Bad, bad insomnia

[Lavender88]

I've got terrible insomnia where I have to rely on sleeping pills every night. This crippling insomnia and anxiety has completely taken over my life, where my career and spiritual goals are placed in the back burner. It's dragging me into hell. I sleep 4 or 5 hours a night with the pills. Without them, I can easily stay up 3 days or more. Problem is, this causes extreme anxiety, agitation, and physical body pain. I tried to reach my higher power. I tried praying and writing to this higher power for help. My anxiety is a little better since then, but I still struggle a lot. I can feel very anxious and restless and it's no fun. I wish I could explore life more, but this anxiety and sleeplessness is far too painful. I just want to leave my body. I don't want to live with this inch by inch fear anymore. No human should have to and I hope this type of suffering plagues no one.

I don't want to see a doctor/therapist or rely on prescription drugs anymore. None of this works. Can someone tell me how I can reach or get help from this higher power? I just don't know what else to do. I can end my life, but Ive pushed through even harder times and I cant go out like this.

Thank you and God bless you for taking the time to read this.

[H:O:R:A:C:E]

there are steps that you can take.
being reliant on pills is a lousy strategy, since you'll build up a
tolerance and then need ever higher doses for the same effect...
which will become toxic for your system. (so cut back and wean
yourself off them asap)
write the word "healthy" down on a sheet of paper, and stick it
on the fridge where you'll see it everyday.
stay focused on "healthy" at every opportunity (that'll tire you out! lol).
get exercise, it'll burn calories, build or tone muscle, and make
sleeping an easier thing.
monitor your "self talk" and minimize/eliminate all the little negative
things you say to yourself about yourself (think healthy).
meditate. set aside an hour a day to just relax and breathe and
peer inside. everything you're in need of can be located inside you.
locate a doctor/therapist or support group that you can talk to; you
don't need to go through these things alone -- help is available.

the "higher power" is accessible through meditation.
you might like to use some guided meditations that are online; check youtube.

so, think healthy, exercise, meditate, cut back on the meds, talk with folks,
and don't give up!

ps: do fun things. find some activities that really excite you, then dive in.

[inspirit]

Originally Posted by Lavender88

I've got terrible insomnia where I have to rely on sleeping pills every night. This crippling insomnia and anxiety has completely taken over my life, where my career and spiritual goals are placed in the back burner. It's dragging me into hell. I sleep 4 or 5 hours a night with the pills. Without them, I can easily stay up 3 days or more. Problem is, this causes extreme anxiety, agitation, and physical body pain. I tried to reach my higher power. I tried praying and writing to this higher power for help. My anxiety is a little better since then, but I still struggle a lot. I can feel very anxious and restless and it's no fun. I wish I could explore life more, but this anxiety and sleeplessness is far too painful. I just want to leave my body. I don't want to live with this inch by inch fear anymore. No human should have to and I hope this type of suffering plagues no one.

I don't want to see a doctor/therapist or rely on prescription drugs anymore. None of this works. Can someone tell me how I can reach or get help from this higher power? I just don't know what else to do. I can end my life, but Ive pushed through even harder times and I cant go out like this.

Thank you and God bless you for taking the time to read this.

Sounds like a nightmare. I struggle with insomnia on and off. I've never become dependent on pills though. I've tried praying and found that that is no use. I'm not saying there is no God, but I don't think that prayer by itself is going to solve the problem. You probably need to focus on other strategies. But you can use prayer to lead you to these other strategies for sleeping better.

First things first, you need to stop taking pills. I know you are dependent on the pills so the idea of not taking them probably is not good. But pills actually cause insomnia because of their taxing effect on the liver thereby creating a dependency on them. You want to be good to your liver which means no pills, not even headache medicine. And of course no alcohol or toxic foods. You should be eating 100% organic and non-GMO and clean water. And stop all caffeine and processed sugar.

There are also certain foods and herbs that can help with sleep. Foods that contain tryptophan might be able to help. Or just take L-tryptophan as a supplement. There are also good herbs and herbal teas that can assist with sleep.

