Having some serious trouble sleeping? looking for general help

Don't panic, I've had chronic insomnia for years very often just getting 2 hours sleep a night and recently been to see a sleep specialist.  What she suggested read Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems by Colin Espie.  Basically I've been going to bed at 12.30 and set my alarm for 6.30.  If I don't get to sleep or awake more then 15 minutes in night, get up and go into another room, read etc.  I'm on my 4th week and last night only woke once in night for toilet with the alarm waking me.  When you've been sleeping for 90% of the time you can alter the time in bed by 15 minutes a week.  Believe me it really does work I've taken sleeping pills and anti-depressants and they aren't the answer - the best thing about this method its drug free.

Hi Ellis,

There are many tablets that can be prescribed for Insomnia by your doctor, because I have been on numerous ones in the past years. The problem these days is a doctor can prescribe various tablets which will make you sleep, but these can have severe side-effects. You stated you worked, some of the tablets that can be preescribed these days, will make you sleep at night and drowsy during the day, which could cause major problems if you drive or operate machinery.

The problems I've had over the years is certain prescribed drugs will cause side-effects of which can be insomnia, so to counteract this problem they will prescribe drugs to make you sleep - okay, at first you think great these actually work, but you have to consider other factors, one of which should be a priority is what will happen in the long term?

Many medications can be prescribed these days were not initially intended for insomnia, but they can be given to you, some of these are strong painkillers, antidepressants, etc these can all make you sleep, but have serious side-effects in the long term.

If your own doctor said buy something over the counter at a local pharmacy, I would suggest you get a second opinion from another doctor. And ask if any medication is prescribed whether it will effect you in the long term, some can be potent and very addictive, hence you have to be weened off of them - in some cases this can be difficult. So basically, you need to try and balance the pro's and con's - and certainly question medication side-effects, and long term effects (if any).

You could try insoMniaC150's way, in which case the aforementioned would not apply, but it's there if you need it.

Now, if you look at my case you would think twice about taking any medication. I suffer from a lot of pain, hence getting a decent night's sleep proved to be impossible. So, I informed my doctor whom put me on Amitriptyline, in small doses, that worked for awhile but the body gets used to the dose so that was increased, again the same thing happened. Then I was given Tramadol (this drug is potent) small doses at first, but again the body becomes used to it, when I reached 150mg a day, I did not increase beyond this because the more you take the more your body craves for. So now, I try and sleep in pain, even with all these tablets. I have got an appointment to see a Pain Management Doctor in mid-December, to see if they can get me off Class 'C' drugs, and rely on Botox injections every 10 weeks ( I am hoping by this time I will be either on lower doses or at least dropping one of them completely!).

Believe me, relying on prescribed drugs is a 'nightmare' in itself. I hope you find a better way than the 'road' I took.

Regards,

Les.