[Dozydame]

Hi I'm Lyn and living in Eumundi, Queensland Australia (originally from UK). I've suffered from insomnia on and off (mostly on) for 40 years now. I've been hooked on various pills and gone through the horrors trying to get off them, several times over the years. I've never looked for a support group until now, but I'm currently going through the worst patch I can remember ever. At the moment, I don't sleep at all unless I take drugs, but because I know how addictive they are (and how they stop working in no time) I'm only allowing myself one (temazepam) every third night. Needless to say this is very unsatisfactory. I was hoping to hear some success stories from some of you guys. I've tried so many things over the years, but nothing's really worked. Most recently, I tried hypnotherapy (again) but no real improvement. Unfortunately, most therapists really don't have a clue about chronic insomnia so are floundering around in the dark themselves. The other thing is I've never really met anyone who has insomnia like mine. In fact I try not to mention it to people because if one more person says “have you tried having a hot milk drink?” or something equally simplistic I may have kill them! Anyway, I feel better already just knowing there are others out there who really understand how I feel. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your stories and hope I may be able to offer some compassion and help to you from time to time.

[Martin Reed]

Hi Lyn

Welcome to Insomnia Land, and thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself and share your experience with insomnia. First, let me tell you that you aren't alone. We're only a small bunch of people right now, but we have many members who will relate with what you're going through – especially when it comes to dealing with people that think cutting back on caffeine or drinking a warm cup of milk will suddenly cure your insomnia.

I am sure some of our members will soon chime in on this thread and offer you a friendly welcome, some support and some advice. In the meantime, feel free to browse the insomnia section of the forums, and also post some new topics if you're after specific advice or want to share more of your relationship with insomnia. You might also want to browse our blog: http://www.insomnialand.com/blog

Have you tried looking for help from sleep specialists or sleep clinics? I am not sure how strong the market is over in Australia, but it could be worth looking into.

—

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.

[Dozydame]

Thanks Martin. Yes I have been to a couple of sleep laboratories over the years, but they are really not very interested in insomnia. Their main focus is sleep apnea. They made some suggestions about sleep hygeine which I followed, but which did not make any real difference. I was also advised to stay up until about 2am and get up again at 6, but this nearly killed me as I was working full time at that stage. I have good sleep hygeine anyway, the only rule I break is reading in bed which I have done since I was a child and which, I believe, actually helps me to sleep. At least it used to, but nothing seems to be working at the moment.

I have learned over the years that for me the best thing I can do is try not to worry about whether I actually sleep, but just try to rest as much as possible. That way I am a lot less stressed about it and can often fall into a sort of daydream state which helps me to survive. I think I've probably tried every kind of treatment there is available here, from mainstream to really alternative during the last 40 years, but nothing has really worked except drugs. However, I try to believe there is help out there, I just haven't found it yet.

I will ask a few questions of the others in the forums to see if anyone has found anything I haven't tried yet or isn't yet available in Australia.

[Martin Reed]

I think a lot of the problem comes down to the fact that sleep apnea is relatively easy to treat. Most of the time, you're put on a CPAP machine and problem solved. Insomnia is far more complicated, and not as profitable. I've written about this problem a few times on the Insomnia Land blog.

Don't give up hope – we're all here to support you and each other.

—

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.

[seenafterscene]

Welcome Lyn. I hope you find this site as friendly & helpful as I have. I too know the horrors of having to “rely” on sleeping pills. My tolerance builds up very quickly, and I am ashamed to admit I have self-medicated at times out of desparation when they stop working or when they aren't working. I am trying really, really hard not to do that anymore. The ones that work best for me–Ambien and Valium, I build up a tolerance to too quickly, so I use them sparingly. I've recently gone back to taking Trazadone for sleep. I get mixed results, but it's been better this time around than the last time I was prescribed it. The nice thing about it is that from what I hear and can tell it is “safe” to take just about every night. I know my Mother has been taking it daily for years, and she hasn't developed a “dependency” (meaning an increase in toelrance or drug-seeking behavior) but she still has trouble, as I'm sure you may have tried it–it's light weight compared to some of the other stuff, and does sometimes have the tendency to give that nasty next day grogginess/hangover.

