do you suffer from insomnia??

I do. It sucks- I went to sleep today at 10:30 and woke up at 12 not sleepy anymore, it's now 2:30 and I feel like I'm in the most productive creative mood out of the entire day..
Anyway, this is such a recurring issue for me- I can sleep all day long, but at night I'm always awake. And during the daytime I feel like i'm sleep walking and completely worn out I have lunesta prescribed to me, but it does absolutely nothing for me- only puts me to sleep at bed time and then I'm awake two hours later
I'm thinking of going to the doctor again to get a different kind of medicine that may help me more.
Anyone else suffer from the same thing?? How do you manage it??

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I do. It sucks- I went to sleep today at 10:30 and woke up at 12 not sleepy anymore, it's now 2:30 and I feel like I'm in the most productive creative mood out of the entire day..
Anyway, this is such a recurring issue for me- I can sleep all day long, but at night I'm always awake. And during the daytime I feel like i'm sleep walking and completely worn out

I have lunesta prescribed to me, but it does absolutely nothing for me- only puts me to sleep at bed time and then I'm awake two hours later

I'm thinking of going to the doctor again to get a different kind of medicine that may help me more.
Anyone else suffer from the same thing?? How do you manage it??

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I do, horrible. Well, thing is, I enjoy it LOL. Don't enjoy much waking up the next day, but I am definitely an owl.
How do I manage? I have a "time" to go to bed (usually around 2), then I take my Ambien 10mg, NOT 5 (Lunesta might as well be water for me). I put something on TV and set up the sleeping mode for 90 minutes, hug a kitty and bye bye.

I'm more of a night person, than a day person. I don't sleep good at night, something will always wake me up, and then I won't be able to go back to sleep. I can sleep during the day with no problems.

I don't know anything about sleep medicines, I've never taken them. But if the 1 you are on now doesn't work for you, you should try another 1.

I too am a total insomniac. At my worst I almost never sleep, and when I do I have sort of a nocturnal pattern.
What does help me are the regular meds I take for anxiety, so I have no advice about sleeping medication. I will say, though, if what you're taking now is not helping you, definitely see your doctor. Maybe you need to take a higher dosage, or you need a different brand.
It might sound weird, but I also recommend chamomile tea. It helps me relax, which in turn helps me sleep. Maybe it would help you, too.

I'm usually asleep before I hit the pillow.

Seriously, sometimes I don't even remember going to bed Hubby jokes and says I could sleep 24/7 which isn't true...I go to bed around 11, up at 7 and I like to have a 2 hr nap in the afternoon

I don't always get my nap in though....but I can sleep anyplace, anywhere. I feel for you guys, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't sleep

yup im a nightowl too, i got to sleep at around 3 this mornin and was up at 7, i havent slept right since i moved back to my mothers house im fine when im on holiday

ive started to put the laptop off at about 2 sometimes earlier, then use my phone to use the net it makes my eyes sleepy then i set my tv to switch off after an hour sometimes it helps

I used to sleep very well. but not these last couple of years!! Must be my age and changing hormones . So I am lucky if I get about five hours here and there overnight. I have been staying up later and have been taking Sleep MD and that seems to be helping me. That Unisom did nothing....... Even though I am not getting as much sleep at night, I am not tired during the day at all, so I guess I just don't need as much sleep as I used too.

I do know alot of people with insomnia and it really causes probs for them functioning during the day. At that point, I would go to the doctor for something STRONG

I have suffered insomnia for years. I fall asleep fine, but I awake about an hour and a half later. Then I can't go back to sleep usually until around 5-5:30 then I have to get up at seven. I have fibromyalgia no sleep means lots of pain.

Stop patching the problem with potentially harmful meds and make sure there's not an underlying cause for it. I had sleeping issues like that in my teens when my celiac disease was already in full swing. I could stay up all night if I wished, but during the daytime I was like a zombie, even with sleeping at night I couldn't stay awake during the day.
There are lots of things that can seriously throw off one's circadian rhythm and the average doctor won't look into anything unless you force them. Writing a script is easier.

