Sleeping Problems with PTSD

[lumberjack]

I have trouble sleeping more than 2 hrs for four months, i have tried most things ...my head hurts all the time..

 

[cookie]

you may need something to help you sleep, ask your dr. personally, i hate drugs(still on a lot, for now) i found a supplement with black cohash that helped me sleep some. you've prob already tried cutting out caffeine, not exercising too late. don't post and read here the last thing before bed, do something mindless to relax, so you won't go to bed thinking about it so much.
some antidepressants cause insomnia, too. i have a relaxation tape, and a "safe room" tape that i listen to every night as i go to sleep. i don't usually make it all the way trough any more without falling asleep. if i could stay asleep, it would be great. my therapist gave me the tapes-ask your's about some.

 

[seeklife]

sleep?

Hi everyone reading this. I read all of the responses on this sight so far. It was only a couple of days ago that I was able to get any sleep at all. I was hospitalized a few weeks ago adn couldn't sleep in the hosp. They gave me Resperidal and it wired me. The front of my head literally felt like it was on fire. I couldn't tell anyone because I didn't want staff to know how crazy I was getting (I wanted out as soon as I could). After coming home, I thought it would all get better so stuck with meds until I couldn't take it anymore. Called Doc and pharmacist and they said I could take Ambien with the resperidal. That's when the "fun" really started. I scared my husband and kids todeath with hallucinations. My husband said "no more meds" My Doc agreed.Unfortunately , my sleep isn't exactly how I would like it but its getting better. I guess it just takes time. I'm glad I found this forum to talk on. Thanks for listening...:doh:

 

[reallydown]

yeah...sleeping is a problem...and now with school i'm getting more and more exahusted and it makes it even harder to focus...i have enough trouble trying to keep up with the readings so i don't actually follow the "no reading before bed time" thing...i've cut down on caffeine though...and i've stopped drinking coke...i've even manged to do some exercise lately even though it's so hard to force myself to do it when i'm so depressed...i've tried camomlie tea and that didn't work...this just sucks...i have a "relaxation" cd too...it's not working either though...although i only got it recently and have only tried it a couple of times...bah...i'm beginning to ramble...

 

[scarlette_crimson]

reallydown

sleep,sleep,sleep.....Little bo peep.
I'll sing you a lula bye:music:

 

[cookie]

i played a new relaxation tape during naptime at school last week, just to hear it. i told the kids it would help them sleep. now, they ask for the sleepy tape every naptime! lol! i just worry about if a parent walks in, they're going to think i'm trying to hypnotize their kids! now only if it makes ME sleepy!

 

[Delita]

Reading the above posts I can see that compared to some of you I've got it pretty good. :loopy:

It usually takes me between two to four hours to fall asleep. Once I've fallen asleep, I can easily remain unconscious for twelve to fourteen hours, but I don't rest. My dreams are a torrent that I fall into--they are infinitely more real than anything I experience in the waking world, and they are never pleasant. I usually wake drained and nauseous. I'm almost never relaxed when I sleep because if I do let go then I have a nightmare (I have "bad dreams", "really bad dreams" and "nightmares") and then I spend the rest of the night surrounded by clubs and edged weapons, staring at the ceiling with all my lights on, pillows covering the window, music blasting, waiting for the horror to come.

 

[madjon]

a non drug related sleeping aid, warm milk, or warm milk with chocolate powderin, simple but can help.

 

[reallydown]

unless you're lactose intolerant...in which case you could spend half the night "praying to the porcelain gods" ;P