Spend more time outdoors. People who spend more time outside in the daylight have better immune systems and better sleep. People who work in office jobs have the toughest time sleeping.

I also recommend taking a vacation while you break your dependency to pills. A good place to go for a vacation is Hawaii which being in a later time zone will mean you can sleep later the next morning in the dark. Plus you'd be surprised how just a change of scenery can help with sleep. Of course you'll need to readjust to your time zone when you go back which is a *****.

I know you probably already tried a lot of these things so please forgive me if I said something that hasn't work for you. I just want to help as someone who struggles with insomnia and knows what a nightmare it is. And from my experience God does exist, but the best way to get over insomnia isn't through prayer. Not directly. It's by using tried practical methods for better sleep. But I definitely recommend asking God to help you improve your habits, health and lifestyle so that sleep comes easier.

Good luck

[inspirit]

I also want to recommend:
Lithium orotate for anxiety. It's extremely cheap and it takes the edge off. I actually use this one.

And Kava Kava which is good for relaxation and also helps with anxiety.

Peppermint is also good for digestion and relaxation, and it tastes good. :)

Oh dear, Lavender88 I feel your pain. I too am insomniac and rely on soporifics. I haven’t minded that too much until recently when politicians interfered claiming that patients should be given no more than 2 weeks’ treatment as they get “addicted” to sleeping pills. Doctors and medical trusts fell in with this nonsense and among other things sent me off to a sleep clinic with the hope that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy would be the answer. It wasn’t. I didn’t fight it – it simply doesn’t work under my circumstances.

Like you, I will stay awake until I’m exhausted, maybe a couple of days. Meanwhile sleep deprivation is dangerous. It makes me irritable, cave in under pressure, lose will-power, the lot.

At first, the doctors (and me) thought my circadian rhythms were upside down. I do sleep better in the day it’s a fact. And I’m (mentally) at my most lively late in the evening. Working with media and creative stull I’m most fluent around 9pm to about 2am.

Anyway, I arrived at an arrangement with the doc who decided to keep me on soporifics as I work freelance and my schedule is all over the place. Doing a bit of physical exercise helps and if I do a keep-fit late in the afternoon I don’t bother with medication unless I’m still not asleep by 2am. Theoretically I should be able to sleep when I need to for as long as I need to but I do have to work. Sometimes it entails late evening sessions, sometimes business meetings early in the morning.

I’ve been at this long enough to know whether I need take a full dose or a smaller one. Fact is, I don’t mind being on these drugs as long as they serve their medicinal purpose.

CBT may work for some. Are you familiar with it? It’s application in our medical Trust was pretty useless – 4 sessions of 40 minutes. As I explained to the shrinks “fine – but…” what about that helicopter than crosses our skies sometimes at 2am or thereabouts waking me up, what of the noisy drunks that sometimes cross the piazza below my flat, what of if I wake up needing the bathroom and can’t get back to sleep?

It’s a horrid situation but it is solved completely with medication. Not nice – and maybe there will come a time I can sleep when necessary but at the moment it isn’t like that. During the time they tried to get me off these pills it was a nightmare! Worse, they clapped me on a high dose of amitryptaline (which is an anti-depressent but – LOL – not addictive they say) and I never felt so depressed in my life. A most horrid drug.

They’ve really lost the plot unable to spot the irony of dependence v addiction. Addiction is when you need an increasing amount to get the same effect which isn’t the case.

So I sympathise entirely with you about spiritual development. Though all these things can be turned positive and do reveal aspects of self someone might try to avoid, one is also aware of trying to overcome frustration which is just extra work.

I’d suggest some fairly aerobic physical activity during early evening – Zumba, anything to do with dance, Iyengar Yoga, running, but leave at least three hours before you want to sleep so the adrenaline has a chance to settle down again. Some late evening yoga stretches might help with relaxation. And when you do go to bed, contemplate some place and/or some activity that you find most pleasant to do. The aim is to try to avert anxiety over not getting to sleep.

Perhaps CBT would work for you? I’m not dissing it completely as it does work for some. (It also helps keep the shrinks in work and I’d hate to think of them on the benefits queue!) And a herbal remedy may help. I use the following one myself.

