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I am very glad to have found this website. I have felt so alone in my struggles with insomnia. I hope to find others who feel as I do, especially, well, this feeling of just waiting and waiting and WAITING for sleep to arrive in those dark hours. And you wonder “Where is it? Why can't I have it?” So I will look forward to others' feelings about this and what tricks they have discovered that might work for me too — besides counting sheep!
Hey Bobby, welcome to our club, the one nobody wants to be in! It helps to know you are not alone…when I went thru it the first time, the worst time, I was so comforted to know, at least I am not the only one laying there stressing out over not sleeping! Hang in there…you will get thru this.
'annie wrote on '25:Hey Bobby, welcome to our club, the one nobody wants to be in! It helps to know you are not alone…when I went thru it the first time, the worst time, I was so comforted to know, at least I am not the only one laying there stressing out over not sleeping! Hang in there…you will get thru this.
Thanks so much, Annie! You are giving me a lot of hope.
Hi Bobby, nice to meet you! there is so much info and encouragement on this site, I think you will enjoy it. I know the feeling of just laying there. waiting and waiting. (I have counted 1,000 sheep!didn't work lol) I wish you the best in finding a remedy.
Hey, Bobby, welcome to the clubhouse. We aren't glad you've had to join, but we are happy to welcome you in 🙂
Welcome aboard, Bobby. The primary reason this community was built was to ensure insomnia sufferers didn't suffer alone. Those without insomnia can never truly know what the condition is like – we want to create a support group of insomniacs, improve awareness and education of the condition and have a little fun at the same time. Lofty ambitions, but that's just how we roll!
I am sure you'll find plenty of support and advice here. I look forward to reading more of your posts and getting to know you better.
Have you found any effective ways of improving the quality of your 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 Clarity 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.
'Martin' wrote on '27:Welcome aboard, Bobby. The primary reason this community was built was to ensure insomnia sufferers didn't suffer alone. Those without insomnia can never truly know what the condition is like – we want to create a support group of insomniacs, improve awareness and education of the condition and have a little fun at the same time. Lofty ambitions, but that's just how we roll!
I am sure you'll find plenty of support and advice here. I look forward to reading more of your posts and getting to know you better.
Have you found any effective ways of improving the quality of your sleep?
Thank you for the warm welcomes from so many people! I'm so glad I found all of you.
I have not found too many “tricks” to improving my sleep, but I am hopeful every night. By the way, I was wondering if others in Insomnialand have the same dread of the upcoming time change as I always do, i.e. we add an hour on that Saturday night (November 5th this year). I always dread it because it means the night is that much longer so I have to try even harder to get through until I can “allow” myself to get up. Looking at the clock is so depressing — “Is it only that time?? I was hoping it was later so I could finally get up!” So that extra hour is only misery for me. Do others feel that way?
'BobbyP' wrote on '27:Thank you for the warm welcomes from so many people! I'm so glad I found all of you.
I have not found too many “tricks” to improving my sleep, but I am hopeful every night. By the way, I was wondering if others in Insomnialand have the same dread of the upcoming time change as I always do, i.e. we add an hour on that Saturday night (November 5th this year). I always dread it because it means the night is that much longer so I have to try even harder to get through until I can “allow” myself to get up. Looking at the clock is so depressing — “Is it only that time?? I was hoping it was later so I could finally get up!” So that extra hour is only misery for me. Do others feel that way?
Well, living so far north (northern england), it honestly doesn't matter what the clock says any way. We get like one or two hours of light a day for about three months straight, and only a few hours for the months bracketing those months. So I only dread autumn and winter because of that and the pain. I barely pay any attention to the time.
'BobbyP' wrote on '27:Thank you for the warm welcomes from so many people! I'm so glad I found all of you.
I have not found too many “tricks” to improving my sleep, but I am hopeful every night. By the way, I was wondering if others in Insomnialand have the same dread of the upcoming time change as I always do, i.e. we add an hour on that Saturday night (November 5th this year). I always dread it because it means the night is that much longer so I have to try even harder to get through until I can “allow” myself to get up. Looking at the clock is so depressing — “Is it only that time?? I was hoping it was later so I could finally get up!” So that extra hour is only misery for me. Do others feel that way?
Welcome Bobby! I am also a new member and i am suffering from Insomnia for the past two months. It started rather suddenly when my GP put me back on Atenolol; apparently insomnia is a side effect of Atenolol. you see I am over 55 years too, so the thought that it could be age related crossed my mind too, but the sudden onset made me think differently again. I am firmly convinced that apart from the actual triggers causing the insomnia in the first place, our thoughts and habit forming tendencies are to blame by now, because the fear and worries for not being able to sleep have taken over. That's why some people go for CBT to retrain their system. As a retiree i have of course the luxury to be able to sleep any time of the day, so worrying during bouts of insomnia is not on my agenda anymore. Instead i get up and watch television, and believe it or not – this has happened to me several times – I fell asleep and slept right in the chair until morning.
