Best Way to Battle Insomnia

Taro Milk Tea on 09/01/2020 - 14:44

Calling all my Insomnia Ozbargainers here..

Being an Insomnia-er is sucks! I always got jealous looking at those people who can fall asleep within seconds…like literally putting their head on the pillow, then off they go to their lala land..

I had worst Insomnia lately where I only managed to sleep total of 10 hours for the whole week. I was drained as hell….I have tried all the natural remedies to battle this, not really effective. And I'm trying using sleeping pills as much as I can.

For those of you who are like me, any tips battling this curse? and what was your worst Insomnia experience?

Of all the crap things I have to deal in my life, I just want to have a good sleep every night…sigh….

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • yomiti on 10/01/2020 - 09:22
    +1

    Its not for everyone but the sacred herb Mary Jane can help with insomnia. High cbd and CBN content with low THC would be ideal if for treating insomnia but possibly hard to come by considering the legality of it all. Anything that's not complete shite and laced with pgr should be adequate but.

  • field1985 on 10/01/2020 - 09:37
    +1

    Punch some cones

  • kevsta on 10/01/2020 - 09:52

    Get your blood pressure checked to make sure it is still within a healthy range.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 10/01/2020 - 10:43

      Healthy as heaven, always have check up every year and all good.

  • OzHunterNSW on 10/01/2020 - 10:27
    +1

    I feel you are deliberately omitting information.
    Are you worried and anxious?
    Do you dabble in opioids - speed?
    I think it is time to visit your doctor.

  • Lastchancetosee on 10/01/2020 - 10:31

    My partner and I have had insomnia over the years for various reasons, and we have found the most effective process is to see your doctor and get referrals to various sleep specialists who can provide evidence-based treatments.

  • sheepzpal on 10/01/2020 - 10:33
    +1

    weed

  • quaddie on 10/01/2020 - 10:43

    I've had problems sleeping all my life but have recently been much better by following all these steps
    -Exercise during the day
    -No caffeine after 10 am
    -In bed at same time every night
    -Use a sleep mask (the eye thing they give you on aeroplanes)
    -Play a podcast that i don't really care about at low volume
    -Melatonin (need to order from USA)

    • tomlikesbeetroot on 12/01/2020 - 00:52

      From time to time I have problems with insomnia would agree with these points.

      I use the 'manta' sleep mask, its excellent but quite expensive, 'alaska bear' is commonly recommended as the best reasonably priced.

      Definitely agree on the podcasts, there are some good bbc or abc programs that are mildly interesting but somewhat dull which help to drift off to sleep. Also good is the 'calm' phone app which has 'sleep stories', a bit like bed time stories for adults.

      My GP advised that there was little evidence to support melatonin supplements, and has prescribed sleeping pills (not to be taken regularly). I find the 'Z-drugs' to be more effective than benzodiazepines. Quite cheap and highly effective.

  • Taro Milk Tea on 10/01/2020 - 10:58

    THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE SUGGESTIONS!

    I genuinely surprised by the amount of care and helpful opinions many of you suggested here!
    I am a bit happy that I am not alone experiencing this and so glad to hear that it's actually something that can be fixed as some of you managed to survive it.

    After reading the suggestions here, things that I would try to do now are:

    1. Meditation - Never really into this thing before but I saw LOTS of you suggesting it and managed to have better sleep because of it. Anybody can suggest me what sort of meditations that I need to do? I'm really clueless here.

    2. No blue light gadgets hours before sleep - this is tough, but I WILL TRY TO REDUCE the usage of it even more

    3. Reading - Definitely will try to swap my gadget time with reading now, maybe also reconsider buying Kindle as it's easier to read. Let me know if there are any bargains currently :D

    4. Exercise with some exposure to morning sunlight - Tough for me to do, but i might switch my gym time exercising indoor with some outdoor exercise.

    5. Using herbal oil difuser

    6. Melatonin - probably will start considering this and start with small doses first, but will keep this as last option if I still haven't improve in the next days.

    Many of you also ask what is the ROOT cause of my Insomnia - It's my active brain that keeps working at night and I don't consume any caffeine products at night. So I genuinely thank you all for all the great tips!!!!

