[finbop12]

Hi everyone, so I’ve been suffering with insomnia for around 3 months now. I am in my second week trying SR and SC but my anxiety is remaining high and when I stay up later to my SW I seem to go past th tiredness but Im getting around 4.5 hrs of sleep a night, sometimes broken other times a solid block. My doctor has given me amitriptyline to help sleep and with the anxiety around sleep and I just wondered if anyone has any experience in taking it?

[Chris_B]

I’m new here and will share more of my situation, but since I have some experience… I’ve used amitriptyline for an extended period in the past, and it worked pretty good for me, especially for helping me to get back to sleep after middle of the night awakenings.  Seemed helpful with anxiety.  My body remained relaxed throughout the night.  I found that less is more.  The negative side effects though, especially dry mouth and weight gain make it less than ideal for me.  The dry mouth is pretty dramatic, as I recall.  Could probably cause dental problems long term.  If it is something to help you stick to your restriction plan, initially, it might be a good tool.  Personally, it’s not something ideal for long term daily (nightly)  use, but if it works for you, maybe it will help you with your CBT-I goals. and then you won’t need it.

[finbop12]

Hi Chris, thanks for your reply, do you remember what dose you took? I have bee given 10mg which I believe is the lowest dose

 

[Chris_B]

That seems like a pretty low dose, so I think that’s a good place to start.  I had 70 mg tablets which I found when halved or quartered worked much better.  70 seemed way too high, to me, and not very effective.  I could probably have taken less than I did.  Maybe the side effects will be minimal at such a low dose, too.  I’ll be interested to hear since I know it works for me for sleep (and anxiety, although that wasn’t my purpose in using it).  The antidepressants are hit-and-miss, as I understand.  I recently got a prescription for trazodone and it actually seemed to make my sleeplessness worse.  Hope you get some relief!

[Martin Reed]

Are you working with a therapist or coach, finbop12? What is your current sleep window?

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[finbop12]

Hi Martin, no I’m not. My sleep window is 12-6 at the minute. Some nights I will be struggling to stay awake but then seem to wake up again as my sleep window approaches.

[Martin Reed]

Thanks for getting back to me. If your current average nightly sleep duration is four-and-a-half hours, you will likely find it helpful to have a sleep window that is less than six hours — around five-and-a-half hours would likely be more appropriate (and helpful).

Feeling sleepy before the sleep window and then feeling awake as your sleep window arrives is a classic symptom of conditioned arousal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxx5aET1CgA

Are you also getting out of bed during the night if/when you are unable to sleep?

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[finbop12]

Yes I try to get out of bed but sometimes I stay in bed longer than 30 minutes. I will try reducing my sleep window to five and a half hours. If I wake or can’t get to sleep is it ok to stay in bed if I feel relaxed or should I get out every time?

[Martin Reed]

If you feel relaxed and sleepy, then it’s OK to stay in bed since you are likely relaxed and sleepy enough for sleep. If you feel alert, anxious, worried, or frustrated then you should get out of bed. The key is to spend the majority of time in bed asleep rather than awake.

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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