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Posted 6/7/2008 7:52 AM (GMT 0)
Good extremely early morning,

how many suffer from insomnia either occasionally or chronically? What do you do about it? How do you cope with it? What do you think is the cause of yours?

thanks!

not sleeping well tonight, emmie
Posted 6/7/2008 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
emmi, I hope you are now snuggled up in your bed and getting some well needed sleep :) I hate insomnia and seem to be having more of it now ever since I had my colonoscopy done, for some reason. I can't figure that one out and have no idea why that would be causing insomnia. I don't really know what causes some of my insomnia but when I have it I find it hard to turn my brain off and even my night time meds don't help a lot. What has helped is for me to take a xanax when I can't sleep. Sometimes I'll try some relaxation or visualization which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Hopefully someone will be along who is more helpful than I have been. ((((hugs))))
Posted 6/8/2008 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Emmi . . . . AKKKKKKK!!! I absolutely hate insomnia. Sorry you are having a problem with it. I seem to sleep better when I feel better. Either that, or insomnia 'makes' me worse. Its a "chicken or the egg" question. It helps me to use heat or cold depending on the temp of the room (I use hot grain bags in the winter and I freeze them in the summer . . . I also use cold bottled water (tuck the bottle next to my skin) to help when its too hot. I've used the "Thankful Alphabet" a number of times. Start with A and think of something beginning with A that you are thankful for. Then B, etc. If you can stay awake till Z, start over and name an animal that begins with A, then B, etc. I've never gone thru the alphabet twice . . . but this sure gets my mind off my insomnia. Sending you some sleepy dust sis!! Blessings!
Posted 6/8/2008 6:49 AM (GMT 0)

Well, I am up right now after already going to bed and almost falling asleep.  I have terrible insomnia.  I have to take Ambien CR every night or I can't sleep.  I ran out and forgot to get it refilled today so now I am paying by being up.  I hate being up and not able to sleep.  I am always so tired the next day, too.

I hope you are getting sleep tonight emmi.  I think I will go try the "Thankful Alphabet".

Sweet dreams,

Mary Ann

Posted 6/8/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
I hope everyone was able to get some sleep last night/this morning. My doctor put me on FLEXAIL and that helped me. Having insomnia dose make you worst, because you are not getting that REM sleep that helps your musles. HATE IT!!!

Best to all
Posted 6/9/2008 6:04 AM (GMT 0)
Insomnia is the pits isn't it, but not the end of the world. We just think so at the time, right?

Thanks Hippi, Rosie, Mary Ann and Frank. I think I'll go do the alphabet game after I take a pretend a pretend ambien. If pretend ambien doesn't help tomorrow I'll try a pretend xanax. If that doesn't work, I'll try a pretend flexail. If that doesn't work, I'll count pretend sheep as I name each letter of the alphabet backwards with a corresponding food for each letter. Okay, this post just made me sleepy.

nite nite,

emmie
Posted 6/9/2008 8:30 AM (GMT 0)
You are funny! I really needed this post tonight! It is 4:30 AM and the insomnia bug has bitten at my house. Insomnia is the pits!
Posted 6/9/2008 10:45 AM (GMT 0)
I've just slept for a couple of hours, now I'm up again. Pain is what keeps me from sleep& what awakens me. I'm so used to it, I don't even consider it insomnia anymore or out of the ordinary...it's just life. Cushioning myself with a variety of pillows and then reading to distract my mind from the pain usually does the trick for me.
Posted 6/9/2008 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
I've had awful insomnia for a little over a week now and I have no idea what's up. My anxiety at night is a lot worse now too for some reason. All of this has happened since I had my colonoscopy but I can't understand why that would cause insomnia and anxiety. I suppose it could be some weird side effect of the Flagyl I am taking for 10 days. I usually just need a half of a xanax, but last night I couldn't even sleep with that so I ended up taking the other half a few hours later. A lot of my techniques that I usually use aren't working. Insomnia really is the pits!!!!
Posted 6/10/2008 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
(((((((((( Hippie ))))))))))) To all insomniacs!!! I forgot one of the tools I use . . . duh!! I get books on tape from the library. I listen to the book on tape/cd and if I don't fall asleep, I'm hearing a good book . . . if I do fall asleep, YEAH!!! Blessings!
Posted 6/11/2008 10:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi--
Like the book on tape, you can either write your own story or find one on the web or download it and copy it into word. Then you can use the the Word speech tools Text to Speech (or deskbot--a free tool) to read to you. The readers have such a monotonous voice it is sure to send you off to sleep in no time. It saves a trip to library, if you can't make it there. Some books like the Scarlet Letter and others are online and have free versions. Another source is a free email fiction magazine called Everyday Fiction--they send you one story a day by email.

Emmi, are your legs bothering you when you try to sleep? Are you having trouble getting comfortable? I take klonopin for restless leg which seems to be very common with endo and other disorders. I also think sometimes our failing endo glands suddenly decide to work temporarily, then they wont. So you get bouts of insomnia. Benedryl knocks me out and some people take nyquil if they can. I can't take it.

My pain meds keep me awake sometimes too. Maybe one of your meds has caffiene in it and is keeping you awake. Aspirin has caffiene in it and some other drugs do too.

Well, I hope you feel better and you get some sleep.
Posted 6/11/2008 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Marji . . . . the books on tape are also available online to download to an Ipod. They disappear in a specific number of days!! Some libraries have this option as well. The readers on some of these books are brilliant. . . its part of the enjoyment. Blessings!
Posted 6/11/2008 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
I have an insomnia problem -- I was always a light sleeper, but *did* sleep. Initially Lupus made me sleep all the time -- up t0 18-19 hours a day, but never feeling rested. Then the prednisone!!!! Only 9 mg now and it still keeps me up at night. I've taken Trazodone at bedtime for years now to combat the Prednisone. (Yes, I take all my pred as soon as I wake up!) Sometimes I actually get an anxiety attack (& super-duper racing mind) even w/the Trazodone and have to add some Xanax to the mix. Insomnia SUCKS!
Posted 6/12/2008 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
I guess there are lots of us who deal with the fact that we cannot find the sleep we so desperately need. How crazy is that??? I was so tired today, I was like a sleep walker. I always think of that movie that had the zombies in it. Was it called "The Night of The Living Dead"? That pretty much summed me up. I am sleepy now so I'm going to strike while the eyelids are drooping.

thanks to every, every body who shared their ways of coping. We all have lots of new things to try next time we are the living dead zombies walking the floors at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. You guys are the best over tired friends ever!

xoxo emmie
Posted 6/18/2008 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Bump!! Up you go for MissCali!!
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