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Have you been able to establish a healthy sleep routine

Posted , 4 users are following.

MrsCoombe
MrsCoombe

Hi everyone, having suffered from anxiety and sleeping issues for sometime, I am now taking 150mg setratline and the occasional 3.5mg of Zopiclone. My doctor has been brilliant and has given practical advice too.

However the Zopiclone is far from working, thankfully the setratline means I don't become anxious when i'm not able to sleep.

I wondered what helps/ed you when managed to establish a healthy sleep routine? (Mine is essentially caused by external noises which I cannot eradicate)

2 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • jimdandy
    jimdandy MrsCoombe

    Posted

    I take 7.5 mg Zopiclone and it nearly always works for me.  Provided I done ate late or drink coffee then I just have to do one for the thing to catch a wave and go to sleep…

    ​every night I put myself in a favorite scenario in my mind, I think in detail about how it would be to be in that place with those people and having a good time. I find halfway through my mental conversation with somebody that iPhone asleep

    • MrsCoombe
      MrsCoombe jimdandy

      Posted

      I like the idea of a happy place, and all bar 1 coffee is decaffeinated. I will also try not eating after 7pm as this maybe a contributing factor.

      Did you try any of the other advisories, bedroom for sleeping not tv, reading etc, if you're not asleep after a period of time get up and do something, decluttering your bedroom?

    • jimdandy
      jimdandy MrsCoombe

      Posted

      Yes - i dont do evening TV in bed, and always eat early if possible.  But I do find that reading a little, something interesting but not so gripping that it winds me up, does help to get off to sleep. 

      But my problem is I dont stay asleep unless I take something to help.I took mostly 7.5mg Zopi for years, never increased dose. That way I get 6 - 7 hours most nights. Occasionally I go a night without a pill and suffer really bad sleep. 

    • MrsCoombe
      MrsCoombe jimdandy

      Posted

      I found the wave! After reading your post I started to feel for the 'wave', although Ithe first night I was doing something so didn't catch it. Last night I made sure I was ready but not waiting. 8 hours sleep very happy.
    • jimdandy
      jimdandy MrsCoombe

      Posted

      Well I am glad that you caught that wave.  The drowsy wave is the time to start sleep, or failing that, just imagine yourself in the Happy Place, whatever that is for you, and start looking with your minds eye at all the details and how each part is something you like, enjoy and feel soothed and secure with.  Happy New year.
  • jaw444
    jaw444 MrsCoombe

    Posted

    I really feel for you about the outside noises!   That is the reason i developed a sleeping pill problem. i was taking diazapam occasionally for sleep, for those nights when i wasn't sleepy at bedtime but had to go to work in the morning, it was just now and then and i wasn't addicted, i was at a low dose, 5mg---for years.  Then, a neighbor moved in downstairs beneath my apartment, him and then his girlfriend.  They would be up, or got up, around 4am, and they started making noise until 6 or so, and i started taking more diazapam in the mornings to try to sleep through it. This caused me to need more of it over time, including at night, my dose went up and it had less effect, it was really depressing. It got to a point where the sleeping pills didnt' work at all anymore, and i was up to 30mg divided into different doses taken at different times of the night.  Since it had stopped working, i just stopped taking it. i had a few days, 3-4, of withdrawal symptoms, not so bad in retrospect although at the time, i was worried it would go on forever.  I did not sleep very well after getting off the diazapam but i was very happy to be off it.  I told my doctor i wasn't sleeping that well, and he suggested zolpidem.  That was over 20 years ago and i'm still on it, but i plan to get off it in the next couple of months and will report back on progress with that.  I was on both zolpidem and zopiclone for a year and a half.  It was 7.5mg zopiclone. I weaned off it beginning in early January last year and finished weaning off the end of February. i was still able to sleep pretty well because i was/am still on the zolpidem.  but it's really tricky stuff for many of us, all too easy to get to be taking it more and more, because we need it, it's only natural to want to sleep.  good luck to you and keep in view that the medication may not be the best answer, IF it's not working.  Increasing the dose might help, or, it might not.  
    • MrsCoombe
      MrsCoombe jaw444

      Posted

      It's interesting that you've been on Zopiclone for a long period of time, as regardless of effect my Dr has stated he will only prescribe for a maximum of 3 months. I know as well that I need to be more physically active, but the vicious circle of being too tired to do anything leaves me lacking the energy to do the exercise!

      Do you think you will ever come off sleep aids?

    • bubbles196846
      bubbles196846 jaw444

      Posted

      Hi can I ask how would you ween urself off of zopiclone 7.5 mg every night for 8 years,my gp is not very helpful ,but I need to change it as I can't go on to a stronger pain relief for my lupus until I do /and no way can I do cvold turkey like I did when going from citalopram to straline thanks in advance
    • MrsCoombe
      MrsCoombe bubbles196846

      Posted

      Hi, you are entitled to a 2nd opinion from another Dr. Any withdrawal is hard, but you may find contacting a sleep clinic helpful. Again contact your Dr for a bona fide and reputable referral.

      good luck

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