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Going to bed later in the evening has worked for me on occasion. Last night I went to bed at 1:30 am and slept for approximately 3 hours.
If you decide to try Yoga, you might also try a type of guided imagery therapy called “Yoga Nidra”. This entails listening to an audio that will help you visualize parts of your body and help you relax. I tried it myself while at the same time doing Yoga nearly everyday. My success was limited, but everyone is different.
'MarinaFournier' wrote on '23:Interesting you should ask that. I lie and sleep on my side quite a lot. While I was pregnant ages and aye ago, the arm *above* me would get numb–not all of it, but enough to be noticed and thought weird. I never thought to ask any Dr about this, but maybe I will. It does happen now and then, and I have no idea why, or what the mechanism might be.
What really bugs me is when my hands go numb while I'm driving. Not a blood sugar/pressure issue, I think.
Years ago, I also had the problem of my arm getting numb when placed above my head in a contorted position. Presently my hands are getting numb when placed on my chest and laying on my back. My doctors don't seem to be concerned with it, so I am just monitoring the progress. I would be interested to know if you find out anything about the numbness in your hands while driving.
Have a good day
'1949Molly' wrote on '16:PatO,
I was very interested in your “cognitive behavioral therapy” as this treatment has been discussed a lot on this site. I for one would love to hear your entire experience with this. I could never afford to do it so second hand info is about all I'll get.
Well, after many other attempts to find a solution to my sleeplessness I found a sleep specialist who placed me on CBT. The doctor instructed me to remove any television from my bedroom; hide my alarm clock; go to bed only when sleepy; get out of bed and go to another room if I cannot sleep within 15 to 30 minutes of laying down; and get up at the same time every day. Anyways, I am following the doctors instructions as closely as possible and I am still getting only limited amounts of sleep ( 1 hour to 3 hours). 1949Molly, I completely understand your situation and in all honesty I should also be taking medication, but I believe that If I don't try this now, (while the chronic insomnia is still relatively new) then I will never be able to look back and say I tried all alternatives. I will keep you updated as to my success or failure with the therapy.
I can definitely understand your concerns over going multiple nights in a row with no sleep. I presently have chronic insomnia that effects me every night without exception. I keep a journal which lists the times I go to bed and get up in the morning (also when I am out of bed in the middle of the night). My reason for keeping a journal is because my doctor has placed me on “cognitive behavioral therapy”, and it helps to keep track of any progress. I have found that being on the therapy has helped limit the depression that is associated with insomnia, because it sets clear parameters to follow and gives me some hope of regaining a partial or complete ability to sleep normally. The program requires me to get out of bed and go into another area of the house If I am unable to sleep and then return to bed when I feel tired again. So far only limited success, but I must keep working at it. Welcome to the group
'sleeplessinky' wrote on '08:I recently heard that sometimes insomnia is caused by adrenal fatigue, that if your cortisol levels (that's the stress hormone) is too high at night, it would cause insomnia. I recently was tested for this by saliva tests 4 times a day.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me. If that is the problem, there are some natural products out there that will help. I have a friend who has adrenal fatigue and she takes something called Cortisol Manager, along with high doses of B vitamins and her cortisol levels are back to normal and her insomnia is gone. It's worth a try.
Thanks for the info. The cortisol manager looks interesting.
'xdunlapx' wrote on '08:That's interesting. I wonder if I have high cortisol levels. Where can I find this test you speak of? 🙂 Do I have to go to a doctor to get the test? I had horrible sleep last night, woke up practically every hour. That's unusual for me. I can't seem to fall asleep without a couple of muscle relaxers. It calms my mind and puts me in a sleepy state. The traditional newer medicines to treat insomnia do nothing for me. The only thing they tend to do is keep me asleep at night, but never can they get me to fall asleep. I've given up on trying to ask my doctor for medicines to treat my insomnia, it seems he only wants me to try the newer ones, and not try barbituates (?) if that's what they are called. The old fashioned sleeping pills.
I want more info on the adrenal fatigue thing. Thanks for starting this thread!
Here is a link to one company that does the testing…https://www.neurorelief.com/index.php?p=testing
You will have to contact the company and find out what doctors or pharmacy's carry or can order the test kit in your area. The company specializes in neurotransmitter testing, which there is some debate as to whether the results are accurate (I had my neurotransmitters tested by this company). I have not heard the same debate regarding cortisol level testing, so you should be able to feel confident in the results.
Another company that does cortisol testing is….http://www.zrtlab.com/vmchk/cortisol-tests/view-all-products.html
I had my hormone levels and cortisol levels tested with this lab and I believe you can order the test directly from them. This lab will allow you to view your results directly from the internet.
'Martin' wrote on '08:That's an interesting question – thanks for posing it to the community. I'll be interested to see if any other members chime in on this one. The only relation to insomnia and numbness I've ever come across is with meningeal compression. I am not sure if this is precisely what you describe, but it could be worth looking into:
http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/is-meningeal-compression-the-cause-of-your-insomnia/
Thank you for the information. I'm researching the subject to see if their might be some parallels related to my condition. When my chronic insomnia began back in March of this year, it was not related to any fall or accident but rather living conditions and stress. Also, when my insomnia began I experienced 6 nights of sleeplessness and on the 6th night I had a TIA (Transient ischemic attack). The TIA or pre-stroke as it is sometimes called, resulted in no permanent damage, but the memory of half my body going numb that night causes me to wonder if the numbness in my hands has a deeper underlying reason. All possibilities are on the table and the more information the better.
'Martin' wrote on '05:Earthing, eh? I have to admit, that's a new one on me – and I've been researching insomnia for almost two years whilst writing for our blog!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained – right?! 😎
Here is a study that I found doing an internet search. The study focuses on sleeping while grounded to earth, using a specially designed mattress pad: http://energyresearch.homestead.com/Editorial_-_Our_place_in_nature_-_Reconnecting_with_the_Earth.pdf
'sweetsubversion' wrote on '04:I actually saw a TV show about couples looking for houses. Or maybe this was an article I read. A lot of people wanted an extra room, so when the other person had to toss and turn, they had their own little space in which to go crazy.
I hate people who tell me, “You need to get on a regular schedule! You need to get your ass out of bed! You need to get your ass in bed!” I've had that. I think there are people who are insensitive because they just want to be insensitive.
I finally caved in and took 2 Ativan last night, or rather this morning. I woke up at 4PM.
I agree that often times people can be extremely insensitive. For example I was talking with someone over the phone last night who said that he would blow his brains out if he was going through what I face every night. Granted that he may have been speaking in generalities, but apparently he has never had to experience such a traumatic condition or he would have been more considerate in his choice of words.
Yes, It is very frustrating to find that most, if not all of the natural remedies and supplements have very little effect on our sleep. I have tried many of the recommended remedies, including warm milk with organic honey, sleepy time tea and many others with no effect. It was recently recommended that I try a new therapy called earthing. This entails taking off your shoes and walking on some grass or other natural ground and is purported to improve ones circadian rhythm by allowing negative ions to enter your bare feet from the ground you are walking on. This therapy was recommended by someone close to me, who knows how sever my insomnia is. I can only appreciate them for suggesting such options, but in reality I suspect that I could walk for days on end with no shoes and still not be able to sleep. Welcome to the group!!!
I'm sorry to hear that your medications are not working. I hope you find others that will work. I am not taking medications presently, but that may change if I continue with zero sleep.
