Sleep Restriction therapy saved my life. An update from jittery18.

[[ji...]]

Hi Maltese.... I would avoid the wine as to not aggravate the GABA receptors.

 

I personally think your insomnia is conditioned over years and years. You worry about sleep every night and you chase it. You do thinks like read in bed which may be relaxing but it conditions you mind to bed=awake. In a sense your sleep reflex is broken. But reflexive responses are a result of conditioning. Only being in your bed when your asleep strengthens the bed=sleep association. That's why not reading or listening to CDs in bed is so important. It's also why getting up works. When you have to get out of bed don't worry or do anything stimulating...or you will be awake. Sometimes I've gotten up feeling wide awake like I would never go back to sleep and when I went back to bed twenty minutes I felt right asleep. I usually just sit in the dark and meditate if I have to get up. I will tell myself the program will work if I do it correctly. You can't give up and you can't cheat.

 

Yes, your waketime must stay the same. 1-7 would work just fine!

[[ma...]]

Thanks Jittery. I'm just so frustrated right now. I actually didn't do that badly with sleep during the taper, and I thought I was improving...but I guess not so much. when I was thinking about it, I realized I drank wine all during my taper. Maybe that's why I slept semi ok.

One of my frustrations is knowing several people who don't drink at all...and they can't sleep either. I truly don't think my anxiety about sleep is that bad....maybe because at least I know Unisom works for me. I really have been going to bed fairly well relaxed and calm. In the old, working days I was stressed so I can understand not sleeping. But now, I'm not worrying. My mind isn't doing the old worry and ruminate stuff. I feel tired but that switch just doesn't seem to flip, putting me into sleep...from relaxation.

I just don't feel that anxious most of the time. The anxiety or frustration does come at 3am if I can't go back to sleep and I just lie there in bed for a long time. Most of the time if I can't sleep in 30 minutes I do get up and start my day...knowing I'll be exhausted and feel crummy. One day of that is no big deal. The problem is when it is day after day with 4hrs of sleep. I just need to get that sleep switch to go on....from alert to off. I am sure hoping the sleep restriction does that for me.

Does it work for everyone?

[[ji...]]

The clinical research says it works for 98 percent of people. My sleep psych has the same success rate. Even if it's not in the front of your mind the "will I sleep tonight" is always in the back of your mind. Your a human laboratory of "what sleep methods/pills/CDs/oils etc will I try tonight. That's chasing sleep! I can fall asleep on the couch at the drop of a hat now. It's because there I'm not trying to sleep! My sleep psych says if you are trying to sleep you won't. That's another reason he's against reading or relaxing in bed. Do those thongs before bed but not IN bed.

[[Le...]]

Hi Jittery, Tomorrow i am visiting a sleep centre to learn about CBT as I am taking on this therapy straight away.  I have dealt with insomnia for about a 5-6 weeks, recently weaned myself off zopiclone which i took continously for about 3 weeks and now on 120mg of 5HTP just to bring some calm to my sleep (it works).  Ive decided to be proactive and as of last night begain recording my bed time, wake times during the night and get up time.  From the first night of recording i can see that im getting roughly 6 hours of sleep total from bed time to wake time.  Roughly 76% efficiency.  So my new 'time in bed' maybe similar to yours.  Wake time will be 7am consistently (work time) which means a possible 1am bed time for me to kick things off.  Sounds like a scary prospect but im so motivated to just push through and get it done.  I have a major overseas holiday in 3 months time from now, so my goal is to have this thing nailed by then Heres hoping....

 

One note - I see that your adding 1/2 hour to your sleep each time where ive read 15 minutes in some articles.  I to would dearly like it to be in 1/2 hour increments, see what the doctor says.....

[[el...]]

Congratulations, Jittery - I'm so glad SR works for you.  This gives hope to so many of us here.

 

Ellen

[[Gl...]]

I tried sleep restriction for 2 nights and I couldn't get to sleep.  I chose 12-6 as my bedtime and got up every 20 minutes and I was up and down all night without any sleep.  I want to try it again but I haven't been able to sleep at all lately and I'm spending all my time in bed trying to sleep...too tired to get up most of the time.  My plan is to try it again once I get some decent sleep.

 

Lately I've been awake for 5 or 6 days, then I'll sleep one day, then I'm awake for 2-5 days again.  Words can't describe how horrible I feel.

[[Ca...]]

Glyn. I'm so sorry for you:(. This has been going on for a long time for you.

 

I'm thinking of trying this.  I have been sleeping somewhat now but I am going falling asleep later and later. Bedtime is now 4 am.

My brain doesnt do the Phasechange to sleep very easily. It always was a problem but nothing like now.

 

How did you sleep before the benzos?

 

Has it changed a lot during withdrawal?

 

Carol

[[Gl...]]

I slept a lot better before benzos.  I still couldn't sleep without meds but at least with Zyprexa I could sleep.  It got a lot worse since I quit taking benzos.

[[Me...]]

Hi Glyn.

 

So sorry to hear you are still struggling.  I have also always wondered how sleep restriction is supposed to work if one gets zero sleep at night for days on end - to me it just translated into getting "up-and-down" all night.

 

Do take care - I am thinking of you.

[[fi...]]

Glyn,

 

I certainly feel for you.  I hope you see some type of reprieve soon.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Gl...]]

I finally slept 8 hours after being up 3-5 days (lost track of how many days I was up because of hypnagogia).  It seems like I'll have a pattern where I'll sleep one or two days, then I'm up for 3-5 days again.  I'm hoping to break this pattern somehow.

[[fi...]]

Has the doctor given you any pointers on sleep, Glyn?

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Gl...]]

