[ezgeez]

Hello everyone!

I am a computer animator and musician based in chilly London, UK

Although I've never been a great sleeper, around September of 2011 I developed very entrenched insomnia.

My GP's initial answer was to throw zopiclone at it. This was a bad idea–the NHS guidelines state that it should not be taken every night, and this led me to go without sleep half of the time.

Along the way I attempted the much-vaunted Sleep Restriction Therapy on myself for a month, unfortunately to no avail.

I eventually had to go on long-term mirtazapine to stabilise things somewhat. The mirtazapine definitely has a sedative effect although it's not a full-on knock-out like zopiclone. What I like about the drug is that it has a comparatively harmless side-effect profile.

Along the way I picked up some meditation. One form which seemed to be particularly helpful was ACEM (a type of Nordic meditation) which I was taught within a group in Old Street. I also tried the 'Mindfulness for Dummies' book, which contained a few useful meditations (e.g. 'the mindfulness of sounds'). It seems that the 'nondirective' or 'non-concentrative' styles of meditation are the most effective for insomnia.

I have been waiting for many months to get help at the NHS insomnia clinic at the Royal Hospital for Integrated Medicine, and am finally about to embark on some “Autogenic Training” there. I am also waiting for them to restart their CBT-I therapy group.

I am a bit confused by said facility; some of the treatments offered (such as CBT-I) are scientifically based. But the RHIM used to be the old Homeopathic Hospital, and this underpins a lot of what goes on there. From what I know there is little scientific evidence for homeopathy, and I was surprised that I was offered a tincture at some point.

I am on the cusp of taking a long sabbatical from work to sort myself out, but as a last ditch would like to investigate private options for insomnia clinics in London. I am hoping that some members here might have some experiences to share.

The two main options seem to be the Sleep Centre at Harley Street, who use the more traditional behavioural techniques (presumably sleep restriction therapy); and the Sleep School (formerly the London Insomnia Clinic), run by a (non-medical) Dr Guy Meadows.

My negative personal experience with sleep restriction therapy makes me skeptical towards the Sleep Centre. On the other hand, their staff composition seems more scientific.

The approach at the Sleep School is mindfulness-based, which appeals to me because I have had some success with meditation, and because my gut feeling is that 'acceptance' is a key element in overcoming insomnia. However Guy Meadows is not a medical doctor, and I wonder how much of the media attention he has enjoyed is down to clever marketing.

I would be immensely grateful to hear of others in a similar predicament, especially Londoners who may have some experience of the the facilities I've mentioned.

Many thanks!

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum!

A quick search of the forums will yield quite a few mentions of zopiclone! It sounds like you've tried (or considered) almost every insomnia remedy known to man! I don't know if any of our members have experience with the exact facilities you mentioned, but some have spoken of sleep studies they've had done.

Do let us know which direction you choose to take and please report back on your experiences with the clinic you choose. I'd also be interested in hearing what (if anything) comes of the NHS insomnia clinic – a review would be particularly welcome.

Anyway, I'll sign off for now – do take a look around the place and feel free to get involved in any discussions that take your fancy. I look forward to getting to know you better.

—

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[Silent Night]

Hi! My sympathies for your insomnia. I am a new member and I have registered out of desperation to find a way to ease if not cure this dibilitating condition.

I too have was prescribed zopiclone in the past to help with insomnia as a result of depression at the time. I found that this medication very much causes a kind of drug induced sleep, but you are still aware of the fact that you are not asleep.

Although depression free for over a year now, I have recently quit smoking and have found that this has acted as a trigger for a further bout of insomnia. I have never been a great sleeper anyway. I have tried a homeopathic sleeping tablet called “Noctura” which seemed to help slightly initially, however, now seems not to be as affective. Good luck with your quest.

[ezgeez]

Hello Martin and Silent Night;

Yes, I have been very active in finding a solution to my sleep problems–and in fact am reaching a point where I feel that I may have been doing *too* much, and this may have exacerbated the problem. There's a lot to be said about dealing with insomnia in oblique ways, e.g. making sure that you're doing something pleasant *when* it happens, and that you spend the rest of your life meaningfully instead of doing endless Google searches on insomnia treatments!

Silent Night, I'm sorry to hear of your persistent insomnia and that the medication did not work out for you. If you have a history of depression, I think it's worth asking your doctor about mirtazapine. It's a newer-generation antidepressant with a hypnotic side-effect–it is also free of the many potentially dangerous side-effects of older antidepressants. It definitely helped me.

Have you looked into any behavioural approaches to the problem?

Best of luck

[Helen]

Hi Ezgeez

I have been told that you can't be referred to a sleep clinic within the NHS only private. I have been on a mindfulness course and I was very impressed, however I find it very hard to meditate. In the past I've been to a homeopathic practitioner and was eventually prescribed sulphur which worked at the time. Has anyone else had success with sulphur?

[ezgeez]

Hello Helen

Sorry for the late reply to your post, I was offline for a while. I will send you this as a PM too.

It is not true that you can't be referred to a sleep clinic with the NHS. What I have found is that it helps to be proactive. GPs are not often clued-up on sleep clinics, and you may need to find one yourself and ask them to refer you to it. An added complication is that most NHS sleep centres do not treat primary insomnia, only disorders such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnoea. I had to dig around to locate the only suitable NHS clinic in London, which was the insomnia clinic hosted at the Royal Hospital for Integrated Medicine (UCH). Afterwards I went to my doctor and asked him to refer me to it, which is what happened.

I notice that you are in Scotland. I am aware that one of the eminent insomnia specialists, almost a celebrity really, Colin Espie, runs the Glasgow Sleep Centre. I don't know whether you find treatment through them but I strongly suspect that there are NHS clinics in Scotland that can help you. Once you have found one I would suggest getting the ball rolling quickly, as waiting lists can be very long.

Alll the best

ezgeez

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