The Joys and Horrors of Insomnia

[Janice]

Cute dresses, Britt.

[Jammies]

At least your insomnia and anxiety have good taste!

[~Geektastic~]

I bought some green thigh-highs from We Love Colors for Halloween. I had to cut slits in the elastic to keep them from cutting my legs off. One size does NOT fit all.

[Brittomart]

Misha, I found out about ASOS curve from various plus sized fashion blogs. Most of their stuff makes me go "OMG MUST HAVE," but it's expensive. Yay for clearance!

[Jonathan]

4:50AM and I'm wide awake, listening to Falco sing Der Kommissar. Dreh dich nicht um, schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! What a strange way to start the week.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Hard to tell if that's voluntary, or under duress.

[Jonathan]

I wasn't awake voluntarily--just found myself unable to sleep through the night--but the musical selection was mine. No duress was involved.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I usually sleep well but for some unknown reason I've only been able to sleep from about midnight to 3 a.m. last two nights.

[Louise]

I've been stressed lately, as a result I've had 3 nights in the last 2 weeks with NO sleep at all. Just lying awake frustrated. My doctor gave me some sleeping pills to break the bad rythm, but I'm not that keen on taking them. I've taken ½ a few times, so I won't have to skip work (I stayed home twice, too tired to dare get in the car), and I'm trying to relax and be more zen, but apparently it takes a while for the stress hormones to get out of your system? SO annoying...

[Louise]

Lobstergirl wrote: "I understand limited insomnia. I don't understand insomnia that goes on for days. Doesn't your body eventually get so sleepy you collapse, and you sleep?"

I can go for two-three days with no sleep, I get so "overtired" that my mind races and my heart pounds. But that's only when I'm stressed

[[deleted user]]

RandomAnthony wrote: "Ok, longtime TCers know both Sally and me have occasional bouts with insomnia. I'm going through one now. I'll go to sleep at 9PM and be up by one and won't be able to go back to sleep. Fuck. I..."

I have suffered from insomnia for as long as I can remember partly due to asthma at night. It is also part of CFIDS or maybe the cause of it, who knows.
alice Owl

[Angela~twistedmind~]

I also don't have the 'occasional bout' of insomnia. It's a nightly thing and has been since my teens. I finally gave in and now I take a mild sedative and meletonin. the meletonin is actually more helpful than the sedative.

[[deleted user]]

I just purchased a new bottle of melatonin today and better go take some. thanks for this reminder

Night Owl

The Whole Way to Allergy Relief & Prevention: A Doctor's Complete Guide to Treatment & Self-Care

[Sally, la reina]

Melatonin does not work for me.

[Louise]

I tried it, it makes me drowsy but I don't sleep. I'm going to see a hypnotist on Monday, willing to try just about anything at the moment.

[[deleted user]]

I forgot to take my melatonin early enough.

[Angela~twistedmind~]

Sally, maybe you're not taking enough. My old boss, who introduced me to it, could only take 1 mg each night. I have to take at least 6, or I'm just wasting time and money. I could not live w/o my meletonin. I would eventually die of sleep deprivation.
Currently, I feel like I'm about to die of it anyway. I'm clogged up and everytime I go to sleep I start dreaming that I'm suffocating. Oh, the many ways I have dreamt up in which to suffocate. I'm getting a few scant minutes of sleep here and there, and it's catching up to me big time. Yet, the dreams of suffocating on a huge wad of chewing gum go on.

[Louise]

I had a friend who'd dream she couldn't breath, and then wake up. She saw a psychotherapist who fixed it.

[Sally, la reina]

I don't have any of these problems. I just think about my students every minute of the night. I just don't like dreaming about them so I resist falling asleep as long as I can until my sleeper is broken.

[Félix]

Do they know you are this devoted to them?

[Sally, la reina]

Some of them do. There are a lot of kids who just want someone to be nice to them.

[Sally, la reina]

Some of them won't stop trying to make me stop caring.

[Félix]

I remember being one of that type in school.

[[deleted user]]

Are you enjoying the work Sally?

[Sally, la reina]

Those are sometimes the most amusing.

[Angela~twistedmind~]

Alice wrote: "another thought, if you have sleep apnea and you take a sleeping pill (not melatonin) I was told you can die as you need to wake up in order to get a breath. Most of the people in my CFIDS support..."

