[Martin Reed]

What do you think the future holds for your insomnia? Do you think it's something you will eventually resolve, or do you think your insomnia is now just a part of who you are? If that's the case, if your insomnia were to disappear, would you feel a loss? Maybe the idea of never getting over your insomnia drives you to despair.

I thought it would be a good idea to share where we think our insomnia is heading, and how interwoven we see our insomnia with our actual personalities.

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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.

[Bobbie]

Sorry to hear that you've been ill Martin. I've been away for several days myself because I tend to be flakey and lost my login information. Thanks for rescuing me, by the way. 😛

My insomnia has never taken control of my life and it's not continuous, but is still a source of annoyance and frustration. My sleeplessness seems to have more physical causes than many of our members here. I'm plagued with arthritis in my left knee and nighttime leg cramps. Lately, however, I have been doing some experimenting and have slept better these last few weeks than I have in years. 🙂

The only prescription medication I take is celebrex for my knee, but I also take up to eight Bayer extra strength Asprin for back and body which contains 32.5 mg of caffeine each. 😮 I started taking my last two aspirin about four hours before bedtime and have stopped drinking anything with caffeine by late afternoon. I have also been drinking a lot more water through the day which seems to be helping with the leg cramps. I have also started having a snack right before going to bed which also seems to help. I'm still waiting until I'm dead on my feet before crashing, but I feel like I'm making a little progress. 🙂

[emmaree]

Hi Martin

I hope you feel better. I 'm starting to get better sleep and only have 2 nights where I'm up all night or wake up around 2 am and not able to get back to sleep. I have changed a lot of how i do things, I stopped drinking coffee after 9.am, I'm taking magnesium powder for leg craps, I have at least 2 to 3 liters of water a day, I participate in yoga and as a form of relaxation spend time in chat rooms which seems to get my mind of everyday events.

All this seems to have helped, I have regular massages and have set myself a loose sleep pattern such going to bed at a certain time and up early , no matter how tired I feel. All this seems to have helped me. I don't expect to have sleep problems forever, and cannot wait for the day when I'm getting a good 8 hours a day everyday.

I don't think my sleep problems have been as bad as some others here but can only imagine how difficult it must be for those who also face health issues

[LindsayK]

What an excellent topic! Glad you're feeling better.

I'm not sure where the insomnia is going. the sleep doctor seems to think it's transient, mixed with apnea or perhaps stemming from the apnea. I'll find out for sure soon.

When the husband returns I fully expect to get a few solid sleep days in, but based on past history it will be fleeting. Of course, that also depends on how well he adjusts; if the PTSD flares, I won't sleep at all. We shall see. As for now, I have been sleeping all night, but the quality is so terrible I wish I hadn't slept at all. I stick to a routine: Nothing but water after 7, relaxing in bed at 9, and I have to write or else I'll toss and turn all night. lol

[Mike Hooker]

Who knows what the future holds for my insomnia? For the chronic insomniac, how much of a bright future is there when severe sleep deprivation can make you feel as though you'd rather not even be alive?

In many ways I'd love to go back and re-live the last thirty years of my life. I'd sure make a lot of changes.

But if going back was possible, I'd decline the offer because of having to re-live thirty years of insomnia.

If I could go back and not have to re-live all of those years of insomnia, that would be a different story.

I'm sleeping well right now, but that can change in an instant, and it does change more often than I'd like. So any future I have is tenuous at best.

You're probably thinking that I view the glass as half-empty rather than half-full, but that's what insomnia does to you–it darkens your outlook on life.

That's been my experience anyway.

[Kik]

'Mike wrote on '27:

You're probably thinking that I view the glass as half-empty rather than half-full, but that's what insomnia does to you–it darkens your outlook on life.

Insomnia and depression go hand in hand for me too. Depression is something I've struggled with ever since I was a teenager but chronic insomnia (in comparison to other members) is still relatively new to me.

Granted I've had periods of insomnia ever since I can remember but they've been the minority. Now it's the majority, I want it gone and I know I wont miss it.

[Hedwig]

My insomnia is something that will always be a part of me, I have suffered with lack of sleep for more than 25 years, altough there have been stages of my life where it hasn't been as significant a problems as other times…however, the more recent things is the association of it with other issues such as depression and anxiety problems and the association by my GP of the link between them…

I know that lack of sleep can make things worse, but not all the time…there are time when I get very little or no sleep and other than feeling tred I am good, as I said when I was working I could function on a few hours sleep but now and again the lack of sleep compounds my problems into something more severe…

I hope to beat my problems and it would be nice to think that the insomnia would be one of them, I may not like it but I have grown used to it and compensate for the times when I suffer, however I would be happy to return to my old life where all my problems were just sleep related…that is what I wish for the future…

🙁 🙁 🙁

[Mike Hooker]

Kik and Hedwig,

I know about depression. I can't say specifically when mine began, but I believe it was about four to five months before my insomnia started in 1979.

