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'sugarplummolly' wrote on '29:
i need help with my insomnia
Hi Sugarplummolly,
I have been battling insomnia for 40 years. Is there anything I can do to help? Believe me I've been thru every emotion there is over this time and have devised a few strategies to help me cope. What type of insomnia do you have? Can't get to sleep – can't stay asleep – or constant waking?
Thanks Emmaree. Love your name. And loved your last post on “bit of fun”. Got me thinking now! 😮
Thanks Martin. I will take all the positive vibes I can get. Have just had two reasonably good nights and am starting to feel human again. Hope it continues ….. fingers crossed.
“Somewhere in the World” by Altiyan Childs – Winner of X Factor Australia. I NEVER EVER watch those reality shows and now I've not only watched the whole series but become obsessed by this guy!!! I blame it on insomnia – you know how it makes you do things you'd never normally do?
I have been to a hypnotherapist recently and had three sessions with her. Unfortunately it wasn't much help at that time, or maybe it was her technique that didn't work for me. Having said that though I do believe in hypnotherapy and have known people who've had good results for other types of issues eg. smoking and weight loss. Most hypnotherapists around my area seem to use a combination of NLP and hypnosis. I am currently trying “Sleep Tracks” http://www.sleeptracks.com/insomnia-video-n/, which uses isochronic tones as well as speech which is like hypnosis/NLP. Whilst I certainly wouldn't say “I'm cured”, I am getting more sleep than I was at the start. Mind you that's not saying much as I was getting no sleep without drugs at the time. I must also confess I have been a bit hit and miss with my use of it, but I do think it's helped. You are supposed to use it for 2 months before deciding whether it works or not, but they claim they will give you a refund if not satisfied after 60 days. I will keep you posted.
I'm sorry to say I struggle to come up with any positives to having insomnia.
The biggest downer I can remember was when I decided to take my 75 year old father for a four week holiday back to Italy where he had once been an escaped prisoner during the war. It was supposed to be this amazing once-in-a-lifetime trip and, I was hoping, a real bonding experience for the two of us. I had to do the driving which is a hair-raising and stressful experience at the best of times in Italy, especially when you normally drive on the opposite side as we do here in Oz. My insomnia always gets worse in unfamiliar territory plus I never realised my father was a snorer, so by the end of about three days(after about 30 hours of air travel without sleep) I was nearly hysterical. I had to convince Dad to wear this anti snoring device which he hated and try to stay in places with separate rooms whenever possible which added considerable expense on to the trip and certainly did nothing to improve father/daughter relations.
Somehow we survived, but I have never been so relieved to drop off a car and walk in my entire life. I'm still glad we did the trip, but I can't help wondering how much more enjoyable it might have been if only I could just have slept like a normal person. I try not to dwell on the many experiences in the last 40 years which have been spoiled because of this problem, but the overall cost has been very high. The average person, as well as most therapists, is utterly oblivious as to how soul destroying chronic insomnia can be for long term sufferers.
I urge any of you relatively recent sufferers to seek help and try not to let this problem escalate, as in my experience it certainly doesn't improve with age. Sorry I can't offer any more positive advice.
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!
