annoying

[auburngirl]

For the past 3 years or so I have to had to take benadryl every night to go to sleep. The benadryl however leaves me in an stupor the next day and I can barely function. Not good because I am a full time student with two jobs. I have to be able to focus at all times.

I am tired (literally) of not being able to fall asleep naturally. I did all the little tricks to help me relax but nothing seems to shut me down except if I drink a wine cooler a couple of hours before I go to bed and being on antidepressants, I really don't need to do that too often. If I don't take anything I will just literally lie in bed all night. I get up watch tv for a while, read a book, drink milk... you name it I've tried. I am trying my best to stay away from any prescription sleeping meds bc I am tired of relying on medication to function.

My family thinks I am lazy (and maybe I am) because I can eaisly sleep until noon if I am not bothered. I am trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps so to speak but I feel like I am just trying to climb out of quick sand.

Please someone tell me I am not losing my mind and control of my body. What can I do?

[recoverymouse]

For the past 3 years or so I have to had to take benadryl every night to go to sleep. The benadryl however leaves me in an stupor the next day and I can barely function. Not good because I am a full time student with two jobs. I have to be able to focus at all times.

I am tired (literally) of not being able to fall asleep naturally. I did all the little tricks to help me relax but nothing seems to shut me down except if I drink a wine cooler a couple of hours before I go to bed and being on antidepressants, I really don't need to do that too often. If I don't take anything I will just literally lie in bed all night. I get up watch tv for a while, read a book, drink milk... you name it I've tried. I am trying my best to stay away from any prescription sleeping meds bc I am tired of relying on medication to function.

My family thinks I am lazy (and maybe I am) because I can eaisly sleep until noon if I am not bothered. I am trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps so to speak but I feel like I am just trying to climb out of quick sand.

Please someone tell me I am not losing my mind and control of my body. What can I do?

you might be interested in this article about online programs for cognitive behavioral therapy to solve sleep disorders http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091916.htm

apparently there are a number of different programs that do this online, I think some cost money and some are free. the one they used in the study is not available to the public yet, and when it becomes available they will charge about 20 bucks per person for a multiweek program (so I heard on the radio the other day). There have been two studies about this recently, the report I heard is probably about a more recent study than the one in the link.

EDIT: Here's a program, linked from the New York Times' Well Blog, that offers CBT for insomnia at $25 a pop: http://cbtforinsomnia.com/JoinNow.html

[NailFlower]

I suffered from insomnia for years and years, it was awful. what finally cured me was this trick: wake up at the same time every single day EARLY, like 5-6am, whether you have to go to work or school or what. if you have nothing to do until much later, like 8 or 9ish or whatever, use that early morning time to workout or study or hobbies or something. You will notice a difference within 5 days or so, then after that you will find you feel sleepy much earlier in the day and ready for bed by 9-10pm. You will feel sleepy as well as tired, you know?

also there may be some underlying mental/emotional issue preventing you from sleeping easily, in my case it was PTSD from sexual assaults. I'm getting therapy and I am positive that will help but getting up early at the same time daily cured my chronic insomnia, basically. the thing is getting up early no matter what, even if you got to sleep at 2am, and no naps in the afternoon until you have been sleeping regularly for at least 3 months. Also, be sure no caffeine and/or sugary drinks at least 4 hours before bedtime. it really doesn't matter what time you go to bed, the thing is to wake up and get up at the same time every day, early.

[dancesintherain]

I sympathize with you on this problem. I dealt with it for quite a bit. I know that you mentioned that you'd rather not have prescription meds--but what ended up helping me in the long run was getting my sleep cycle normalized through the use of drugs (for about a week or so). Then, once it was back on track, I gradually weaned the drugs away. It worked most of the time.

Of course, than I got hit by the episode from hell and now need sleep meds regularly to keep myself on track...but the short-term use of meds helped a lot for quite a while.

[auburngirl]

Thank you guys...advice was very helpful!

[h3llo]

if i was of age i would just have a drink before going to sleep...

[SashaSue]

I agree with Danceintherain, that my sleep would never have gotten anything close to normal without meds. If you need them to function, you need them to function, like it or not. You pretty much never hear diabetics talking about trying to function without their meds, as some kind of matter of principle. Just saying.