A blog post I wrote, “When My Insomnia Started,” shines a little more light on my depression, though I didn't word it as such in the post. You'll see that one day in April of '79, while working at a Chevy dealership, the strangest thought, or maybe it was more of a feeling, gripped and stunned me. At that moment I realized I'd made one of the biggest mistakes of my life, one with which I would live for the duration of my life: leaving the security of the Air Force for a civilian career in the automotive teaching/repairing/hotrodding industries.

Sixteen years would pass, however, before a doctor would diagnose me with clinical depression.

For one academic year as a seminary student, I worked as a staff writer/reporter for the school's public relations office. It was a part-time job but a busy one that required daily writing assignments, interviews, and event coverage. At the same time, I was doing an internship at our church and trying to maintain a semblance of family life.

During the spring '95 semester, my professors required no tests, but I wrote twenty-one academic papers for them in addition to my work as a staff writer. I guess my mind was just overloaded, and I suffered a mental collapse. A collapse that had been building and churning and steaming and spewing for sixteen years and finally erupted like a volcano.

My doctor referred me to a psychiatrist, and I've been under her care ever since. I take anti-depressant medication every morning. I didn't spend any time in a hospital because of it, but I did start the medication immediately.

That semester of severe mental stress was the tipping point, as Malcolm Gladwell would call it, of my life with insomnia. I'd finally found a doctor who could provide the correct medication and dosage to start the leveling process. Now I'm fifteen years into the leveling process, and I've slept better for the past couple of months than at any time since September, 1979. I continue to have my share of bad nights, though, which is why I still consider myself a chronic insomniac.

Based on my own experience, I'd say that insomnia and depression go hand in hand–it doesn't matter which one occurs first. One feeds off of the other in a never-ending downward spiral that takes at least an intervention of some sort, and maybe even a miracle to stop it.

If I can continue to sleep as I have for the past couple of months, then I think I have a decent future. But, who knows?

[seenafterscene]

I know, it's no secret, but insomnia often goes hand-in-hand with other mental health issues, but it's almost a chicken-or-the-egg thing, which came first the insomnia, or the mental health issues???

I've concluded it doesn't matter. They make each other worse. Usually, if I have one, I have both.

Also, one of the FIRST things my ex noticed about me (physician) was how bad my insomnia was & how it always coincided with my mood drops.

Other psychiatrists/therapists have agreed.

As for what the future holds, I can only help to continually strive at managing things as best as I can, I kind of take it as a given that both issues will be around for a while, given that they've been with me for more almost 2/3 of my life.

[MarinaFournier]

I wouldn't miss insomnia if it left my life–I so badly want to wake up feeling rested. It affects my personality negatively when insomnia has been long, and worse than average (as in 2-4 hours a night of fitful sleep). If I've had a reasonable amount of sleep, I'm much more resilient, and less prone to a dip in mood.

I'm still working on *quality* of sleep–getting enough of the two deeper levels of the four levels of sleep.

Since most of my insomnia seems to stem from the active mind being unable to shut down, whether I've read in bed or not (and if the topic is disturbing, I do NOT read it at bedtime). Trying to run a complex piece of music through my head occasionally helps–I'm trying to take my brain to something I cannot describe with words, to get to the non-verbal part of the brain.

Since getting a “spa heatwrap” filled with lavender and millet/flax seeds, that drapes over my eyes and ears, I have eased down to sleep rather better than before. I *must* pack it when I'm away from home.

However, I may have found something non-medicinal that puts me out very fast (relative to my former hour or more before sleeping): I get snuggled down in bed, and I start playing the game Bejeweled on my iPhone. In 5-15 minutes, it's starting to drop from my hand, and my eyes keep closing. If the standard distractors of noise, bad bedding/mattress, tactile issues, and not breathing well enough (stuffed nose) or coughing don't interfere, I'm asleep for several hours. It's wonderful. If this still works in a couple of months, I'll say that I only have to work on depth of sleep.

[Martin Reed]

Is the spa heatwrap available online, Marina? It would be great if you could post a link to it. Would you be interested in writing up a review of the product for the blog?

—

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]

I can't use the standard lie-on-your-back eye pillow for that, as I prefer to lie on my side, with the hurting side buried in the pillow. I won't use the contoured eye pillow that comes with an elastic band, because any binding pressure on my head can trigger a headache. Just imagine what it will do when I already have a throbbing headache!

