And More Insomnia

[kayak]

So it's clear that people here don't ever have trouble sleeping, and that PTSD and insomnia are not related...

What I hate most, besides being exhausted, is having my T ask about it. "You know you don't think clearly when you're tired. You know you need to sleep. We've talked about how important this is. Why aren't you making more of an effort to sleep? You need to make better choices." Well yeah, if I COULD sleep, I WOULD. I mean, I really really love feeling this way, and it's great for my career too when I struggle to focus at work because I'm so insanely tired. Sigh...

 

[Sqweak]

I have bad bouts of insomnia as well, i'm up to the four day marker now and I know it's because of stress. It sucks, I know there are some easy home remedies that you can use to fool yourself into thinking it's going to work. Warm milk and nutmeg is my favorite. It helps me try to sleep, or I read something incredibly boring which never works but i'd like to think it does. lol

 

[Gamereign555]

You must be joking right? I mean a lot of us have these issues and one major factor is the fact that a lot of us are unemployed. Not having a regular schedule to meet screws up our ability to sleep properly. The meds some of us take also mess up our sleep. Ptsd symptoms alone, like intrusive memories, anxiety and depression probably accounts for at least half of the huge number of cases of people with insomnia problems.

 

[kayak]

Yeah, I was joking. Insomnia seems par for the course with PTSD.

 

[holly go lightly]

Well, at least you have a sense of humor about it and all, even if you aren't sleeping!! LOL!

It's amazing we can function like this! :rolleyes:

 

[BlueKitty]

High Functioning Insomniacs here? lol
I am experiencing some sleep problems too. Usually, I try not to fall of the very regular routine of making myself completely burnt out by the end of the day that I pass out at night. I am trying hard to find that right routine to keep me sane and 'normal', yet I have not had much luck with it for past 2.5 weeks. I can't bring myself to focus on anything. Not getting anything done.. stressing out over it.. crappy mood.. tired but can't sleep.. and the cycle repeats.........
My weekly economic analysis report is suffering..sleep is absolutely crucial for me.

I used to take benadryl to help me sleep and to force my sleep cycle to stay on track,, but it seems like I built resistance to it. Even the double dose of what's recommended isn't working. Does anyone have any method of sleep(?) they'd like to share?

 

[Nemone]

Wish I had a good solution myself.

What's even worse than not being able to sleep at all is being able to sleep for a few hours at a time and always feeling tired even after you wake up but not being able to go back to sleep right away. Then it's like even if you feel like you were sleeping half the day you're still tired. Lately I keep dreaming about my hair falling out in addition to my usual anxiety dreams too. It's seriously sucky.

 

[Gamereign555]

Last night I ended up taking a melatonin, 20mg of amitriptyline and a benadryl. It seemed to do the trick even though I was really anxious, woke up feeling great. The amitriptyline is good stuff for me.

 

[OKRADLAK]

OMG, I have it bad. Once went ten days NO SLEEP and then other times, it will be 2 or 3 hours for a spate of months. My muscles start to hurt so bad, like breaking apart and I get all manic and still cannot sleep. Like now. :(

 

[Lionheart]

I have difficulty falling asleep until the wee hours of the morning. I then wake up around 5 or 5:30 am, I get up for about an hour, lay back down and go to sleep for an hour or so, then back up again, and then repeat that pattern 3-5 times before I am up for the day. It is usually 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon before I feel awake for the day and some days, I stay sleepy for most of the day. :sleep:

You might try a dream pillow, I think there is a thread about them in this forum.

I will be thinking of you all and am wishing you sweet dreams and restful sleep!!!!

 

[LinsdseyD512]

My husband was prescribed Ambien & he feels extremely drowsy upon waking up. What else can he use to get a good nights rest? I read that another member uses 20mg of amitriptyline and a benadryl, we will have to try that. Also, are there any members that have tried smoking cannabis to deal with Insomnia?

 

[Gamereign555]

Cannibus would work for a lot of people for getting to sleep but pot hangovers are pretty common. Probably not the solution you are looking for. You could try Vistaril, it is more sedating in my opinion than Benadryl, but you'll just have to test yourself on the drowsiness effects in the morning.