    Last night I managed to get 4 hours sleep, which is not bad. Hopefully I'll get better sleep tonight, wish me luck!!!

    • Melb69 on 10/01/2020 - 11:18
      +1

      Great to hear you have started to get some more sleep.
      1. Try just deep breathing. In and out. Breath through nose and release through mouth. Think about relaxing each part of the body as you do so. I think there are some good YouTube videos or apps that can help.
      2.and 3. I think you should avoid the Kindle for now as that is another screen. Just even pick up a trashing New Idea from the supermarket and read that.
      4. Don't know what other's have said. Getting sunlight during the day for Vit D is essential. Expose your skin to the sun. Sunmart though.
      5. Never tried that.
      6. If all fails give this a go or natural sleeping tablets with milk for a short period to break up the lack of sleeping cycle. Once you are on a good routine you'll feel a lot better.

      If all fails as I have said before. Go to a doctor as it may be more than just you thinking a lot.

      Also if its matter of work or something that you are thinking about that is worrying you. Write it down as a task to worry about for next day. Release the mind.

    • uedamasaki on 10/01/2020 - 11:50
      +4

      Hey, GP here.

      I'll always recommend seeing your friendly GP about this if you're struggling.
      Managing insomnia can be complicated and treatment should be guided by individual circumstances.

      If you have had long term issues with sleep, I wouldn't recommend sedative medications as it doesn't fix the long term issue. If it's a short term thing such as stress re exams, an upcoming event, flying etc, then sometimes short term sedatives have a role.

      Melatonin is a relatively low risk supplement/medication to try. It works on supplementing the hormone that is involved in regulating your biological clock. It is usually most useful if you're sleeping OK, but just not at the right time (falling asleep too late and sleeping in too late when you get the chance).

      Relaxation rituals such as meditation, white noise, essential oils, etc can be useful in winding you down while you prepare to go to sleep. 'Sleep hygeine' is always worth improving. Plenty of great tips on this in the comments. I would also recommend "no clock watching" if that has not been mentioned already

      In terms of specific types of sleep therapy look into 'sleep restriction therapy'. It's not a quick fix, but I think it has better long term benefits than starting medications.

      Lastly I just want to reinforce what someone has already mentioned: "you can't force yourself to sleep". The harder you try to sleep, the harder it is to sleep. Failing to sleep can cause frustration and anxiety about the effects about not sleeping and can therefore make it impossible to sleep. This is where sleep cognitive behavioural therapy can help to address specific anxieties and concerns about not sleeping. Again, I would suggest not checking the time if you have not been able to sleep well, or if you wake up during the night. All that does is reinforce your failure to sleep and increases frustration and anxiety. It's also important to speak to your GP about any other sources of anxiety, stress, or issues you are having with your mood/mental health.

      Best of luck!

      • Taro Milk Tea on 10/01/2020 - 14:43

        Arigato GP!

      • Lifeinflow on 11/01/2020 - 07:45
        +1

        Hey, psych here.
        Great points points above. Few extra things I'll add.

        • It appears that anxiety will be very important for you to manage in the process of getting to sleep and it may be worth getting professional help in this domain.
        • I can't stress enough that forcing yourself to sleep or not to think about concerns will have the opposite effect to what you're looking for.
        • Meditation (specifically mindfulness meditation) is a great strategy as, in addition to just being a calming process, it is a technique which helps you build up the skill of being non-judgmental of your thoughts and less inclined to try and change them. As counterintuitive as it may seem, putting less effort into suppressing your thoughts will allow them to dissipate on their own more easily.
        • With regards to blue light and melatonin, this will mainly be relevant if you get to sleep so late that you have to cut your sleep short for work or other commitments. It will help your body get used to a typical sleep schedule. Don't forget that blue light is also in white light (i.e. ceiling lights and the sun) so you want to minimise exposure to all light towards the end of the day.
        • I'll also add that benzodaizepine based sleeping tablets (and possibly others as well) are highly physiologically addictive and should not be taken long term in most cases. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines in particular typically leads to increased insomnia and anxiety and can occur even when the dose hasn't been reduced. If this is the case for you, talk to your GP about potentially weaning you off the medication. If it's something you've taken for a while it's best not to do this on your own.
    • DentArthurDent on 10/01/2020 - 14:45

      For 1.Meditation you can get heaps of free guided medidations (choose the ones about 20-30 minutes) from here: https://bswa.org/teachings/?teaching_topic=602&teacher=564&m…

      There's no religious emphasis, and if you dont like his voice (above link is filtered to one speaker) you can change the filter and try others.

