sleep aids working better longer out

[[te...]]

Hi All,

So, my sleep pattern have gradually improved. I don't want to jinx myself or overthink anything. I still have sleep anxiety and it still takes me awhile to fall asleep - and I still wake up a lot most nights. But this is still a lot better than I was months ago (I am officially 5 months out). Hoping this helps some folks who are just recently off.

 

I am down to using either mirtazapine or unisom when I need it, which is a few times a week max. I wish I could use melatonin or something "natural" but they don't help at this point, yet at least. Last weekend I needed unisom friday and sunday night for different reasons. I then went 6 nights in a row of being able to fall asleep without taking anything and got "enough" every night. I don't want to specify hours but it was "enough" for me and I felt fine the following days. Yesterday I had an incident where I suddenly couldn't remember if I took my blood pressure meds, and I started ruminating about it. I am sure that worked up my amygdala and my flight or fight response kicked in. I took my BP with my at home cuff and it was really low and good, so I told myself I was fine. But then when I laid down I struggled to fall asleep because my body was already on edge. Eventually, after over an hour of that, I gave myself permission to take a unisom. It gradually kicked in and when I fell asleep, I stayed asleep all night and didn't even wake up to use the bathroom. I am sure I had some minor quick wakeups in there like we all do but I can't remember them.

 

I feel a little "bad" that I had to take it, like I always do, and afraid for having to continue to do this, but I am noticing that now when I take things they seem more effective - is this a function of being farther out? Also the experience of taking it was different. It was very pleasant. I gradually got out of my head and started noticing how my body felt, and noticed the little sore spots in my legs from running and really tuned into my body instead of my brain. it was like medication induced mindfulness. sometimes I can do this without meds when i'm relaxed/tired enough.

 

I also have a little hypothesis that I was entering a little wave. I have noticed how my waves feel when they start. The windows are definitely longer than they were before.

 

And (sorry if TMI) about to start that time of the month. Hormone issues might also be related to waves and such.

[[MT...]]

I had the same thing happen. The meds I took (amitriptyline, sometimes seroquel or gabapentin) became more effective as time went on.

[[te...]]

I had the same thing happen. The meds I took (amitriptyline, sometimes seroquel or gabapentin) became more effective as time went on.

 

This is promising and hopefully means I'm making progress. I would like to only use aids once every two weeks, then once a month, etc. Trying to get there.

[[...]]

that's fantastic! my theory re the meds working better as time and healing progress.. is that it is probably due to you also having less anxiety than what you did at the beginning of your ordeal. ie high anxiety tends to cut through any positive effects of the sleeping meds, unless you take a LOT of that med.. hope this makes sense  

[[te...]]

that's fantastic! my theory re the meds working better as time and healing progress.. is that it is probably due to you also having less anxiety than what you did at the beginning of your ordeal. ie high anxiety tends to cut through any positive effects of the sleeping meds, unless you take a LOT of that med.. hope this makes sense

 

It does make sense! Very good point!

[[bo...]]

If it eases your fear of unisom at all -- it's just Benadryl (unless it's the other version, which is just a different even less potent antihistamine) -- and I can report from at least my own personal experience that I've been on as much as 100mg per night for YEARS and still able to come 100% off of it when needed.

 

But, yes, the longer I was off Klonopin, the better other things like Unisom worked for me.

 

[[Bh...]]

The same thing has happened for me as well. I am down to a 1/4 tablet of unisom a night. I don't need much at all. I still wake up a few times throughout the night..but that's withdrawal induced anxiety. If I took a 1/2 or 1/3 of the pill, I'd be drowsy the next day (no matter how much sleep I got).

 

The night before I slept 7 hours straight....this seems to be happening 1-2 times a week now, which is awesome. This is how I used to be before benzos. I'd sleep 7-8 hours straight!! I would take an hour or so to get to sleep, but when I passed out, I was out!!

 

I see that my sleep is finally coming back at 14 months out. It's not officially normal yet, but it's certainly getting there.