I have debilitating insomnia issues where I cannot sleepFor 4-10 night

I’m truly sorry for you and what is happening, I read so many stories about people who have insomnia and the suffering that it causes. I noticed you said that this has been going on for most of your adult life and that you’ve tried many different medications with no success, I feel that you need much more help than what you have been given so far, perhaps you can ask your doctor to get you in with a sleep therapist and also sign up for sleep monitoring and extensive tests to see what is needed for your sleep health. I’ve known people who went through this and they were able to get help once they found the problem because there’s many different reasons why you can’t sleep. I also learned that insomnia is not the same for everyone, some people fall asleep but wake up shortly afterwards and can’t get back to sleep, others have said they don’t fall asleep at all, it’s a very difficult thing to cope with but don’t give up on getting the right treatment or medication to help you get your sleep, best wishes to you.

I am so sorry you can’t sleep. There is very little that is worse than not to be able to get sleep.

mkean1250help, God bless you. I am so sorry. This is a hard thing. I cannot speak from the experience you are having, but, I do have some restless nights from pain....but not nightly. Please promise me you will not do anything to harm yourself. Call the 988 number if you need help. Are you getting any counseling or have a trusted friend to talk to about this? Sometimes just talking to someone relieves so much anxiety.

Have they tried anything with you for anxiety? Sometimes Ativan (Lorazepam) is prescribed for sleep. Sometimes Trazodone (an antidepressant) is used for sleep. Have you tried Magnesium Glycinate or Calm Powder (this has magnesium in it) or Melatonin 5 mg? I take Natrol Melatonin 5 mg gummies occasionally for sleep and it works within 30 minutes for me. I also take the Magnesium Glycinate as it relaxes your muscles as well and lowers blood pressure. Are you able to nap during the day?

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Do not go on social media, watch the news, get on your phone with someone an hour before bedtime. This
winds your mind up. There is so much negativity on T.V.

2) Do not do anything that causes your mind to get over stimulated, such as balancing your checkbook before
bedtime.

3) Take a hot shower or a tub bath in Epsom Salt which has magnesium in it. It is relaxing.

4) Have you had a massage? This is very relaxing to your whole body if you can tolerate it.

5) Lavender is relaxing. There are a lot of lavender products out there in candles, etc., that help you
relax.

6) Do you have blackout curtains in your bedroom? This helps a lot of people to sleep.

7) Watch your caffeine in take at least 4 hours before bedtime.

8) I am a Christian and pray every night and read my Bible right before bedtime. This helps me to sleep as well.

I am praying for you right now and for your sleep to be sweet tonight. Please keep us all posted. Blessings & Prayers....

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced no sleep at all for a night, let alone several in a row. But I’ve experienced having only one or two hours on a really bad nights. That must be so awful and I’m sorry you’re going through that.

I have, however, frequent nights in which it takes me hours and hours to go to sleep. Or, I’ll fall asleep and then wake up after just a few minutes and can’t go back to sleep for hours.

You really need a sleep study, if you haven’t already, and a proper diagnosis.

But I tell you what works for me. I warn you, though, that it goes against conventional wisdom and all recommendations.

I have a word game app on my phone called Whirly Word that I play. I’ll play it until I start to feel irresistibly sleepy, or until I realized that I drifted off with the phone in my hand. Then I can shut it off and fall right to sleep.

I’m not sure why it works. It may be because my mind is focused on a sort of mindless task so that it can’t be racing in every direction, worry abou or planning this or that. Maybe it is some form of “counting sheep”.

For years my husband got annoyed with me playing the game. He’d send me all kinds of articles about why we shouldn’t look at “blue light” electronic screens before going to bed because, supposedly, they keep us awake. But, I tell you, this works for me. And my husband has finally accepted it and he doesn’t try to get me to “put the phone down and just go to sleep” anymore. He doesn’t understand sleeplessness because he falls asleep easily and immediately.