      No need to sit in a special posture, you can do lying down if preferred and if you fall asleep during, even better :)

    • Miss B on 11/01/2020 - 09:18
      +1

      I'm not a doctor and I didn't do this under the advice of a doctor. For me, what fixed my insomnia was taking Phenergan for a period. It wasn't a short period, I'd say about a year and I still take it very occasionally now if I have something stressful the next day. The reason I tried it is I'd seen that someone had been prescribed Phenergan for anxiety and I was quite anxious around bed time, as well as knowing that Phenergan makes me tired. I also generally have anxiety so I figured 2 birds one stone. If a doctor doesn't prescribe it you can get it over the counter but not for insomnia or anxiety, I tell them it's for dermatitis. I was unable to find a doctor to care about any of my health issues until just recently, if you have one who's willing to assist I'd recommend speaking to them about options.

      I started at 3 x 25mg tablets and cut back to 1. Now when I have it I take 1. It does leave me a little tired the following day. I take it about 30-60mins before bed and don't do anything active or interesting after I've taken it. I made sure this was the same time every day so I was also developing a sleeping pattern. Phenergan also helped me stay asleep or go back to sleep if I woke up which was another issue I had. I can now fall asleep within about half an hour of going to bed after about 15 years of struggling to get to sleep and often only getting a couple of hours. I normally sleep through as well, though I do very rarely wake up unable to get back to sleep now that I've stopped the Phenergan. Whatever methods you decide to use try to incorporate a regular bedtime. Don't stay in bed for too long if you can't sleep though.

      • Glittrfist on 11/01/2020 - 14:44

        I also recommend Phenergan. Still do take it here and there for a few days at a time to help regulate a sleeping pattern. And if I do wake up I find it much easier to drift off. I do wake up a little groggy but ill take that any day over being a complete sleep deprived zombie the next day. I take 1/2 a 25mg tablet these days. I started at 50mg and still occasionally do this dose when I can afford to sleep in on a weekend and recharge!!

    • thirtysixd on 11/01/2020 - 13:41

      Im a bit late here but surprised noone has mentioned diet and timing of food.

      Digestion will mess with your sleep

      Apart from the obvious dont eat crap food
      Try finish dinner a few hours before bedtime
      Eating all meals within an 8 hour window
      Dont spike insulin just before sleeping (no late night sugar;))

  • Melb69 on 10/01/2020 - 11:11

    The Today show just had a story on getting back to proper sleeping habits after the holidays.
    1. Cut out alcohol, sugar and caffeine.
    2. Sleep on side not back.
    3. Go to sleep at a regular time. They actually said you need at least 7 to 9 hours.
    4. No electronic devices.

    Some of these things have already been mentioned by others.

  • trapper on 10/01/2020 - 11:38

    When your mind is active and thinking it can be hard to get to sleep. You need to make your mind bored, then it will want to sleep.

    Try counting backwards from 100, you can try visualise the numbers as you go to keep focused solely on this boring task.

    If you mind still wanders then the counting task may be too easy, so make it a little harder and count backwards by 2 (from 99 is better for 2's).

    If you're just too good with numbers and it still wanders then make it harder backwards by 3. etc

    Each time your mind wanders restart at 100.

    I saw this strategy online somewhere, it has never failed me.

  • healstreet on 10/01/2020 - 11:42

    If I cannot sleep, I listen to audio books I like but have already listened to. Therefore it turns off my thoughts but doesn't keep me intrigued (as I already know what happens).

  • Vert93 on 10/01/2020 - 11:47

    Go on a three day meth bender.

    You'll be out like a light for at least a day after it.

    But in seriousness, I've used low dose seroquel occasionally to get back into a better sleep pattern. 1/3 of 25mg is enough for me.

  • ozbjunkie on 10/01/2020 - 12:58

    Thaal Sinestro said it above but I'll say it again.

