[__ Prayer __] Insomnia

[NuRelic]

I've been dealing with it since I was 12 and it comes and goes generally lasting 2 or 3 days, but it's lasted up to and over a week. Going on my second night (out of three) this week without any sleep. Just can't get my mind to stop racing. Tried several things over the years but its hard when you don't know its going to be a bad one until after midnight. So I thought I'd post a thread here and ask for a little spiritual help where two or more of us might help my plea get through (for lack of a better way of saying it). Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this - I'm a little foggy right now.

Nu

 

[Mike]

It's amazing how much difficulty people have doing something as natural as sleeping. I'm not commenting on your plight, because I've had bouts of insomnia myself. The pharmaceutical industry is warring over FDA approval of novel sleep medications, because there is blockbuster money to be made if a drug can be approved for long-term use. Ambien and Lunesta are huge money makers for their manufacturers.

I believe there is something to our increasingly stressful society and people not fighting through this without medication as they used to. Again, I'm not commenting on your insomnia, and I don't know if you take anything for it. I'm just saying, in America anyway, there are a lot of people not sleeping and taking medication to assist it.

I pray His Peace over you in finding rest. Sleep is important to live fully as God intends. BTW, welcome to CFnet.

 

[NuRelic]

I'm just saying, in America anyway, there are a lot of people not sleeping and taking medication to assist it.

I pray His Peace over you in finding rest. Sleep is important to live fully as God intends. BTW, welcome to CFnet.

I do appreciate your kind words and prayers. As far as the medication, I've taken variou types of PM medication off and on and they all work fine but I don't regularly go back to them because I don't want to either 1) become dependent on them or 2) build up a tolerance to them. As far as Ambien and Lunesta, I've stayed away from them for much of the same reasons you pointed out and I just don't like the idea of acclimating myself to a drug for something that comes on every once in a while.

The problem there is that because the insomnia is routine, I don't want to have to regularly take a pill when I'm not having problems with the insomnia and when I am, I have a hard time convincing myself that taking something at midnight, 1 AM, 2 AM etc. is going to leave me just as groggy as not getting the sleep or worse.

Nu

 

[Mike]

Yeah, I can't take any of the PM pain relievers. The next day, I have serious medicine-head. Every once in a while I have a combination of insomnia and amnesia, and I'll take some. In the morning, I'm reminded why I don't take them. :morning

There's nothing like watching that clock roll on. I usually get up for a while and go read. It comes easier when I do that and return to bed. I can't lay there all night, or I'll fall asleep about an hour before I need to get up. :gah

 

[Alabaster]

I am an insomniac also, not able to sleep until about 4 or 5am about 90% of the time, and when I think of it early enough, the natural hormone called Melatonine, that you take sublingually really helps. It is not habit-forming.

I will pray for you.

 

[Lehigh3]

NuRelic,

Have you asked a DR. about medications like Seroquel or Geodon? These are antipsychotic drugs with very low side effects. They work for many patients for insomnia, taken at bedtime. They are brand name drugs so they cost a little more. Not too bad with insurance though.

Dear Lord,
You are the great Physician & are still in the healing business. I pray that NuRelic will find the proper treatment & solution for his/her sleeping problems.
In Jesus name, Amen.

 

[jodetoad]

I will pray for you.

Only solution to insomnia I ever found was by accident - I lost a lot of weight, and exercised every day. Slept like a baby mostly. When I skip the exercise, have usual trouble sleeping. But not everybody can exercise, and many find it boring and unpleasant.

 

[Alabaster]

FYI

Recommending antipsychotic drugs is the most shocking thing I have read here lately. A good physician would never prescribe them for the sleep side effect.

 

[Christ_empowered]

yeah, the antipsychotics are kind of hard core. I take one of the newer ones that's non-sedating for severe Bipolar type I. I seriously would think twice (possibly 3 or 4 times) before taking something that heavy for insomnia (not that insomnia isn't a problem, its just that the antipsychotics can have major side effects).

My heart goes out to you. As part of my illness, I experience insomnia sometimes, and its terrible, and its very bad for you also. I've gotten a lot better by taking several grams of niacinamide (b3) and several grams of taurine. They're both kind of soothing/sedating, and they're inexpensive. Melatonin, especially with extra b6, has also proven beneficial to me in the past.

I hope you can find a solution that works for you. If the insomnia causes problems, you may want to consider a prescription medication. Ambien (now ambien cr) and lunesta are some of the more popular options, but the old school Valium-type drugs can still be used (Restoril, Ativan, Xanax), especially if its only an occasional problem. The cool thing about those drugs is that they relax your body while sedating you, so if you haven't slept in a while and you take a sufficient dose of one, you wake up feeling very refreshed. But don't take them all the time, or with alcohol.

Anyway, I'll pray for you...insomnia is terribly unpleasant, and I'm sorry you're going through it.

 

[Mike]

Re: FYI

Recommending antipsychotic drugs is the most shocking thing I have read here lately. A good physician would never prescribe them for the sleep side effect.

Alabaster, I wouldn't let the classification of drugs throw you. Drugs can have a wide range of symptoms they are approved to treat by the FDA. Many physicians use low-dose anti-depression medications to treat insomnia. I'm not promoting the use of them, but I am saying there are valid reasons for physicians prescribing such drugs for this purpose. They've been studied and stood peer-reviews to determine their effectiveness. Ten mg of a drug might be effective for sleep, while 50mg will address other conditions.

I don't agree that a good physician would never prescribe them for insomnia. Many, in fact do. The good physician will make sound decisions in prescribing them, and the good patient will be involve in their care to the point that they are knowledgeable of what a physician is writing them and why they are doing it. (two cents)

 

[NuRelic]

Yesterday was pretty bad, last night was a fog early on but it all caught up to me and I cut out around 9:30 and slet solid. I'll take some PM tonight and focus on geting back on my regular schedule and I'll prolly be back in my usual rhythm by next week. I do see many suggestions I've already tried and a few new ones. I appreciate all the prayers and I'll look more heavily into the new ideas this weekend, For now I'm slammed today having to pick up on what all I missed yesterday. Thanks again.

Nu

 

[NuRelic]

Okay, I finally got caught up at work so I wanted to address a couple of the comments here.

the natural hormone called Melatonine, that you take sublingually really helps. It is not habit-forming.

I do need to get some Melatonine, I know it works but I never seem to remember to get it. This weekend I'm going to make a point to get some and keep it on hand

Only solution to insomnia I ever found was by accident - I lost a lot of weight, and exercised every day. Slept like a baby mostly. When I skip the exercise, have usual trouble sleeping. But not everybody can exercise, and many find it boring and unpleasant.

Right now I'm doing P90X. I had just finished the first Phase when I suffered an injury that has forced me to stop for two weeks as per doctor orders. It does help some but I was actually doing cardio workouts and walking about 4 miles a day when this round of insomnia hit. The problem isn't physical, its that my mind is racing with thoughts. I work in a creative environment at my church and I need to allow my creativity to flow ... the problem is turning it off.



As far as other drugs ... to be honest I'm not big into trying something to help me do something I feel I should naturally be able to do. It always seems that its habit forming, has side effects or 20 years down the line they'll 'find-out' its the root cause of autism or something. If I was going to do any drug, I'd want something to focus my mind so I could get something accomplished rather than feel like I'm constantly swimming through mental mist at 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the morning.

Thanks again everyone for the comments, suggestions and most importantly the prayers. Like I mentioned I've been dealing with it since I was 12, so even though it creates problems I know how to deal with it.

Nu