It sounds crazy, but it works for me,

I also have another trick that not everyone can tolerate. And that is…laying on my stomach (prone). If you have a bad back or neck, it’s difficult to lay on your stomach, I know. But I dread the day that I can no longer lay on my stomach, because sometimes it’s the only position I can fall asleep in. It also makes me feel better when I’m nauseous.

If you do a search on laying in the prone position, you will find that there are benefits to doing it and sometimes doctors use it to help treat their patients.

I can emphasize with your insomnia - as a fellow sufferer. I have had this my entire adult life as well - usually from being on steroids to control my asthma. High or low dose affect me this way. I drink NO caffeine or sugary drinks, and stay away from chocolate/other products which have caffeine. Sometimes I will sleep for 15 minutes and then am up for the rest of the night.
Things that have helped - sometimes - are calcium at night -- no more than 600mg as more than that the body will not absorb at night. Magnesium Glycinate (I get this from Amazon) can have other vitamins. Take in the morning. Some take it at night - which worsens the insomnia. I cannot take Melatonin as I get hyper and more awake! Tryptophan (ingredient in turkey) can be helpful. Benadryl can be taken - though if it does help, after about 5 days you get very bad nightmares. Try a cool room with blackout shades or even wearing a sleep mask.

It is possible to have some sleep apnea - even though you don't sleep. It is hard to get checked for that - even with a home test - since you need to sleep for at least 4 hours in a row. Can you sleep sitting in a chair or with the head of your bed more elevated (use blankets or pillows under the top of your mattress, so your neck won't hurt.

The last resort may be some self-hypnosis and white noise.
I hope you get some much needed rest/sleep. It is difficult to function without rest - something the body needs to repair itself. Good luck.

I was told after 6 (I think) sleep studies.
I have delayed sleep pattern
Which means my body don’t start shutting down for sleep until 8pm, most people start between 6 and 8pm so by 10pm they are ready for sleep. They also wake up between 6 and 8 am after 8 hours of sleep.
My body starts to shut down around 10 pm which I fall asleep between midnight and 1 am and wake up 8 to 9 am.
I feel so much better about myself because it’s my body not me.
A lot of doctors don’t know about it and don’t understand it. I was at MC.

This little old lady developed the same thing, and I was already on escitalopram. I kept my bedroom a silent, uncluttered space, with no screens, no light, and low temperature.

I finally moved to a different city, and got a new, younger psychiatrist, who put me on daily amytriptaline. I didn’t not think I was anxious, until this helped. It took a couple of weeks, and during that time I also used an occasional antihistamine (Benadryl or hydroxyzine), but now that is maybe once a month).

It’s not the kind of help that many people get…I don’t get drowsy a couple of hours after taking it, so I didn’t notice it was truly helping until it built up in my system. And there is no hangover, or vivid dreaming, or dream interruption. Now, I can truly look forward to bed and sleep.

Thank you for understanding this issue, since you yourself have experience this problem.
I have been through a sleep study, but I could not sleep so it was hard for them to diagnose anything, for many years, Doctor said it was a hormonal issue, but that proved not to be the case
I will just continue I suppose trying to do what I’m doing, but I am not depressed, I have no anxiety, so it’s a mystery why I cannot shut my brain down…
And also, I think very positive thoughts like decorating a room in my house are visiting my family and seeing my grandchildren or thinking about what we’re doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas all happy thoughts, it doesn’t seem to matter
I will try sleeping on my tummy, and some other ideas that you have mentioned and I appreciate your kind help

I hope you get some rest soon. Have you tried white noise? How about self hypnosis? Also breathing exercises may be helpful to help relax. Something which is not funny - If I watch a political show that I am not really in to - it gets so boring that I doze off!
On a side note - is there a way to see if you have too much serotonin. This is a chemical which is found in the brain - which keeps the brain from resting. Many people with OCD have too much serotonin. I'm not saying you do, but too much keeps the mind very active even without OCD.
Good luck.

I was taking 0.5 Xanax that would put me right to sleep .
They are no longer issuing it to me .
So I was prescribed ramelteon 8 mg
I now sleep about 5 hrs
I also take seroquil with it
What a relief!!!
Hope this info helps you .