    Doxepin is a sedating antihistamine, which means you won't find it as addictive as benzos.
    It has a long half life, which can make you slightly groggy in the morning, but it's really easy to shrug off after waking up. Probably the best part is that it also has a mild anti anxiety effect in low doses, which might help with your racing thoughts.

    I know you said no drugs, but if all of the other recommendations don't work, and melatonin doesn't work. Talk to your doctor about 25mg doxepin taken an hour before bed.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/01/2020 - 17:10

      Why 25mg, when it has been shown to be effective at ultra-low dose of 3mg and 6 mg? Link

      • ozbjunkie on 11/01/2020 - 02:56

        Maybe im overdoing it then. I got prescribed doxepin for chronic hives a few years ago and I've never slept so soundly in my life.

        Op should definitely talk to a doctor (or at least talk to you, you work in medical right?).

  • mecusherb on 10/01/2020 - 13:06

    Swimming. It's easy and an absolute punisher on the body.

    That or a bottle of red wine. Or both, reward yourself.

    But exercise is key. Also I find if I am unable to exercise and then can't sleep I usually get out of bed, read a chapter of a book and then it resets your restlessness and I tend to fall asleep quickly after that.

    I've used meditation before but if your mind is busy it can be difficult. Try white noise spotify playlists.

  • skywards on 10/01/2020 - 13:44

    Give it to god and go to sleep.

  • tsu-chan on 10/01/2020 - 14:00

    I highly recommend to take magnesium. My male work colleagues swear by it for some reason (they usually give me some suggestive hints that it's for men sexual health) but since on Keto it understandably makes a difference because we're always trying to avoid the keto flu.

    The 3 nutrients(?) we need to regulate is sodium, magnesium and potassium because our diet has a little lack of natural forms of it sometimes. All three really regulate body function that I found is just as bad as insomnia.

    How I define the symptoms (after a year plus so of keto)
    Feeling faint even with lots of water = Lack of sodium
    Muscles about to cramp or can actively tell, while trying to sleep, muscles are engaged - Lack of magnesium
    Having interrupted sleep periods during the night - lack of magnesium

    That being said, don't have more than one suggested dosage of magnesium. I experienced the pain of slightly overdosing and it was followed with pins and needles and nausea.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/01/2020 - 14:54

    For me personally,

    blue light blocking goggles and brainwaves pro google app were game changers for me personally

    but melatonin and magnesium can also help

  • JohnHowardsEyebrows on 10/01/2020 - 15:06
    +1

    Watch any Marvel movie.

  • TrendyTim on 10/01/2020 - 16:09

    I've had trouble getting to sleep of late mainly due to my brain being stupid and is over active.

    I've been partial to listening to either Sleep stories, Sci Show Tangents or Dr Karl podcasts, except for the odd night id listen to a few of them before falling asleep ill often be out within 5 minutes so it'll take a few days to get through one cast (i love them and find them very interesting and sometimes quite humorous so have to try not to laugh and wake up the wife) so its purely a mental distraction.

  • apenman on 10/01/2020 - 16:24

    One thing you could try, I cannot see that anyone has posted on here is to fast before sleeping. The bigger the gap between dinner and when you sleep the easier it will be to fall asleep.

  • jjsnacks on 10/01/2020 - 16:30

    CBD works wonders

  • crashloaded on 10/01/2020 - 17:20

    The only thing that helped me through stress related insomnia was Temazepam.

  • CalmLemons on 10/01/2020 - 17:24
    +1

    Go buy the book Why We Sleep

    If you can't sleep, medications are the very worst and last resort.

    If you can't sleep, literally just go to anything else.

    I would highly recommend reading the book

  • MoonlapseVertigo on 10/01/2020 - 17:31

    Have a kid. You will relinquish any opportunity to have some sleep

  • cheapaznbastard on 10/01/2020 - 18:21

    Try light therapy. Recently, I've been at home and not getting much sunlight so all of the sudden, I couldn't sleep until 8am in the morning. But I bought this light therapy lamp from Amazon and it works great. There has been scientific research on it and looks very promising for not just insomnia but other disorders such as SAD.

