Sleep! It Makes Me Angery!

[arwarfighter]

Sleep! I just want to f*cking sleep! I am so sick of setting here waiting for the sun to come up. It is driving me mad. The VA gave me meds. Supposed to be real strong shit. I could take 3 and go do a 3 day LP/OP. So I quit taking it. I am not a fan of taking meds anyway. But holy shit! What does a guy gotta do to get some sleep?! OK That's my rant. Thanks.

 

[Aprooster74]

So, You have tried 2 Advil PM's and a beer?

 

[Deleted member 43454]

If its legal in your state, cannabis.
I use Trazodone. It takes usually 20-30 minutes then I start feeling drunk and yawning.

 

[Aprooster74]

I take 100mg Trazodone myself, but it is my prescription. The AD PM/Beer was a something I learned from a German Doctor when I was stationed there. Had a script for beer if you can believe that? :-)

 

[JarHed]

Ok, I've been down the drug route myself. It helps in the short run, but in general you need something of a more permanent non-medication type of help. I did CBT- for Insomnia and my sleep improved 100% Google it to find out more about it. I also have a thread here somewhere about my experiences with it as well. I do know that the VA does offer it. If you're currently under treatment or have access to a good Psychologist they can point you in the right direction. First you have to determine if your sleep problems are caused by something physical before you can begin with the therapy.

Like all therapy it's difficult in the beginning but if you stick with it it's a tremendous help. I suffered for years with same laundry list; bad or no sleep, wake up a zillion times, bad, bad nightmares, ect. Now I sleep better; I wake only a couple of time to go to the can, an occasional nightmare but nothing like before. Often I wake rested. I didn't think it was possible, but it is.

Do what you need to now to get a bit of a handle on your sleep, remember we were taught to run of little or no sleep and slept at odd hours. Part of what has to change is a reset of your bodies clocks. Self medicating can be helpful in the short run but the time will come when that doesn't work as well either. Ask you doc, research it on google. It can be a big help. There's nothing like a good nights sleep.

 

[Spock]

Ok, I've been down the drug route myself. It helps in the short run, but in general you need something of a more permanent non-medication type of help. I did CBT- for Insomnia and my sleep improved 100% Google it to find out more about it...

That's good stuff from Jarhed! Rants are good to get it out but many of us have actually worked our way through this stuff so I hope you & others will look into it and take advantage of his wisdom. My problem is getting my brain to shut the hell up after I go to bed thinking I'm ready to sleep. Use to be every night, now I AVOID the triggers that would put me into "the thinking spell" close to bedtime with distraction. We also speak of this much, avoid & distraction. It is a big part of successful coping. I got to the point that now I only need to take an occasional Lunesta but only when I know I have to be up and ready for the AM. Also, take full advantage of naps!!! Don't fight them or treat them as negative.

 

[dutchiedelta]

A while ago I had to redefine my relationship with sleep. The goal was to sleep solid hours to awake refreshed.
The goal has now been altered to accepting what the night brings and actively taking measures.
- No computer or tv in the evening as the blue light stimulates the photo sensitive receptors in skin and eyes.
- No fretting if sleep doesn't come or if I wake up frequently during the night. It happens.
- No dramas from anyone including myself, cos it wears me out and puts the mind in overdrive.
- Bedroom hygiene involves curtains that block out all light, no lights from alarm or phone.
- It has to smell pleasant and be quiet as possible.
- Doing a few relaxation exercises in the evening.

Life is a bit duller but at least I did all I could to make sure I get to rest as much as possible.
It's working btw.

 

[JarHed]

Also, there is an app for your pc that will change the light from it's blue caste to one which won't affect your trying to get to sleep. Once again, google it as I also think it's free.

Having a routine, like Dutchie has, is important. Having a good or bad night can make the next day good or bad as well. And one suggestion is to not use the bedroom for anything but sleeping or sex. That's what my Doc told me. No tv, reading, anything. I know that personally I'm unpleasant to be around if I don't get a good nights sleep. Don't try to force it or fight it if you can't fall asleep. Get up and go to another room for a while till you get sleepy and give it another try. You can't force yourself to sleep, take it from someone that's tried.

