Hey all. Recently, this week and some of last week, I have not been able to get to sleep before 4am and I automatically wake up around 7 or 8 without an alarm clock, maybe even earlier. I have classes everyday early in the morning and this is very taxing and effecting my performance as an artist. It's not that I have too much on my mind it's just that I'm not tiered. This is the first time in a long time I haven't been able to sleep and it's been going on for six days. I'm worried it might be Insomnia. Have any of you ever experienced this? Thought this was interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Insomnia_world_map_-_DALY_-_WHO2002.svg
Insomnia is just a symptom, and the underlying reasons are usually quite mundane. Take a few factors like a noticeable length of daylight, some coinciding hormonal changes in the body, perhaps an otherwise unnoticeable infection and, voilá, you're up all night. I experience insomnia at least once a year, and I've found that the best cure for me is to work out. I get away from work early and bike around until I can't move my legs any more, and after a nice hot shower and a good dinner I can't wait to get into bed. It doesn't work if just go running for half an hour, even if I'm dead on my feet afterwards, I'll be up and about after only a few hours of sleep then, but after a few hours of biking by body and brain both agree that a whole night of sleep is what they need.
Yeah, I can relate. I have to take Trazodone to sleep more than 2 hours. Talk to your doctor, cut down on the caffeine, etc.
Thanks for responding. I'll look up Trazodone and try working out more. I had sleep trouble a while back like 5 years ago and took a natural medicine called Melatonin and it seemed to work and then other times it didn't help at all. I never drink caffeine or energy drinks so that shouldn't be it. Thanks for the info BitPoet. I hope to resolve this soon because it's getting annoying. As of now I'm watching movies on youtube until I fall asleep. It's the only thing I can think of, and sleep takes effect after three two hour uninteresting movies. I'm on my second movie.
I second what BitPoet said about the working out part. Some people I know even exercise at night, take a shower, and go to sleep. They say it helps them fall asleep faster. Another option is to read a really boring book.
Yeah a boring book works wonders, but unfortunately I don't have one in my dorm XD I can't remember what book I read one time and I went out like a log. I would like to go sleep now. lol Still wide awake and it's 3 am. Awe man ya know I just thought of something. . . I remember falling asleep for an hour or half an hour around 9pm...maybe that's why I can't sleep.
Sometimes, though, insomnia can be a symptom of depression also. I have it sometimes for 3-4 nights in a row after working, and then it goes away. Either way, I hate it with a passion.
I experienced the same thing with Melatonin. Trazodone works well for me. My only problem is that I seem to be unable to sleep during the night. Be warned: trazodone can have side effects. Nightmares is a big one. For me, nightmares are how I come up with stuff to write. Sadly, I can't remember my dreams when I take this stuff.
@captain kate Yeah I also read that one way to treat Insomnia people are actually subscribed anti-depression medication and in some cases it works well. @EdFromNY I'll definatly read some of his work. But I like most books so it might actually do the opposite. @ jwideman Lol dreams are how I get my ideas too. I think I'll just restrict myself from doing anything, lay in bed and force myself to fall asleep. Of course it's not happening now since it's already 2am. All I know is that this has to stop. I've only gotten like 10 hours of sleep in the past four days and I know that's not healthy. Nightmares...hmmm...that's a weird side effect. I wonder what causes it..I have been warned, thanks. The weird thing is usually I sleep through the night like a log, but recently I've had broken sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night about three times. :/ I also think Insomnia is an interesting topic to talk a bout in general.. I mean did you see that ratio of the world who has Insomnia. That is just bizarre. I'm actually feeling tired so maybe it'll go away by itself and time will take care of it.
I'm on trazadone as well because my mind just won't shut off when I go to bed. I have a question, though, do you take the melatonin and the trazodone together? If so, that could explain your nightmares. Taking them both does funky things to brain chemistry.
I've been prescribed a tiny dose of seroquel because it'll knock me out without being addictive like sleeping pills.
Trazodone is a prescription anti-depressive, you don't take it just for sleep, being tired is actually a side effect. I have good luck with melatonin, take it about an hour before you plan to sleep. Unfortunately like a lot of supplements, you can't be sure what the label says in actually in the bottle so I just suggest people take as low a dose that works for them and stick with one brand once you find one that works. Look at your sources of caffeine and take care not to have any except in the morning. Some doctors recommend actually getting up for a short time when you can't sleep rather than trying to fall asleep with the TV on. That doesn't work for me, I have to have something on or my thoughts get rather annoying. Having an audio book or the TV on keeps my mind safely occupied.
I don't know about the trazodone and nightmares but I have more dreams on melatonin. I've never looked it up but it has to be increasing REM or whatever other sleep stage people dream in.
I've been suffering from insomnia for most of my life. If someone wakes me up after a couple hours of sleep I'm up until 4am. I have found that having a very hot shower works really good. Reading books I've already read and know the outcomes. Stop drinking coffee, coke, or tea anytime after 12:00. Go to bed at the same time every night. Drink a glass of wine. Take a gravol, or a natural sleep supplement. Make sure you do physical activity in order to burn excess energy. Don't start taking prescriptions drugs, you'll never ever get on a proper sleep schedule that way. Try everything else before drugs. If you really want to take something then consider gravol or another over the counter sleep aid before attempting anti depressants or prescription drugs. Some swear by melatonin because it is what your body naturally uses to fall asleep. It gave my son headaches. Some people use nature CDs didn't work in our house. Do NOT do anything that will stimulate, ie video games, computer, watching TV, texting.
