AIBU to be really fucked with inability to sleep at night

[Reallycantbefuckedtothink]

Just that really, I have always suffered with insomnia but since after Christmas, it has gone up a whole new level.

I managed to fall asleep at around 11pm woke up at 11.15 wide a fucking awake and haven't been able to sleep since.

Its really fucking me up, time spent with DS and DP and to be able to do anything at all because I get so tired during the day.

Btw Fitbit data is good for showing the doc you really were asleep for an hour, some of them just don’t believe it.

I've been prescribed low dose amitriptyline to help with my frequent rensuin headaches and it's made me that extra bit sleepy I'm generally sleeping much better. I don't think they prescribe it for insomnia though sadly
I've been prescribed amitriptyline for insomnia for almost a year now, two different GPs, and it's been no problem. Amitriptyline is not addictive, so my experience is that they are happy to prescribe. I take 20mgs twice a week. No more because of some side effects and because taking every day lessens the benefit of sleep.

The main benefit of amitriptyline is that it helps with the second part of sleep (ie. I don't wake up at 4am or if I do, Ican get back to sleep). For the first part, I take 9mg melatonin. I buy from Biova. I still don't sleep great, but I wouldn't be able function without both of these. My insomnia came with the menopause, never had a problem before.

I think there are two times of insomnia. The type that is helped by nightnurse, antihistamine and over the counter meds, and the insomnia that is way beyond that.

It's the absolute worst. I feel for you all. Though of course we somehow function on very little, God knows how. There is little or no decent medication that isn't habit-forming/you need more over time to get the same effect. Low doses of amitryptilline can help. But the answer for me after several terrible years was really focussing on the boring stuff: screens off and downstairs, reading, crucially getting up (and ideally going to bed) at the same time daily, more exercise, no caffeine after lunch, writing down worries/To Do on a notebook by bed before bed and during night (makes interesting reading the next day, never as important as it felt at the time),. A key one is going to bed when you're tired, yawning etc, not pushing through (just one more Netflix). Eventually a routine emerged. Plus sorting out my massive daytime stress (a matter of time partly because if bad life events). Plus it helped me to remember that we can and do survive on only a few hours. Getting obsessed with sleep (lots of young people are now, 'clean sleeping' follows 'clean eating) can make you more anxious and less likely to sleep. Sorry if those tips are annoying but they worked for me. Oh and I take Bimuno, a weird prebiotic tested for insomnia by Michael Moseley on telly and found to have benefit. I take a sachet daily and then trialled stopping it and think it definitely helps.

Well I've still not slept, I've managed to have a very productive day work wise, managed to do some domestic chores, and deal with the little ones, but I'm not tired at all, and if I don't sleep tonight I'll be exhausted tomorrow when I have meetings

Oh really op? I wouldn't wish all this on my worst enemy!

Was awake from 2pm yesterday until 4pm today, got a couple hours, got stuff to do tomorrow... wide awake again argh!

I managed to get 4 hours sleep last night, which to be honest feels like a win, then once again fell asleep but for a whole hour and now once again wide awake.

I complained to a friend once how difficult it was and her response was, well there is a reason why they use sleep depreviation as torture. lot more to that conversation but I really cant keep going on like this.

I really appreciate the lovely comments from all you and hopefully you are fast asleep

@cactus2020 I have done the routine and it did fuck all but I have never heard of Bimuno if I google it, will I get a decent result do you know?

If you drinking tea or any caffeine, stop and see if it helps.
I always laughed at this and love tea, I never had a problem going to sleep but then I realised that the I fall asleep, but I wake back up and cant get back to sleep. It seems to be a delayed reaction for me.

I never joined the dots until I started drinking decaf tea.

Tea was not only making me wake back up but was making my heart racy a few hours after drinking it. I have cut all the caffeine out but had cup of tea handed to me today and now I'm awake tonight!

I really need to cop on now and give it up entirely.

I cannot get off to save myself! I am so sick of this. I also did the free CBT, cbti.com or whatever the fuck. A curse on these prescribing laws When I can at last be back in Asia and get my 3.5mg of Lunesta that is the world to me.

They are so much more sensible there. Brits are ridiculous. No one else on Earth puts melatonin to only prescription. I remember DS's paed sniffing, 'You'll just take him to Canada or India and go over my head.' Yes, entirely true, because you are useful as a chocolate kettle.