I am a night person and used to do all my work and studying at night. However, I cannot do that anymore - cannot concentrate much but also have trouble falling asleep. So I get incomplete sleep but have to wake up early to feed the kitties. I can sometimes sleep during the day but not always.
I was speaking with my acupuncturist and she suggest no computer, TV for a couple of hours before going to bed since the exposure to light messes ones senses. I check my mail on my cell phone (I justify since it's less light - lol). On her suggestion I also picked up a bottle of melatonin at Trader Joe's (for about 4$ for 100 peppermint flavored chewable) I really like it. It does make me fall asleep. I am a light sleeper but can usually go off to sleep even if I wake up at night.

I'm a Vampire also LOL. I stay up untill 1:00 or later then lay awake in bed for ever it seems like. Then come daytime and I could sleep the day away. I have been like this since a teen.. Both my sons are the same way. Come night I am full of energy ready to clean the house do laundry ect.
Poor hubby is sound asleep around 7ish and up at 4:00 ...He can't understand how I can sleep the day away..I wish I wasn't this way but its just the way I am..

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Stop patching the problem with potentially harmful meds and make sure there's not an underlying cause for it. I had sleeping issues like that in my teens when my celiac disease was already in full swing. I could stay up all night if I wished, but during the daytime I was like a zombie, even with sleeping at night I couldn't stay awake during the day.
There are lots of things that can seriously throw off one's circadian rhythm and the average doctor won't look into anything unless you force them. Writing a script is easier.

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While I disagree that meds are something you should get rid of if they really help you, I agree that maybe you should get checked out. I had a sleep study done once. There was nothing wrong found, but it was worth the peace of mind. Of course I couldn't fall asleep in the office, but they gave me a sedative that wouldn't interact with the reading.

Originally Posted by Mollysmom

While I disagree that meds are something you should get rid of if they really help you, I agree that maybe you should get checked out.

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Taking into consideration utopia's past posts on here, I think something is being missed. She's repeatedly made posts about sleep issues, weight, and anxiety for starters... Something isn't right and a sleeping pill (which a person can build up a tolerance to) isn't going to fix it. I'm not sure if she's taking anything currently for the anxiety, but it's pill combos like that end up killing people.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Taking into consideration utopia's past posts on here, I think something is being missed. She's repeatedly made posts about sleep issues, weight, and anxiety for starters... Something isn't right and a sleeping pill (which a person can build up a tolerance to) isn't going to fix it.

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you're right I really have noo clue what it could be, and my patience is just wearing thin, I am sick of having these rollercoaster times, when I either feel amazing at 110% for a couple of months, or completely down, can't sleep, worn out, and have all kinds of cravings that lead to some weight gain and just being unable to function for the next couple of months! And being bi polar was already ruled out...But I am sick and tired of being questioned and interrogated and bombarded with questions I can't answer at the doctor's office
They just get irritated at me eventually, and I have a really good doctor, who really tries sooo hard to get to the bottom of things. The nurse practitioner is a lot more laid back and will just give me some kind of meds and send me home...

Originally Posted by ut0pia

you're right I really have noo clue what it could be, and my patience is just wearing thin, I am sick of having these rollercoaster times, when I either feel amazing at 110% for a couple of months, or completely down, can't sleep, worn out, and have all kinds of cravings that lead to some weight gain and just being unable to function for the next couple of months! And being bi polar was already ruled out...But I am sick and tired of being questioned and interrogated and bombarded with questions I can't answer at the doctor's office

They just get irritated at me eventually, and I have a really good doctor, who really tries sooo hard to get to the bottom of things. The nurse practitioner is a lot more laid back and will just give me some kind of meds and send me home...

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I've seen too many of your posts to know these are just simple issues going on.
What sort of hormone related tests have you had? If at all.. Thyroid (not just TSH)? cortisol? Anything to check any of your other adrenal function? Even reproductive hormones can do crazy things with out of whack. Thyroid issues are well known for causing some extreme mood issues is some - bi-polar like, in fact.