  • Logical on 10/01/2020 - 22:15

    Come over to my place and help me build a large retaining wall from concrete blocks… One days work will have you fall flat on your back in bed and guarantee you at least 6 to 8 hours sleep!

  • p1 ama on 10/01/2020 - 22:24

    Do you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep? In other words, are you sleeping too late, or are you waking up too early?

  • superValue on 10/01/2020 - 22:28
    +1

    Come up with silly stories like a young kid would in your head. Don't judge or be critical of the stories. Just go with the flow and it's okay to be repetitive.

    This activity distracts your brain from deep thinking while engaging your brain with a similar thought process as you might have in your dreams.

    How absurd can dreams be?

    So feel free to be absurd. Furthermore, because your last "thoughts" before falling asleep might be silly you have put your brain in silly/happy state to help you sleep through the night.

    Like anything, the more you practise the better you will get at it.

    • 2ForTheMoney on 11/01/2020 - 11:34
      +1

      I like this idea. Will try it

  • jbar21 on 10/01/2020 - 22:39

    You just need to set a schedule for sleep. Doing it everyday changes your body clock. Other things like coffee, blue light, temparature, etc are just factors affecting your sleep. Take a bath to make your body cooler. Hope it helps you. It helps me alot. Just stick with your schedule.

  • citybargainhunter on 10/01/2020 - 23:02

    Red wine

  • mousie on 11/01/2020 - 00:47

    Start a fight club

  • malich on 11/01/2020 - 06:21

    I've struggled with insomnia all my life.

    Recently, what I've sound most effeftive is not eating any carbs after 5pm.

  • vroomkroom on 11/01/2020 - 09:02

    Try ResMed.. Seems like they deal and help people with insomnia.. No personal experience.
    https://www.resmed.com.au/

    • pjetson on 11/01/2020 - 11:34

      Resmed sell CPAP machines, for sleep aponea. They can cost up to $2000, and sleep aponea may have absolutely nothing to do with your insomnia.

      With sleep aponea, you literally stop breathing while you're asleep, maybe dozens of times during the night. Your brain eventually realises that you're not breathing and pushes out hormones to get you to breath again. This might shock you into fully waking up, and if so, you may not be able to get back to sleep very easily. This doesn't happen to everyone with sleep aponea, though - many people don't fully wake up, but the aponea still affects their quality of sleep.

      A CPAP machine basically forces air into you continuously so that you don't stop breathing. It has no other therapeutic function, and doesn't directly have any affect on sleeplessness.

      If you go to a sleep specialist and have a sleep test, almost invariably you'll be diagnosed with sleep aponea, whether it's the actual cause of your sleep problems or not. Yes, my own personal experiences have made me cynical.

  • curtturtle on 11/01/2020 - 10:54

    Melatonin worked a treat for me after years of prescribed Z's. I buy it online out of the US or Germany. But it can't be used like a sleeping pill. You need to take it EVERY night at the same time and it will build up a routine in your system. Takes about a month to set.

  • diazepam on 11/01/2020 - 11:59

    Hey Taro Milk Tea.
    Also medical here (the GP above provided really solid advice).

    This is what I give to all patients that come in with insomnia

    Has helpful hints on like getting out of bed doing things low stimulus then trying again to fall asleep…
    Let me know if you have any questions!

  • Cluster on 11/01/2020 - 12:50

    Have you gone to a GP for advice and referral to a sleep specialist?

  • Robbo2234 on 11/01/2020 - 13:30
    +1

    The best thing I did was to get some acoustic sheep headphones. There super slim like wearing a sweat band around your head and listen to guided meditations and asmr on YouTube, I go from awake to asleep in about 10 minutes, rather than the hours it used to be.
    https://www.sleepphones.com

    Get the wireless ones!

  • Glittrfist on 11/01/2020 - 14:34
    +1

    My two cents as I have suffered insomnia on and off for years.