I second Shannon's advice. If any way possible, stay clear of prescription drugs. Trazodone is not something that should be taken lightly, it blocks the serotonine receptors in the body and increases the hormone's level in the brain this way. It messes with the body's hormone balance, is addictive and can, like all serotonine blockers, lead to major side effects. It should only be considered after all other, less dangerous, avenues have been ruled out and after a full hormone level analysis has been done to determine the appropriate dosage (something that is regularly omitted even by otherwise well-informed medics).
To clarify, I do not experience nightmares as per the common side effects of trazodone. I don't remember my dreams at all with it, and I'm a bit disappointed with that. Melatonin was useless for me. I only take the Trazodone.
Everybody is different when it comes to side-effects and some medicine works with some people and not others. I've actually have been sleeping some-what better(getting to sleep around 3am instead of 5am), but I'm picking up melatonin this weekend. Thanks for all of these responses I never imagined it would get these many replies. Thanks again for sharing advise tips.
I also recommend Melatonin. I've used it for years on and off. I have good and bad sleep cycles if that makes any sense at all. Depending on my own stress levels throughout the year I either sleep or I don't. I'd also recommend a routine. So for me after I put our daughter to bed if my stress/anxiety levels are high I start with a glass of water and melatonin. Next I stretch in the dark for a few minutes. Finally I read or write until I can't keep my eyes open any longer. My biggest problem is looking at the clock and knowing I have to get up at a certain time. It gets later and later and sleep doesn't come, so frustrating!
When you go to the bed, imagine there are a cattle of sheep's beside a stream and every sheep has a diverse color. Then think those want to jump from that stream away. Certainly those can't jump altogether at one time because usually a cattle don't do so. Therefore the sheep's have to jump one by one. Well you can imagine a number for every sheep on its wool. Now the No.1 sheep must start jumping from the stream. May it is not interested to jump because of scaring of water so you have to encourage it to jump. You must pat the sheep and try to instigate it doesn't worry about water and does jump away. May it doesn't obey so you have to pat and simulate it kindly and patiently (not angry because it is caused you don't fall asleep) again to do that. If this style of behavior didn't work so you have to use another method. You must replace it with another sheep with different color but the problem is those numbers. For example the number 8 can not be before the number 1 mathematically so you have to change their numbers. When you did so that sheep must jump from the stream now. But may it happens an odd thing and that sheep avoids of jumping as previous sheep. Now you must seek for the main problem why those persistent sheep's are not interested to go to the other side of the stream. May those are uneasy of a thing. For example on the other side of the stream there is not enough grasses for them so you have to create a farm full of the grass beyond the stream in your mind. May you can't but you must go on over and over till you can paint a green ground . Afterwards go back to the sheep's. Now the number one must jump but wonderfully may it doesn't do that. What's the matter again ? Why those are balking ? ... hereafter you yourself must find out and resolve the problem... In this situation may you fall asleep before you can find out answer the puzzle
I have had this problem since birth. I found out it was a symptom of an illness that has been in remission and when I was sick again I had days where no matter what I took I either was in a coma or I was wired and awake. I continue to have the problem due to my compulsion of thinking too much about an idea. Sometimes I will be in bed and not being able to sleep until 2-4 hours later
I've suffered from insomnia for about a year now, I guess, but it's gotten worse in the last... few months or so. Right now it's 3:45 in the morning here and I'm still up and I know I won't sleep at all tonight. Nowadays I sleep perhaps 3-4 nights a week, the rest I stay up because I simply can't sleep. I know it's just a symptom of other problems but I've yet to find a way to get rid of it. Meds don't really help except for ketiapine but the annoying thing about that one is that while it knocks me out, well, it really knocks me out. When I take enough of it, my wife can't get me to wake up even by shaking me around, I'll be like dead, and often I've woken up 14-16 hours later on the couch in an awkward position because that's where I slumped when the meds took effect. I hate this. I'm usually very productive at nights I stay awake, writing songs, doing story research, playing guitar, doing dry fire drills, whatever, but I'd still much, much rather be in bed, sleeping next to my wife. I hate this.
Previously, I was so. I couldn't sleep until 3 am naturally and I think the cause of this insomnia was myself. Before happening that insomnia I had addicted to lie in front of my computer and worked with internet for a long time of night ( I have placed my computer on the floor and I lie down on the carpet during I am working with it. In addition, I use a soft pillow under my chest to be more comfortable ). This manner did addict me to be awake until 3 am for years . I don't know what happened afterwards suddenly. One night I felt I couldn't be awake at 11 pm. I was napping in front of the computer and my nose touched the carpet because of napping on and off. Whatever I tried to be awake and did work I couldn't. At the first night I dozed off in the same place, in front of the the monitor (while it was on until the morning ) and the other nights I had to go to the bed (at 11 or 12 ) because of feeling a heavy sleeping. At percent I fall asleep unwanted so and actually don't know why and don't know what was that sudden and wonderful changing in my sleeping time.
A question for all you fellow insomniacs: What's your insomnia like: 1. Do you have trouble falling asleep but do fall asleep eventually during the one night or 2. Do you actually literally stay up all night and not sleep one second of it? Alas, I fall in the latter category and I hate it. The most I've went without any sleep has so far been 65 hours straight. It sucked but, hey, at least now I know how to describe the physical effects of staying up so long if, say, I'm writing a stake out scene.
