Actually, that's probably not such a great idea. After all, if every insomniac felt as I do (and after not sleeping well for two weeks, I'm kind of looking for a fight ... and I'm one of the most non-violent people I know), their united front would be pretty scary.
So if you've suffered from insomnia, what's your deal? I've had trouble sleeping since I was a baby--falling asleep, staying asleep once I do fall asleep, no emergent patterns, rhyme, or reason to when I'm able to sleep and when I'm not ...
And honestly, I've kind of gotten used to it. My mother suffers from insomnia, Mary suffers from insomnia, Addie suffers from insomnia ... it's just a raw deal my family got dealt. C'est la vie.
What I'm more curious about is, how prevalent is this problem? How many of you are up at night trying more than anything to fall asleep, popping Ambien and Lunesta and Advil PM, spraying "sleep spray" on your pillow and/or sleeping mask, drinking warm milk, slipping the Valium you have prescribed for migraines because it makes you sleepy if your timing is right?
How many of you have found something that works?
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I've come to the conclusion that, when I'm having trouble sleeping, it's far more beneficial to find something to occupy my tim...
I started taking Tylenol PM for like 3 years cuz I couldn't sleep, and now I can't sleep AT ALL without it. My tolerance has increased dramatically as well--which is really bad and dangerous I think. It's like I need to detox off it. It's weird u posted this cuz it's a huge problem for me right now. What do u do to sleep?! I need to transition into a new routine that works as effectively as tylenol pm.
ReplyDeleteI swear all teachers have sleeping problems... it's either that or they are alcoholic. :P
ReplyDeletePen--I have tried everything, unfortunately. Strangely, I have found Advil PM to be more consistently reliable than Ambien CR (which evidently knocks out every human being in the world except for me). However, you raise a good point in terms of tolerance leading to a necessary increase--but bear in mind the damage that Tylenol can do to your liver, for example. This is probably not very encouraging, but what I've found is that there are just times I'm not going to sleep. My circadian rhythms need to reset or something, so I'll be in a bad state (the last couple of weeks or two, for example), where I do not sleep at all until I get to the point where I cannot function, then somehow it comes together. I do know that prescription sleep aids like Ambien and Lunesta are very helpful to some people, although I myself have not had as much success with them as I would like (but then I have an interesting medical history, so I'm probably not the best person to speak to that :-)).
ReplyDeleteAction Wolfe--Especially on Sunday nights, and especially the Sunday nights after a week's vacation. Heh heh, guess what tonight is? And yes, there are a disproportionate number of teachers with alcoholism and other dependency issues ... gee, I wonder if there's a correlation : )? Excellent points!
I have sleeping problems brought on more so lately by my getting hit by a mack truck last year. But I don't take anything for it. I don't really like taking drugs so I just drink some warm milk and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteMine is very cyclical. Sometimes I'm fine for a few weeks (almost like a normal person!), and others I don't sleep well for few weeks, and then I reset. I'll only take Tylenol PM if I have something unbelievably important the next day, because I find that even one dose leaves me needing it the next night. I've just gotten used to it :-(
ReplyDeletePen-the sleeping-inducing ingredient in Tyl. PM is the active ingredient in Benedryl. You can take that w/o overdosing on acetaminophen.
Didn't have trouble sleeping until I started taking some cancer preventative medication...now it's every other night...I just live with it. Not very helpful, I know...sorry :-( Hope you catch some zzzz's soon! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI have tons of trouble falling asleep because I have trouble shutting off my brain. I used to then be able to sleep through anything, but around when I turned 20 I also began waking up easily. (Including when I have to pee... I feel like an old, old lady.)
ReplyDeleteI think trying to be Zen about it is a good strategy. My dog used to lie in a state my mom called "restful awakenness" -- she wasn't asleep, but she might as well have been. I try to think of myself as being in restful awakenness, and stay calm about the fact that I'm awake.
Sometimes getting up to read a children's book helps, but if it's sufficiently gripping, this is counterproductive...
MD--Wow, I'm sorry about your accident ... I can't imagine how horrible that must have been! I know what you mean about not wanting to take a lot of medication--have you tried any herbal routes?
ReplyDeleteM.--Good point about Benadryl. It's just an antihistamine that gives Tylenol PM its kick, right?
Sniffles and Smiles--Well, first, I hope the preventative medication is working well! Your comment made me wonder if it's easier to be a lifelong insomniac or to have to get used to it as an adult. I'm not really sure on that one ...
Wrigley--It doesn't necessarily work for helping me fall asleep, but I do a lot of visualization for my writing when I can't sleep. Like, I'll lay there and play out different scenarios and figure out what I want to happen. That makes the writing part simple : ) And reading is always counterproductive to me since I get gripped in virtually everything I read, but I know it's helpful to a lot of people. Thanks for sharing : )
Xanax and wine.
ReplyDeleteWorks every time.
I think creative people encounter this problem more than most. I've been having it lately, and I know it's because I'm still trying to finish up the loose ends of my master's degree and the last paper for that, while meeting with profs about work for the fall and preparing for my parents' visit this weekend.
ReplyDeleteholy cow. I shouldn't have written it out. It seems worse now! lol
I write when I can't sleep, and I write some of my very best stuff then.
My insomnia is cyclical and I know it (like my muse) will leave again like it came -- without warning.
Have you tried Melatonin? It's an over-the-counter hormone. It doesn't knock you out, but it makes you drowsy. It is (for me, anyway) non-habit-forming. Worth a try, if you haven't tried it yet.
ReplyDelete3mg is best, about 15 minutes before head hits pillow.
Special Agent--You don't want to know what happened the last time I mixed the two ... : )
ReplyDeleteLaura--I nodded the whole time I was reading your comment ... I could have written every word. I knew there was a good reason I thought you were cool : )
Suldog--I haven't actually, but I think I'll make a point to (heck, I've tried everything else :-)). Thanks for the advice, and thanks for visiting ze blog : )