any words of encouragement on the insomnia

[[SS...]]

well - i sit here, alone, shaking, wondering how to keep going.  In my first 35 days cold turkey - i got 20 hours of sleep total - at times i went 6 days without sleeping - i have no idea how the human body can do it.  like everyone i tried a variety of what might be safe supplements - some clearly made it worse - others - perhaps helped - its hard to know.  then i went an 8 day stretch where i got 4 hours of sleep on 7 of the 8 nights and it felt truly miraculous - i started to have really positive thoughts that i could beat this. 

 

and now the last 3 nights - no sleep - and it feels worse than the first 35 days because my body and brain got that glimpse of sleep and i have no idea how to go back to the possibility sleep will not return again.  i feel like i have 10,000 pounds of energy trapped in my body that needs to come out - i am stuck with tachycardia that is unrelenting.  the last 2 days i did 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes on the treadmill at as fast a speed as my legs could go - and it felt good while i was doing it but now i wonder if it overstimulated me and that is why sleep has now disappeared.  i was so happy and positive in those 8 days and now i feel like i've lost all ground.

 

i know everyone around me thinks I'm just having a nervous break down.  i live alone which makes this hard.  going to have to start thinking about selling my house.  i feel like i am going to lose everything i worked for.  i was given valium as part of a major spine surgery recovery and i feel like it's cost me everything..... i would rather have lived with 2 broken discs in my neck than deal with this....

 

has anyone else had periods where they did start to sleep and then lose it again?  i am tired of analyzing everything trying to figure out what i did wrong or if it truly is just the non linear nature of this where i may go days with some sleep and then days without it. 

[[sl...]]

I can very much relate to your story...

I sometimes got 1 night of good sleep and it felt sooo good. But the next days were no sleep or very little sleep.

Actually the last 10 nights I got only 0 to 2 hours (if Lucky) sleep per night.

I just got prescribed propranolol for tachycardia at night (very irregular heart beat and also night sweats), but doctor is concerned that I take them because of my already low blood pressure. I am afraid to take anything these days.

I know I should not focus on the sleep too much, but like you, I feel I am just too hyper... like my body doesn't need it (only my mind is missing it).

 

Anyway, hope we will heal SOON, because this is torture.

 

I am going to try inositol for sleep...

[[mo...]]

Hi there,

I really do think it is the non-linear way that we heal.  I notice there is no rhyme or reason to it.  Sometimes you can throw everything you have at it and you have a bad night or when you think it'll be a bad night because of a, b  or c then you sleep ok.  Having said that, I do think it is still important for me to do everything in my power to help by having good sleep hygiene, diet, meditation, exercise, etc.  If I do my part then I feel better.  I have gotten a bit fanatical about it in the last 5 months but now I notice I am letting go and if I miss one thing like forgetting essential oils one night I don't think it's a big deal anymore and I'm more accepting of it.

 

My insomnia has improved I have seen healing.  Overall I have improved from the first 3 months of 2-3 hours of fragile broken sleep.  I also had a stretch at four months off where I slept for four nights of 8, 6, 6, 8 1/2 hours and was so happy thinking I was over the worst of it.  Then I went back to 3-5 hours of broken sleep.  Then a couple of weeks ago started not only having difficulty staying asleep I couldn't fall asleep either.  Then last night I slept for 7 hours with only one wake up.  So yes I have had periods where I start to sleep and then lose it.  This shows healing though.  Our brains are working this out, slowly.   

[[SS...]]

thanks for responding.  I definitely started to work on the sleep hygiene more seriously - i stay out of my room all day - try to keep an established pattern - have black out shades - keep the room cool - have a white noise fan - etc,  i do think that has helped a little but definitely doesnt work for getting me to sleep or staying asleep...... it felt so amazing the past week getting those 4 hours - which is the most i've ever gotten in the 46 days.  but that 7 days x 4 = 28 hours which was almost as much sleep as i got in the entire first 30 days but the loss of it now the last 3 nights makes me wonder how i ever survived the first 30 days.  i am shaking and don't feel like i can drive - whereas i had been driving up to this point.

 

i have been using inositol for a while and i do think it works for a while - but it has stopped working.  still - certainly worth a try.

 

i guess its good to know it comes and goes like many of the other symptoms.  i had hoped once it returned that i'd keep those 4 hours and build up to more..... praying this wave passes quickly.  sleep deprivation is used in the armed forces as a form of torture.... i can see why.  i never got more than 7 hours a night before this but 0 to 2 hours is rough..... i will happily take back those 4 hours if i can get them

[[Ma...]]

I just had one totally insomniac night, and it is terrible. I'm also w/d-ing from zyprexa, which doesn't help. I also went on a good run yesterday, as well as a short swim, and wonder if it stimulated me. I, too, have tachycardia so can really relate to your post. I don't have a solution but you have my fellowship. Thanks.

[[Hu...]]

OK first of all don't sell your house. YOU ARE going to have crazy thoughts. no sleep for weeks and physical, mental pain beyond belief! I want someone to give it to me straight! NO more pussy footing around. Try benydril to calm your mind. I'm so sick of this sugar coated advise We need something that really works! Just being honest.

 

Edit: Removed drug commentary

        Drug-Promotion Guidelines

 

[Guest [Le...]]

OK first of all don't sell your house. YOU ARE going to have crazy thoughts. no sleep for weeks and physical, mental pain beyond belief! I want someone to give it to me straight! NO more pussy footing around. Try benydril to calm your mind. I'm so sick of this sugar coated advise We need something that really works! Just being honest.

 

Edit: Removed drug commentary

        Drug-Promotion Guidelines

 

Hi Hurtinbadly,

 

I know you're usually a supportive member, but please do not post in a prescriptive or absolute manner. There's no need to ring alarm bells that are even louder than any the OP may have sounded already.

 

Also, it is not permitted to promote drugs or their use on the forum, so those comments have been removed.

 

Thanks for understanding.

 

Leslie

[[Re...]]

You're not alone with insomnia being all over the place. Like many of my other symptoms, insomnia comes and goes in its intensity for me. I hope this passes for you soon. Not sleeping makes everything else so much worse. xoxo

[[Ba...]]

 

Insomnia is my worst symptom.  I have all my life had a sleep problem-- imagine always will.

 

That's what the benzos were for.

 

I did take a lyrica and I slept.  I know that is not going to help with a taper, but I may just have to do it.

 

Falling asleep... I just don't on my own.  ;(

 

Please tell me about inostitol... that is a B vite?  Is that better by itself or say in a B complex?

 

I hope you sleep tonight.

[[He...]]

exercice, do you do?

[[SS...]]

yes health first - oddly - exercise has a paradoxical effect.  i had exercises in the beginning and found it overstimulated me so stopped.  i actually started sleeping around day 35 - for about 4 hours a night - and then around day 43 i decided to give exercise a try again and swung into a manic state with zero sleep for 3 days.  it took a day or two to make the connection  .  so i stopped again and now sleep is back to 3-4 hours.  the insomnia makes this all so much worse.  i was a gym rat my whole life.  tons of cardio, weight lifting, 90 min power yoga classes.  that was my stress relief outlet.  so - its really hard not being able to work out.  it seems some people don't have the energy.  i have tons and tons of pent up energy that i wish i could get out of my body but it seems for now exercise is not going to help

[[Fe...]]

I agree with the above, exercise can really over stimulate. You might want to try walking 30 minutes on a very slow pace. Insomnia was my worst symptom and now at over 6 months off its getting better and those slow walks (and relaxing yoga) have helped me very much! Good luck with this, it will improve.

 

wenn