[leonn55]

I don't get any sleep every night unless I take a pill my question is that the way most of us are that have insomnia and I have been trying to get off the pills for quite a while now.i have had this problem now for almost one year .most nights I just sit in my chair and just close my eyes hoping that I will get sleepy so I can go to bed but that never happens tonight im going try ad keep myself busy instead of just sitting there my brother told me to watch tv but the docters say no tv does anyone out there have any ideas. please write me back thank you len

[owl2020]

What kind of sleeping pill are you taking and how much sleep do you get when you take the pill? It sounds like you get very little without the pill. If you have been on a sleeping pill for a while and try to sleep without it you will have difficulty at first because Ithe brain “looks” for the sleeping pill to fall asleep. It will take a little while for the brain to adjust to sleeping without a pill. Based on what you said in another post, you sleep some during the day which probably interferes with your sleep at night. Everyone is different, but based on my own experience I would suggest no more than one nap of 15-20 minutes in the afternoon before 3 PM. There are a lot of things about bedroom sleep hygiene you might want to look into on the web; also what foods are bad for sleep and what foods are good. Exercise during the day can help as can yoga. Try walking a lot. I still have an insomnia problem but most nights now I sleep between 4 and 5 hours while on bad nights I sleep between 3 and 4 hours. Unlike you I have learned to fall asleep quickly and my problem is falling back to sleep after getting up to go to the bathroom. Note keeping regular sleep hours is important to train your body to sleep at night. Hope this helps you but without knowing what you have or have not tried to do to sleep I can't really tell you anymore.

[leonn55]

I took lunesta for about 6 months then quit cold turkey because started cbt and they told me the same thing if u want to beat this get off the pills.but I still took one every once in awhile.I would still only get about 4 hours sleep.I haven't took anything now for 6 days now.the other night I went to bed at 1130 woke up at 315 went back to bed 0400 then woke up at 6 am so I know I can sleep.last night I only got about 2 hours .I just don't know what I;m doing wrong.I just retired after 40 years of wrking 20 army and 20 yers doc.my dr. says its anxirty and not working anymore.i'm used to being busy and useful and now I don't feel that way anymore.I know if I waS still working I would not have this.I do work 1 day a week at the soup kitchen for about 8 hours and when your not sleeping good im just so exhausted .I used to sleep 6 to 8 hours every day no problem now hardly anything .I hope that I have told u enough about me that u might think of something else that might help.I do have a sleep schedule .go to bed at 11pm but not until i'm tired and up by 5am.I also have made my bedroom look more like a bedroom and not an office.I have tried everything but nothing works.thanks for writing what is your name ?

[owl2020]

I have never been a great sleeper but my sleep problems escalated about two years ago, I think because of a blood pressure medicine I was taking. I gradually got off the medicine and my sleep has improved somewhat but is still below what I want. Last night for example I got 4 3/4 to 5 hours sleep which is good for me. I have been retired for awhile and i don't think retiring had anything to do with my sleep problem – I had more anxieties when I worked. I occasionally take a low dose Ambien when I find I can't get back to sleep and I then get 2 to 3 hours additional sleep. Last month I did that 3 times but I have to be careful to limit use and make sure I don't use the pill more than once a week -otherwise it can interfere with my sleep when I don't use it. I would probably be better off without using it at all but the extra sleep it gives me is tempting. I frankly don't know why some nights I can sleep 4 to 5 hours and other nights I might only get 3 to 4 hours sleep. However, lately I get 4-5 hours about 80% of the time; I think I sleep a little better in winter as the cold makes me tired. You obviously can sleep up to 6 hours as you indicated above, but like me you have bad nights also like when you only got 2 hours. You indicate that you slept better when you worked. That might indicate you need more activity during the day to tire you out. I go to exercise classes at the local senior citizen center and I walk on average 2-3 hours a day (which includes an evening stroll). I don't know if you have any chronic pain issues (I don't) but if you do that can interfere with your sleep. Also don't eat heavy meals within 3 hours of bedtime and in particular avoid spicy or sugary foods near bedtime. I have a nighttime snack before bed of lowfat plain Greek Yogurt, dried unsweetened tart cherries and almonds.which are foods that are supposed to help with sleep. Other foods that can be used as a snack and can help sleep are turkey, oatmeal, kiwi fruit and cheese and crackers. How much these foods really help I don't know but it is worth a try. I also keep my bedroom dark about 1/2 hour before going to bed and I practice deep breathing and very slowly pace the floor during this time period to continue tiring my self. During this time period I also use Badger Sleep Balm on my face, which contains Lavender and Bergamot, which is supposed to relax you for sleep. I also use a humidifier on cold dry winter nights to avoid nasal stuffiness which can interfere with sleep. All this seems to work to an extent, because I usually fall asleep within 5 minutes of going to bed. My problem is whether or not I can get back to sleep when i wake up at night to urinate. Again everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. As you can see I have had to develop a routine that helps me; you have to work out a routine that works for you. There is no simple easy way to deal with insomnia. Hope this helps – I know operating during the day with 2-3 hours asleep is awful.

[pico]

Do you know what the cause was for your insomnia? I think mine is because of tinnitus and am looking for others in my situation.

[leonn55]

I retired after 45 years from food service I always ha a schedule and something to do retirementwas a very bad idea

[jerrygwaltney]

A simple limiting of your activity level after retiring can cause you to have more trouble sleeping. I'm trying to overcome the fatigue that comes with the insomnia in order to increase my activity level. I read recently that increased activity levels lead to more energy which makes anyone feel more energetic and, consequently, feel more like being even more active. It might take awhile for this to help in a person with chronic insomnia but eventually it's supposed to help.

Getting outside in the sun and breathing fresh air for a period of time, like while taking a walk, seems to help me even more than the exercise itself. Just getting started with these things seems to be the real challenge. Once you've crossed that hurdle, it's a matter of maintaining the activity. Fresh outdoor walks have done more for me than anything. My own problem has been just getting started and maintaining the activity. I was diagnosed with a form of ADD and establishing and maintaining habits is my challenge but the outdoor walks have definitely done more for me than anything.

[Judyandarchie]

I am the same way. I work full time and go full speed and still no sleep. For months now since I quit sleeping pills. Don't know what is wrong with me. Brain is unable to sleep. Behavoiral therapy hasn't helped. So ready to get back on drugs.im going to try. If not, I hate to think what will happen. Getting desperate and don't know how y'all do this for years.

[Martin Reed]

'Judyandarchie' wrote:

I am the same way. I work full time and go full speed and still no sleep. For months now since I quit sleeping pills. Don't know what is wrong with me. Brain is unable to sleep. Behavoiral therapy hasn't helped. So ready to get back on drugs.im going to try. If not, I hate to think what will happen. Getting desperate and don't know how y'all do this for years.

What type of behavioral therapy did you try? It's uncommon for that kind of therapy not to help when it comes to insomnia – unless other medical conditions are responsible for sleep issues.

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