INSOMNIA- who else???

dB Cooper · « **on:** 14 Jun 2018, 08:06 am »

I'm sure I'm not the only sufferer here.

My thing is I can fall asleep but don't stay down- I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Happens even when I'm tired AF. Sometimes it's hard to wind down but the waking up is the bigger problem for me.

On the upside, I have gotten some good music listening in- with headphones of course, so as not to disturb others in the house...

Just wondered what others' experiences have been and what if anything has helped.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 09:13 am »

Talk to your doctor, you may need to see a sleep specialist. 10 years ago they discovered I had moderate OSA. That was only part of the problem. Irregular sleep pattern,stress and other factors also contributed to the problem. Got so bad that NOTHING, over the counter, prescription, legal or illegal allowed me to sleep. It took quite a while to get that all sorted out. I ended up taking a year off work to recover.

deadhead · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 09:52 am »

I've suffered with chronic insomnia for over 20 years. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I can go through all I've done to try to find relief but that would take a post that may put EVERYONE to sleep. Here's where I'd start:

Learn everything you can about sleep hygiene. There are things you can do to help your situation that you may not be aware of. Alcohol, for example will hurt your sleep, not help it. Your bed, bedroom, sheets, pillows, temperature, noise, fans, clocks, can all affect your sleep.

See your doctor! Make pharmaceuticals the absolute last resort. They're a slippery slope and not sustainable long term.

If you do wake up in the middle of the night, under no circumstances should you pick up your phone, iPad, computer, or TV remote. Stimulating your eyes at night will get your brain going when you're trying to shut it down.

Pay attention to what you eat and when you eat it. Large meals before bed can make you restless. Drinking things like cherry juice, for example, can help with sleep.

Taking a hot shower, stretching, meditating, using progressive muscle relaxation techniques, can all help prior to getting into bed.

Use the bed ONLY for sleep and sex. Don't watch TV in bed.

Avoid trying to solve problems before bed.

The anxiety surrounding the inability to sleep sometimes is the cause. Once you find a routine that works don't let bad habits creep back in.

Good luck!

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 10:18 am »

What he said - all very good advice.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 11:10 am »

After some age is usual people have insonimnia. I discobered watching TV and even use PC made sleep more diffidult. In the past I used some teas to sleep more time.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 11:28 am »

Do your own studies on this.

I have had a lot of muscle pains in my legs for the last 2.5 years, now taking 100mg of DHEA daily. In only two weeks, pain is now subsiding.

I have no problems sleeping but a lot of reviews out there that says it is good for chronic fatigue syndrome. My wife is going to start this soon since she has CFS.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 01:04 pm »

Not googled for it, the med teas I have here dont exist in others countries.

ctviggen · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 01:34 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 14 Jun 2018, 11:28 am

Do your own studies on this.

I have had a lot of muscle pains in my legs for the last 2.5 years, now taking 100mg of DHEA daily. In only two weeks, pain is now subsiding.

I have no problems sleeping but a lot of reviews out there that says it is good for chronic fatigue syndrome. My wife is going to start this soon since she has CFS.

Are you taking a statin? Do you take magnesium? What is your fasting blood sugar and insulin? What is your hemoglobin A1c? Has your wife been checked for polycystic ovary syndrome? Has your wife tried removing all grains from her diet?

ctviggen · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 01:38 pm »

See: https://pcos.com/pcos-chronic-fatigue/

Oh yeah, a good thyroid test for your wife might help, though you'd have to have someone to give you the correct test and be able to interpret it correctly. See, eg: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2017/05/diy-thyroid/

sounddog · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 02:36 pm »

If you/your doctors can’t find a physical cause for your insomnia, I strongly recommend that you try cognitive behavioral therapy. I had “early insomnia”, where I frequently couldn’t fall asleep until 4:00 or 4:30 am. It went on for a long time. I then saw an article in the NYT saying that CBT was shown in a study to be the most effective approach to resolving insomnia. My therapist started me keeping a sleep journal which helped her determine a course of action that would be most helpful in my case. While I still have occasional insomnia it is mostly under control (I usually fall asleep by midnight) and I no longer dread nighttime.

BobM · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 02:48 pm »

Has happened to me for years. What I do ...

Get up and pee - sometimes that's why you are waking up. Maybe you just need to stretch a bit too and this will accomplish that.

Take 5-10mg of Melatonin with a small glass of milk. It's natural and the milk helps coat your stomach so it feels full.

Read a book until you start to yawn or feel tired. Not a Kindle or on a PC - a good old fashioned paper book.

turn out the light and sleep.

Tyson · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 05:00 pm »

I had insomnia and it's better now. For ME is was a combination of feeling like I'd not gotten everything done that I wanted to during the day (which is pretty much every day, for me). And also feeling like I still had too much to do the next day, which made it overwhelming and then I subconsciously wanted to avoid going to sleep so I could avoid all the shit I had to do the next day.

For a person that likes a high degree of control, and always feels like they are slightly behind, it was very hard to break this pattern. But once I did, for the most part I sleep great.

syzygy · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 07:46 pm »

“The best cure for insomnia is to get plenty of sleep.”
WC Fields

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 08:10 pm »

Quote from: syzygy on 14 Jun 2018, 07:46 pm

“The best cure for insomnia is to get plenty of sleep.”
WC Fields

To me get plenty of sleep I need to do alot of heavy work on the day.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 09:20 pm »

No more mention on drugs or medical related similars in this thread.
Thanks

charmerci · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 11:24 pm »

I'm a light sleeper. The way that I can sleep soundly for 7-8 straight hours is in a perfectly black and silent room.

SteveFord · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 11:30 pm »

Try eating a bowl or two of cereal like corn flakes, Rice Krispies, any of that ilk.
That stuff puts me out like a light.

I need background noise so use an air purifier or window fan/air conditioner during the two warm days a year we have here.

richidoo · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Jun 2018, 11:39 pm »

Aerobic exercise and a large green salad every day will cure insomnia and many other problems. Read "In Fitness and In Health" by Phil Maffetone about aerobic exercise and nutrition. After you start exercising, if you still need help falling asleep use niacin and calcium.

Niacin (100mg hour before bed) allows tryptophan to do towards making serotonin and eventually melatonin which is the sleep hormone. If you are niacin deficient, tryptophan is diverted to make niacin instead of serotonin. It's safer than taking melatonin because you still get however much melatonin you really need but hormones remain under master homeostatic control.

Calcium (max 250mg hour before bed) is a sedative mineral, it is excellent for sleep. But calcium requires magnesium, vitamin K2 and boron to make it behave. Otherwise it calcifies soft tissue, causing havoc. Calcium should be in the blood and bones, not in the soft tissue cells.

If you are awakened by the adrenals dealing with a low blood sugar episode or a low blood pressure episode, then you need sugar and salt to help out. 4oz Orange Juice with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, keep it by the bed mixed and ready to go. Aerobic exercise will cure the blood sugar problem very quickly, and the improved digestion and appetite from aerobic exercise will cure the low blood pressure problems. If you crave salt eat it.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Jun 2018, 12:01 am »

On calcium: I have read some alternatice recipes for good sleep that mention milk and banana before bed and it dont require magnesium to work, I tested it and no complaint.

richidoo · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Jun 2018, 03:05 am »

Bananas and milk are both good sources of magnesium. Most natural foods have a good balance Ca:Mg. But supplements aren't natural food, so I like to understand how they work, risks and benefits.