[BeyondtheRainbow]

Last night I finally was able to take the valium that I've needed (and had sitting beside me but no orders for) and while at first it seemed like I wasn't going to fall asleep I was suddenly sound asleep. My cat woke me about 7 as is usual and instead of being awake for hours (lately I've been falling asleep closer to 5 and then up for 3 hours at 6-7; usually I can feed her and fall asleep in 3 minutes) I was only up 30 minutes and I slept until 11. I didn't read the clock right and thought I'd slept 12 hours but 9 was still pretty great compared to a few. Then I was up a while and slept another 2 hours and have spent a much, much calmer afternoon reading online and feeling slightly sedated which is nice for one day.

The mixed stuff is still very much here but it is finally sedated into background noise for a bit and I am so glad for that. I didn't know how many more days of flying everywhere I could take without at least a little break. Now I have to go watch my mom's dogs so things will probably be a little less calm for a while but I'm still tired enough to not care so much.

Sleep is a wonderful thing.

Yay! I'm so glad you slept! Yeah I've struggled with insomnia since I had my son when I was 21. It's awful. Anyway Try and have fun with the dogs, lol. I love animals...

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I love the dogs and that probably didn't come across. They can just be a lot to take sometimes. One is a red heeler (Australian cattle dog) and he's very hyper. Which is why I'm here; my mom teaches late tonight and so I let them get their energy out so she can go to bed when she gets home. When I'm tired and noise sensitive and they are wrestling (hard and everywhere) it is a lot to handle. They've done well tonight though and both are sleeping now. We just had some chaos for about 45 minutes. Not too bad. I'd just rather be sleeping although I would really be forcing myself to stay awake regardless or I will not be able to sleep tonight. I can't take valium tonight so I won't sleep as well and my symptoms won't be masked tomorrow but I got a break and some sleep and that's good. And I should be able to take the med tomorrow night. Right now I'm just COLD.

Oh yeah, my sister had a red heeler for 4 yrs and they had to get rid of him bc he kept jumping the fence and biting ppl. He was soooooo hyper.

Why can't you take the valium tonight?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I guess I probably can. My mom and I are going out of town and I thought I wouldn't have enough time to sleep it off. It's kind of a pain in that I can't just take it say now and fall asleep unless I take a bigger dose that will make me sleep at least 12-15 hours. If I take a dose that just makes me sleep a normal amount I still have to wait until I hit a certain point of tiredness. And that means I still have to sleep late but apparently that's ok tomorrow after all.

Back sometime in this horrible year I was really, really struggling with sleep and having to wait until I got somewhat calm about 2 AM and take half the 5 mg and then when it kicked in and relaxed me I'd take the other half and then it would work enough to get a little sleep. Those were tough months/weeks?/days?.

The red heeler is pretty rambunctious. He's improved a lot over the last year and a half or so but he still has a lot of energy and with snow and very cold temperatures he hasn't gotten his usual walk the last several days so he's feeling a bit of cabin fever. He's very sweet with us but absolutely would attack someone he thought was dangerous to us. All of our neighbors can attest to his barking at them like they were in danger; fortunately they just laugh now and know we've got him. Our other guy is a big old golden retriever who is the most laid back dog ever. Quite the contrast.

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I guess I probably can. My mom and I are going out of town and I thought I wouldn't have enough time to sleep it off. It's kind of a pain in that I can't just take it say now and fall asleep unless I take a bigger dose that will make me sleep at least 12-15 hours. If I take a dose that just makes me sleep a normal amount I still have to wait until I hit a certain point of tiredness. And that means I still have to sleep late but apparently that's ok tomorrow after all.

Back sometime in this horrible year I was really, really struggling with sleep and having to wait until I got somewhat calm about 2 AM and take half the 5 mg and then when it kicked in and relaxed me I'd take the other half and then it would work enough to get a little sleep. Those were tough months/weeks?/days?.

The red heeler is pretty rambunctious. He's improved a lot over the last year and a half or so but he still has a lot of energy and with snow and very cold temperatures he hasn't gotten his usual walk the last several days so he's feeling a bit of cabin fever. He's very sweet with us but absolutely would attack someone he thought was dangerous to us. All of our neighbors can attest to his barking at them like they were in danger; fortunately they just laugh now and know we've got him. Our other guy is a big old golden retriever who is the most laid back dog ever. Quite the contrast.

Yeah my sister tried so hard to keep her red heeler. I can't remember his name. But he just wouldn't stop biting ppl. He was very, very sweet with the family. I was shocked when I heard he wAs biting ppl.

