Insomnia

For many months now I have not been getting a sufficient amount of sleep at night. I work 8 1/2 hours, Monday - Friday, and most of the time when I'm at work I always feel like a walking zombie. It's now getting to the point where it's hard to concentrate and I make stupid mistakes in my work.

I'm positive that I am experiencing insomnia because I always have a difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I usually wake up in the middle of the night and find it hard to fall back asleep. Once I eventually do, it's basically time to get up for work. On average I probably get about 4 1/2 - 5 hours of sleep a night and it's really starting to take a toll on me. I've been thinking about taking some sort of a sleeping pill but I'm not sure if I should do that or not. Do they even work?

So what I want to know is, do any of you have trouble sleeping like I do? Have you done anything about it? Also, should I try a sleeping pill?

Thanks.

 

I have a similar problem Andrea. If i go to sleep early (10/11pm) i will wake up at like 4/5 so just end up sleeping at about 2am. Either way, i feel the same as you, like a walking zombie all the time. However i haven't tried anything to resolve it, so i can't help you on that one. Have you been to see a doctor about it maybe? I've heard that sleeping pills have horrible after effects though. Like, they can make you feel even worse and more tired.

 

Yeah, I know exactly what you're going though. I've been through the same thing. I've even stayed up fr 3 days striaght and lately I feel like I can never sleep. For the past few weeks I wake up sometime after 6:30am even if I don't have to wake up til 11.

I dont' really kno what will help. But the lack of sleep really makes me pretty ADD, I can never concentrate, and I get this wired/exhausted feeling.

I can't fall asleep, and I wake up 2+ times every night, and I wake up hours before my alarm and can't fall back asleep. This happens even when I take a sleep aid, so I really don't think they work.

Oh, and most of the sleep aid stuff is in your head anyway and a lot of times they don't work. so it's up to you whether you want to do them or not. but you may be under a lot of stress, if you try to meditate or take 30mins out of your day to completely relax all of your body, starting from your toes, you may do a little better. Also, eating better help aswell. Stuff with a lot of preservatives isn't good.

If that doesn't make it better, then yes, go see your Dr. sleep is important.

...most of my friends jut smoke pot before bed. but most people aren't into that, and it's not good to become dependant.

 

I had a lot of problems with sleeping when I was younger. I just couldn't sleep and woke up all the time... now I don't really have it anymore, not regularly.

I'd say sleeping pills do work because they can help you believe in that your going to sleep because of them. For me they work more psychological than physical.

I think a lot of people (on here too) are going through the same problem latetly. I hope it gets better soon.

 

I always seem to get a lot of headaches. Sometimes I can deal and other times it gets so bad that I can't and I have to miss work or leave early. I also have hardly any energy during the weekend when I'm off work. I'm off and most of the time I just can't get up and do things because I'm always so tired all the time. I want to change that. Not sleeping right is probably the root of my problem. Everytime I would go to the doctor about my headaches, my doctor would always ask, "How do you sleep?" and I always would say, "Not enough. I only get a few hours each night." and nothing else was said about it. It never really dawned on me that I should be pushing the subject of sleep to get some answers and maybe medication for it. I'm willing to try anything at this point to help me sleep better. Maybe once I have time during the week I'll go back to the doctor and see what she says about this.

 

I used to have that problem. I still do (getting to sleep at 1AM and waking up at 6:45) but i've got used to it somehow. I was on sleeping pills once. They worked like a charm, but Debs' was right, they do make you feel tired in the day, but that might have been because i was sick with ME at the time. But my mum has tried them in the past aswell and she seemed to get on fine in the day and was sleeping really well at night.

A tip though. Try all the herbal shit you can get from your local pharmacy BEFORE pills. Herbs work a lot better i've found, and the after effects are minimal if anything. You just have to be careful when you take them. Just go down to the local drug store (or whatever you have over there) and ask someone at the desk what might help or something? This sort of stuff is easy to get hold of. Just stuff like chamomile and stuff like that.

 

Yeah, lately I've been falling behind on my sleep. Usually I'm half awake, even though to most I seem like my usual self. A few nights ago, I could see that my eyes were getting all bloodshot. Glad it's a 3-day weekend, I can finally catch up on my sleep.

I'd check with your doc, Andrea. What are the conditions while you're sleeping? Perhaps something is waking you up? Usually everything is physiological. Also, try tiring yourself out; working out before sleeping, going for a run, etc?

 

@Dave - I'll mention the herbal stuff to my dad. He's a pharmacist. Gotta love having a pharmacist in the family. Thanks.

@Tomi - I think I just have a lot on my mind. When I go to bed I guess I have thoughts about what's going to happen the next day at work lingering on my mind, among other things. I guess that's what keeps waking me up. *shrugs*. It needs to stop, lol. I have gotten to the point where I've gone to work with very bloodshot eyes and everyone looks concerned.

I guess I need to talk to my dad and go back to my doctor.

 

I've had some problems with it (for more about it, talk to Holly...she's really the one who knows the whole story) but I have this thing where if I don't fall asleep by a certain time, for some reason, i'll be afraid to go to sleep. So afraid that the only way I can go to sleep is just simply if I pass out. It's weird though, I really have no clue why I have these attacks.

 

Bingo. If I have too much on my mind, I can't sleep either. You just have to plain stop thinking about anything when you go to bed. I find that having music quietly playing helps me a lot, because I can focus on thinking about the music, which helps me block out other thoughts. I guess it helps me since I always have some kind of song, or riff, etc, going through my head at all times. *shrug* But yeah, you just need to clear your mind. What works either is just repeat in your thoughts "sleeeep. sleeep. sleeep. sleeep. sleeep." Eventually, you'll either forget what you've been thinking about earlier, blanking your mind for a while (hopefully), letting you fall asleep, or you'll just get so bored of repetition, that you'll fall asleep.

*shrug* Just an idea, but like said, see a doc for advice.

 

Maybe I'll count sheep?

Yeah, I'll see what my doctor says...whenever I get around to it. I have such a busy week coming up.

 

Baaaah.

 

One.

 

Serious Chat

hey that works lol

 

Baaaahhh. *cough* *cough* *mutter* ...humbug.

 

pills = possible addiction = not good

 

have u considered the fact that your having trouble sleep because ur stuck in a routine, ive been in the same routine since september nd have been having the same trouble including the headaches.

The headaches might be due to the fact that you have a lot on ur mind nd made worse by the lack of sleep, if u use computers alot to then that wont help the matter. I found i sleep better if i try change stuff i do each day, so i dont come home everyday nd file my notes then get some food before doing homework, i do other things to change wot i do every evening

hope that was some kinda help.. it seems to be working for me

 

This is the most ridiculously ironic thing in the world, but I'm didn't read all the replies in this thread because it's 2:30 a.m. and I've got to go to bed.

But your health may have something to do with your not getting enough sleep. My doctor told me I didn't get enough sleep because of my health problems, and once they were resolved, I was getting decent sleep (though not the best because I still suck at life).

I'm not saying you're unhealthy, but that's a possibility. There might be something ailing you that you don't know about. So, definitely see a doctor.

 

Do you sleep during the day?
Do you exercise?

If you exercise that helps your body to feel tired and ready to sleep at night, if you take some naps during the day then that's bad for u.

Don't do anything in bed like watching tv, or eat just use bed for sleeping.

try to sleep every day at the same time, that helps a lot.