Anyone else have insomnia? Please help!?
924762
yes but its voluntarily self induced/administerd . you make it sound like its a bad thing . just think of all the things that can be done that you don't have the time for normally. When you start doing some of those things especially if they are labor intensive or physically taxing your body will eventually and automatically shut down and go to sleep to refresh itself try lifting weights you could get yourself in shape and solve your insomnia problem at the same time.   \n\n\ntell you what you lift weights for an hour straight and then tell me if your more awake or tired ok?
792255
I would say yes, this feeling is normal.  I can relate to what you describe because I went for long periods without sleep in the past and I felt horrible, similar to what you describe.  It is hard on anyone who misses a lot of needed sleep!  There are sleep clinics around now days, so if this continues, get a referal from your doctor to one and take care of your insomnia!  Good luck.
106014
I think it's the other way around.  Being depressed can usually lead to sleep problems.  Are you sure you're not depressed already?  If you're worried about a little case of insomnia, they have medication out now such as Lunesta.  You should look in to them if you're worried :)
1177293
I can't either...sometimes I have trouble sleeping if I think too much!!
277329
I think medication is the most successful method. You can also try decreasing the Caffeine intake. I heard anxiety is fully responsible for insomnia.
318161
you have to understand that insomnia is a mental disorder. there are few treatments that can help him. my recommendation is to take him to a doctor and give him prescription sleep aids, like lunesta. they usually work real well.
220293
what time do you go to bed?\n\nyou might want to examine your sleep hygiene and make sure that you're getting QUALITY sleep... (even if you're getting enough quantity)\n\ndepression can definitely cause insomnia and hypersomia (too much sleep); do you ever feel "blue"?  do you feel stressed?  how's your appetite?  it's still winter (at least in U.S.) and sometime mild depression can be seasonal\n\nsleep problems could also be do to endocrine problems such as w/ your thyroid\n\nhere's what I would do:  1) try to normalize your sleep (go to bed ~same time, wake ~same time, don't eat or exercise close to bedtime); 2)try to exercise regularly (just not within a few hours of going to sleep); 3)eat well; 4)consider if you may suffer from depression (it's nothing to be ashamed of); 5)if it continues, talk to your doctor \n\nalso, consider that different people need different amounts of sleep... some are fine with 6 hours while some need 9 hours\n\nsleep is very important and problems with sleep generally correlate with problems with your health!  take it serious!
869309
Sounds like you might have a GAD-Depression combo (not exactly the two-for-one deal you were going for, huh?) A few things could be going on: the sleeplessness could be causing the anxiety and feelings of hopelessness (because, as I'm sure you know, not getting enough sleep can really mess you up), OR the anxiety and hopelessness could be causing your sleeplessness. \n\nI recommend going to the doctor (your regular doctor is fine) and telling him or her what's been going on. He or she may take you off the Remeron and put you on an antidepressant/antianxiety med, like Lexapro, which helps both those symptoms. Of course, the catch 22 in all of this is some of these meds cause insomnia, so your doctor may prescribe a light sleep aid to take before bedtime. \n\nAs far as cognitive behavioral therapy, I'm not sure how much that would help you. Instead, your doctor may recommend talk therapy to help you cope with these feelings. Either way, be sure to talk with your doc first and get his or her opinion on the whole situation--and be very straightforward with what's going on. \n\nPersonal tip: if you do end up taking another med that causes insomnia, try taking a Melatonin supplement in lieu of a prescription sleep aid. You can find it in the supplement aisle in any drug store. They come in 3mg and 5mg strengths. It also won't interfere with any other meds you might be taking, because melatonin is already produced in the brain. It's really made a difference for me :) \n\nHope this helps and good luck!
856393
The posters above me have already offered some good advice - especially the first poster who recommended Valerian Root.\n\nAll I can add to everyone else's advice is this site which explains what you are going through and categorizes the different sleep aids that are available :\n\nhttp://www.medicinenet.com/sleep_aids_and_stimulants/article.htm\n\nGood Luck - I hope you find relief and peaceful sleep soon !
455935
I am also on Lexapro and I am extremely tired too.  I thought it was just me.  I have been on it for over a year.  I think we both need to speak to our doctors.
1056997
I'm currently taking 45mg of temazepam every evening (I have a chronic condition)  Works great for me!  Doesn't leave you with a "hang over" and I seem to have no problem staying asleep for 6.5 - 8 hours.  If you are struggling with insomnia, it might help for you to set an evening routine.  Warm shower, watch a particular show, take your meds (about half an hour before bed) and go to bed.  Please do not drive or operate anything until you know how the meds effect you.
499684
I am in the same situation. I have been taking sleeping pills every since going to Iraq. I recently decided to stop, because I was taking them everynight, and then taking energy pills every morning. I just quit. And it was hard. I still can't sleep right. But I have found that it I work out very very hard, I sleep at night. I have to exhaust myself, and my mind, and it is helping. I am getting much better.
