one night I sleep the next I don't

[[8d...]]

is anyone having any luck to improving their sleep? I went 40 hours the other day without sleep and just gave in and took seroquel. Does anyone have any advice on how I can finally get off these pills? I'm trying to taper down but it just doesn't seem to be working for me. If I just stop the pills all together do you think apparently sleep would come? I'm worried about my anxiety about not sleeping.

[[Si...]]

Yeah I'm sleeping like a brick again most of the time. Some nights I occasionally only get 4 or 5 hours, but sometimes it's because I slept a bunch the day/night before. It took about 6 to 8 weeks for my sleep to come back to somewhat normal. Unfortunately there wasn't much that helped other than waiting it out. I think worse than missing the sleep, was not knowing how long it may go on for. Eventually it will come back, it just isn't any fun in the interim.

 

Good luck, hope everything gets better for you soon!

[[8d...]]

I'm surprised you had much insomnia on the low dose and short time you took it.

 

Did you initially start using for sleep issues?

[[Si...]]

No for high anxiety / panic attacks brought in by a bunch of bad things happening in a row. I never had that before.

[[Si...]]

Well everybody, I'm back to the one day on one day off again. I got the flu a few weeks ago and it totally screwed me. I was sleeping great for months and then this happens. I'm so discouraged to go through this again. How's everyone else doing?

[[Si...]]

Bump. I'm still having terrible problems. I've missed several nights this past week. My sleep got jacked up again from the flu on March 8th, 2015 after sleeping great for five months. It went terrible with ups and downs for a few weeks. All of a sudden it corrected itself and then I slept great for almost 3 weeks, then again out of nowhere, my sleep got screwed up again. Has this up and down happened to anyone else? It's really taking a toll on me. I really could use some encouragement from someone that's gotten through this.

 

How is everyone else doing? I haven't heard from some of you in a while.

[[La...]]

Bump. I'm still having terrible problems. I've missed several nights this past week. My sleep got jacked up again from the flu on March 8th, 2015 after sleeping great for five months. It went terrible with ups and downs for a few weeks. All of a sudden it corrected itself and then I slept great for almost 3 weeks, then again out of nowhere, my sleep got screwed up again. Has this up and down happened to anyone else? It's really taking a toll on me. I really could use some encouragement from someone that's gotten through this.

 

How is everyone else doing? I haven't heard from some of you in a while.

 

This has been exactly my experience. I am not through it yet it seems.

[[Si...]]

Bump. I'm still having terrible problems. I've missed several nights this past week. My sleep got jacked up again from the flu on March 8th, 2015 after sleeping great for five months. It went terrible with ups and downs for a few weeks. All of a sudden it corrected itself and then I slept great for almost 3 weeks, then again out of nowhere, my sleep got screwed up again. Has this up and down happened to anyone else? It's really taking a toll on me. I really could use some encouragement from someone that's gotten through this.

 

How is everyone else doing? I haven't heard from some of you in a while.

 

This has been exactly my experience. I am not through it yet it seems.

 

Damn sorry to hear that man.

[[se...]]

Exact same problem here. I was doing really well. I seemed to have a pattern of 10-15 great nights between one bad one. I could handle that just fine.

 

Now I've had bad nights the last 3 out of 4. My daytime anxiety is back with a vengeance too. And all this is on top of the Trazodone and Zoloft I'm still taking. I have tapered my Traz by half, but wasn't tapering when the sleep problems reappeared.

 

I thought I was getting so much better. Super frustrated today. Two bad nights in a row is unusual and really has me down. 

[[Si...]]

I've had a string of on an off again for the last 10 days. Seriously wtf? I'm at my wits end. I have to find something to get over this insomnia. It's tearing me apart.

[[MT...]]

Siggy, this insomnia crud is a beast. It makes everything so hard. You've been incredible enduring it as long as you have. I hope you get a break soon. I'm still waiting for my first natural sleep, any amount. Even minutes would make me excited at this point. Most of the time I can trust it can happen but, as you know, the days following zero sleep really mess with your brain.

[[Si...]]

Siggy, this insomnia crud is a beast. It makes everything so hard. You've been incredible enduring it as long as you have. I hope you get a break soon. I'm still waiting for my first natural sleep, any amount. Even minutes would make me excited at this point. Most of the time I can trust it can happen but, as you know, the days following zero sleep really mess with your brain.

 

For sure, hopping we both round a corner soon and will be done with this insanity for good!

[[jo...]]

jrod I could not agree with You more, Ya same similar problem with Me. some pretty good nights then some bad nights. It sucks big time , Im sick and tired of feeling drawn out and no energy.  Sleep is job one in My opinion especially during benzo withdrawal and post benzo. Research the web for natural help methods. Avoid stimulants like the plague NO caffeine whatsoever.

[[8d...]]

I took a little break from the forum. I was feeling good, and just wanted to focus on that.

 

It feels like I went about 3 weeks having decent sleep 5-7 hours along with reduced worry about it.

