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I’m going through another bout of insomnia right now. I feel terrible too. Body is sore and shaky. Do you have that? My problem is anxiety. It started 1 year ago today. Then I was fine for 8 months and it came back in December. Then I was fine and then it came back last week.
I’m going through another bout of insomnia right now. I feel terrible too. Body is sore and shaky. Do you have that? My problem is anxiety.
Don’t quit cold turkey. Wean yourself off of it with help from your doctor. Get into some CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) which will help you change your thought patterns about sleep.
Hey there, yes it’s more of a psychological dependency. You tell yourself that its the pills that make you sleep so you believe it. I was on Zopiclone 7.5mg every night for 9 years straight and I got off of it in May. Wasn’t hard. Once you set your mind to it you can do anything. I found CBT-I and listening to Martin’s podcasts very helpful. You can bear this and sleep well again. By the sounds of it you haven’t been on Ambien very long so the rebound insomnia shouldn’t be terrible.
What benzo are you taking? I was on Zopiclone 7.5mg for 9 years every night and got off in May. The withdrawals were not bad from that as I had more of a psychological dependency. Benzos can be different but you’ve only been on them for 7 months which is better than being on them for years.
It seems to be. I was on sleeping pills every night for 9 years and got off of them due to listening to Martin’s podcasts. Have you watched any of his podcasts?
If you call his number he explains that he was hospitalized for an illness. He is at home recovering and will reach out soon.
Well the simple advice is do nothing because when you obsess you just give anxiety the fuel it needs to survive. I know that’s a frustrating answer so I’m going to recommend CBT-I with Martin or seeking a counselor to talk to. I had another bout over the Christmas break but once I got back to work it kept me focusd on other things. Try to go to bed thinking about other things that bring you joy. Visualization can help. Picture yourself somewhere relaxing, like a beach or beautiful waterfall. Think of each night as a fun adventure; let yourself want to have dreams where you can go anywhere. Don’t go to bed with the intention of sleeping but to rest. This helped me. Once you stop trying to control sleep it’ll come. No one has ever died from insomnia. It will always sort itself out. I’ve used the Calm and Headspace apps, but they do cost money. CBT-I all the way because it will give you techniques so you will eventually stop caring about sleep.
I’d disagree. It’s possible to get rid of and overcome insomnia. It’s perfectly normal to have set backs. If you’ve been fine for years and then had a relapse that’s pretty good. Just implement CBT-I techniques.
I was on Zopiclone (7.5 mg) every night for 9 years. I got off of it fully by the end of May. I believe its a sister drug to Ambien as it’s a Z drug (hypnotic). How much are you taking?
You can do it! I did after 9 years on Zopiclone. Martin’s Podcasts and the support forum helped me. I also did some therapy on the side which helped but mostly just by participating in the forum. One day at a time.
Counseling all the way. Trust me, sleeping pills do not help. You’ll gain tolerance, end up dependent on them, and then they will stop working. Once hooked you’ll have to face withdrawals on top of the initial insomnia which is a double whammy. I was able to get off sleeping pills (Zopiclone; every night for 9 years) in May after a bout with insomnia.
P.S. I copied and pasted these two posts from another post that I commented on yesterday. I thought maybe they would help. It sounds like you’re over thinking everything which is normal. I do it to. The trick really is not to try to sleep. This helped me the last few nights.
I’m currently having a bit of a bout again due to anxious thoughts but I was able to sleep 9 hours and 50 minutes last night (I wear a fitbit to bed). Honestly cognitive behavioral therapy will help. You don’t have a sleeping problem but an anxiety one. This fact helped me improve my sleep. You need to manage your anxiety and the sleep will come. You may be sleeping more than you realize so a fitbit can help determine that if you are able to get one. Remember this because it helps me: know one has ever died from insomnia. The body will always get some sleep in order to survive.
You can beat this because it’s your thoughts causing the anxiety which causes the insomnia. You can “rewire” the brain by changing your thought patterns. Have you ever tried Martin’s courses? He has the 2 week one which is free. Man his success rate is amazing and I’ve never done it yet. I’ve found this forum and his podcasts have helped me greatly. This is from a former avid pill popper who never thought she could get off sleeping pills. I started them at 20 and got off them at 32. I don’t want that for anybody because you can also become psychologically addicted to them. You can do this. Don’t look at it like this: “OMG I’ll never sleep again.” Take one night at a time and look at every night as an adventure. I know some days can be hard. A few days ago I was crying and asking when the sleeplessness will end. It ends when you are ready and have had enough. Some nights I lie there an overthink like this: “What do I do with my hands?” “Should I be thinking while trying to sleep.” “Will thinking keep me awake?” Etc. I literally remember thinking about putting the laundry in the dryer before passing out last night so the trick is to distract your mind by thinking about other things. Therapy can help. Martin’s courses can help. His podcasts can help. Sleeping pills? Nope, they will take away any sleep confidence you have and you’ll only believe that you slept because of them. One day at a time. You are not alone.I’m currently having a bit of a bout again due to anxious thoughts but I was able to sleep 9 hours and 50 minutes last night (I wear a fitbit to bed). Honestly cognitive behavioral therapy will help. You don’t have a sleeping problem but an anxiety one. This fact helped me improve my sleep. You need to manage your anxiety and the sleep will come. You may be sleeping more than you realize so a fitbit can help determine that if you are able to get one. Remember this because it helps me: know one has ever died from insomnia. The body will always get some sleep in order to survive.
You can beat this because it’s your thoughts causing the anxiety which causes the insomnia. You can “rewire” the brain by changing your thought patterns. Have you ever tried Martin’s courses? He has the 2 week one which is free. Man his success rate is amazing and I’ve never done it yet. I’ve found this forum and his podcasts have helped me greatly. This is from a former avid pill popper who never thought she could get off sleeping pills. I started them at 20 and got off them at 32. I don’t want that for anybody because you can also become psychologically addicted to them. You can do this. Don’t look at it like this: “OMG I’ll never sleep again.” Take one night at a time and look at every night as an adventure. I know some days can be hard. A few days ago I was crying and asking when the sleeplessness will end. It ends when you are ready and have had enough. Some nights I lie there an overthink like this: “What do I do with my hands?” “Should I be thinking while trying to sleep.” “Will thinking keep me awake?” Etc. I literally remember thinking about putting the laundry in the dryer before passing out last night so the trick is to distract your mind by thinking about other things. Therapy can help. Martin’s courses can help. His podcasts can help. Sleeping pills? Nope, they will take away any sleep confidence you have and you’ll only believe that you slept because of them. One day at a time. You are not alone.
