No sleep for 2 months!

Hi since my previous reply I am now having real difficulties getting more then 2 hours uninterrupted sleep. I get brain zaps just as I am falling asleep it’s like my brain doesn’t want to let me sleep and I get a jerk of the head or am/leg which keeps me awake. I have tried paracetamol and Bach rescue remedy and nowvtrying magnesium glycinate but am getting more fearful going to bed. I live alone and am not exhausted. Being recently put on blind is thinner I am limited in what I can try and the one thing that scarily knocked me out was a Benadryl sleep ease but it was too deep a sleep and is not advised if you have a heart condition as might not wake up. I am finding my eyesight seems a bit off plus balance all due to lack of sleep I think.

@dennismm hi it’s a herbal remedy in UK put four drops on tongue and relaxes you. Used for things like driving tests and public speaking too. It’s five flower extracts in a grape alcolhol mixture.

I tried Trazodone, starting at 50mg. I took it for years and it helped a little bit for falling asleep, but wore off after 4 hrs when I'd wake up and wasn't able to fall back asleep. Eventually, it seemed to carry over into the day and made me feel sleepy all day so I quit taking it.

I found CBN gummies worked better for me. There is a brand from Minny Grown called Hibernate that you can try ordering from their website. Look for one with CBN and a tiny bit of THC.

I also started taking 2 mg of melatonin before bed. Also 300mg Magnesium Glycinate which relaxes muscles and can help you sleep.

You can also check into low-dose Naltrexone. I started taking 4.5mg/day for my fibromyalgia but found it helped immensely with my sleep. You have to get it from a compounding pharmacy and it's not covered by insurance. Here is one article about it: https://neurolaunch.com/naltrexone-and-sleep/

Dear Dennis,
I know of your pain. I evolved into chronic insomnia after getting tinnitus in both ears. I couldn’t sleep. After 2 1/2 months I was forced to retire. I was on some of the drugs you are in. Have you tried Magnesium Glycinate, Magnesium Threonate, and/or glycine. These are natural supplements that can be helpful for sleep. I would start with the Mag Glycinate 60 mins. Before bed. I take 480 mg. If you wake up in the middle of the night try the Mag Threonate plus Glycine. I would also speak with someone who specializes in CBTI , chronically therapy for insomnia. I don’t completely trust the psychiatrist or neurologist, they are good at passing out pills, but don’t always get to the main issue. Right now you need to stabilize your sleep as much as possible.

@stevej940
Thanks so much for thinking about me. The last two months has been tough if not totally possible! I take 300 mg of magnesium glycinate about an hour before bedtime. However, no one mentioned the other type of magnesium you were discussing if I get up in the middle of the night. I will, however, double check and thanks!!

@stevej940
THANKS for caring! When do you take the Theonate ?

Thanks !!!

@dennismm I take 144 mg of Mag Threonate, plus 1500 mg of Glycinate if I wake up between 2 to around 4 am. I am in the process of micro-tapering off of a benzo, so I find this helps me as I take less of the benzo each day.

@stevej940
Steve,
When do you take the Threonate?
Thanks for caring,
Dennis

@dennismm I take 144 mg of Mag Threonate, plus 1500 mg of Glycinate if I wake up between 2 am to around 4 am in the early morning. I am in the process of micro-tapering off of a benzo, so I find this helps me as I take less of the benzo each day.

But you could take it other times if you wake up in the early am. I try not to take it close to when I took the Mag Glycinate at bedtime. I thought best to spread out the times when I take those supplements. Remember, this is based on my experiences with insomnia and my medications. Everyone is different so you may need to experiment with what works best for you. I am no medical professional. But I have had them suggested to me by a nutritionist.