Insomnia is back- This is normal, right?

[[Bu...]]

Hey Everyone,

I am almost 6 months off clonazepam and my insomnia is a lot worse again.  It was absolutely terrible from Aug.-mid Oct. of last year and then slowly started improving.  It was so much better, that for the first two weeks of Jan., I was sleeping 6-9 hours a night and could nap during the day.  I started back-sliding though about 3-4 weeks ago and I am now back to 2-4 broken hours in a 24 hour period.  Sometimes in 15 min. to 1/2 increments.  

This is normal, right?  To back slide so much, even at the 6 month mark?  I could just use some reassurance that I'm not unique with this.

[[je...]]

At 14 months off my sleep patterns are just crazy. During withdrawal I got 3 hours. On a good night it would be uninterrupted sleep. For the past 3-4 months I would get 3-5 hrs, with some nights 3 hrs broken. Two nights ago I got 1hr broken, and now it seems I'm back to 3hrs broken after about a month of 5 hrs broken. You are not unique. Impressive to have seen 6-9 hrs of sleep because I haven't seen that in 3 years! 

[[Bu...]]

Thanks @[je...], I appreciate it.  That 6-9 hours really surprised the heck out of me too!  Thought I dreamed it! 

I am really sorry that it's still so rough for you, but it means I'm in good company. 

[[je...]]

48 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

That 6-9 hours really surprised the heck out of me too!  Thought I dreamed it!

I don't even have dreams about 6-9 hours of sleep. Zilch. Nothing. Nada! 

[[Th...]]

 

You sound a lot like me.  Insomnia was the worst of about 15 symptoms I had.  It's not uncommon to have insomnia waves after sleeping well for days, weeks or even months.  I will be 8 years off in August and still get hit with random insomnia waves.  From about 2 years off to 5 years off they would last anywhere from a week or so to almost 2 months.  The past 2.5 years they are mostly one off nights but sometimes I'll get a one off night 5 or 6 times during a month...but that is rare.  I've also slept really well for 1.5 years (at one point after my CT) with no one-off nights, etc.  Insomnia is what put me on Benzos in the first place, so I wasn't expecting it to 100% disappear.  However, I have been averaging 7+ hours per night the past 5-6 years (outside of the waves I described above).  

6 months off is a great start, but most take between 12 and 18 months to see any significant insomnia relief and some take longer.  The fact that you've slept well for awhile means it will happen again.

I'd read this post regarding insomnia.  Peace

https://benzobuddies.org/topic/270442-2400-days-off-my-insomniabenzo-advice/page/4/#comment-3489675

 

[[Bu...]]

@[je...], how do you do that?  Survive on such little sleep.  You sound very articulate and, well, sane!  When my sleep drops off like this, I feel so disconnected.  I can observe my thinking moving painfully slow, if that makes sense.  And it takes forever for me to find words to express what I mean. 

[[Bu...]]

@[Th...],

Thanks for the reply.  I have read your story many times for hope and reassurance; I really appreciate you sharing it.  I never had insomnia before taking a benzo, so I am hoping that some day I'll return to that.

[[je...]]

Somehow I manage if I get 3 hrs of unbroken sleep. That's the minimum I can do. The other day when I got 1hr I had a migraine from hell and was mostly on the couch drugged up on painkillers. I feel good on 5hrs broken sleep. It will be wake up and fall asleep immediately a couple of times. If I get less than 3hrs straight sleep I feel miserable. 

The interesting thing is in the beginning when I got 3hrs I was okay. Now that I'm getting to the 5hrs stretch I feel physically sick if I get 3hrs broken sleep. 

[[Bu...]]

5 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

The interesting thing is in the beginning when I got 3hrs I was okay. Now that I'm getting to the 5hrs stretch I feel physically sick if I get 3hrs broken sleep. 

I've noticed this, too.  I guess I got used to running on such little sleep, but then when I got those few glorious weeks of 6 or more, it ruined my ability to not feel miserable on less.  I think that is what made this particular wave so hard emotionally too. 

[[je...]]

It totally sucks. Because now I know the bar is set for what I need to get in order to feel somewhat human. I think it's hard because of the lack of consistency. 

[[ma...]]

10 hours ago, [[j...] said:

De alguna manera me las arreglo si duermo 3 horas seguidas. Eso es lo mínimo que puedo hacer. El otro día, cuando tuve 1 hora, tuve una migraña infernal y estaba mayormente en el sofá drogado con analgésicos. Me siento bien con 5 horas de sueño interrumpido. Se despertará y se quedará dormido inmediatamente un par de veces. Si duermo menos de 3 horas seguidas me siento miserable. 

Lo interesante es que al principio, cuando tuve 3 horas, estaba bien. Ahora que estoy llegando al tramo de 5 horas, me siento físicamente mal si duermo 3 horas interrumpidas. 

I've been there for 23 months and I've never had a normal night, I'm in the same situation as you.But for a couple of weeks now I've been waking up more often and with very vivid and strange dreams. Then most of the time I don't fall asleep, and these last few weeks Horrible, they are a setback and I feel shitty.

[[ma...]]

