I’ve been suffering with insomnia every night for nearly two weeks. Thankfully, I don’t appear to have it as bad as some. I can usually get to sleep within 30-40 minutes, and I’m genrally clocking between 4.5 and 6 hours a night. However, it’s very poor quality sleep and it’s also fragmented. If I sleep for six hours, I may wake up 3 or 4 times. Previously, I’ve never had sleeping problems and also (and this is the most important point), the quality of my sleep was so much better. For example, last night I went to bed about 11. I fell asleep nearly immediately, but woke up at 23:30, 00:05, 03:15, 04:05, and 05:15. All in all, it’s about 6 hours, but it’s such poor quality sleep that I hardly feel rested at all.
Does anyone else get like this? If so, what do you do to help ensure better quality, less broken sleep? I should also say that:
A). I’m British, and melatonin isn’t available on prescription in Britain for the under 50’s (I’m 28).
B). I’m already practising very good sleep hygiene.
Do you have a place where you can purchase herbs or herbal teas? The herbs I have used to help with sleep are:
skull cap, kava kava, lemon balm, valerian, chamomile, passion flower. These herbs can be calming and relaxing before bed time. Also, I make a lavender oil to use in a hot bath before I go to sleep, whIch helps me to unwind. Maybe you have someone close who can give you a massage before you sleep, or you could learn how to do progressive muscle relaxation.
Do you snore and/or are you overweight? If the answer to either or both is yes, have you been checked for sleep apnea?
Have you tried eliminating caffeine after 4 PM? Or 2 PM, or even noon? Some people have to do this. Also, it’s not just coffee that has caffeine in it, but tea and a lot of sodas have it too.
Other than that, I’ve had some pretty good success with Sleepytime Tea by Celestial Seasonings. I don’t know if this product is available in the UK, though. It’s also good for colds and an upset stomach, as long as you can take a nap after you drink it.
Lumie bodyclock to mimic the rising sun. (You can get them on Amazon)
Get up at the same time every morning, regardless of how much sleep or how good quality it was.
No computers for at least an hour before bed.
If I wake during the night and can’t get back to sleep for more than 20 minutes, I listen to an audio book on quite low volume, I find the voices help quieten the voices in my head (I don’t know about you, but when I wake in the night, my mind is sometimes racing).
I’ve downloaded f.lux. Thanks. I’ve googled magnesium citrate but all I get is a bunch of links to herbal drug suppliers. I don’t suppose you’d know of any studies demonstrating its efficacy? That would be really helpful. Cheers.
I’m already taking Valerian but so far I don’t think it’s helping all that much. The problem is that I just don’t feel sleepy anymore, for some reason. As I said, I can usually nod off within 30-40 minutes, but because I’m not actually sleepy, I keep waking up. There is a natural food suppliers near my office, so I’ll check in there at lunch time and see if they’ve got any of them.
I don’t snore, and I’m a good weight for my height. I don’t think sleep apnea is likely for me. I’m seeing my Dr. tomorrow so I’ll definitely ask, but my gut feeling is that I don’t have it. I’ve also eliminated all caffeine from my diet, including tea and fizzy drinks. Doesn’t seem to have made a difference
I’ll have a look for it. Thanks for the recommendation.
I’m doing 2 and 3 already. I’ll download a couple of audiobooks tonight and see if it helps. Thanks.
My Dr. has given me some zopiclone but I’ve not taken it yet. I’d rather stay off the heavy duty stuff until I’ve exhausted all other options. Has anyone else had any experience with zopiclone? How effective did you find it? Cheers.
I personally take Magnesium Citrate, but any “Magnesium” supplement should do. Maybe 1g is best to start with, I said 2g as I’m doing a low-carb diet, so I need extra Mg
I don’t know of any scientific studies about magnesium, it’s just an old wives tale that worked for me and others online
I don’t think Valerian is anything more than placebo. If you have time for a relaxing hot bath before bed (preferably scented with lavender or lilac), that always relaxes me and gets me in a sleepy mood. Chamomile (as in tea) is also a “natural” sleep aid, as is tryptophan.
Melatonin is prescription-only for you guys? I was going to recommend it. It’s done wonders for my sleep and I’m having GOOD dreams on it, instead of nightmares and sleep paralysis (just started it last week). How about Benadryl? Or generics, as long as it contains diphenhydramine. My mom’s a nurse and she told me that diphenhydramine helps you to stay asleep, which seems to be your problem. Just don’t take more than one (or 2 if one doesn’t help you), or you might get a drowsy hangover in the morning.
I also started Flintstones vitamins last week along with the melatonin, and my sleep is MUCH better than it has been in years. I strongly suspected I was both B and D deficient… I’m fairly sure I was, given how much less irritated and depressed I’m feeling in the daytime. So definitely take a good multivitamin, if you aren’t already.
Make sure not to drink alcohol, too. It may help you get to sleep initially, but it has a rebound stimulant effect–even in small amounts. If I drink even one alcoholic beverage (one shot, one beer, one glass of wine) after work, I always ALWAYS wake up in the middle of the night.
If you can’t fall asleep after some turkey for dinner, a cup of chamomile tea, a relaxing aromatic bath, and oral diphenhydramine, you might have a more serious problem.
Also a placebo. Tryptophan does work but there isn’t enough of it in a turkey dinner to work. Melatonin has also been shown to be a placebo in some studies.
I consider myself lucky when I have your symptoms (falling asleep that fast, falling back to sleep after waking several times, etc.). I also use Benadryl. When I don’t, I don’t fall asleep until about 5:00 a.m. I stopped all caffeine after 6:00 p.m. Last night was actually a breakthrough for me, that I only took one Benadryl the whole night.