We're all here to support you. Welcome again. I look forward to seeing more of your posts. And good luck getting some sleep.

[Dozydame]

Thanks for the welcome. I haven't tried Trazadone, in fact my doctor hasn't offered it to me. I don't even know if we have it here. I'll ask next time I see him. I have been reading about a new drug called Silenor which is supposed to be non habit forming, but quite successful. I think it's only just become available in the US in the last few months. Have you heard anything about it? I'm also interested in finding out about something called a Zeo and as well as some kind of listening material from a company called “Sleep Tracks”. Does anyone know anything about any of this stuff? Should I be posting this to the “insomnia” forum?

[Martin Reed]

Our brief thoughts on some of the sleep gadgets currently on the market:

http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/sleep-monitors-for-insomnia-more-stress-less-sleep/

http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/new-insomnia-gadgets-for-you-to-spendwaste-your-money-on/

One of our members, Kik, also reviewed a sound based listening product:

http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/prescription-audio-nocturne-review/

Sure, give them a try if you think they might help – but don't spend more than you can afford, and don't go getting your credit card out thinking they'll be the insomnia cure you've been looking for.

Feel free to post in the insomnia forum with any questions or to field any views from other members about these or other similar sleep products.

PS – We've also covered Silenor on our blog:

http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/new-insomnia-drug-in-the-pipeline/

It could be worth speaking with your doctor about.

—

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.

[MarinaFournier]

In fact I try not to mention it to people because if one more person says “have you tried having a hot milk drink?” or something equally simplistic I may have kill them!

Welcome–I know exactly what you mean, having had the same old folk-cures handed to me any number of times!

I spent all too much time–but useful time–reading a variety of the blog posts, and some of the forum posts, and found one non-medical option that I have found useful and effective much, but not all, of the time.

There's a blog entry about having a light weight on you. In my experience, cats sleeping with you tend to stay in one position, even if you don't. One of our dogs can start at between our feet, move up to my shins or maybe my stomach, and the next thing you know, he's trying to take up as much horizontal space between us as he possibly can, at our heads. This is not a useful thing for either of our sleeping. He's been sleeping with my MiL, downstairs, where he can take up that space and not bother her. The other dog doesn't shift much, but he's usually sleeping with our son.

What I have is called by the folks who make it (Sonoma Lavender) a spa heatwrap. I don't heat it, but I do drape it across my head–I'm a side sleeper and the usual sleep pad/mask won't work for me. It weighs about two pounds, the weight can easily be redistributed, and it often settles me down to sleep to the point that I *must* pack it with me when I travel.

The other thing I do, to shut down my “active” brain (the main cause of my insomnia), that I discovered quite recently, is to snuggle down into bed under my comforter and play Bejeweled2 on my iPhone. Made by Popcap Games, it does come in versions for different platforms. I play it for about 10 minutes, and I'm so drowsy I almost drop the phone while my eyes have a hard time staying open. It doesn't involve ANY words, so it's helping that part of my brain shut down. There's only pretty bits to move around, and I may be going into an alpha state, or a fugue. Without being hooked up to something like an EEG machine (measures brain wave patterns, I think), I can't be sure. I put the phone on the table and then my glasses, turn over and sleep. It's been wonderful. It's not as restful as it could be, and I don't think I'm getting gamma or delta sleep stages, but it's an improvement over drifting in and out of fitful sleep. YMMV, but for the time being, it's working for me–and no sleep med ever helped this well. I have an idiosyncratic reaction to the family of sleep meds, benzodiazepines. They make me stay awake.

[seenafterscene]

I also might add that Rozerem (sp?) is a fairly novel drug here, fairly new. It works kind of like melatonin to regulate the sleep cycle and is meant to be taken every day at the same time. That said, this medication didn't help me, but it's something to look into in case it helps you.