On 14/2/2024 at 23:13, [[B...] said:

Hola a todos,

Llevo casi 6 meses sin clonazepam y mi insomnio ha vuelto a empeorar mucho. Fue absolutamente terrible desde agosto hasta mediados de octubre del año pasado y luego comenzó a mejorar lentamente. Fue mucho mejor que durante las dos primeras semanas de enero dormí de 6 a 9 horas por noche y podía tomar siestas durante el día. Sin embargo, comencé a retroceder hace unas 3 o 4 semanas y ahora he vuelto a tener entre 2 y 4 horas interrumpidas en un período de 24 horas. A veces en 15 min. a incrementos de 1/2.  

Esto es normal, ¿verdad? ¿Retroceder tanto, incluso en la marca de los 6 meses? Me vendría bien un poco de seguridad de que no soy el único en esto.

Hello friend, consider yourself lucky in my 23 months I never exceeded 5 interrupted hours And the most I slept in a row was a sporadic 4-hour day.Now I am in 2 hours a setback and I also wake up with very strange dreams, today I woke up very nervous That the Amoc current had stopped and we were freezing I felt it as real 🤦

[[Th...]]

I always liked any type of dream (except night terrors or nightmares) because if I could remember a dream then I knew I was sleeping.  Peace.

[[Th...]]

@BurnTheShips,

I understand about getting 6 hours or so and then when you get less, you don't feel rested at all.  In the past, I could do fine on 3-4 hours as sleep starting coming back, but today, since I've been averaging 7+ hours for 5+ years, 3-4 really puts me in a funk.  Thankfully I always get a better night's sleep after getting that one off night.  Peace!

[[je...]]

12 hours ago, [[m...] said:

I've been there for 23 months and I've never had a normal night, I'm in the same situation as you.But for a couple of weeks now I've been waking up more often and with very vivid and strange dreams. Then most of the time I don't fall asleep, and these last few weeks Horrible, they are a setback and I feel shitty.

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. I've been waking up more often as well but at least I'm falling asleep again. I know what it's like to lie awake for hours. The worst is getting through the next day when you feel utterly miserable. I hope this setback is short lived. 

[[ma...]]

58 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

Lamento que estés pasando por un momento tan difícil. También me he despertado más seguido pero al menos me estoy quedando dormido otra vez. Sé lo que es estar despierto durante horas. Lo peor es pasar el día siguiente cuando te sientes completamente miserable. Espero que este revés dure poco. 

God hear you and let's recover soon, this is a tor A torture, thank you.

[[Bu...]]

@[ma...],

Gosh, I'm sorry.  I'll be hoping and praying for you to sleep too. 

[[Nu...]]

On 14/02/2024 at 16:13, [[B...] said:

Hey Everyone,

I am almost 6 months off clonazepam and my insomnia is a lot worse again.  It was absolutely terrible from Aug.-mid Oct. of last year and then slowly started improving.  It was so much better, that for the first two weeks of Jan., I was sleeping 6-9 hours a night and could nap during the day.  I started back-sliding though about 3-4 weeks ago and I am now back to 2-4 broken hours in a 24 hour period.  Sometimes in 15 min. to 1/2 increments.  

This is normal, right?  To back slide so much, even at the 6 month mark?  I could just use some reassurance that I'm not unique with this.

Our timelines seem to align fairly closely. I understand your words -- sounds similar to mine. You're not alone!

[[ma...]]

18 hours ago, [[B...] said:

@[ma...],

Dios, lo siento. Estaré esperando y rezando para que tú también duermas. 

Thank you, me too, God hear us, it's been a long time and Hard to bear it.

[[...]]

On 15/02/2024 at 01:13, [[B...] said:

Hey Everyone,

I am almost 6 months off clonazepam and my insomnia is a lot worse again.  It was absolutely terrible from Aug.-mid Oct. of last year and then slowly started improving.  It was so much better, that for the first two weeks of Jan., I was sleeping 6-9 hours a night and could nap during the day.  I started back-sliding though about 3-4 weeks ago and I am now back to 2-4 broken hours in a 24 hour period.  Sometimes in 15 min. to 1/2 increments.  

This is normal, right?  To back slide so much, even at the 6 month mark?  I could just use some reassurance that I'm not unique with this.

@[Bu...], i think it's normal. I started to sleep, at least, steadily +- at the mark of 8 months off. But i never sleep more than 6 hours and often less. This mark, in any way, was very remarkable) Everything was suddenly a bit better and the previous good mark of the kind was the end of my tapering. But the waves and windows are still here.

Hope it will help you a bit. You are not unique in this way but, think, in many other much better ways you are🙂

 

[[wi...]]

@[Bu...]

Just saying hello ❤️

[[Bu...]]

@[wi...],

"Hey" back at ya!  

How's your world today?

[[je...]]

@[Bu...] I just had to dig this thread up to let you know last night I got 8hrs of solid sleep! 

[[Bu...]]

@[je...],

Wow!  Congratulations, that's awesome!  I'm so happy for you!  Eight hours is a beautiful thing.  How's the rest of the day?  Any impact from so much sleep?

[[je...]]

No, I feel the same as usual.