1. Community
  2. Symptoms
  3. Sleep Problems

I will beat this!

Posted , 7 users are following.

sleepygary
sleepygary

Hi everyone,

I struggle with sleeping everyday and it is starting to impact my life even more. I would get so much more done if I slept better. I'm looking to get motivated in order to beat this once and for all so would love to hear what positive things motivate you to getting rid of your insomnia. I know it would give me more energy to enjoy the things I have in my life as well as performing better at work. 

 

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • RobertT
    RobertT sleepygary

    Posted

    Unfortunately, I think you're heading in the wrong direction. If there's any hope without medication, then it's not to make a thing of your lack of sleep. For me plenty of exercise during the day was what helped most (before medication was the only thing that worked). Obviously, drinking coffee or tea before bedtime may not be a good idea. CBT helps many people, not least those who are focusing badly on the situation, I believe.
    • sleepygary
      sleepygary RobertT

      Posted

      Thank you for your response Robert. That is really useful. I think you are right about not making a thing about lack of sleep.

      Your sleep hygeine ideas I will certainly try.

      Are you now over your sleeping troubles? How has it improved your life?

      ​Thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated

  • lily65668
    lily65668 sleepygary

    Posted

    Hi Gary, I'm inclined to agree with Robert I'm afraid. My heart sank a notch before I even opened your post. It was seeing: "I will beat this!" in the subject line of a discussion on sleep problems that did it.

    I've had a (long) lifetime of various sleep disorders - including insomnia when I was young - and the one thing I've learned from experience is that when it comes to sleep disorders of any kind, a combative approach is usually doomed to failure. In fact, it's more likely to make things worse. Much better to accept it then work round it.

    Amen to Robert's comments about tea and coffee before bed too, but I'd add to that no coffee after 2pm. Also no social media, video games, computer etc. in the hour before bed. The latest theory is that the blue light these devices emit stimulates production of the brain hormones that are designed to wake us up in the morning. TV or videos are OK as long as it's nothing too stimulating, and preferably not watched in a totally dark room (blue light again).

    Have you tried asking your pharmacist for one of the mild herbal remedies for insomnia? But PLEASE remember that herbal doesn't mean harmless, and respect the dose. None of these ever worked for me, but I know they help some people.

    • sleepygary
      sleepygary lily65668

      Posted

      Thank you for your response Lily. That is really useful. I think you are right about not making a thing about lack of sleep.

      Your sleep hygeine ideas I will certainly try. I do exercise and I don't drink much caffeine but I think I can dwell on not sleeping.

      Are you now over your sleeping troubles? How has getting past it improved your life?

      ​Thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated

    • lily65668
      lily65668 sleepygary

      Posted

      Hi Gary, To be honest I don't think I ever really got over my intermittent insomnia problems during my working life. It was only after retiring from paid employment that I started to sleep really well - there's a message in there! - and I still find I have a bit of trouble sleeping the night before important meetings. (I now do a voluntary job that takes up about 20 hours a week.) I just kind of got used to feeling tired a lot of the time.

      For the record, insomnia clearly doesn't do a person much harm. I'm 71 now, in rude health apart from a few aches and pains, and still have most of my marbles. So far...

    • lily65668
      lily65668 sleepygary

      Posted

      Seeing Lisa's post reminded me of something. A few years back a friend of mine got into real problems with insomnia. In her case it wasn't just bad nights but often no sleep at all, night after night. This went on for nearly a year, during which time she lost masses of weight and looked really ill.

      She tried everything, including various prescription sleeping pills, all of which stopped working after about a week. She finally got lucky with acupuncture. She had to stick with it for several months, and at the outset she was having twice-weekly sessions, so I'm guessing it must have cost quite a lot. She was a bit of a sceptic but persisted with it out of desperation as nothing else was working. In the end it did the trick. She managed to break the cycle of not sleeping and has been fine ever since.

      I know it doesn't work for everyone - there's no one remedy that does - but it might be worth a try for insomnia that's causing serious health problems. I would, however, add one caveat for all those in the UK. It's my understanding that UK acupuncturists don't have to be medically qualified, whereas they all have to be fully-paid-up medical doctors in my country. In the past I've read a few articles about dodgy UK acupuncture clinics, up to and including horror stories about infection and nerve damage. I suspect this problem has been rectified now, but it's always worth checking on your acupuncturist's qualifications.