498650
I had a bad problem with insomnia for many years, and did some research on it. Here are the things I’ve found that help the most.\n\n1. Don't take the sleeping pills. Although they are not addictive in the way we tend to think (you won't jones for them if you miss taking them) they are addictive in the sense that once you have taken them for a while, you will have to take them to get to sleep, but they won't have the same effect they used too. This is because you tend to not get the necessary REM sleep you need to be rested. If you must take a sleeping pill, take it well before you go to sleep. For instance, I prefer to take sleeping pills 2 hours before I go to sleep, so that the pill can get into my system and make me drowsy before I get into bed, then get out of my system (hopefully) early enough that I get some normal sleep.\n\n2. Try to go to bed at about the same time every night. You have some wiggle room on this, but if you stay out on Saturday night till 3, it'll be harder to go to sleep at 10PM Sunday.\n\n(Which somewhat contradicts:)\n\n3. If possible, don't go to bed if you're not sleepy. Note - one thing I have read and found to be true is that you have to be awake for 12 hours before you can go back to sleep. So if you sleep till noon, again, you won't be sleepy at 10PM. \n\n4. Don't spend more than 15-30 minutes trying to get to sleep. If you notice that you've been in bed more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something for a while. Make sure what you do isn't going to make you more hyper; e.g. no exercising or energetic music or writing posts to online debates. \n\n5. When you go to bed, choose a chore or some other task that you do not want to do and tell yourself that if you are still awake in thirty minutes you will do that task. Then, if you are still awake, get up and do your chosen task. This is my favorite suggestion, as it has worked nearly every time I've used it. .\n\nThose are the most useful suggestions I have. Other things you can try:\n\nBefore you start getting ready for sleep, turn off high energy music and turn the lights down. I love R&R music, but I went through a period where I had to turn the radio off every night about an hour before I went to bed, or I would be too wired to sleep. And our bodies react to reduced light by producing melatonin which puts us to sleep. \n\nGet plenty of exercise, but not right before bed. (Unless you're weird like me - exercise right before bed just puts me to sleep)\n\nAnother suggestion that might work is to relax your body, consciously, one area at a time, starting from your feet. You think about the ball of your left foot and relax it, then the ball of your right foot, then the arch of your left foot, etc. You have to concentrate (pretty hard) on what you are doing.
1127815
If you haven't already, see a sleep specialist.  In my experience, many insomniacs have an underlying sleep disorder causing the problem.  \n\nAlso, practice good sleep hygiene-\n\nDon't try to sleep if you don't feel tired.  Start with loose goals, like trying to get to sleep before midnight.  Forcing yourself to sleep and watching the clock only increases anxiety.\n\nTry and avoid napping in the late afternoon and evening, and keep naps short.\n\nNo nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol within six hours of bedtime, no large meals prior to bedtime (but do have a light snack, an empty stomach can be just as disruptive).\n\nExcercise regularly, but complete your excercises at least four hours before bedtime.\n\nDon't stare at the clock- it is better to get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy than to lie in bed tossing and turning.\n\nDon't use your bed for things like watching TV and reading, you want your body and mind to equate lying in bed with sleeping.  With one obvious exception :) you should only use your bed for sleeping.\n\nYour ultimate aim should be to get a sleep schedule that works for you and stick with it!  One of the worst things we all do is having different sleep/wake times on weekends.  You have to make sleep a priority, and in today's world, that's remarkably hard to do.\n\nAnd lastly, much easier said than done- find a way to clear your mind before you get in bed.  If you need to, see someone about your anxiety issues as well.  On the bright side, if you're successful at getting regular sleep, that will be a huge help to your mood and general health.\n\nBest of luck!!!
1026229
I have a dependency on sleeping pills too. I feel like I have to have them in order to sleep. The best way is to just stop taking them, ask someone to help you. Once I let my hubby know what was going on, he kept the pills from me and even asked me if I had taken any. You'll get a night or two with very little sleep but eventually your body will fall asleep from sheer exhaustion. If you think you need real help, see a psychiatrist
217738
I've been plauged with insomnia since as far back as I can recall. My mom always had problems getting me up for school in the morning, mainly b/c I didn't get much sleep at night. I've been a night owl ever since. I went through a time where I did speed/meth to stay up all night so I didn't have to worry about fighting to fall asleep. that was the first sign for me, I was always fighting to go to sleep. My mind just didn't seem to want to shut off. so, I had read never to stay in bed when you can't sleep after about 15 minutes....to do something relaxing, like read, or take a bath, or watch tv. but don't stay in bed. your not supposed to associate your bed with anything else but sleep. nothing helped me, even did a sleep study. I only slept 4 hours so they could only come to the conclusion that I had insomnia....gee, ya think!! well, I can only sleep with the help of prescribed meds now. good luck!!
287034
You may have insomnia, go to a doctor.