Chronic insomnia

[ScottishHaggis85]

Does anyone else massively struggle with getting sleep? Iv struggles with this for over 20 years now & Im most of the time running on empty because il get 1 hour of deep sleep & very little light sleep with constantly waking up…
for years i was on heavy prescribed medication for it but came off it because the brain fog & felt like it rotted my brain… for a while all iv been taking is magnesium glycinate & a 25mg drowsy antihistamine to help induce sleep but im again barely getting any & Im struggling to hold down a busy full time job because of how it makes me …
has anyone had a sleep study? Was told before I can’t get one unless I had sleep apnoea z

I haven't got it as bad as you. My only solution/ help is nytol ( the herbal ones, getting up and going on eBay , a cup of milk , sometimes a cup of tea. My dad had it very bad and I've sort of assumed it's genetic although for me I think it's just due to stress. I also sometimes move to the other bedroom. I can't say which, if any of these, works. All I've spotted is that after one horrendous night, the next night I can usually sleep through. Sorry I can't be any decent help here..I talked to my GP and he basically told me to take more exercise and to de-stress my life. If only ..

Yes I have extreme difficulty getting to sleep and always have done.

I do find it helpful listening to either a classical cd or a radio play or serial when I'm in bed. What works best for me is if its the same cd or the same play/serial that I have listened to multiple times . There is something soothing about the familiarity that does help to let me drift off to sleep.

When i'm going through a particularly mentally uptight phase I take a 10mg propranolol tablet just before I go to bed and that helps relax me.
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@ScottishHaggis85 sending hugs and sympathy! I’ve also struggled with sleep for a long time (18years).
I took valerian root one time to supposedly help me drift off—I was awake all night waiting for it kick in. I have no screens in bedroom, no caffeine at any time, I don’t drink alcohol. I get plenty of exercise.
I asked my GP for a sleep study but was told I cannot get one unless I try sleeping pills first. I’m not willing to do this as they are addictive and I’m assuming if I did manage to eventually stop taking them, my insomnia could return or get worse.
I’m now going to pay hundreds of pounds to see a therapist who uses EMDR and hypnotherapy. I made the decision because after speaking to said therapist on the phone for 20 minutes, I had several better nights in a row. Not perfect, but better. I’m now hopeful that she can help me. Fingers crossed it works, because after that I don’t really have anything else I can try.
Sorry I can’t be more help. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone.
—Edit to say I also tried magnesium glycinate but it didn’t help me

I’m cured. What worked for me:
Getting up at the same time 7 days a week
Early morning daylight (have morning coffee in garden)
Magnesium supplement with evening meal
Consistent evening slow down routine
Only go to bed when tired
Progessive muscle relaxation when I am in bed and want to go to sleep
https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/sites/nhs/files/MP3s/Progressive%20muscle%20relaxation.MP3

Thanks yeah it’s a nightmare and it makes me
so sad it isnt taken seriously in the medical field because constant little sleep drives you insane!
I do magnesium glycinate every night the reccomended amount so I take 3 capsules and I get up at 7 every morning really for work :( glad yours is better

Thankyou so much sending hugs back to
you coz I know how bloody exhausting it is!! Iv tried all the sleeping pills but it’s hard to function for a job when so groggy on them and they stop working… where r u from? My GP in Scotland has told me several times I won’t be accepted for a sleep study just for Insomnia that I have to have sleep apnoea :/
please keep in touch if you can I’d love to know how your therapy goes xx

Thanks! I take propananol too but in the morning to help with to anxiety but they said dont take it for sleep Im sure? But if it helps you that’s great! I will try listening to relaxing things again I used to listen to Delta waves sounds on YouTube to help wind down x

I’d love them to explain how we de stress our lives LOL thats kinda funny advice eh x

@ScottishHaggis85 yeah it seemed a bit of a lazy response to be honest. Doesn't everyone want to de-stress their lives ? Not helpful..I hope you manage to use what the others are saying and you find something that helps. Please post an update if you do find any good tips. Take care.xx

Thank you— I have four sessions booked to begin with, so I will come back on here in a month or so and let you know how it went.
I’m in the south of England. That’s a real shame you can’t get a sleep study even after you’ve tried the pills. Being groggy all day is no solution. 💐

Try a very high dose of mixed magnesium not just the kind. I take 2,000mg of the mixed one for about a week if I cant sleep. It works for me . Then I drop the dose to 1000mg. Then back to the normal dose.

Iv been taking 3 capsules a night of magnesium glycinate which is 2250 mg 😬 what kind are you taking? Been taking that as they say thats Whats you need for sleep but il try anything

Yup in Scotland it’s a refusal for a sleep study unless it’s for sleep apnoea… iv been on different prescribed sleeping pills for over 20 years! It’s a sad state x

Yeah I've been refused a sleep study too. Zolpidem has a short half life have you tried that. I take benzodiazepines (private healthcare NHS are useless)

I've read up on sleep clinic and sometimes the treatment is amphetamines in the morning and sedatives at night

I think I have delayed sleep phase disorder so I'm thinking about just living at night, it just means I would probably have to work a low skilled job the rest of my life

I really feel for you. Sleep deprivation is so hard.Nothing like what you're going through but when I had some sleep issues through anxiety and had difficulty getting to sleep and then waking up during the night I found that listening to the podcast Nothing Ever Happens adult bedtime stories really helped me. I never got to the end of the stories. Hope you find a solution soon. 💐

It's the combined one thats got all the different types of magnesium in. I get mine from zipvit its just called magnesium.

I've been taking propranolol off and on for years with the dosage being " as and when needed up to 3 tablets a day". So I take it at various points of the day when needed when I'm going through a difficult patch with anxiety.

Nobody has said don't take a tablet before bed. I only take one before going to bed if i'm in mental turmoil and it's not to send me to sleep as such, just to relax me enough to try to go to sleep.

I could never take medication designed specifically as sleeping tablets. I also won't take anti depressants. I feel " in control" using propranolol without feeling it controls me.

Michael Sealey sleep hypnosis tracks are good for getting to sleep. You can find them on YouTube and Spotify. I listen to them through a snoozeband type head band device (you can get them cheap on Amazon). This sends me back to sleep and stops me going mental with overthinking.

Your GP should be able to refer you for a CBTi course. I’m in England though so not sure if it’s the same as Scotland. Mine was a group class over about 4 or 6 weeks and it’s definitely helpful but not a quick fix.