Anyone affected with chronic insomnia

Hello Laura1970, I am with you, I've tried everything and after 1 1/2 years It's still a nightly challenge. What is the other long-term medication you have used? my understanding is that Belsomra was taken off the market for being unsafe? I also take magnesium, and melatonin.

I still get belsomra so it’s not off the market yet. I also tried daridorexant, about the same efficacy as belsomra but much more pricey. My problem is pain. I don’t want to take opiates every night (I’m afraid I’ll become tolerant), so I take anything and everything else. Honestly what helps me most is having the tv on a show I’ve already seen, no laugh tracks, no commercials, no noisy action. Lately I swear by young Sheldon. It gives my mind something to focus on besides the pain.

Yes, exactly about watching a show I’ve already seen many times that has very even calm voices. I find Hallmark movies to be good if they don’t have singing that gets loud. The commercials can increase in volume sometimes. A recorded sermon can also be effective if the preacher keeps his voice calm. The more monotone the better. Be sure to set the sleep timer as well or the TV will wake you back up later. I set it for 1 hour at a time. I too need that distraction or my mind will race all night.

I started taking L Theanine about an hour before bed and about 15 minutes before, I take a melatonin. It has worked well for me and I have struggles with insomnia since I started Letrozole for breast cancer.

What happened for me is that high blood pressure episodes/spikes were happening during nightmares and those would wake me up. Once I started taking amlodipine at night for that and propranolol twice daily in the daytime for stress related BP episodes and I also use hydroxyzine for sleep, busparone, Cymbalta, 60mg day; and "Sleep Three" by Nature's Bounty.

so if you never go to bed until you are REALLY sleepy, have you ever been up all night and not feel sleepy enough to sleep? it has happened to me! also have times when I'm exhausted and still didn't sleep! Sometimes I make a floor bed for myself and can fall asleep that way! I never could figure that out? sometimes I will read until I feel relaxed enough to go to bed, and then I'm wide awake again! So annoying!
Another thing someone told me to try and it seems to help a lot, is, do not eat anything with sugar, if you can avoid sugar for 2 weeks you will sleep better!! but its SO hard! Because when we are tired during the day and don't feel like working hard you go for comfort food! Its a vicious cycle!!

Hey, not sure if people look at this thread still but wanted to share my experience!
Backstory: Software engineer in my late 20s.
Had insomnia off and on most of my life. But only recently discovered it once I stopped recreational drugs (ie weed).
Most nights was waking up feeling anxious and tired. A good night would be me sleeping 6 hours. But some nights I'd sleep 3-4 hours or not at all if certain anxiety inducing events occurred (like interviews).
Tried Trazodone -> didn't help and felt even worse the next mornings.

Going through CBTI's sleep restriction therapy right now which has been helping tremendously (no issues falling asleep and have a 98% sleep efficiency) but before I could even get to a state where I could accept this therapy I had to deal with certain mental issues of myself.
After months of bad sleep, I took disability leave from work in order to focus on these issues.

A lot of things I thought were hogwash helped me a lot including coming to terms with some delusions of myself.

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) really helped me a lot. And just being aware of my feelings. A specialist told me I could be having panic attacks in my sleep and I thought maybe I needed to let my mind "let go" hours before bed. For me personally, this means turning my inner monologue into a kinder person, letting my thoughts run and observe them from afar before 'unhooking' from them, and some platitudes to calm my mind before sleep. And accept certain truths about myself and my life that I was pushing away. And not having my internal monologue punish me for going down these paths even if they seemed useless.

I didn't want to be the type of person that needed to be in touch with their feelings. I didn't think many of my friends or peers had to go through these things. But I chose sleep over a specific identity. In the back of my mind I knew I'd be a more productive person. And that, personally, is what makes me happy.

This is extremely hard if you have been punished in the past for letting go of control and are a "facts matter more than feelings" type of person.

My doctor also put me on a bit of Doxepin.
Before, when I tried Doxepin, I didn't sleep at all and felt drowsy. So I didn't continue. But after I started handling my feelings in the aforementioned way, I was able to commit to Doxepin and sleep restriction therapy.

The first couple days have a huge sedating effect the next day. Paired with no naps and shorter sleep during treatment made me feel like absolute trash but ACT helped me through it. The next day drowsy/sedating effect left me after the first couple days and CBTI took over.

Can post an update in a month or so show the longer term effects of this therapy!

anyone take L-theanine and magnesium glycanate ?? any good?? I found it was initially and its good once I get to sleep but getting to sleep is the problem, its driving me crazy. I just cant sleep.

@tisme My hubs and I take Magnesium Glycinate. If we wake in the night we take it again. Brand matters. We use this brand from Amazon. Magnesium Glycinate 500 mg - Chelated Supplement - High Absorption Form of Magnesium - Support for Sleep, Muscle & Heart Health - Made in USA, Lab Tested & Non-GMO - 120 Capsules https://a.co/d/09WmT0rH
I bought a different brand once and it did not work.