me either. I may desperately want to fall asleep, but it just doesn't happen. Sleep seems to be controlled by various chemicals in the brain, and the level of those chemicals depends on various other factors. I can't just will those chemicals into the right levels for sleep to occur.

Psychological factors can influence those chemical levels. Listening to tranquil music might alter some in favour of sleep, while listening to something adrenaline-pumping, would do the opposite. There might be some psychological techniques that can help in falling asleep when desired, but I think it's a long process of practice without guarantee of success. There are probably psychological habits that are more reliable at inhibiting sleep.

 

[lenora]

Hi @MonkeyMan......Do you have headaches?.....or do you think the lower temp. helps you sleep? I use ice packs a lot myself....fabulous, aren't they? Numb almost any pain, or at least that's what I've found.

You certainly have a real ritual going for your bedtime. I don't even talk on the phone after 3:00, 4:00 at the latest if it's a family member. Everyone who knows me understands why I have the cut-off time. I agree that hearing about problems, or things to be concerned about too near bedtime are highly disruptive. I respect the needs of others the same way...and we all have them as get older.

I'm interested in this ice "helmet".....haven't heard of that before. I'll check Amazon. Yours, Lenora.

 

[maddietod]

I giggle every night when it's finally time to go to bed. I love everything about it. It's the waking up every few hours that's hard, even though I usually go back to sleep quickly.

The only thing that's helped me, that always gets me to sleep, is mind-training from decades of meditation. I've just found this thread and am ordering a few things to try, hoping to ever sleep through the night again.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Great thread. It's been a few years since I've been here, but insomnia has struck me hard the past few weeks. We talking only 3 nights with 6 hours or more, and the rest 1-3 hours, all broken into 20 minute segments.

If anyone is still following this thread, it looks like several combine natural ingredients with prescription sleep aids. Is there no danger in that?

I have unisom I'm afraid to try because I take lemon balm and theanine for anxiety throughout the day. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow as well but I don't even know what to ask for for the same reason. Potential interactions freak me out. And, if it's not evident, I'm a hypochondriac as well.

What I have found is that melatonin tablets give me better results than the equivalent dose of sublingual with less side effects. That's on the nights it works, the other nights then nothing works.

My plan tonight is 1mg melatonin, 100-200mg niacin, 250mg 10:1 lemon balm, and at least 300mg theanine. We'll see what happens.

 

[lenora]

Hi GreenMachineX......I don't know your age, but as we get older insomnia is a major problem for many of us. e.g. I just had three totally sleepless nights and days up at 6:00 a.m., and last night I proudly had about 3 hrs. of sleep. I've lived this way for probably 40 years.

I can't think of anything I haven't tried.....worrying about it only makes it worse, it really does. When I'm tired enough, I'll fall asleep over a cup of tea and it's over for maybe 3 nights(I'm firm about 8 hrs. only) and then the same routine starts again. I'm a worst case scenario, so don't think that everyone is like me.

If you're taking something like Unisom, please check and make certain that it doesn't contain caffeine. Often a drug will work for me for say 1 or 2 nights, then that's that. I no longer take anything....it's too disruptive to my remaining sleep cycle. Alcohol is especially bad and I no longer drink anything. Not that I did much anyway, but even having herbal tea after 2:00 p.m. is too much.

There will be no guarantees about what may/may not work. Some people have great luck for a long time....and I truly wish I could join them, BUT......! This may or may not be a temporary thing with you, but I can assure you that worrying about it will turn it into something longer lasting.

Talk to your Dr. about this problem. It's probably one they frequently (as in all the time) hear about, so this won't be a surprise to him/her. Yours, Lenora.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Hi GreenMachineX......I don't know your age, but as we get older insomnia is a major problem for many of us. e.g. I just had three totally sleepless nights and days up at 6:00 a.m., and last night I proudly had about 3 hrs. of sleep. I've lived this way for probably 40 years.

I can't think of anything I haven't tried.....worrying about it only makes it worse, it really does. When I'm tired enough, I'll fall asleep over a cup of tea and it's over for maybe 3 nights(I'm firm about 8 hrs. only) and then the same routine starts again. I'm a worst case scenario, so don't think that everyone is like me.

If you're taking something like Unisom, please check and make certain that it doesn't contain caffeine. Often a drug will work for me for say 1 or 2 nights, then that's that. I no longer take anything....it's too disruptive to my remaining sleep cycle. Alcohol is especially bad and I no longer drink anything. Not that I did much anyway, but even having herbal tea after 2:00 p.m. is too much.

There will be no guarantees about what may/may not work. Some people have great luck for a long time....and I truly wish I could join them, BUT......! This may or may not be a temporary thing with you, but I can assure you that worrying about it will turn it into something longer lasting.

Talk to your Dr. about this problem. It's probably one they frequently (as in all the time) hear about, so this won't be a surprise to him/her. Yours, Lenora.

Thanks for the reply. I just don't get how anyone lives like this. I'm on hormone replacement therapy and hoping that it's just something there that's messed up. I'm 38 by the way.

I'll update the thread with whatever the doctor prescribes.

 

[Andryr]

Cold baths worked for me.

There was a post in a topic about Jay Goldstein. It was about some experimental treating the CFS in the UK. Patients took 20(?) min bath of 24C water every day (or 22C I can't remember. Anyway, it is just a starting point). Every week they would subtract 1C from the bath temperature. By the moment they reached 13C or so all patients who had not given up were fine.

There was nothing about the CFS criteria for those patients in the post. So I took it with a pinch of salt but decided to give it a try. All I needed was a thermometer.

I started from 24C. It was nothing special, just warm. 20C-17C range was the best for me. I was able to fall asleep 1 hour after a bath. Everything below 17C just felt too damn cold but I was really obsessed with reaching 13C. I was able to reach 13C and that was awful. There was no miracle. All symptoms remained. But now I know how to trick myself into falling asleep.

There was an opinion cold suppresses cortisol secretion. That might explain cold baths effect on me.

 

[Dechi]

There are a few meds that help me but I can’t take them anymore as it’s hell getting off of them and they have undesirable side effets.

For 5-6 months I have been using medical CBD oil. It’s mainly for anxiety but it helps me sleep. I am taking a ridiculously low amount because of my hypersensitivity to most meds and supplements. The problem is it gives me nightmares. Even at a very low dose, and with less than 1% THC (which causes this). One nightmare once in a while I wouldn’t mind, but daily, scary nightmares, sometimes 2-3 per night are not okay.

So my medical team has made me switch supplier. I’ve been using the new product for about a week now. So far so good. I do have vivid dreams and even though not necessarily pleasant, they are not nightmares.

So yeah, CBD is an option.

 

[Violeta]

Alka Seltzer helps me sleep

 

[GreenMachineX]

Alka Seltzer helps me sleep

This is interesting.

Last night, 100mg niacin, 1mg melatonin, 300mg magnesium citrate and 250mg lemon balm let me sleep 3 hours. Took another lemon balm and mg of melatonin and was able to catch another 2 hours (broken by an hour of course) but at least I can function today.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Alka Seltzer helps me sleep

I don't mean to diminish the other ingredients or action, but have you tried a dose of sea salt at 500mg?

In the past when I dealt with overstimulation/overmethylation/whatever I'm dealing with now, 500mg sodium in a shot of water brought me back down and felt relaxed. I haven't tried it yet this go around because I literally just thought of it this morning.

 

[Wishful]

Latest thing to trigger my insomnia: placing an Amazon order ~4 PM. Looking though items after 2:30 PM seems to be enough to disrupt my sleep. I'm glad I can still read fiction without triggering insomnia.