Yeah I take zyprexa 10mgs, trazadone 350-400 mgs and 2 mgs of lorazepam for sleep. I get about 8 hours. I'm weaning off the zyprexa and will be increasing the trazadone. And she also wants to take me off lorazepam. I want off it too. But that won't be for awhile hopefully.

Hope you sleep tonight....

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

So glad that you got some sleep! Crazy dogs...ha! I have an Australian Shepherd and a Corgi! Two herding dogs! I love them to death but boy are they a mess! LOL

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I can't imagine getting 8 hours of sleep. Sleep has never been right for me, even as an infant I didn't sleep anything close to normal, even normal for a severely colicky baby. I slept when the dr prescribed phenobarbital but that only happened once b/c it scared my mom; I was like 4 months ol and drugged out of my mind.

As long as I've been on psych meds (19 years) we've been trying to get me to sleep normally. Nothing has worked. That's part of why I'm on such a high dose of Seroquel; calm the brain and maybe it will get tired. I was on 10 mg of Zyprexa once along with Seroquel and it didn't even make me yawn. (I don't know how but the drug did nothing for me at all and I was on and off it in a week). I think Geodon helped me sleep (maybe too much) but I got extrapyramidal syndrome on it so that was that.

I had a period of I think nearly 2 years that I slept from 11 pm-4 AM and that was wonderful. It doesn't sound good but it was exactly right for me and was what my body did on its' own (with the liberal help of meds of course). I'm told that doesn't matter and it wasn't enough sleep but at least I wasn't tired all the time. '

I'm a bit anxious about sleep and clozaril. My pdoc told me the dose she wants me on won't be as sedating as Seroquel. I know they'll do other things to help me sleep but it's been really bad on Seroquel so less sedating sounds bad. I guess we'll figure it out. Valium works the best and we tried to get me on that alone in the summer and maybe if I get stablized that would actually work out. I guess I'll find out; that's very low on the things to worry about right now list.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Being herded by 2 dogs!!! I don't even know how to respond! One herder is enough for me. I got smacked in the face last night when he went from "petting" to "herding" too quickly. He's a good boy but wow is he energetic and doesn't let up with herding. For some reason he likes to herd my gloves and I have to zip them into my coat b/c they are the only thing he will still ruin. I have no idea why such glee from gloves, maybe they make him think of sheep because they are wool? Whatever the cause it is weird. His favorite thing on earth to herd is of course the golden retriever. Poor golden.

[Wanderlust90]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I love the dogs and that probably didn't come across. They can just be a lot to take sometimes. One is a red heeler (Australian cattle dog) and he's very hyper. Which is why I'm here; my mom teaches late tonight and so I let them get their energy out so she can go to bed when she gets home. When I'm tired and noise sensitive and they are wrestling (hard and everywhere) it is a lot to handle. They've done well tonight though and both are sleeping now. We just had some chaos for about 45 minutes. Not too bad. I'd just rather be sleeping although I would really be forcing myself to stay awake regardless or I will not be able to sleep tonight. I can't take valium tonight so I won't sleep as well and my symptoms won't be masked tomorrow but I got a break and some sleep and that's good. And I should be able to take the med tomorrow night. Right now I'm just COLD.

Haha! This sounds so similar to my contstant battle with my 2 beautiful staffy boys who are an absolute handful & demand more attention than a toddler. But I adore them like children.

I'm glad the Valium has helped, it's bliss to escape the hell of a mixed episode. Hope you get some sleep again tonight.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Thanks. I hope I sleep too!

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Being herded by 2 dogs!!! I don't even know how to respond! One herder is enough for me. I got smacked in the face last night when he went from "petting" to "herding" too quickly. He's a good boy but wow is he energetic and doesn't let up with herding. For some reason he likes to herd my gloves and I have to zip them into my coat b/c they are the only thing he will still ruin. I have no idea why such glee from gloves, maybe they make him think of sheep because they are wool? Whatever the cause it is weird. His favorite thing on earth to herd is of course the golden retriever. Poor golden.

Sometimes its the scent or the fabric that attracts them. Our Aussie is 10.5 yrs and our Corgi is 8.5 yrs old. They still herd and are crazy and we've had them since they were babies! LOL

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I can't imagine getting 8 hours of sleep. Sleep has never been right for me, even as an infant I didn't sleep anything close to normal, even normal for a severely colicky baby. I slept when the dr prescribed phenobarbital but that only happened once b/c it scared my mom; I was like 4 months ol and drugged out of my mind.