 

[OldDoorGunner]

My problem is getting my brain to shut the hell up after I go to bed thinking I'm ready to sleep.

That is me most of the time as well (day & night) and alprazolam (Xanax) works for me the best.....And I don't have to take another drug like Lunesta......Dutchie has made up a routine that works for her....I use parts of hers like the dark. But I need some kind of white noise, I have a window AC unit that runs (fan/AC) 2 feet from my head. Also have a Ocean Wave sound unit with crashing waves on the beach. Note: on some of the white noise units, you want try before you buy, as the sound loop, is most of the time to short and you will pick up on it!!! (OCD?) Drives me nuts......so I can't sleep.

I guess trying a routine that will work for you is a good idea....Just make some small changes till you find what works for you.....Hell mine works so good, someone could break in and empty the house and I would not know it. LOL Now if they come in the bedroom, well they are now f*cked.......;) I have no idea why this works??? The way the Beast works, you would think that knowing I can not hear someone breaking in would f*ck this up.....(n)

J R

 

[Spock]

A while ago I had to redefine my relationship with sleep..

Completely agree! I no longer am at war with insomnia. I accept the new reality and adapt as necessary.

 

[Sludge]

Yup. I agree with the rest. Fuggedaboutit. If you can't sleep, get up and do something. No point in obsessing about not sleeping and then getting even more worked up so there is no chance you can sleep. I gave up staring at the ceiling in the dark years ago. I couldn't sleep at night and felt bad about making noise that disturbed my family- so I got a third shift job. Didn't want to work nights any more, so I got some badass headphones and a badass computer and played games while everyone else was asleep. Built models-studied for school- watched Adult Swim -pirated movies and watcedh netflix- went for walks in the dark, hung out with the pigs at Krispy Kreme-put the electronic beat down on Ozzie teenagers in some silly online game. (Sorry if I pissed off some of ya'lls kids last night...if they gonna play Titanfall on the US servers, they gonna get their asses handed to them till they learn to cut the pie, check their corners, and look up....)

then all of the sudden I sleep again after months of two hours a night. just came off a four month run of 8+ hours daily. now back to spending a lot of time alone in the basement.

Just can't justify letting myself get stressed out about not sleeping. Makes it to hard to sleep...

 

[Friday]

Most of the time I put my insomnia to work for me. Catch up on alone time :D, chat with friends in other time zones, play, study, 24hr gym all to me'self, cook & freeze for days, all kinds of stuff when the city was blissfully passed out and quiet. I used to look forward to my insomnia runs, because I could get so much more done (ahem. Including that alone time worth of seasons of TV marathoned, xBox, books, art... Aka I'm doing nothing and grinning like a cat about it). The only real downside was my ex all pissed off and guilt tripping about it.

((Still hate that, though. The guilt trips. The feeling bad for doing the best I could, with what I had. Yes. I'm 'still' up. If no one ever glares, looks down their nose, and shouts at me for not being able to sleep, it will be too soon. Ditto gloating about how lazy I am for 'sleeping the day away' or wishing they could sleep until noon or whatever. Um. Those sweat drenched 3-4 hours are all I get. For probably the next 2 days. Condescending motherf*ckers.))

When I was single/childless I just rolled with it. Realized that a 36 or 72 schedule just worked better for me, and made that work. Having kids and daily style work meant getting a bit creative about when I slept. Sometimes I'd split it up into a couple naps a day. Other times, once my son was in school I could sleep either nights or while he was in school... So that meant I could go back to the 36hr day thing, again. Also having backups. Both short term meds, if things were getting into sleep dep ranges, and a short list of baby sitters. Or making sure I was beat up from the street up if I knew, schedule wise, I'd need to sleep X night to be up early on Y morning for Z activity. (Read : falling down exhausted.)

Still have a love/hate relationship with sleep, though.
Seems like it's always feast or famine.