[MarinaFournier]

'seenafterscene' wrote on '28:

I also might add that Rozerem (sp?) is a fairly novel drug here

I read the Wikipedia entry on it. I will ask my pdoc about it–okay, I'll email her the URL for the Wikipedia article. It IS primarily for delayed sleep onset, which I don't really have. I have seen a couple of their truly wacky commercials here in the US. Since it features a US President, Lincoln, I don't suppose they play that one elsewhere.

Its advantages to me are 1) not a benzodiazepeine 2) not addictive 3) doesn't interfere with any meds I'm currently on. If I have a bad fungal infection, I may have to use something other than ketoconazole cream.

It also caused hyperprolactinaemia two to three times more often than placebo in clinical trials, which might be useful for insomniac nursing moms who are not producing enough millk. There is a difference between being insomniac and being a new or nursing mom, however, and this drug will not keep the baby asleep! Studies of rats and mice showed a dose-dependent increase in cancer. The long-term safety in humans is unknown. Ramelteon was teratogenic in rats. It works great on cats–3x better than melatonin. If I ever have an insomniac cat, I'll try to remember this.

However, at 4 weeks out, effectiveness is about as good as a placebo.

[seenafterscene]

'MarinaFournier' wrote on '28:

I read the Wikipedia entry on it. I will ask my pdoc about it–okay, I'll email her the URL for the Wikipedia article. It IS primarily for delayed sleep onset, which I don't really have. I have seen a couple of their truly wacky commercials here in the US. Since it features a US President, Lincoln, I don't suppose they play that one elsewhere.

Its advantages to me are 1) not a benzodiazepeine 2) not addictive 3) doesn't interfere with any meds I'm currently on. If I have a bad fungal infection, I may have to use something other than ketoconazole cream.

It also caused hyperprolactinaemia two to three times more often than placebo in clinical trials, which might be useful for insomniac nursing moms who are not producing enough millk. There is a difference between being insomniac and being a new or nursing mom, however, and this drug will not keep the baby asleep! Studies of rats and mice showed a dose-dependent increase in cancer. The long-term safety in humans is unknown. Ramelteon was teratogenic in rats. It works great on cats–3x better than melatonin. If I ever have an insomniac cat, I'll try to remember this.

However, at 4 weeks out, effectiveness is about as good as a placebo.

Wow. I'm impressed you do your research. I do too, I'm one of those lucky dorks that has a PDR (bigger than the Bible) and it uses it constantly. That said, I just thought I'd throw some medicines out there. Rozerem didn't really do much for me, but I know it has helped others and the relative safety of it, though questionable, is a plus.

My current regimen is a tightly self-regulated roundelay of Trazodone, Neurontin, and Ambien.

[MarinaFournier]

'seenafterscene' wrote on '05:

Wow. I'm impressed you do your research. I do too, I'm one of those lucky dorks that has a PDR (bigger than the Bible) and it uses it constantly. That said, I just thought I'd throw some medicines out there. Rozerem didn't really do much for me, but I know it has helped others and the relative safety of it, though questionable, is a plus.

My current regimen is a tightly self-regulated roundelay of Trazodone, Neurontin, and Ambien.

Thank you! I have had frequent recourse to the PDR, and I can occasionally get lost in it, like a dictionary, thesaurus, Wikipedia or a web search. What's your dx, if you don't mind telling?

[emmaree]

Hi Dozy and welcome to insomnia, its nice to meet a fellow oz. I hope to read many of your post , and that we can be mutual support cheers em

[Dozydame]

Thanks Emmaree. Love your name. And loved your last post on “bit of fun”. Got me thinking now! 😮

[seenafterscene]

'MarinaFournier' wrote on '05:

Thank you! I have had frequent recourse to the PDR, and I can occasionally get lost in it, like a dictionary, thesaurus, Wikipedia or a web search. What's your dx, if you don't mind telling?

The PDR is like a book of fun to me, I too can get lost in it. My diagnosis is a bit misleading, because usually I get something like bipolar, but that's not entirely true as I don't necessarily fit the proto-type of that. More often than not though I get a diagonosis of bipolar, some psychosis, multiple anxiety disorders, and chronic insomnia of course.

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