As long as I've been on psych meds (19 years) we've been trying to get me to sleep normally. Nothing has worked. That's part of why I'm on such a high dose of Seroquel; calm the brain and maybe it will get tired. I was on 10 mg of Zyprexa once along with Seroquel and it didn't even make me yawn. (I don't know how but the drug did nothing for me at all and I was on and off it in a week). I think Geodon helped me sleep (maybe too much) but I got extrapyramidal syndrome on it so that was that.

I had a period of I think nearly 2 years that I slept from 11 pm-4 AM and that was wonderful. It doesn't sound good but it was exactly right for me and was what my body did on its' own (with the liberal help of meds of course). I'm told that doesn't matter and it wasn't enough sleep but at least I wasn't tired all the time. '

I'm a bit anxious about sleep and clozaril. My pdoc told me the dose she wants me on won't be as sedating as Seroquel. I know they'll do other things to help me sleep but it's been really bad on Seroquel so less sedating sounds bad. I guess we'll figure it out. Valium works the best and we tried to get me on that alone in the summer and maybe if I get stablized that would actually work out. I guess I'll find out; that's very low on the things to worry about right now list.

Omg, and I thought I took a lot to sleep. 200mgs of seroquel on its own knocks me out. But there's weight gain and it makes me feel zombiefied. I'm so sorry you have such a hard time sleeping. Yeah now that I'm on zyprexa I'm sleeping pretty good without feeling zombiefied, lol.

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Being herded by 2 dogs!!! I don't even know how to respond! One herder is enough for me. I got smacked in the face last night when he went from "petting" to "herding" too quickly. He's a good boy but wow is he energetic and doesn't let up with herding. For some reason he likes to herd my gloves and I have to zip them into my coat b/c they are the only thing he will still ruin. I have no idea why such glee from gloves, maybe they make him think of sheep because they are wool? Whatever the cause it is weird. His favorite thing on earth to herd is of course the golden retriever. Poor golden.

Lol........

[BeyondtheRainbow]

When I didn't even get sleepy on zyprexa I was kind of horrified, like the most sedating drug doesn't touch me? What is WRONG with me? But my pdoc says it happens sometimes.

I just try to think of it as being interesting for my drs.

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

When I didn't even get sleepy on zyprexa I was kind of horrified, like the most sedating drug doesn't touch me? What is WRONG with me? But my pdoc says it happens sometimes.

I just try to think of it as being interesting for my drs.

Yeah, good way to look at it. I was on 15 mgs of zyprexa and 250 of trazadone. But like I said I'm weaning off the zyprexa....

[jacky8807]

Meds are wierd! Like Valium or any benzo dosent put me to sleep but on lithium I had a complete normal sleep pattern
I have been an insomniac since a kid and I was like omg this is how ppl fall asleep normally!
I think it was probably the stabilization of moods though

Originally Posted by jacky8807

Meds are wierd! Like Valium or any benzo dosent put me to sleep but on lithium I had a complete normal sleep pattern
I have been an insomniac since a kid and I was like omg this is how ppl fall asleep normally!
I think it was probably the stabilization of moods though

Yeah probably. Depakote really helped with my sleep, but my hair fell out by the handfuls. Buts it's my go to med for bad manias...

[BeyondtheRainbow]

What makes me so mad is that if my body is given the choice I go to sleep early and wake early. but the insomnia makes that impossible. Which seems backwards and is very hard to explain to people who think if I just went to bed at night I'd fall asleep and my bipolar would go away (I really have someone in my life who says that although not to me). My mom says that when bipolar was new to her all she could think about is my sleep when I was an infant and how disordered it was. My infancy was a complete nightmare that involved phones off the hook and signs on the door telling people to not knock under any circumstancs. My mom slept in little bits when I did, always on the couch with me laying on her. It was bad. And it never was good.

Tonight isn't going well. I'm anxious about nothing. Sleep is far off and it's too soon to medicate; it won't work. Ugh.

[Wanderlust90]

Originally Posted by jacky8807

Meds are wierd! Like Valium or any benzo dosent put me to sleep but on lithium I had a complete normal sleep pattern
I have been an insomniac since a kid and I was like omg this is how ppl fall asleep normally!
I think it was probably the stabilization of moods though

Lithium has been shown to affect the same areas that control circadian rhythm so that may be why your sleep improved?

Regulating Your Circadian Rhythm with Lithium | Bipolar Beat