[believer123]

Last night I began my official taper off of restoril which I’ve been taking for a few months. I started struggling with onset and maintenance in March with zero sleep without medication. Anyway, I’ve been doing CBT-I for 7 weeks and started tapering from 15 to 7.5 last week. My sleep wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t that much different from the way it was on 15 so now we’re beginning to do every other day with no restoril. Last night was the first night of that. I was prepared to not sleep at all. The last time I tried (before SRT/CBT-I) I didn’t fall asleep until dawn and then when I did I kept waking up gasping for air before falling into a series of nightmares. Also at that time I took off the restoril but still was on hydroxyzine (which I no longer take). Anyway, last night I fully expected to get nothing. Instead, I actually got drowsy (something there disappeared and started coming back in the past few weeks), nearly fell asleep on the couch and in fact might have. Went to bed and while I didn’t knock out right away the rest of the night during my sleep window was for the most part me sleeping—albeit I only knew bc time was passing quickly and I was dreaming (had a series about 4 or 5 dreams). I also woke up tired still instead of hyper aroused. I hope so badly this is a sign of the cbt-I and all the hard work of SRT doing its job!!!

[sleep]

I think it is wonderful you feeling sleepy, drowsy as you say. This is how I felt when I began to recover from isomnia. In fact I ran into someone at the store that was telling me to be careful with benadryl for sleep, it can give you dementia. I said I have not taken anything since April.

My quality of sleep is so much better also. I try not to go to bed if I am not sleepy and then I tell myself to relax, that is my goal. Relaxing feels good if I sleep or not. Sleep will come back eventually. Since I quit worrying about it I have slept for 4 months very good. Before that I had 2 years of insomnia after getting on a medication that gave it to me.

[believer123]

I’m so glad to know how much better you are doing! And that you also had drowsiness as your first sign. For me the drowsiness starts usually when I start to dim the lights during my wind down time, it’s like it sends my mind a signal that it’s time to go to bed. I’m hoping that the quality of my sleep improves with time but for now it’s one step at a time and I’m grateful even for fragmented without the the restoril! Did you find that your sleep deepened in time?

[sleep]

I usually fall asleep on the couch which is probably not recommended but I am sleeping good. I wake up and go straight to bed or the bathroom and then to bed. I usually dont even know what time it is I am so sleepy so yes I guess that is called deep sleep. I sleep sound until the next morning, My sleep time is 12 until 6. But like I said I usually fall asleep on the couch earlier, about half hour to hour earlier. Anyway it seems like a miracle. I cant believe myself I am sleeping that good after 2 weeks of emails with Martin.

[Author]

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