I also haven’t missed your username. A little alpine lavender (organic if you can) on your pillow will help. And you could try an infusion of a mix of passiflora, skullcap, chamomile and valerian root (which has to be decocted). Get the raw dried herbs, one of those little strainers and use about 3 heaped teaspoonsful of the mixed herbs. Make the valerian separately. It’s horrid tasting but it does so calm. There are no contraindications with these medicines except the valieran that very rarely with some people acts as a stimulant. If that happens just leave it out.

The secret is to build up confidence that, whatever you do, you will be able to get to sleep.

...

[wolfgaze]

Lavender there is a particular book that appears to have been helpful for many others... I haven't read it myself but I had purchased it for a family member of mine who was struggling with anxiety... It's called When Panic Attacks (David Burns)... Maybe you would be interested in checking it out....

Sorry to hear that you are struggling, I hope you experience some relief soon...

[Somnia]

I would highly recommend you talk to your physician and look into having a sleep study done to find out exactly what is going on with you...

There are a number of sleep disorders which can disrupt your sleep where it's common for people to feel anxiety, depression, fatigued, etc...But in order to know if the problem is physical or neurological, you would need to undergo a sleep study to pinpoint the problem...

If the problem is physical, such as having obstructive sleep apnea, treatment options are drug-free, but you would have to use a CPAP machine to help keep your airways open...or if the degree of sleep apnea is very low, some people can wear an oral device which pulls the jaw and tongue forward during sleep, which prevents the soft palate muscle from collapsing into the airway...

The benefits of using CPAP are extremely worth it if you have sleep apnea...You will feel better rested and your anxiety levels and depression will lesson...and it also helps reduce the stress on the heart and improves blood oxygen flow...I can't tell you how many times my patient's have expressed how much better and more energy they feel after they got use to wearing their CPAP machine...I've actually had some patient's tell me they were able to stop using sleeping pills because their CPAP helps them breathe easier at night, which in turn helps them sleep solid and soundly through the night... :)

Depending on what the problem is depends on what course of action to take as far as treatment options...Some people have Circadian Rhythm Disorders, which is neurological, and treatment options might include bright light therapy, adjusting the time you go to bed, taking Melatonin (which is a natural hormone produced by the body to help you sleep and it is not addictive)...or changing behavior routines such as how much caffeine you drink and when you exercise, etc...

Anyway, just some food for thought...

[Baile]

I started using an OBE/LD technique when I had sleep issues years ago. Lay on your back, arms at your side. Whatever you do, fight the urge to fidget and move and shift your body, that's the body's way of signaling and testing and checking to see if it's time to shut itself off. The less you move, the quicker the body will shut itself off.

But it sounds like anxiety is the main issue. I had major money issues a few years back, and I had sleep issues. I paid off my credit cards and... presto! No more sleep issues.

[Somnia]

Originally Posted by Baile

I started using an OBE/LD technique when I had sleep issues years ago. Lay on your back, arms at your side. Whatever you do, fight the urge to fidget and move and shift your body, that's the body's way of signaling and testing and checking to see if it's time to shut itself off. The less you move, the quicker the body will shut itself off.

This reminds me of a relaxation technique in which after you get your body to be still, while you lay on your back, you focus your attention on your feet and tell your feet to "Relax and go to sleep" then progress up your body, focusing on the body parts to "relax and go to sleep"...

Lavender - I forgot to mention, have you tried listening to white noise such as a sound machine? Or listen to music that promotes deep sleep? Something like that might help redirect your mind from "thinking about too much stuff" to focusing on music meant for deep sleep or a sound machine...

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Somnia

This reminds me of a relaxation technique in which after you get your body to be still, while you lay on your back, you focus your attention on your feet and tell your feet to "Relax and go to sleep" then progress up your body, focusing on the body parts to "relax and go to sleep"...

It's pretty ridiculous how well that technique works. I try and stay awake to induce an OBE, but I lose consciousness in 1-2 minutes every time. I have the reverse issue, I can't stay awake!