Been caffeine free over a year, made precious little difference to the sleep issues!

Melatonin has crossed my mind but I'm very wary of ordering from unknown sources and dr wont even discuss.

I understand the resistance to sleep meds due to addiction issues but I think sleep issues are HUGELY minimised in this country.

A hell of a lot of us would still be working, productive members of society if we were getting decent bloody sleep!

My doctor in India has her M.D. from Columbia University. She is not a quack.

Our Canadian doctor has his degree from Duke University.

think sleep issues are HUGELY minimised in this country.

This. Times to exponents.

Hello no sleep peeps. I've been awake since 1am. I think it is the second or third time this week.

I started having hot flashes recently - start of perimenopause I think. That combined with persistent work stress / ptsd and my sleep is awful. I've never really been able to catch up during the day either.

💤 😴 with luck.

Although I've just realised I am off on leave tomorrow!

3luckystars

I drink diet Coke, I stop drinking it a 4pm (give or take but never over 5pm)

And tbh on the diet coke I am planning on quitting it in May, I am pacing myself for this one. As this is the one main addiction i am really worried about, done the drink, the cigs but the diet coke has always been there and while it sounds so stupid if I was given a choice between my partner and diet coke I would debate.

@Henrysmycat are you receiving treatment for your anxiety?

Same here. Not yet slept, will need to leave for work in an hour. Never drink caffeine but have two jobs and two kids and still just can't switch off. So assume its stress?

Lots of threads on poor sleep. I wonder if it's because there is so much publicity about the negative health effects of poor sleep recently in the media..
I've slept poorly forever, 40 years I would say. And I'm still here, would love to sleep longer but compared to many my age, 68, my heart is fine, my weight is okish (despite tiredness sugar cravings), I am fit, no diabetes, memory could be better but otherwise fit and well for my age despite the lack of 7 hours a night. You wil survive.
Imv it is anxiety about not sleeping which causes the not sleeping so difficult to fix. I'm retired now so it isn't the stress it was thankfully. But everyone with this problem has my sympathy.

Imv it is anxiety about not sleeping which causes the not sleeping so difficult to fix

I think this definitely plays a part. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl and struggle to get to sleep at the time I would need to in order to get 7 hours. So I’m used to getting by on about 5 or 6 hours and then catching up a bit at the weekend ( I know you can’t really “ catch up”). About 18 months ago I started suffering perimenopausal symptoms and I started waking at 04.00 ish most mornings. I definitely became a bit obsessed about it checking my Fitbit anxiously. I would slightly go in despair if it was below 4 hours because I knew I’d be struggling at work. In the end I stopped wearing the Fitbit - I don’t need to watch to tell me I’m tired and the numbers are slightly irrelevant. I Just think of the times that I’ve worked 24 hours non stop In a past job and I know that nothing I’m likely to face in my job today is as grim as that.

I have always had awful sleep (alternating between being unable to get to sleep in the first place, and waking in the night unable to get back to sleep) but it has been so much worse in the last year since my hormones went wonky. GP has so far point blank refused to consider that I'm in premature menopause, despite my periods going from being able to set a watch by them, to 15-36 day cycles. They then point blank refuse to give me any medication for sleep as "I take enough meds" for my various other health problems. Instead I get lectured on sleep hygiene, like I haven't already tried everything.

Honestly, I've found the thing that helps me most is a joint before bed. Having never used it previously btw. My sleep is still far from perfect, but at least I can usually get a few hours in, rather than not sleep at all.

Are you all following the basic rules of sleep hygiene? Google if you don't know what these are.

I have started using headspace for anxiety & meditate 10 minutes a day. It has helped improve my sleeping.

Haven't rtft but recommend a magnesium supplement to help sleep

I can't remember the last time I fell asleep quickly. For years now, my normal pattern has been lying awake until 2.30am most nights, and later on really bad ones. Then, come the morning, I am sleeping like I've been stunned, and can hardly drag myself out of bed.

I have even considered staying up all of one night and making myself stay awake all of the following day, in the hopes of resetting my body clock (I've tried doing it with a short course of prescribed sleeping tablets, but that didn't work).

It doesn't help that, several times a week, I will fall asleep on the couch in the afternoon. And that baffles me too - how come I can fall asleep sitting up on the couch, in broad daylight, with the TV on, but I can't fall asleep curled up in my bed when it is dark and quiet?