My experience with sleep restriction

[[si...]]

hey suzie. this is my experience and opinion only, so take it as it is:). i feel 9 days someone could get dependent maybe, but the only negative side effect is that it just doesnt work as well.  My experience with clonidine was that it really helped with sedating in the beginning, and I actually ended up at 1 point upping the dose and taking .2mg(I think thats the dose, mayb not)  I think i was taking .2 at 1 time.  So, in saying, thats why I think it is really good just to take intermittently, so when u do need it, it works well.  The thing about clonidine, isu need to understand how it affects ur bp.  When I took it, it didnt affect it, but your bp needs to be monitored.  Especially if you discontinue. If clonidine affects ur bp, then if u up the dose ur bp can get too low, or if u abruptly discontinue , ur bp can skyrocket.  That is why u need to taper, so your nervous system doesnt get shocked.  When I tapered I had no W/D symptoms and no problems. That is me though, and i have heard of peoples bp going up.  I took it on and off for a pretty good bit, and sometimes consistently.  It was the first thing I took to help sleep and really saved me through a hard time in my life.  I would take it again but just try to just not take it very often. 

[[si...]]

im right there with you maltese, I think doing the same thing evry night is key, and giving yourself time to wind down, and really understanding when u are stressed and not ready 2 sleep.  Its easier said than done, thats for sure.  Routine, at least 4 me, is the key to good sleep.  I think u are right with the intermittent use of melatonin, etc.. If you use anything consistently it is going to stop working.  its a cycle that most people cant understand.  funny thing is, when u are sleeping its not a big deal and u dont think about..but i can tell u, and im sure most people on here could probably understand.. not sleeping , and for long periods of time is not fun, and not good for u either.  it can affect ur brain and damage ur body just as much as benzos i believe.. so its a fine line of sanity through sleeping, and sanity through not taking meds..  im trying to understand my body and try to gain the confidence  i need with my sleep.. its very dynamic, and for me, i am staring a whole new career, financial problems, rtc.. so i think you need to take care of ur life as well, and that helps 2 fold.. ok, evryone knows most of this.. happy sleeping;;;

[[ma...]]

thanks cochlea. I think some of us are just hard core insomniacs, in addition to the withdrawal. The average person gets their sleep back after a period of time. Some of us have a bigger struggle with it. We are the ones that had bad sleep problems prior to benzos. We do everything we can to eliminate anything that might prevent us from sleeping. You are right, when you are sleeping, non of this sleep hygiene seems to matter any more. When you are getting zero or minimal sleep, you will do anything to get some decent sleep. it is strange how some nites you can sleep and others it just won't happen. Sometimes melatonin works, sometimes it doesn't. I think anything that is calming is helpful.

2 nites ago I had oat straw tea again. haven't used it in a while. I think it helped me relax and I slept that nite. Sometimes wine helps me sleep, other times it keeps me awake. Don't understand why it is different each nite.

Hope we can all sleep tonite. I love knowing there are others who can relate to my struggle.

[[si...]]

you are exactly right..i have had hard core sleep problems that would surprise, and probaly debunk every evidence based fact out there on insomnia.. I know it will be something i battle for a long time.  although, knowing it and talking about it helps tremendously.  i am right there with u on the wine, etc.. i think my stress in life just shows up and interruptts my sleep.. hopefully at somepoint i can manage my life and understand my body to help with that,  i think it is something, us insomniacs will continue to evolve emotionally, to try and somewhat manage it.. i think, yoga, breathework, etc,.. routine, and overall positive environment is very important to people like us.. b/c we are thinkers..getting older and understanding yourself helps..ok , gonna stop beating it down.. good luck sleeping:)

[[ma...]]

Yep I agree. I loved yoga until I got vertigo. Now I can't do it. I do meditate, tho I have to admit I struggle with doing it. I know it is really good for people like me. I've always tended to be a worrier, a planner, an analyzer. Guess it's hard for me to let go and let God. I'm sure a lot of my sleep difficulties are due to my hypervigilence...at least so I've read. I'm not a very relaxed person I guess. I am fun tho! You are right about the getting older part too. Of course you'd think since I am retired I'd be able to sleep better now. I have to admit tho, I live in a rather non harmonious environment. My husband is irritable and my adult son is back with us after losing his job. He also has a problem with alcohol....and gout. So life isn't always easy is it? Sure it doesn't help with sleep. Tho my husband sleeps like a baby. Head hits the pillow and he's asleep.

Good luck tonite to all the insomniacs. I was in a group we called the insomniacs club, started many months ago on this forum. I am the only one really left with sleep problems....except rocko. She is still struggling too. The rest all seem to be ok. I'll keep holding on to hope.