    -Seeing a psychologist. I suffer pretty hard anxiety at times and working through some old issues actually did help.
    -Regular exercise is an absolute must for me to regulate all those body chemicals and settle my mind.
    -A good diet. Strangely enough I found going keto/ketogenic diet (hate it or love it) really regulated my energy levels throughout the day and I found myself naturally beginning to fall into a more solid sleeping pattern. In any case restrict sugar at a bare minimum. If you don't do caffeine then no problems there.
    -I actually set a really gentle sleep timer about 30 mins to an hour before I want to go to sleep. And then begin a loose routine for myself. Brushing teeth etc. I put on some very ambient electronic soundscapes that play all night. And just as I lie down to attempt to crash I play a mindfulness tape. Mine is from headspace. It takes me out of my head a bit and into my body a little and more often than not I drift off during that.

    But find what works for you. There are certain activities before bed that can help me. Reading often helps puts me to sleep. Sometimes even watching a Japanese film in the background on a timer. As its not English I find I don't concentrate on the plot and find the human voices soothing. Or a podcast on reaaaaal low. Like just a murmur. Nothing I can actually make out. I know people say to avoid things like reading/electronics but sometimes a Ghibli film works! There are exceptions to the rules!

    Not that I recommend it but at one stage the insomnia was screwing with my life and mental state so hard I had to get on an extremely sedative antidepressant. It worked quite well for my situation but that was definitely a short term and last resort for me. But it did help reset my body clock. Strangely enough the problem was that I found I slept TOO much on them. haha. Cant win. Just know it IS an option…

    Hope I didn't repeat too many of these other suggestions!

    Good luck man. I feel your pain. Makes life an absolute drag. Just know with time this absolutely can be beaten!

  • dimsim99 on 11/01/2020 - 19:34
    +1

    Fellow medical practitioner here.

    It’s great to be informed of all the possible treatment options from various sources, but similar to the suggestions above, I would highly recommend seeing your local friendly GP.

    Searching for identifiable stressors and associated medical conditions (that can sometimes be hidden illnesses) like anxiety or sleep apnoea for example can be hard to approach all by yourself, so seeing a health professional can help guide you through it.

    I find that most people do quite well with cognitive behaviour therapy with a psychologist because they can better understand how our common thoughts and behaviours interferes with sleep, whilst providing sleep hygiene advice. Also, you might be able to get some insight into your sleep pattern by completing a sleep diary which can help direct your health provider to a specific type of sleep technique that may be helpful (sleep restriction, stimulus control, bright light etc). Medications are only usually helpful for severe symptoms but generally limited to short term use due to their risks, side effects, drug interactions etc.

    My favourite resource (which includes lots of patient handouts) is this one here from SA Health. Again, seeing your local GP I think is the best starting point. Best of luck!

    https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+conten…

  • spiderbite88 on 11/01/2020 - 21:06

    Try all the sleep hygiene tips here. See your GP. If the insomnia persists ask your GP to refer you to a sleep psychologist. Turns out I had a very rare circadian rhythm disorder called Delayed Phase Sleep disorder, that eventually developed into Non-24 Sleep Cycle disorder. Even after perfect sleep hygiene and lifestyle my sleep rhythm would not change. It would move an hour ahead each night. So for 2 weeks I would be awake in the day and asleep at night (normal) but then the next 2 weeks I would feel wide awake and night and sleep in the day. This has cycled predictably for years! Even with perfect sleep hygiene and lifestyle I could not change this. My doctor has prescribed me specifically timed melatonin to help reset this. Fingers crossed it works!

    But point being you never know. Keep a sleep diary and see a specialist.

  • dirtybigbjelke on 11/01/2020 - 21:46
    +1

    Get your GP to refer you to a sleep clinic where you can see both a Doctor and a sleep psychologist. I went to the one at Royal Melbourne and it's all bulk billed. Getting good sleep is a matter of habits and scheduling and the Doctors are really smart about that stuff.

    Oh and the sleep restriction therapy mentioned above worked quite well for me.

  • darkchoc on 12/01/2020 - 09:06
    +1

    OP asks for help to sleep.

    A number of people have suggested no phone or blue light devices 2 hours before bed.

    But then OP says they crave information and need the phone to sleep.

    That sounds like an addict talking!!!!

    Try for just 3 weeks. Charge the phone in the living room overnight and do not go to check it. You'll realise in the first night how much you crave and are addicted to it!

    Instead get a e-paper reader to read. They use a front light instead of a back light. Get a $10 alarm clock - you don't need your phone. Get a cheap MP3 player to listen to relaxing music. Just get rid of your phone!