Do you have any ideas about why you’ve suddenly started having sleep problems? Has anything in your life changed recently?
One thing that sometimes helps me is earplugs. Even if you’re not in a noisy environment, having complete silence can help your brain to settle into deep-sleep mode.
I stand corrected on tryptophan, I suppose overeating in general on Thanksgiving has more to do with feeling sleepy than the turkey itself.
I think the story behind melatonin is, it’s only helpful if your body isn’t producing enough on its own. Or if you take it at a different time of day than your usual bedtime (it’s supposed to be especially helpful for naps and correcting jet-lag, whenever you just can’t get sleepy). As for why it works for me, I sit in front of a computer screen all evening. I believe the blue light prevents my body from producing sufficient melatonin (and I don’t like F.lux; I’m on a nonstandard schedule, it makes it more difficult to play games on my pc, and messes with my ability to do color-work).
If I don’t take melatonin, my body will never feel like it’s “ready for bed” unless I’ve been up for almost 24 hours and am ready to crash. I have to make myself get into bed, and lie there for a while before I fall asleep. With melatonin, I get tired and feel compelled to lie down within a half-hour of taking the dose. The sleep and dreams on melatonin seem like higher quality than I get on Benadryl, too (although that could be conflated with the multivitamin I started at the same time). Luvit.
I recently stopped taking my anti depressants because they had lost their effectiveness. I’ve done that before, however, and not suffered insomnia as a result. Basically, I suffer from quite severe anxiety and OCD anyway, and when I had a sleepless night about 2 weeks ago (which I can’t readily explain) it made my anxiety much worse. This has, in turn, exacerbated the problem. I don’t know why it is that I have seemingly forgotten how to feel sleepy, but I am sure this has something to do with it.
P.S. i don’t do earplugs. Every time I try them I’m kept awake by the amplified sound of my own heartbeat.
Have you tried drinking more water during the day? I find that if I’m really dehydrated I don’t sleep as well. Now drinking too much before bed does make me wake up, but I try and drink a lot during the day.
That is, quite possibly, the main problem. Insomnia can be self-perpetuating, because you get into the habit of going to bed thinking “Boy, I’ve GOT to get a good night’s sleep tonight”… and as soon as you start thinking that way, you’re screwed… worrying about getting to sleep prevents you from getting to sleep. So the solution is to find a way not to worry about it. Sometimes you can use reverse psychology on yourself, by turning out the light and saying to yourself, for example, “OK, I’m determined to lie here awake for at least an hour.” Or you can just adopt the approach of “If I don’t sleep well tonight it’s not that big a deal… when I really need sleep, I’ll sleep.” Or saying, “Just resting is practically as good as sleeping.” Or having a talk with your subconscious mind, saying, “Look, you little brat: If you want to keep us awake, go right ahead. I don’t care! We’ll just be sleepy and groggy tomorrow. Is that what you want? Fine! But you’re not going to get me all upset. So, it’s up to you.”
In any case, keep in mind that sleep isn’t something you make happen, it’s something you let happen.
Instead of earplugs, try a fan at high speed for white noise. FWIW, melatonin works for me for a night or so, then I start having EXTREMELY vivid dreams, that wake me up every 20 minutes convinced I’ve slept for a week. Since you can’t get it anyway…I recommend Tylenol PM <or Benadryl; they are the same thing, exactly the same thing, except Tylenol PM also has…Tylenol> an hour and a half before you actually want to be asleep.
For me, the PM meds wear off after a couple of hours, so if I stay awake through it for whatever reason, I’m fine. (Have had a couple of after-hours emergencies prove that to me, hehe) Also means no residual…anything…the next day. Not for me, anyway. BUT…since it’s the same as Benadryl <something I didn’t find out until last week> I imagine Benadryl’s supposed to last longer than a couple of hours, so…your mileage may vary.
Anyway, Tylenol PM, or in my case the generic version of it, works great. Otherwise, my brain doesn’t stop racing until I’ve been up at least 18 hours or so, and even then it’s dicey. Not compatible with any kind of work schedule.
I am a very light sleeper and tend to wake up 6 or 7 times a night, which can be VERY frustrating. While not exactly insomnia, it definitely detracts from the restfulness of sleep.
This was less of a problem when I was on Lexapro for anxiety issues, but I’ve since stopped taking those meds. However, I’ve found a single Benadryl to be extremely helpful in keeping me asleep throughout the night. I don’t take it every night, but if I’m feeling anxious about sleep for whatever reason, it really does help me.
Try using an iPod or something to play something into your ears - music, or (as I prefer) a podcast or audiobook - something that’s interesting but not fascinating. Does a good job of keeping my mind from focussing on stressors.
With the variety of earbuds / in-ear phones out there, you might find something that won’t cause the heartbeat issue. Some other options include pillows with built-in speakers(here), or headbands with built-in headphones (here). I haven’t tried either of these options but they sound interesting. I knew someone who used the pillow-speaker option and liked it.
When I read your OP, my first thought was “I bet this is anxiety”.
I have the same type of insomnia. No problem going to sleep, then I wake up and wake up and wake up all night long. Sucks!
I’ve found a couple of things are effective in helping me get back to sleep. One was suggested here on the Dope: count back from 100 or 50, but picture the numbers being written as you count them down. This engages both sides of your brain and quiets ruminating thoughts allowing you to fall back asleep. If you find your mind wanders back to your thoughts, just bring your focus back to the countdown.
Also focusing on deep breathing and muscle relaxation helps. I often use a mantra, “I am calm. I am relaxed. Sleep beckons.” I find that’s a more effective mantra than “Fuck me! I’m awake! Sleep hates me!!”
