[oldschool]

Hi guys,

I’ve had terrible insomnia for 2 months now. I’ve tried all the sleep hygiene tips and tricks but nothing works and no-one seems to be able to help. Doctors are confused.
I have become dependant on Sleeping pills, to the extent I’m buying them online, from god knows who, because my doctor won’t prescribe anymore, even though I’m only taking the stated dose.
It’s all so frustrating.
I go to bed sleepy, but soon come the palpitations and anxiety over the night ahead, like a battle zone. Then get up, read, feel sleepy, go back to bed and bam, wide awake with palpitations again! It’sa vicious circle that I can”t seem to break.

Anyway, my last desperate attempt is the Sleep Restriction plan.
But how does this work if I’m still taking the sleeping pill?
1/2 a tablet gives me 4 hours sleep, but that’s all I get. I now and then take a whole tablet which is about 6 hours sleep, but I have to ration the tablets as they are expensive.
I know, what a state!

[hiker]

Hi oldschool, it sounds like you are getting a hard dose of insomnia, for sure. And if you search around the forum, you will see you are not alone.

I know it is hard to think straight right now, when all you want to do is sleep. But as no doubt you have discovered, working hard to sleep doesn’t work. So is it possible you can step back for a few minutes, maybe 15-20, and push rewind and see if there is anything in your life over the past two months which might have triggered the insomnia. This includes anything you might have dismissed as “no big deal,” “that’s happens to everybody,” “that can’t be it,” etc. Forget logic or how you think you should have handled it, whatever it might be.

And if not, was it just just a couple of bad nights’ sleep, a common experience but perhaps something you have not personally experienced before, and it led you into “battle zone” mode? If this is it, again, nobody sleeps great every night, and a couple of nights does not have to translate into long-term insomnia.

All well and good, but here you are, where insomnia can take on a life of its own. It needs fuel to keep going. And the fuel is our thoughts. I know when I get in a bad way, invariably my thoughts have decided to take centerstage: nothing else matters, if my thought is that I am doomed to a life of misery, it just gets stronger and stronger.

On the other hand, when I realize what is happening, and can step back and check out that thought, it turns out that ……it’s just a thought. There is a huge difference between:

1. I am condemned to a life of insomnia; and

2. I’m having the thought that I am condemned to a life of insomnia.

It can be hard to see and believe the difference when you are hammered from lack of sleep. Perhaps instead of blowing this off, you can consider that yeah, I am pretty blitzed right now, maybe I can save this idea for a while even if I can’t see it right off.

Finally, meds. Even if they sort of work for a while, it is temporary. You build up a resistance and go to another med, which maybe works for a while or maybe not at all. If there were a surefire drug cure, people would be lined up for days to get it. And the grocery store magazines that guarantee great sleep, yadda yadda.

As for buying online, man, sounds risky. Palpitations? The seller does not know your medical history, possible side effects….they just want to sell you stuff. Most docs are not clued into insomnia, other than sleep apnea. Still, it might be good to get a check-up on your general health.

I hope you stick with this site and check out Martin’s info. You are not alone here.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum — you are not alone.

Were you implementing all the sleep hygiene tips and tricks when you were sleeping well? If not, perhaps they aren’t needed for sleep after all!

Were you taking medication a few months ago when you were sleeping well? If not, perhaps your body doesn’t need them for sleep to happen, either.

Ultimately, insomnia is kept alive by all our understandable attempts to get rid of it. The more we try, the more we usually struggle (that’s why you slept so well without any effort a few months ago).

When creating a sleep window, it doesn’t matter whether you are taking medication or not — it’s based on the sleep you are currently getting on an average night, based on what’s happened over the past couple of weeks.

If you are in any doubt as to what kind of a sleep window to start with, if you think you’re typically getting less than six hours each night you might want to start with a six hour sleep window for a week or two and go from there.

I hope there’s something helpful here and I wish you all the best.

—

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 Mastery 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.

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