Another insomniac here. I'm tired all day but as soon as it gets dark I 'wake up'. I've been like this for as long as I can remember (affected my schoolwork badly). The best time for me to go to sleep is around 6-7 am and I wake up few times during the morning and actually get up around 12-2pm. I think I hit my 'most alert' moment around 3am. Sometimes I just don't sleep at all.

Doctors are aware of this but they can only suggest medication, and I have very high tolerance for almost anything so they really don't work and I don't want to take 'that road'. Tried two different ones at the same time last spring for few weeks.
I'm going through (and have gone through) lots of medical issues and have been examined from lots of things but nothing explains this.

I have bad insomnia. My solution? Drugs. Not the best solution for everybody, I won't get in on that discussion. Best solution for ME. Ambien for me also. 10mg. Out cold in 30 minutes or less. There is also an extended release formula for people like you who have trouble staying asleep called Ambien CR. You could ask your doctor about that, but people I've known to have the same problem have been able to just take the regular Ambien and be out all night.

You have to be careful to go to bed once you take it though and not stay up and do things like make phone calls or get on the computer, because you can have memory loss of actions while on the medication. One time I went on my phone and downloaded $50 worth of mp3s and didn't know it until I saw the receipt in my email the next afternoon...

Originally Posted by Momto3boys

Seriously, sometimes I don't even remember going to bed

Hubby jokes and says I could sleep 24/7 which isn't true...I like to have a 2 hr nap in the afternoon

.but I can sleep anyplace, anywhere.

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Me too. Sleeping comes naturally. I love those late nights though and hate mornings.
I can easily sleep 12-14 + hours. And any naps are not these short 10-15 minutes things.

tonight VERY bad afraid I will miss getting up for a vet appt and anxious as its for the dog...so 130 now and need to be out by 940 ugh...i spent a few nights up already past week so not sure. HATE driving lack of sleep tho.

for ambien those storys scare me of the I woke up driving or some odd thing.

Wow. I am so glad someone posted this.
Yes. I have suffered from insomnia for about 9 years now.

I have tried every sleeping pill out there (my Dr. even had me taking 2 10mg of Ambien a night) and none of it has helped. I've also tried every anxiety med out there, and loads of anti-depressants. I'm not a depressed person, so the antidepressants have either not worked, made me feel suicidal, or made me shake. Of course, the sleeping & anxiety meds I've now built up a tolerance to. I suppose they did help for a week or so.

So when I'm really feeling sick, and dizzy from lack of sleep, or if I have something important to do the next day - I'll take a couple of ambien and get 6 or so hours. I only do this once every two weeks or so as not to build up tolerance again. The ambien are a lifeline for me when I have something important to do, or if I've been up a few days straight and MUST get to sleep.

I've been to multiple sleep studies, head to toe physicals, hypnosis, accupuncture. You name it!

Sometimes, I am up for 3-4 days straight. The longest I stayed up was for 7 days and I was hospitalized. No dozing or napping either. It's extremely frustrating.

My dr. has spoken to me about taking a drug called Xyrem, but it's pretty heavy duty and I'm too scared of the side effects. Anyone here familiar with it?

Insomnia has ruined my life. I had to quit my job that I loved, I have no social life because I frequently have to cancel plans because I am just too exhausted to go out. On days when I feel as though I can sleep - we check Marc into a kitty hotel for the evening, because he howls most of the night. We were checking him in once a week every week for a while - but that became a pretty expensive habit. Don't worry though... Marc LOVES the kitty hotel. He loves the attention he gets there, and playing with the other cats. He eagerly jumps into his carrier when I take it out, thinking he's going to his "retreat" as I call it.

I really feel for anyone with these problems. Truthfully, I feel that many people with insomnia aren't taken seriously enough by Dr.'s to get the treatment they need. The drugs to treat it are pretty addictive & most true insomniacs will quickly build up a tolerance when they have to take it every single night for months (or years) on end. Many of these drugs aren't meant for long term use, and those that are stop working eventually too.

If anyone out there wants to PM me to talk more in depth about insomnia, feel free. I'm always looking for people who really understand what I'm going through. It's so hard for others to really "Get" my problem.