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SavageFaerie -> RE: What helps You sleep? (8/21/2008 9:29:19 AM)
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Insomnia: story of my life. Never had a sleep study done tho.
I have both types getting to sleep and staying asleep. ( dr have said they are two different insomnia conditions) Before my usually bedtime would generally land between 4 and 6 am. Tried about every prescritpion drug out there some kind work some didnt, or would help one end of the insomnia and not take care of the other. Ambien I will never take again, I was one of those Ambien induced sleep walkers, and my kids told me way to may things I did while sleeping on this medication plus after a few hours when it loses effectiveness the cant stay asleep changed.
Medicatons has been changed and changed again, I do have severe panic disorder so my new dr increased the night dose to 2 mg. while I took 1 to .50 three times a day in a maintenance dose. Still woke up since taking It on a regular basis it doesnt have that knock me out effect.
One thing he did that I have not seen mentioned was have me change my sleeping hours. They say the prime time to get recouprative sleep is from 8-9 pm to 5-6am, thats its the bodies natural hours to be most effective. I found it an intense challenge at first but moved to NYC and my sister is on the same sleep time ordered by her dr. I have found having a specific bedtime or deadline gives me time to make my brain realise it. Thank god for DVR is all I can say. The mental health professionals say it also helps to minimize depression and anxiety. Also dont put off taking your medications if you use them till you get tired, take them at the prime effectiveness time ie: the length of time it take to hit but dont overwait and ride it out or you took it for nothing.
Recently due to over stimulated stress causing alot of panic attacks which draws me into a shell that despite all that did seem to be helping under the new sleep hours, went to hell in a handbasket, could get to sleep after my medication which was 2 mg xanax, celexa and xyrtec ( allergy meds which btw have a strong sedative efffect) I was awake off and on throughout the night, tho I did make myself stay ion bed, I had alot of interesting daydreams if you will when your in that sorta tylight sleep where you inbetween, have now started acting and talking back to myself, that I attribute to meds combination. Which I can actually hear myself doing, I do get kicks from the bottom bunk where my sister sleeps tho telling me to STOP IT LOL I have work up with a bruised hand from apparently smacking someone ( which was actually part of the hardwood bed I was sleeping on) with my back hand, tho with a bit of maso it was a proud bruise as is any LOL
Also when the depression gets to much which is generally triggered from all the panic attacks I find I just dont want to be awake during the day and would sleep the day away which didnt help the night sleep.
So I go to my dr 2 days ago, he takes me off everything but the xanax reduced the dose to 3 1 mg a day for maintenance to keep attack down more) (...and no I dont over take them more likely to undertake them. They are meds not recreational at all) but not at night of all things. Only thing he left was the zyrtec for my allergies. And in a state of total shock instead of depression medications he has but me on Dexedrine time release for those that dont know that in essense is speed, So I feel like Im back in the 70's combining uppers and downers to soon to see if it will work, Im hesitant but agreed to try for 2 weeks. He said that the Dexedrine actually sometimes helps depression. He is a highly respected dr in New York and never gone this way but I will try......btw I was still up till 2am last night for the first time in months UGH and resorted to a horded xanax to finally get me the I think I can sleep stage.
Those whith chronic insomnia, I give all my best wishes to in finding something that works, for me its been a bouncing ball since my early 20's. I dont know if having gone into total menopause early after 10 years of periomepause works in the mix but I will be sure and ask in two weeks.
In other words Im just a big mess, which for so long now seems quite normal.
Here to sleep when it comes.
ps please dont mind spelling ect, my mind and fingers refuse to listen to each other and even reading over still miss things, new computer which doesnt have an auto spell check, so spelling nazi's please be kind.
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