  • nick34171
    nick34171 sleepygary

    Posted

    Hi Gary, how long have you been suffering with sleep issues? It might be worth booking an appointment and relaying everything you have said on here to your GP. Of course I don't know what kind if job you do and if the Dr will immediately suggest medication but the obvious thing here is most meds will make you drowsy. So if you are a driver for example you might want to look into exercise, nit right before bed, or relaxation therapies etc. Best option is the GP, good luck. Nick.
    • sleepygary
      sleepygary nick34171

      Posted

      Thanks Nick. I have had sleep issues for a while I do exercise but want to avoide meds.

      What worked for you? 

      Thanks for your advice

       

    • DClassic
      DClassic nick34171

      Posted

      Hey Gary, I have a bit of advice on the medication front too.

      Definitely stay away from sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Those won't fix the problem, and could make it worse long-term. But some meds can help, and have little to no risk. For exampel, some of the herbal stuff, like Melotonin or Valerian. But still consult a doctor first before taking those as well.

      Also, maybe look at meeting with a pyschiatrist about trying an anti-depressent. They can help prevent obsessive thinking, which will make it easier to not dwell on your poor sleep, thus helping you sleep better. Those from the SSRI class are tolerated well by most people. And there are loads of different types, so if you have an issue with one, you can switch to another (for example, Paxil made me nauseous, but Lexapro was fine). They also have mild to no long-term side effects and are pretty easy to come off of when you are done.

       

    • nick34171
      nick34171 sleepygary

      Posted

      Hi, I'm not fully 'cured' but I sleep far better than I used to. Used to have the issue if and when I got to sleep I would sleepwalk, anyway the only thing that has predominantly assisted me is taking zopiclone. And earplugs. Sound tends to p*ss me off. I find sleep comes easier when I hear nearly zero sound as my minds more peaceful, contented.
  • DClassic
    DClassic sleepygary

    Posted

    Hi Gary,

    I'd say you are getting lots of great advice here. I'll see what I can add.

    For me, the key was to build up  a narrative inmy head that this really wasn't a big deal:

    Definitely don't dwell on the problem, especially late at night. I got into the mindframe of "I'm not getting into bed to sleep, I'm just going to lie down, relax, and enjoy being comfortable." For me, that removed some of the anxiety over concerns I might not sleep well I had at night. 

    Then, I found ways to still manage to keep up my energy during the day. A reasonable amount of caffeine in the morning was helpful. Also, small portions of snacks throughout the day - bits of fruit and nuts were the best, i.e. sugars that are absorbed into your bloodstream slowly, and protein. Stay away from candy and fatty foods, and also try to keep meals smaller. Making the digestive system have to work hard makes you tired.

    Getting up and moving around rather than sitting at my desk constantly also helped. In the colder seasons, I would go and stand out on the loading dock. Nothing like winter cold to shock you into awareness!

    Once I was able to start working productively despite sleeping poorly, I was able to reinforce the concept that "this isn't a big deal."

    Hopefully my tricks can help you also, or at least help you find those that do. I've where you are before, so I know how it feels. But you can recover from this, with patience and discipline.

     

  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 sleepygary

    Posted

    A good clean diet and exercise. Theres accu pressure as well for insomnia. L theanine at night is very helpful as well.
  • sleepygary
    sleepygary

    Posted

    Thank you. This is all extremely useful. I really appreciate you all taking the time to share your thoughts. I will be sure to try some of these out
  • Mr_shapes
    Mr_shapes sleepygary

    Posted

    Sounds like narcolepsy have you been tested cause stress can affect people's sleep I even your diet something is not working with the brain and it disengagement function the way it should it needs repairing camomile tea meditation and there are herbal based remedies for this I recommend natural stuff before the pharmaucutical route.. I haven't had a full nights sleep in years but I'm finding answers changing diets living with my illness and just trying to survive understand and maintain and keep away from chemicals a chemical unbalance will affect your sleep..
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.