Apparently the herbal remedy *Valerian root* has been scientifically proven to prevent sleeplessness, but you have to take it for approx. 2-3 weeks until you feel any effects. I am currently building up on it and I will post if I am successful. If this doesn't work, I will try 5-HTP which is also a natural supplement and is also been proven effective against anxiety and insomnia.
Some people take melatonin, but it didn't work for me. And quite frankly I don't want to give my body the impression, that he doesn't has to produce melatonin.
'jita' wrote on '02:Apparently the herbal remedy *Valerian root* has been scientifically proven to prevent sleeplessness, but you have to take it for approx. 2-3 weeks until you feel any effects. I am currently building up on it and I will post if I am successful. If this doesn't work, I will try 5-HTP which is also a natural supplement and is also been proven effective against anxiety and insomnia.
Valerian Root does help a bit, at least it did me, but I had a lot of trouble not gagging from the aroma and taste of it. What's 5-HTP? I'm a little twitchy about natural supplements, because they do not have to pass any FDA tests and can cause side effects that are quite natural (hey, arsenic and many other poisons are natural), so I do like to do my research prior to trying them.
Oh, and I'm not saying prescription meds are any better–if you've read my intro post(s), you'll know why.
Amy
'BobbyP' wrote on '25:I am very glad to have found this website. I have felt so alone in my struggles with insomnia. I hope to find others who feel as I do, especially, well, this feeling of just waiting and waiting and WAITING for sleep to arrive in those dark hours. And you wonder “Where is it? Why can't I have it?” So I will look forward to others' feelings about this and what tricks they have discovered that might work for me too — besides counting sheep!
Hello, Bobby! I wanted to welcome you, as so many of the people here welcomed me. I can come across as a bit angry and loony sometimes, but my intentions are always good. I haven't really mentioned this to anyone here before, because I haven't had enough of a chance to try it myself, but my husband (who suffers from catastrophic tinnitus, intractable headaches, and yes, insomnia) has been getting wonderful sleep as of late due to a special pillow and CDs that we ordered, pretty much out of desperation. I never expected them to work so well for him–the pillow has speakers built in, so I don't have to listen to the what is, to me, godawful sounds HE needs to counteract the tinnitus (the CD is especially designed to address that problem). He sleeps like a narcoleptic baby now, and no longer suffers from the nightmares he had every time he closed his eyes before. My own experience with the pillow (they have CDs/MP3s that are meant for sleep ONLY, not tinnitus as well) has been very limited, but it did help me. So, I have ordered my own pillow and CDs, and if I get any relief from them, I'll post more about this elsewhere. I'm expecting to receive them soon–hoping for this week, as it's been another rough one.
Amy
'InsomniAmy' wrote on '03:Valerian Root does help a bit, at least it did me, but I had a lot of trouble not gagging from the aroma and taste of it. What's 5-HTP? I'm a little twitchy about natural supplements, because they do not have to pass any FDA tests and can cause side effects that are quite natural (hey, arsenic and many other poisons are natural), so I do like to do my research prior to trying them.
Oh, and I'm not saying prescription meds are any better–if you've read my intro post(s), you'll know why.
Amy
Hi Amy – before I answer your question, let me first *welcome you* as I haven't done so yet. I just joined this group a few days earlier than you, so I am just as new as you are. I understand why some people find the taste of Valerian Root a bit offending; it doesn't bother me. I always get used to annoying smells and tastes quite quickly.
5-HTP is a natural occurring amino acid, which converts into serotonin. http://www.naturesnutrition.com/SKU/32826.htm
Serotonin is responsible for mood, hunger and sleep. Long term trials of 5-HTP have not been conducted and there might be adverse side effects in some individuals. http://www.dietspotlight.com/5-htp-review/
Do a *Google search* and you'll find tons of info on 5-HTP.
I have very little faith in the FDA. Did you know that the antibiotic *Clindamycin* has caused death in many unsuspecting people? This antibiotic has the potential to cause *C diff.* in some people, and is fatal if left untreated. Fortunately the pharmacist made me aware of it; my dentist did not. Yet the FDA has not taken it of the market yet.
While you are at it, do some research on L-Theanine; it did wonders for my anxiety.
'BobbyP' wrote on '26:I am very glad to have found this website. I have felt so alone in my struggles with insomnia. I hope to find others who feel as I do, especially, well, this feeling of just waiting and waiting and WAITING for sleep to arrive in those dark hours. And you wonder “Where is it? Why can't I have it?” So I will look forward to others' feelings about this and what tricks they have discovered that might work for me too — besides counting sheep!
I'm thinking about trying the counting sheep thing. One of my problems is not being able to turn my brain off.
'1949Molly' wrote on '24:I'm thinking about trying the counting sheep thing. One of my problems is not being able to turn my brain off.
Have you tried meditation or relaxation exercises? They can help focus your brain away from worries and help you relax.
—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 Clarity 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.
'Martin' wrote on '27:Have you tried meditation or relaxation exercises? They can help focus your brain away from worries and help you relax.
Martin,
I've never had any success at meditation of any kind. My brain just won't cooperate. I've also tried relaxation exercises years ago and they didn't work either. I can't concentrate on things like that. All I can do is repeat some sort of mantra like, stop thinking,
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