Connect
← Return to Causes of sleepless night
Discussion
Comment receiving replies
The above posts are all correct. Different causes for different people, and it seems to me, different causes for the individual at different times.
Insomnia sucks and it can really mess up your life. I know from personal experience, including tonight. It is 3:00 am now. Got up an hour ago and could not get back to sleep. Lost my job a month ago. I can't really blame anyone there. My ability to do even the simplest tasks was gone. I wasn't safe and worked around/with 480volt doing maintenance in industrial setting, so .......
You did not specify whether you had problems getting to sleep or staying asleep or even both. For getting to sleep over the counter aids may help. In my case the antihistamines cause my restless legs to flare to the point that the prescription meds I take don't work. But good ol' benadryl might work for you.
Prescription meds are hard to get! If you have severe long term problems you might be able to. For sleep onset ramelteon really worked for me, but wears off quickly. Works for an hour or so.
If you can list some of your particulars I might have some possible help. I have gone weeks, literally, with no sleep or bits and pieces of "micro sleep."
Please remember , you are not alone.
Replies to "The above posts are all correct. Different causes for different people, and it seems to me,..."
Connect
blackersheep, I had problems getting to sleep and also getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. You say you can't take antihistamines like benadryl, but have you tried Unisom with ingredient Doxylamine? If not, you should try it. It's not an antihistamine..... it's an over the counter sleep aid that works pretty good. I now am prescribed Lorazepam and Amitriptyline for sleep/anxiety/mild depression and it's working great for me. The benzos (Lorazepam) are extremely hard to get prescribed to you. My doctor had me try many other sleep meds, like Trazodone, Ambien, Lunesta, etc...and none of them worked. Maybe I should have tried a higher dose of Lunesta, but doctors don't like to prescribe a high dose of a sleep med. So finally he said he was going to have me stop taking the anxiety med I was taking 2-3 times a week, (valium) and have me try 1 medication that I would take daily for my anxiety and sleep issues. That sounded good to me. That medication is Lorazepam. I was already prescribed a benzo (diazepam--valium) so maybe that's why he was willing to prescribe me a benzo. Frankly, I think he really wanted to find a solution for me too. Thank god. You have a severe long-term issue with insomnia... so why isn't your doctor continuing to try and find the medication that works for you?? The medication that is hands down the best sleep medication is Flurazepam--30mg. If you can get your hands on it, I believe it would work for you. They stopped manufacturing it in 2022, but I've heard it may be back on the market. Ask your doctor about it. And keep pestering your doctor for a solution to your insomnia. Do not give up, and be persistent with your doctor. Sleep is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for a person's overall health. When you get good sleep, everything else is better. (whatever issues you may have) My fibromyalgia, my mild depression, my anxiety, all were better when I got a good night's sleep! Please go back to your doctor and insist on finding the sleep med that works for you. If you have any other questions for me, feel free to ask. Good luck to you!