I first found this at the San Francisco Flower & Garden show one year, 8-10 years back. Sonoma Lavender had a booth there. I explained my headache needs, and this long tube of lavender with a crushed velvety cover was handed to me.

The Sonoma Lavendar “spa heatwrap” that I use measures 8″x24″. It's very easily draped over my head/eyes&ears, and you can change the weight if you want more or less pressure on different parts of your face. Initially, I bought it for a slight counterpressure on the parts of me that hurt during a headache, and then found that it often eased me to sleep. I very seldom heated it, because I don't happen to like the smell of heated lavender, and the scent would dissipate less if I didn't heat it. SonomaLavender.com itself doesn't sell this item, but let me give you some sites that do. It does come in a number of covers, some plush/microfiber, some a more ordinary cloth, and in a variety of colors/patterns.

First, if you can't stand lavender (and for me it wasn't the lavender, but the gentle weight that worked), you can get an UNSCENTED spa heatwrap in a “camel color” cover: http://sonomalavendershop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=67_119&products_id=540

The similar products sold in mall kiosks have herbs inside that make me gag, so if you have someone who wants to give you one of these as a gift, AND you are picky about what scented products that come near you, they too have unscented options, I just don't happen to like them as well. There is also a ewwwwcallyptus filling available, but as you can tell, I don't care for it–the scent nauseates me. My husband and I are both allergic to the pollen: I don't know how he reacts to the smell. When we were looking for a house to buy, both times we stipulated that the nearesst eucalyptus had to be at least a block away, and no stands of them within two blocks. He snores less, and therefore I sleep better, far away from them.

On to the sources for lavender spa heatwraps:http://www.aromaessentials.com/p458/Sonoma-Lavender-Body-Wrap/product_info.html?osCsid=d10ecd224e79b158052045f390433544

http://www.patinastores.com/catalog/lavender-heat-wrap.html

http://www.hamptonct.com/index.cgi/keywords=Spa%20Collection gets you about 30 SL items to choose amongst.

http://www.naturalselectionbathandbody.com/specials/sonoma%20lavender/specials_lavender_spa.html Not impressed with the website itself

http://www.fallingwatermi.com/catalog/item/2886663/3950361.htm only one style of cover

Here's the gateway to the Spa Collections from SonomaLavenderShop.com:

http://sonomalavendershop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=67

Zen Essence has a gateway as well to their Spa products (all SL): http://www.zenessence.net/c/SPB.html

This one is from a different source, and I have no experience with it, but it's smaller and considerably cheaper

http://www.patinastores.com/catalog/lavender-hot-wrap.html 5.5″ x 18.” for $15.95

Many of these are sold from California: CA residents will be taxed.

While YMMV, this has been a wonderful product for me. I can heartily recommend it for migraineurs who seek counterpressure or something to cover their eyes, and you can get it in unscented, lavender and ick! eucalyptus ick! inserts.

[MarinaFournier]

'Martin' wrote on '17:

Is the spa heatwrap available online, Marina? It would be great if you could post a link to it. Would you be interested in writing up a review of the product for the blog?

I just finished writing up a list of URLs with some impressions I have of the heatwrap, which I have seldom heated, and never chilled, even though you can do both with the insert.

Feel free to use the content as you see fit!

[Dozydame]

After 40 years I guess insomnia is very much a part of my life, but if it left me I think I'd feel like I'd been given a new life. I haven't sought treatment for it for years until recently when I began not sleeping at all. I have no idea why this deterioration started. I do suffer from depression from time to time and have also suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. Over the years insomnia and it's associated problems has had a high cost for me. I have left jobs, relationships, homes and moved to other areas in search of an environment which might improve my ability to sleep.

I currently live in a quiet rural area (less noise, less stress), work only 3 days a week (can't manage more because I'm just too tired) and live alone except for my 2 dogs. Apart from my insomnia and depression, I'm extremely healthy and fairly fit.

I have become disillusioned over the years after trying so many treatments and having no discernable improvement, yet for no apparent reason I'll suddenly start sleeping better for a while. Just as suddenly though, I'll go through a really bad patch like now. In fact this is the worst it has ever been. The only way I sleep at the moment is with drugs which I try to limit myself to taking every 3 days. I have recently tried hypnotherapy again with no result and have just bought “Sleep Tracks“

So far I'm struggling with it, but will keep you posted as to any progress. I guess this means that I haven't totally given up hope of improving or dare I say CURING this problem, but I'm certainly not holding my breath!

[Martin Reed]

Good luck with Sleep Tracks – do let us know how you get on. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to write a review of the product for our blog?

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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.

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