insomnia

[Keef Monkey]

I made changes to my routine:

- Stopped drinking Tea and Coffee after 6pm at night.
- Avoided drinking alcohol just before going to bed
- Moved as much as I could out of the bedroom so that bedroom became very specifically a space to sleep
- Started a bedtime routine; doing the same things every night so my body knew it was getting ready to sleep.
- Writing a To Do list before I went to bed
- When in bed, stifling the urge to move even if I was having trouble sleeping
- If having trouble sleeping, getting up and doing something else for half an hour (watch an episode of TV, read comic etc.) Then get back to bedtime routine

and it all worked remarkably well with no need for chemicals of any kind.

Of course, now I'm married with kids I'm so permanently knackered that I could snort a bucketful of coke at 2355 and still be asleep by midnight.

This is all great advice, I used to have really horrible insomnia (which apparently was a symptom of stress and depression at the time) and these are more or less the steps I took and now I sleep fine most nights.

The only nights I have problems I find are when I get ready for bed and then sit up for a couple of hours or more playing videogames. Means I slip into bed with my mind pretty stimulated by the games and as I don't have that teeth and PJs routine to get me settled.

Also they say that if you're going to get up and do something for half an hour you need to make it something really dull, like housework. If you make it something you enjoy you risk subconciously treating it as a reward for not falling asleep. Apparently. If that fails just wank furiously.

[mogzilla]

HOLY CRAP! back with a vengance!!

sunday night got to sleep maybe 3:30-4am up at 630 for work...zombied all day...

last night went up at 9 with warm milk,natrasleep and blood moon and....nada...zilch sfa....currently up to 30.5 hours awake with that 2 hours on sunday...had to phone in work so thatll go down well, that zombied put the bacofoil roll in the fridge....so been to docs and got some temazepam to try tonight! fingers toes and tentacles crossed!

[Noisybast]

As a couple of other boarders have suggested, throwing one over your thumb should do the trick

[Rog69]

The only nights I have problems I find are when I get ready for bed and then sit up for a couple of hours or more playing videogames. Means I slip into bed with my mind pretty stimulated by the games and as I don't have that teeth and PJs routine to get me settled

I get the same problem, I play COD4 in a clan and we always get together on Sunday nights for a couple of hours and I have to wind down for a while before I hit the sack otherwise I'm just too wired to sleep.

Have you tried exercising Mog? This helps me no end, I go swimming one evening a week and I can barely crawl upstairs come bedtime.

[vzzbux]

I only get hit with this once in a blue moon, which is linked to my tinnitus. It's the constant BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE that keeps me awake.
On the subject of tinnitus my missus worked out why I have either the TV or radio on all the time even when I am not watching or listening to it. It drown out that constant BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Never made the link myself but yeh it makes sense.






V

[eggonlegs]

temazepam

[mogzilla]

temazepam

yep,taken and worked! woke at 11am feeling for the first time in ages like i'd had a sleep!  drugs ,cant beat 'em even some of the other eerrr...natural methods didnt work

and its gorgeuous out !i feel like ferris beuller!

[TordelBack]

and its gorgeuous out !i feel like ferris beuller!

Better living through chemistry it is so!

[John Caliber]

Long-term sedative or painkilller usage can cause long-term cognitive problems--insomnia might be the least of any user's worries. I suffer from chronic fatigue caused by an anutoimmume disease, sticky blood and steroid damage (prescribed for the autoimmune disease). I was prescribed the sedatives Gabapentin and Amitryptaline to try to overcome Restless Legs Syndrome (I also have some form of peripheral neuropathy), and both drugged me for 24 hours solid; I could hardly stand up--and they were LOW doses 

[mogzilla]

Long-term sedative or painkilller usage can cause long-term cognitive problems--insomnia might be the least of any user's worries. I suffer from chronic fatigue caused by an anutoimmume disease, sticky blood and steroid damage (prescribed for the autoimmune disease). I was prescribed the sedatives Gabapentin and Amitryptaline to try to overcome Restless Legs Syndrome (I also have some form of peripheral neuropathy), and both drugged me for 24 hours solid; I could hardly stand up--and they were LOW doses 

you're no fun!


only a short term measure i assure you (i hope) but after the marathon 41 hour wakey ive just had a welcome measure to say the least.

[SmallBlueThing]

but after the marathon 41 hour wakey ive just had

No, I'm not even going to tell you how I read that at first!

SBT

[mogzilla]

but after the marathon 41 hour wakey ive just had

No, I'm not even going to tell you how I read that at first!

SBT

mein gott i would sleep!!!!!!

[Casshern]

I know its a bit unorthodox but smoke a doobie right before bedtime and read a comic in bed, works a treat for me. Used to have Insomnia when I was in sixth form and the doctor told me it was a crap diet so I just started eating more fruit and veg and drank less coca cola and it did the job. I feel your pain mate, its horrible staring at the ceiling all night when you know you have to be up in a couple of hours. Hope it gets better, lots of good advice on here.

[eggonlegs]

temazepam

yep,taken and worked! woke at 11am feeling for the first time in ages like i'd had a sleep!  drugs ,cant beat 'em even some of the other eerrr...natural methods didnt work

and its gorgeuous out !i feel like ferris beuller!

good news!!!!
just use em for a few days

[SuperSurfer]

Check out this BBC programme, mogzilla. Off iPlayer now but on YouTube.

10 Things you need to know about sleep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixRHtVwqnhE&feature=related

It's uploaded in parts. I actually fell asleep on the sofa while watching it on tv but then watched it online.

I used to suffer from insomnia as a kid then years later it clicked that I was having tons of coffee late in the evenings. 7.30pm is my cut off point now. Due to regularly working late I am now in the habit of pottering about until late so am always tired and sleep easily. Problem is I live in a block on inconsiderate barstards so I sleep with earplugs to limit the amount of times I am woken.

When I do have trouble getting to sleep, I find listening to relaxing music with earphones helps. I set my ancient iPod to switch off after 30mins. Problem is I wake up during the early hours almost strangled by the cable.