 

But since this past Monday, it has been absolutely shit. It has taken me a long time to get to bed each night, and then I'm up after no more than 5 hours. Last night, I went to bed after putting baby down at 2am, and at 5am, I was still wide awake laying in bed. I got up and walked around the house. Probably feel asleep around 5:30, and woke up about 2 hours later. Felt awful. Went back to sleep and popped up an hour later.

 

I don't get it. Don't get how I don't feel tired like before. How I can go days in a row with awful sleep and not just get so tired that I sleep 8+ hours.

 

When I go to bed, and when I can't sleep, I feel tightness in my muscles and tingling in my arms and legs. My wife says I just have really bad anxiety.

 

I also am super sensitive to noise now. There's a hum from the fridge outside my room and I can't seem to rest when it comes on.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this. Need to hear from someone. Feeling very lost ad alone today

[[Si...]]

I took a little break from the forum. I was feeling good, and just wanted to focus on that.

 

It feels like I went about 3 weeks having decent sleep 5-7 hours along with reduced worry about it.

 

But since this past Monday, it has been absolutely shit. It has taken me a long time to get to bed each night, and then I'm up after no more than 5 hours. Last night, I went to bed after putting baby down at 2am, and at 5am, I was still wide awake laying in bed. I got up and walked around the house. Probably feel asleep around 5:30, and woke up about 2 hours later. Felt awful. Went back to sleep and popped up an hour later.

 

I don't get it. Don't get how I don't feel tired like before. How I can go days in a row with awful sleep and not just get so tired that I sleep 8+ hours.

 

When I go to bed, and when I can't sleep, I feel tightness in my muscles and tingling in my arms and legs. My wife says I just have really bad anxiety.

 

I also am super sensitive to noise now. There's a hum from the fridge outside my room and I can't seem to rest when it comes on.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this. Need to hear from someone. Feeling very lost ad alone today

 

Yep I get the burning too when I don't sleep enough. I have the same block in my brain that just won't let me sleep even though I'm tired. If I get to sleep I usually can fall back asleep easily if I wake up. It's just the falling asleep part that's totally killing me. I seem to keep going back and forth too where I'll have a string of good days and string of bad days. It's really getting to me too. I can't believe a 1 freekin month of Lorazepam did this to me. I would have probably been better off snorting arsenic. I just don't get why I slept so great from months 5-10. Could the flu really have jacked me up this much?

[[MT...]]

Damien, I'm sorry about the return to insomnia. Have you tried earplugs? I know you have a baby so I'm not sure what's possible here. I find the smallest noise can feel like a jolt of adrenalin at night. Even though I can still here things through the ear plugs they muffle them enough to not be activating (in general) and if I'm asleep the same things don't tend to wake me up (like the fan, my husband's snoring). I hope you get relief soon.

[[8d...]]

I've been able to get 6-7 hours the last 3 nights, so feeling much better.

 

Went back to using ear plugs. Lots of noise in the basement where I've been sleeping, so maybe that was causing some issues.

 

Going to try a white noise machine.

[[La...]]

I took a little break from the forum. I was feeling good, and just wanted to focus on that.

 

It feels like I went about 3 weeks having decent sleep 5-7 hours along with reduced worry about it.

 

But since this past Monday, it has been absolutely shit. It has taken me a long time to get to bed each night, and then I'm up after no more than 5 hours. Last night, I went to bed after putting baby down at 2am, and at 5am, I was still wide awake laying in bed. I got up and walked around the house. Probably feel asleep around 5:30, and woke up about 2 hours later. Felt awful. Went back to sleep and popped up an hour later.

 

I don't get it. Don't get how I don't feel tired like before. How I can go days in a row with awful sleep and not just get so tired that I sleep 8+ hours.

 

When I go to bed, and when I can't sleep, I feel tightness in my muscles and tingling in my arms and legs. My wife says I just have really bad anxiety.

 

I also am super sensitive to noise now. There's a hum from the fridge outside my room and I can't seem to rest when it comes on.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this. Need to hear from someone. Feeling very lost ad alone today

 

damien: recently my sleep has gone south and what i noticed is that it is coinciding with a return of certain benzo sxs. in particular i have been having sound sensitivity and mild brain zaps. its been just a couple of days but the sleep degenerated coincident with these sxs. it all goes hand in hand. yes siggy, i was on lorazepam for only 6 weeks too and over a year out my body has not yet fully recovered from it. hard to believe but unequivocally true.

 

on the other hand, yesterday i was listening to some really great music. have you ever listened to music that was so great it actually gave you chills that ran up and down your spine, literally? And had simultaneous feelings of intense joy? Lets not forget that when we were tapering, we felt anhedonia almost constantly with zero chance of feeling bliss? The "shivers" I spoke about above is a true testament to how much we have recovered....despite the shitstorm of insomnia. Keep our eye on improvements, for what its worth.

 

laser

[[Si...]]

I took a little break from the forum. I was feeling good, and just wanted to focus on that.

 

It feels like I went about 3 weeks having decent sleep 5-7 hours along with reduced worry about it.

