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I agree with IngridS that you should seek out Naturopaths. But above all else, believe in yourself. Know that you have the potential to do good things in life. Know that in spite of your Illness, you will not be stopped from touching the world in some special way. Know that this Illness has given you awareness and compassion for others who would suffer. Know that you will never be the one who says “oh its just all in your head”. Be strong in the face of this battle!.
I could not afford accupuncture during the year that I had insomnia, so I cannot comment on it. I do know that I tried alternatives such as HTTP, and other homeopathic approaches. And I do know that my insomnia has been brought under control. “knock on wood”. For me, insomnia is a scary thing to talk about, but I want you to know that you can become a stronger person if you realize certain things about it. Namely: Be very careful in you choices and do not allow your choices to be influenced by you condtion. Please understand I am not instructing you, but warning you. You can be stronger due to you experience with this condtion or you can become weaker. I truly believe you can become stronger. WATCH YOUR CHOICES !!
I had a blood test done, that showed my vitamin D levels were on the low side but not severely low, so I started taking vitamin D3 800-1200 iu's daily. This has gone on for approximately 2 weeks and I have not noticed any appreciable differences in my sleep. Apparently Vitamin D dificiency is associated with a number of diseases, including insomnia, according to this article _ http://www.usdoctor.com/insomnia.htm . Please spend a few minutes and read this article, because the information contained gives specific remedies for people with insomnia. It would great if we are able to find something that will help us sleep normally again. Thank you for the topic Wonderhussy
I sure do know what you mean when you say the insomnia fuels the anxiety. When my insomnia began in March of this year, it literally freaked me out. I spent every free minute I had doing research into what could be causing the insomnia. I spent endless hours searching for answers, talking with whoever I could. It didn't matter to me if the person I was talking to was the pharmacist at Walmart or the cashier at GNC (general nutrition center). I was just hoping someone would be able to shed some light on the subject. Well anyway, its been 8 months since the insomnia began and presently I am not taking any medications, however neither am I sleeping much. Your concern regarding the medications is a valid one, but in the end you will have to decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks; Its a tough decision.
Yes, it is hard to find a sleep specialist who truly understands the many facets of sleep disturbances. It appears that most sleep specialists focus on sleep apnea, narcolepsy or restless leg syndrome. I remember visiting a sleep specialist and paying for the visit with cash (approximately $200.00). I was hoping that he would give me a well rounded and in depth understanding on the subject of insomnia, but instead he gave me a very limited amount of information to work with. He focused on C.B.T., which is in itself valuable information, but when I asked him to provide me with other possible reasons for my insomnia, he was only able to recall one illness that is prevalent in the continent of Africa named African trypanosomiasis. From my own research I have found numerous possible reasons for insomnia, including medical conditions such as; liver disease, heart disease, hyperthyroidism and brain chemical imbalances such as; Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, GABA and Acetylcholine. The list goes on… I guess what I am trying to convey is that someone with the title of “sleep specialist”, in my opinion, should be able to furnish a complete and exhaustive list of possible insomnia causes (a piece of paper with researched information). Otherwise we are required to see our primary care specialist, and good luck there. I think its about time the medical community started treating this thing like a serious medical condition. We all know it is!!!
'pbsndwch' wrote on '27:I usually go to bed around 11 or midnight when I get home from work and don't fall asleep until 3 or 4am, then I get up at 6 or 7 for work depending on the day. Sometimes if I have the day off I won't set my alarm so I can take sleeping pills and sleep in. Some nights I don't actually fall asleep at all by the time I have to get up for work.
I know what you mean about the not falling asleep right away. I'm sure it must be very difficult to get up in the morning after only sleeping a few hours.
I was excited last night when I felt a little sleepy at bedtime, which is 10:00 pm. I drifted off to sleep for approximately 1.2 or 2 hours. This is rare for me because I usually do not get any sleep until very late in the evening. Unfortunately I was not able to fall back to sleep, but just the fact that sleep came early in the evening is good news.
Hello, I too have had insomnia for some time. I am presently paying close attention to my condition in hopes of finding some remedy. If I may ask, how often do you have insomnia and approximately how many hours a night do you sleep.?
Hello BobbyP
I think xdunlapx's condition is very similar to my own, in that the insomnia is every night. Originally when my insomnia started in March of this year, my doctor prescribed me a powerful benzodiazepine and suggested I take it only when needed. The problem was that I needed it every night and so If I would have continued using it (according to all the information I have gathered) I would need 2 other drugs to detox with before trying to completely stop using it. I guess the real question is: Is your insomnia chronic and effects you every night and do you think you can moderate your use of the drug? Care must be taken with any benzodiazepine.
Hello Nikki
I am sorry that you are suffering from insomnia. I think you are right when you say that people who have not experienced chronic insomnia, have a hard time understanding the condition and its real consequences for the sufferer. I have been dealing with insomnia for 7 months, with the first 6 months being the worst. I am still hopeful that cognitive behavioral therapy will do the trick but I must also accept that this may be a long term condition and be ready to find new ways of working around it. It is very difficult Nikki; I know.
Hello Darrin,
How is the CBT going. I am trying once again to incorporate CBT into my nightly routine. Recently I have been able to get 4 hours of sleep on some nights.
Thanks Darrin
As you know; this program is very difficult to fully incorporate into ones nightly routine. I personally undertook an experiment with CBT for approximately one month but I was not successful in restoring my normal sleep. I am no longer following most of the rules because I am staying in a small motor home. Kind of hard to go into another room when there's only one. LOL