No..the only doctor that I've seen is my psychiatrist for a refill on my meds.  All she did was up the dose on my Zyprexa.  I'm trying to get an appointment with a new psychiatrist who isn't in the city and see if they can help.  My psychiatrist right now is pretty stupid and thinks I'm bipolar because I can't sleep.  Somehow she thinks insomnia and bipolar are the same thing.  I want to try Remeron eventually and see if I can replace Zyprexa with that.

[[fi...]]

My doctor put me on Vistaril one time and that really helped.  I believe it also has an antihistamine in it.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Me...]]

I have also had success with Vistaril although I try to only use it when my insomnia is at its worst.  It is strange that its helps me now but during my c/t it did nothing.  How many mgs did you use FG?  I am on 100mg a night.

[[fi...]]

I only used 25 mg. of Vistaril in the morning and 25 mg. at night.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Gl...]]

I was on a high dose of Vistaril and it didn't do anything

[[Ca...]]

Glyn.

I'm immune to just about everything for sleep too.

I have always had trouble falling asleep but slept ok once asleep. Thats how I started on the sleeping pills.

 

I also am having a lot of trouble with hypnagogia. Never had that before this addiction.

 

I'm almost 6 months off and I hardly ever sleep before 3 am.

Even the sleep i get is broken up every 1 1/2 hours.

 

I keep trying unisom but it doesnt work and then a little later I take a valerian pill.

Then I lie in bed and toss and turn.

Anyways why am I writing this out. Anyone on this thread knows how horrible this is.

I'm seriously thinking of trying the sleep restriction. 

 

Wishing you relief.

Carol

[[fi...]]

GlynG,

 

I read where Zyprexa can cause insomnia in some patients.  Did you have sleep problems before going on Zyprexa?

 

Thanks.

 

fg

[[...]]

Carol,

 

I have been doing something very close to sleep restriction therapy and it is working for me!  I am now able to fall asleep within 30 minutes.  I no longer associate the bed with fear and anxiety.  I never thought that a sleep schedule like that would work, but it does.  I would try it.

 

Good luck!!!

 

DG

[[Gl...]]

I got some good sleep last night..8 hours  I might actually be getting better, finally.  I've been waiting a long time to turn a corner.  Seems like my OCD is getting better too.

 

Carol -- I have the same problem with falling asleep but not staying asleep and I get hypnagogia a lot too.

 

fg -- I don't remember having insomnia before Zyprexa but now when I try to reduce or quit the Zyprexa the insomnia gets worse and I lose the ability to sleep completely if I get down to 0 mg's.  I don't sleep until I take it again.  Generally it's a major tranquilizer and should be putting you to sleep instead of keeping you up.

 

[[Ca...]]

GlynG

We keep us posted if it continues. Wish you sleep.

 

DG. How long did you have to do it before you saw positive results?

 

I was thinking that the 20 minute limit might be too short a time because i have never in my life fallen asleep within 20 minutes.

But this 3 hours that I face every night is a little excessive.

And the  waking every hour and a half.

 

Last night I didnt take the unisom. Only one valerian.

Then my sleep was not very deep and I woke up every hour instead of every hour and a half.

at 4:30 I was wide awake until 5:45 and i decided to take 2 mg of melatonin and I had 1/2 of a dristan sitting next to my bed.

Slept for 2 hours straight for a total of:

 

5 whole hours of sleep. Sort of my norm.

 

i guess it is better than the 3 hours that I was getting a few months ago.

 

Carol

 

 

[[Me...]]

Hi Carol

I too take a product called BeCalm which contains Valerian 160mg, Hops 200mg and Passion Flower 130mg.  I usually take 3 of these capsules no more than twice a week.  How much Valerian do you take?  I know Valerian is also supposed to work on the same GABA receptors as Benzo's but there is no research available confirming this.  I do limit my use of it to twice a week as I am trying to avoid tolerance to this dosage.

 

I notice you took your Melatonin at 5.45.  I have read that because Melatonin is responsible for setting your natural circadian cycle that you should avoid taking it after about 2.30am as it will affect the following days sleep/wake cycle.  On the days I take Melatonin (also twice a week) I take a 3mg regular dose and 3mg slow release dose when I go to sleep and if/when I wake 3hours later I will take another 3mg regular tab. and this sometimes gets me back to sleep.

 

I too have never fallen asleep within 20 minutes (without drugs,that is) in my life  :'(

 

Take Care

Mee (aka Carol)

 

[[fi...]]

I did find the following on Wikipedia:

 

Valerian extracts appear to have some affinity for the GABAA receptor, a class of receptors on which benzodiazepines are known to act.[13][14]

 

13. Holzl J, Godau P. (1989). "Receptor binding studies with Valeriana officinalis on the benzodiazepine receptor". Planta Medica 55 (7): 642. doi:10.1055/s-2006-962221.

 

14. Mennini T, Bernasconi P et al (1993). "In vitro study in the interaction of extracts and pure compounds from Valerian officinalis roots with GABA, benzodiazepine and barbiturate receptors". Fitoterapia 64: 291–300.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Ca...]]

Meee (carol)

 

I normally take 1 "Relax and sleep" tablet and 25 mg diphenhydramine hydrochloride tablet. (thats unisom)

 

Relax and sleep has the following.

 

VAlerian extract. 50 mg

Catnip extract. 20 mg

Hops ext.  25 mg

Passionflower ext. 25 mg

 

For the last 2 nights I haven't taken the unisom but have taken 2.5 mg melatonin at about 4-5 am.

I think tonight i will try to do without the melatonin. Will try to find the slow release kind.

I do believe it is making me even dozier the next day than usual.

Good luck with your sleep Meee Carol:)

 

I see there is a post ahead of his one discussing valerian. I will go back and read it now.

Carol