Insomnia is going to kill me

[username210574]

I am now awake at least 2 hours in the middle of every night, sometimes more like 3 and sometimes the whole rest of the night. It also takes me 1-2 hours to actually get to sleep. And then the sleep I do get, is broken hourly by DC.

I can't remember to dry the washing when it's finished, to lock the front door, to go to an appointment that's in only 4 hours time, and I can't even remember if there's a car coming when trying to cross a T junction.

I've been back and forth to the GP, who has acknowledged how devastating sleep deprivation can be, but in a way that makes it sound like a hypothetical situation and not something I'm actually experiencing. He wants to treat me for depression, despite me very explicitly telling him any emotional dysregulation is stemming directly from my inability to sleep. The medication I have been prescribed does not have a secondary effect on promoting sleep, and is actually sometimes known to further interfere.

I had a dream about being sleep deprived last night. I was hallucinating and everyone was treating me like I belonged in a secure unit and wouldn't listen to me because I was "crazy".

My partner keeps asking me what I'm hiding from him and what's really going on because he can't sense of how being sleep deprived is causing me to act the way I am (irritable, withdrawn, struggling to cope with day to day tasks on top of looking after an <1 DC).

I feel like no one is going to take me seriously without taking drastic action, but the consequences of taking such action aren't worth thinking about. I'm stuck in a living hell.

I am sorry to hear you’re struggling.
I have found melatonin helpful for sleep, you can only get it on prescription in uk, but you can also buy it from overseas pharmacies for import.
Sometimes you have to be explicit with doctors and tell them you are struggling with insomnia and ask them to prescribe you melatonin, or something to help you sleep. Your doc is possibly just hearing about your symptoms and treating them with anti depressants, rather than what you are saying is the root cause.

Sorry to hear this, must be like torture. Is it pain/busy mind/something else keeping you awake do you think? What have you tried so far?

Insomnia is evil. I end up shaking and zoning out. Sometimes tho rowing up after two nights in a row. Have to take time off work because I can't pay attention to legal requirements.

Have you tried melatonin? Antihistamines? Night nurse? All three are the only ones that have some effect on mine though I'm groggy the next day it's a copeable tired not a 'I'm dying' tired

Would the Dr give you a short term course of sleeping pills?

Lots of helpful information and tips here;

https://www.youtube.com/@TimBoxMindCoach/search?query=sleep

It is indeed evil! Last night was a good night - I managed a full 3 hours of (broken) sleep 😩 Trying to manage a demanding job, as well as home life (inc an 8yr old) is like wading through treacle sometimes.

For me, it's a menopause issue, and the GP keeps playing with my HRT levels to try and alleviate, but it's such a slow progress.

As others have said, melatonin is good, occasionally night nurse too. And try not to get physically violent towards the well meaning people in your life who suggest 'just take a lavender bath' 😡

My gp switched me to amitryptaline when I was going* through cancer treatment which helps massively with sleep issues.
worth looking at?

OP I've suffered for 30 years and tried everything. I recently discovered unisom tablets, you can find them on Amazon. I take half a night and finally I sleep. It's a type of antihistamine. Try it.

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this. I have periodic bouts of insomnia but at least the doctor takes me seriously. I get Valium to take in the short term. What that does is makes me sleep then gives my body time to recover and re-set. It’s the getting to sleep I struggle with most. I’ve tried melatonin, it didn’t work for me but I have heard that it’s helped others. I don’t get on well with opiates and they make me very lethargic until around lunchtime so it can only be a short sharp shock then I’m off them. I use earphones and play the same rain sounds every night which helps me relax and seem to make my mind turn off. It took me about 3 years to find the right thing though that managed to do that.

I have developed insomnia in recent years and think mine is linked to perimenopause. I am going to try HRT to see if that helps. Hope you find some relief soon, it's misery!

You can get melatonin very easily in the UK online from Piping Rock. I take a 3mg melt in the mouth tablet most nights and it works really well for me.

Promethazine? Then some Google CBT for insomnia and see if you can find any self help? So sorry you're going through this

HRT cured mine. It started in my late 30s and I put it down to having young children. HRT cured it very quickly. But getting hrt in my early 40s was a battle. Insomnia is bloody awful!

I’m really sorry to tell you this…I’ve been having insomnia for nearly 20 years. On a good night I may get 4-5 hours broken sleep. My record is 72 hours with no sleep. I finally got a referral this year to one of thd best consultants in the country: there’s nothing they can do for me. He gave it to me straight - it’s devastating, it’s debilitating, but garden variety insomnia (which is what I have) is basically untreatable: there’s a genetic ekemant (my father) and a Pete imitating event (for me it was pregnancy 20 years ago) and then lifestyle factors. The only thing that is recommended is lifestyle management (none of the sleep hygiene shit works for jd and it never has - most of it works against me) and to stay away from hypnotics etc as much as possible.

j waited 20 years for that….and to top it off it’s incredibly difficult to get benefits for it. It affects every aspect of my life, it limits me in every way, and I’m incredibly lucky to have an understanding employer.

somd days I wish it would all just end - everything.

sorry I don’t have better news.

I survive on a diet of prime Thai be, night nirse, Temazepam, zopicline and occasionally melatonin and mirtazipine.