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Insomnia tales and Melatonin sales...

Posted , 5 users are following.

David7719
David7719

I'm a 40 year old bloke who in 2014 stumbled upon a random sleepless night for no particular reason and in doing so unleashed a beast for 5 terrible months. 5 months of pure hell.

Over the last 2.5 years my sleep has been better overall, thanks to a small dose of mirtazapine before bed. However so far in 2018 I've had 3 'all-nighters' which suck the life out of me and one was the night before an interview.

I wasn't actually that nervous about the interview itself but all evening I could feel my stomach starting to churn because this was the night I needed good rest. And guess what??... not a wink. Had to grovel to rearrange the interview with the excuse of a chest infection.

Anyway I'm keeping some emergency zopiclone by my bed to try and temper my anxiety about lying awake all night on 'important nights'.

Not sure about you, but even one night like that frightens the life out of me, lying there knowing sleep can't come because of the anxiety levels and you're left pondering your fate the next day. I can't really think of many things worse. Sorry to sound self pitying but I do really struggle to cope with the immediate and longer term aftermath. I almost revert to child-like emotions and want to burst into tears and yes ring my Mother. (and I have).

Anyway - I've never tried Melatonin and was wondering what your experiences were of it? I don't really want chemical-induced sleep for the rest of my life but then I don't want to be wandering around in a permanent exhausted haze either. 

 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest David7719

    Posted

    I tried it, I am 13 now and was 12 then, chronic pain etc, and it gave me a rash a didn't work! Apparently it was a chance in a million! Give it a go, let me know how you get on.

  • edgar30813
    edgar30813 David7719

    Posted

    Hi,David,

    I've been an insomniac for a long time (since my teens,I'm 30 now) and "0 sleep nights", as I call them, have always frightened me like hell,too. For a while my only "rule" about sleep was that as long as I get some sleep,even if it's only for an hour or two, it's all right, just as long as it's not a 0 sleep night.

    And yes, I agree with you completely that those nights can almost revert a grown man back into child-mode! smile I would complain to my wife and, you've guessed it, called my mother on occasion. I would even try to force myself to cry in order to let off some steam, but after nights like those it's like you're too tired to cry, your eyes are dry. Not many things are worse than a complete lack of sleep, there is a reason why it is used as a form of torture.

    Anyway, to answer your question -

    I might be wrong, but I've always felt people were generally more afraid of,say, genuine sleeping pills like zopiclone than melatonin, which is a more "natural" option than a sleeping pill. You say that you have zopiclone on stand-by,have you ever used it? But are afraid to try melatonin, if I understood correctly?

    In my case melatonin itself doesn't do much. It is my firm belief that anything you can get over the counter isn't really that effective. Makes me perhaps a little bit drowsy, but nowhere near enough to put me under when I can't sleep.

    On the other hand, small doses of Valium usually do the trick when I realise that I've been laying in bed for too long and that I'm probably faced with a night of no sleep. I often add some melatonin to that Valium just as extra security, although I think Valium itself is enough.

    Of course, like most people, I use that Valium only sporadically, in order to avoid dependency.

    In my view you can try melatonin for a short while, see if it does anything for you, nothing bad is going to happen. If you're not sure, do check with your doctor, it goes without saying.

    I've been using this Valium solution for over two years now and I've never had a night with no sleep. Granted , I had to increase the dose from the usual 5mg to 10 and even 15 a few really stressful times, but I'm still on my usual 5mg, and still only a few times a month.

    Whatever you decide to do, best of luck!

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