Sleeplessness = anxiousness! Help!

I don't know what to do! My doctor gave me the long lasting Ambien and it's giving me even MORE problems than the regular Ambien. The regular Ambien will at least knock you out. The long acting one doesn't do squat to help you fall asleep. I think it's safest for me to go back to the regular Ambien, as I had to come up with a pretty creative drug cocktail to go to sleep last night and this made me think of my sweet friend Cornell and his recent situation.

I take a Melatonin half and hour before bed and then at sleep time I take my dose of xanax and the long acting Ambien. You would think this would work. I barely was able to doze off and then was suddenly wide awake at 11:30! I took a warm bath to calm down and when I got out and was still wide awake, I took half of a regular Ambien and a xanax. Much more medicine than I should've taken, but I was desperate. I can say that I slept all night, but this obviously isn't the cure. I'm only hoping that sleeping last night may have broken the cycle and I will pray for rest again tonight. I am desperate and my anxiety is through the roof because of it!

No new meds. In fact, everything I take should knock me out! My mom thinks it's underlying stress. I don't know. Maybe she's right. I'm going to add more cardio into my day and see if that helps. I've officially cut out wine which I really enjoyed so that's a bummer, I'm trying to eat light dinners so my medications absorb easier, my room is dark, I sleep with earplugs so noises won't bother me, I take medications that due in fact out me to sleep, but suddenly I'm waking up all anxious and wide awake. I'm going to have to fight with my pharmacy today too, to see if I can get my old prescription for Ambien back, because this new one is not cutting it. The long acting one isn't enough to actually get me to sleep. It just adds more anxiety when you can't get rest, ya know?

Man oh man. :( What a bummer!!

Wish I had some great trick, but usually the only thing that works to make me sleep well is a lavender EPSOM salt bath in HOT water right before bed. I totally zonk out when I do that. Walgreens sells a wonderful Epsom salt / lavender essential oil combo. It has worked wonders for those tough nights for me.

whats your dose of melatoin? 3g? double it to 6. its safe to takes as much as 12mg at once. add valeriun root to the melantonin. it helps. i am a vet of insomnia so i tried most everything. benadryal helps too . another thing i had to do was take ambien reg-fall asleep -wake about 3am and take a second dose and sleep rest of nite. i never heard of ambien cr not working on some one . once you are asleep it should keep you alseep. try what ever cocktail knocks you out and then take the ambien cr. there a new otc sleep aid called alteril. it works quite well. mabey give this a try.

I know right, those salts are so relaxing. :) I sure hope the double dose calms you down tonight. Best wishes for lots of funny dreams. :P

How did you sleep Park? Did the double dose work?

I'm wondering how much of this is hormone issues... with everything you've gone through in the past few months and the recent chemical pregnancy... I know you've said insomnia runs in your family but it seems you're having more of a struggle the past several months (understandably).

Have you tried Valerian root? It's stinky (lol), but my friend takes it and likes it and she's like you, lifetimer insomniac.

Praying for you to get some restorative sleep!
Lisa

I had good result with no side effects with Lunesta
perhaps your dr, would change your prescrip?

wishing you a restful night

lunesta would only help me sleep for a few hrs. never heard of ambien cr not working

I feel for you and insomnia, that's the worst. I am knocked out at night by Zyprexa, a med for my bipolar disorder. It does me in for the night.