 

But since this past Monday, it has been absolutely shit. It has taken me a long time to get to bed each night, and then I'm up after no more than 5 hours. Last night, I went to bed after putting baby down at 2am, and at 5am, I was still wide awake laying in bed. I got up and walked around the house. Probably feel asleep around 5:30, and woke up about 2 hours later. Felt awful. Went back to sleep and popped up an hour later.

 

I don't get it. Don't get how I don't feel tired like before. How I can go days in a row with awful sleep and not just get so tired that I sleep 8+ hours.

 

When I go to bed, and when I can't sleep, I feel tightness in my muscles and tingling in my arms and legs. My wife says I just have really bad anxiety.

 

I also am super sensitive to noise now. There's a hum from the fridge outside my room and I can't seem to rest when it comes on.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this. Need to hear from someone. Feeling very lost ad alone today

 

damien: recently my sleep has gone south and what i noticed is that it is coinciding with a return of certain benzo sxs. in particular i have been having sound sensitivity and mild brain zaps. its been just a couple of days but the sleep degenerated coincident with these sxs. it all goes hand in hand. yes siggy, i was on lorazepam for only 6 weeks too and over a year out my body has not yet fully recovered from it. hard to believe but unequivocally true.

 

on the other hand, yesterday i was listening to some really great music. have you ever listened to music that was so great it actually gave you chills that ran up and down your spine, literally? And had simultaneous feelings of intense joy? Lets not forget that when we were tapering, we felt anhedonia almost constantly with zero chance of feeling bliss? The "shivers" I spoke about above is a true testament to how much we have recovered....despite the shitstorm of insomnia. Keep our eye on improvements, for what its worth.

 

laser

 

What a crazy ride. I have occasionally had those breakthrough moments where something sent shivers up my spine. We were watching a Japanese animation a few weeks ago and near the end of the movie a Buddha was floating down on a cloud. I'm not Buddhist, but for some reason it did send shivers up my spine. The army on the ground were shooting arrows at him and they were turning into flower stalks as they rained on the Buddha. Very odd reaction, but kind of neat.

[[MT...]]

Laser and Siggy, I get so excited when I have those bursts of feeling like that. It reminds me of when I lived in a far northern latitude and would go cross country skiing. There were several times I was deep in the woods in frigid weather and lost all feeling to my toes but I was hours from being warm and safe. I feared I had done permanent damage with frostbite. Hours later when I got sensation back it was powerful and I welcomed even the painful aspect. For a while after each of those episodes I would marvel in my toes ability to feel.

 

Benzos and wd has led to a similar painful numbness for all of us. I find I'm more numb than usual following my nights of zero sleep. These episodes of normal feeling, however, are reminders that all of the circuitry is still in place and our brains are truly healing. Sure we'd like to be able to access feeling all of the time but for now we can celebrate the capacity to feel beauty, joy, or to feel moved. These are all precious gifts in this terribly slow journey.

[[jo...]]

sleep one night up the next that is par for the course with Benzo's and even after taper. Been there done that. My sleep is still fragmented and I average 4 hours a night. Better than zero !  In My opinion avoid stimulants at all cost and meditate.  The old cup of hot milk with a teaspoon of honey and I add 500mg of tryptophan. Works for Me ! 

 

Remember sleep is job one, the nervous system needs sleep to calm down and meditation can help. Stimulants do the opposite and rev up the CNS. Believe Me I tried everthing, also walking each day can help. I had a consult with a sleep doc and He said that in order for the body to sleep it has to be tired. Dah We all know that however when Your being banged around on the benzo and fighting to get off We dont always have the strenght to get Ourselves fatigued. Good Luck to us all.

[[Si...]]

Well here I am again. I was doing great in the sleep department almost all of 2016. I was falling asleep fast and deep and could easily fall back asleep if I woke up. I drank a bunch of beer 11 days ago and it's totally screwed me up again. I went straight back to one day on one day off pattern. Last night was the first small break I got, but the sleep was really light and it didn't seem like I slept st all. No idea how long this is going to last now. Very sad by the whole thing. I REALLY hope I can get back to where is was quickly. I'm so stupid.

[[8d...]]

Siggy, that sucks.

 

I actually got a little confidence to drink, and I ended up have two pints and a shot at a Xmas party.

 

I felt alright that night, but the next day I was totally off. Had a very low mood, and this weird feeling in my head. It was not a hangover, but more of just a heavy feeling. It also put my sleep off a bit for a few days, so I made a decision: After the hell I survived, it's not worth it to drink and go anywhere near that again. When I used to hear people say "I'm high on life", I thought it was corny. Now, I totally feel it!

 

I used to love beer. LOVE! But I much rather feeling and sleeping well!

 

I've limited myself to one beer, on special occasions

[[Si...]]

I know! After all we've been through I can't believe I put myself in this position. I'm done with alcohol. I can't go through this crap ever again. I just hope it clears up for me soon.

[[8d...]]

You'll be fine.

 

I personally don't care much for alcohol these days, because I went through such torture that it's not worth risking any of that again.