Insomnia during separation - sleep tabs?

[Complimentarytreats]

Hey everyone. I haven't been sleeping well or much. I'm going through a separation, so it's a stressful time - as it is for many of us at the moment. I've had insomnia in the past but I never went on sleep medication. Has anyone taken it? I'm afraid if I go on it, I won't be able to get off it. Any thoughts? Is it possible to just take it to get through a rough patch and then resume 'normal' sleep?

I went through the same thing. The doctor will only give you a weeks supply in a crisis, they won't give you more than that so you can't become addicted. Sorry you're having such a bad time.

They are very addictive. I’ve been on them for 6 years due to chronic insomnia. Very hard to come off them. Have tried a few times. They saved my life though because I was on the verge of ending it due to the fog in my brain through lack of sleep. I was going 60 odd hours at a time with no sleep.

Yours may just be a temporary thing though so maybe worth trying other things first.

Relaxation techniques
No caffeine after 12pm
No phones/screen time after 7pm
Reading a book.
Watching a relaxing show.

How much sleep are you getting?

Thanks to you both for your replies.

I got one hour last night, a full night the night before, none the night before that etc...So, basically I miss a whole night's sleep with worry/anxiety/rumination and I don't let myself nap the next day despite being exhausted. So, I then sleep that night due to exhaustion but the whole cycle starts up again.

I turn my phone off at 9pm but 7pm is probably better, you're right. I'll try that. Reading doesn't work as my mind gets too active. I have been taking caffeine (strong tea only. I gave up coffee) until about 4pm, so I'll reduce it to 12pm. I just feel like bawling crying because all I'm thinking about is sleep!

Have you tried valerian tablets? They work well for me.

@Msloverlover

I took valerian tincture one night and that's what I have in the house. It's so disgusting! but I must take that every night for a while first maybe before resorting to the tabs. How bad was your insomnia? When I'm awake at 4am, I'm really AWAKE, no matter how tired. I don't know if valerian would cut it but maybe I'm wrong?

Hi I am having really awful insomnia. My Father passed away recently, his funeral is next week. In the past melatonin has worked for me. I am too scared to try things like zopiclone as they are habit forming. I have been drinking chamomile tea and having long warm baths. But it is awful and you have my sympathy!

I was in your shoes a few years ago.
I went to the GP and got given antidepressants and had counselling. They were a godsend.
What you are asking for is treatment for the effects, not the cause. So you need to switch off in order to sleep. In order to switch off, no need to sort what keeps you awake.
Believe me when I say it will pass. And you’ll be much much happier. It’s just a phase. Years down the line it’s all a distant memory. Hugs to you

sometimes you need the sleep tabs to get you into a better cycle. you can get nytol tablets over the counter in the chemist which are effective. they saved me when I split from my husband last year.

Sominex from Boots work really well for me. Even half or a quarter of a tablet is enough to help me calm my whirring mind. I prefer to take these as they are much weaker than anything your gp would prescribe.

Just be careful not to become reliant on them. I find that I need no more than half a tablet (2 x quarter tab) during a bad week as it gives me enough sleep to be able to cope with the odd sleepless night and to retrain the body not to wake up in the early hours (I used to wake at 3am every night and not be able to get back to sleep).

They can make you a bit drowsy the next morning (even at a low dose) so I take mine an hour or two before I go to bed.

I use sominex intermittently OP. After years of insomnia and trying all prescribed medication, it was actually sominex that worked!

Because it works so well, I only have it on weekends or when I don't have to be up early, otherwise I'm extremely groggy. My body isn't used to sleeping 6 hours straight.

May not work for everyone but it's been my saviour when I e had enough of 2 hours sleep a night for long amounts of time!

Thanks to you all. I really appreciate the advice. I've been getting counselling for over a year now and it just isn't working. The root cause isn't really changing, that's the problem and there seems to be a lot of cause for stress right now that no amount of counselling can cure. When my mind goes mad at night, nothing seems to work.

I've seen ads for Nytol but never took it. I took drowsy antihistamines in the past though and couldn't believe the way they knocked me out. It was magic. I also took a drowsy cough medicine once and it was amazing, so amazing I didn't take it again as I was afraid I'd get hooked. I'll get Nytol today.

I've not heard of sominex. I'll check that out too! I don't want to get hooked on any of these things but I feel like a messy emotional wreck. I've had to check this message about five times to correct for errors. My head's in a melt.

I'd try drowsy first generation antihistamines first. Much less risks with those. Things like doxylamine succinate

such as chlorphenamine, hydroxyzine, and promethazine. Sominex is one of the sedating antihistamines, diphenhydramine. I've had sleeping tablets before and I'd much rather use sedating antihistamines.

I think nytol is antihistamine too

I buy Phenergan OTC to use as a sleep aid when I'm going through a tricky patch (it's promethazine, same anti histamine as in Sominex iirc).

GP has in the past prescribed Zopiclone, worked v well but left me with the weirdest taste in my mouth ever.

I have taken Zopiclone. But I find that if i take them, say 4 nights in a row, by the 4th night they don't work so well. They knock you out but I would say you don't get the REM sleep like normal so you sleep, which is much nicer than lying awake for hours, but you aren't as refreshed.
But in an emergency 1 or 2 a week might be an idea. I get 14 to last about 2 months.

Thanks. I just bought Nytol which is a drowsy anti-histamine. I'm hoping it'll do something!

I know I need to work on lots of other lifestyle changes etc. too but I need something to help.

I had the same at this stage of my marriage breaking down. I took Sominex every second night, just a half dose, I believe 25mg. It was an absolute godsend. They do make you a bit drowsy the next morning if you dont give them time to wear off, so I used to take one at 8pm and jump straight into bed and stay there for 11 hours, magic.

I figured that if I had an amazing sleep every second night, it was enough to keep me same while also giving my body space to figure out how to sleep again.

Good luck, hope the advice here helps - the non sleeping anxiety is miserable!!

Thank you. I had no idea sominex was so effective. It’s nice to hear from someone who’s been in my situation . Sominex is sold out of my local Boots but I’ll be getting some as soon as it’s back in stock.