  • Muimuimorris on 12/01/2020 - 09:12

    I watch Korean dramas on Netflix and the strain on my eyes of following subtitles usually knocks me out. Not a great solution because K drama is addictive, but generally gets me to sleep due to the eye strain

  • ardon on 12/01/2020 - 12:01

    I had trouble earlier this week for 3 nights in a row. Two of those nights I only got 1 hr sleep.
    3 nights was enough… I went to the doctor. She said first thing to solving the sleep problem was to actually get some sleep (funnily enough). Lack of sleep causes stress about actually sleeping, so the problem feeds off itself. It also messes with your melatonin production.
    Was given temaz 10mg and 5mg melatonin. Told to take 2 temaz and 1 melatonin at the same time every night for 5 nights, waking up at the same time. Establishing routine and getting the body clock back on track was priority 1, then we can deal with any issues remaining.
    You can't even attempt to solve your problems when you're sleep deprived. Get some sleep and the issues you're probably thinking about are going to seem smaller.

    I just finished 5 days of sleeping like that and have been sleeping great (as expected). I feel much less anxious and moody. I was a wreck after 3 nights of bad sleep.

    Sorry to hear about your issue but hope this helps. See a doctor 100%.

  • Oz em on 12/01/2020 - 12:58

    Melatonin but you need to take a few tablets not just 1.

  • dylan345 on 12/01/2020 - 15:08

    I too have insomnia that comes and goes in waves especially when I'm away with work.

    Tips that have helped me?
    1. Torture yourself by forcing yourself to wake up at the same time every day. Starts to work very well after two weeks.
    2. Raise your heart rate and burn some calories once a day to the point where you feel tired. Do this any way that works for you. For me, it's getting on a treadmill for 30min when I get home from work
    3. have a slow hot bath or shower in the evening this relaxes everyone
    4. cool your bedroom if possible
    5. Audiobooks with really really monotone narrators can sometimes help stop me from thinking too much in bed.
    6. muscle relaxants from your doctor
    7. melatonin
    8. smaller dinners
    9. block out lights in your bedroom i.e I cover my phone charger light with duct tape
    10. no caffeine after lunch, be diligent to check what has stimulates in them i.e chocolate

  • peterw1 on 12/01/2020 - 17:10

    get job with permanent night shift, perhaps it suits your body rhythms.
    move to the northern hemisphere/change time zones - sync your body with the surroundings

  • drmarshall on 14/01/2020 - 03:06

    I listen to the deep sleep videos on youtube helps me get to sleep https://www.youtube.com/user/jodywhiteley/videos?view=0&sort…

  • Toph Beifong on 14/01/2020 - 22:32

    Having been a very long term (8 years) insomniac, I have tried a number of alternatives.
    Melatonin - doesn't get me feeling drowsy or sleepy, have tried both homeopathic and iherb variants.
    Sleeping pills - restavit, benzodiazepine, Mirtazapine, Olanzapine, valium
    Deep breathing and meditation - very difficult to perform for me, I can't sit still in one spot.
    Diffuser - using lavender essential oil.
    Consistent sleep/wake times-
    Exercise
    Reading - a somewhat interesting book until eyes get tired
    Sleep supplements
    Magnesium

    Out of all the approaches, a combination of mirtazapine and olanzapine helped me to fall asleep and stay asleep. Talk to your GP about the different options available.

  • Oofy Doofy on 18/01/2020 - 15:40

    A lot of good advice on here, but I'll add some pharmaceutical/supermarket options…

    Quit caffeine, totally, absolutely.

    Rain sounds app - iOS/android

    Mindfulness meditation
    CBT
    Socratic questioning
    Beside notepad

    L-Glycine - just drink whey protein for this

    B complex vitamins - anywhere

    Moving on….

    Cyproheptadine - OTC antihistamine

    Agomelatine - Melatonin receptor antagonist, prescription only

    Mirtazapine - imo the king of all sleep aids, better than every benzo med on the market for sleep. Prescription only.

    Please rule out obstructive / central sleep aponea.

    You'll be fine mate.

  • Melb69 on 19/01/2020 - 16:12
    +1

    Anymore update on how OP is going with sleep.

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