Oh, well now that's nice to know. We're pretty sure I have sleep apnea, I just haven't made time to go in for the study, yet. And I do take a very mild sedative, other than the meletonin. The last three nights, I have come straight up out of bed trying to get a breath. Last night was one of those freaky 'as seen on tv' dreams. There was alot to it, but the part that freaked me out and jerked me awake was being cornered by a multitude of doctors and nurses. One of the docs said, "Sooo, you like to take medicine, do you missy?" (I've been downing nyquil the past week). The next thing I knew, I was pushed onto my back on a bench and I'm looking up as all these docs and nurses surround me chanting, "Take your medicine, take your medicine" as one of the doc poured a thick syrup in my face, down my throat and up my nose. I hardly ever, ever have a dream that bolts me straight up out of bed, but I've done it the last three nights in a row. I already have an irrational fear of suffocation and these dreams are just freaking me the fuck right out. I really, really need to look into getting a cpap. My cousin's husband uses one and he says it's been a life saver for him.
What is a NETI pot and where do I find one of these wonders? I'm about ready to try anything. I don't even like putting my face under the water in the shower right now and I know it's just a ridiculously irrational reaction to the dreams.

[Angela~twistedmind~]

I've taken a little albuteral once (inhaler) and I've taken primatine (sp?) once since it's started this time. I have seasonal allergies and, as a kid, it used to progress into ashthma attacks. There's not much worse feeling than not being able to get enough air. It's very frightening. I've basically outgrown the asthma, only having two attacks since I was about 16 and both times were while I was recovering from Lyme's Disease. I do get bronchitis usually twice a year, though. Usually as winter turns to spring and summer turns to fall. Those seasons are usually the worst for me as far as allergies are concerned. But the clogging is always at this time of the year.
Thanks for all the great ideas, Alice!! I've never heard of the NETI pot and never thought about a mega dose of C. I was wondering outloud today if I should visit the doc and ask for a shot of Vit. B or C. I got a flu shot about three weeks ago and something has been lingering on ever since.
I sound like such a whiner. Thanks, everyone, for letting me have my little pity party.

[[deleted user]]

Angela wrote: "I've taken a little albuteral once (inhaler) and I've taken primatine (sp?) once since it's started this time. I have seasonal allergies and, as a kid, it used to progress into ashthma attacks. The..."

Sorry to get on my soapbox. I am on so many yahoo lists for this stuff. You might need to read Dr. Bell's book. I hope not but....

David S. Bell

[Cheri]

I went to a hypnotist because I hadn't slept in months. We talked for a hour or more, then she hypnotised me, and make a cassette tape of the session. I used the tape about 10 nights and then could go to sleep on my own. Now if I wake in the middle of the night and know I'm not going to get myself back to sleep, I listen to the tape and it works. It's mostly relaxing and breathing but tailored for me about what I find relaxing. I'd recommend this before taking pills.

[Angela~twistedmind~]

Alice wrote: "Angela wrote: "I've taken a little albuteral once (inhaler) and I've taken primatine (sp?) once since it's started this time. I have seasonal allergies and, as a kid, it used to progress into ashth..."


Oh, no worries. Jump on that soapbox anytime you want. I have mine decorated with pretty swirls and glitter. ;)

[[deleted user]]

Cheri wrote: "I went to a hypnotist because I hadn't slept in months. We talked for a hour or more, then she hypnotised me, and make a cassette tape of the session. I used the tape about 10 nights and then could..."

I went to a hypnotist back in 1977 which helped me and then again about 1996 which helped my asthma that time. However, in my case my neurotransmitters are messed up perhaps due to celiac disease and no amount of relaxing tapes will alter my basic biochemistry. I seem to need GABA in addition to others. GABA is OTC too. I also like Liquid Serotonin from the pain and stress center in San Antonio. Serotonin is made in the gut and if you have celiac you are probably going to be deficient in it. A girl here on goodreads told me that everyone has some degree of gluten sensitivity. I was very surprised to read this.

[[deleted user]]

thanks Angela, I love glitter and sparklies. I notice that Anne of Green Gables does also! My handwriting is full of swirls too.

Anne of Green Gables