[catsofa]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, but hoping to get active.

It's 2am as I type this, everyone is asleep, even my night owl friends, and I don't know what to do. Sleep, you might say, but I already got a good twenty minutes - half hour in, now I'm wide awake and ready to go. I'm banned from getting up too early or going to bed too late by my husband who, probably rightly, thinks enough sleep is good for one's mental health, but this is a man who lies down, is asleep before his phone screen dims, and stays there for seven hours, and only then wakes up, and I have no clue how he does it.

A solution to the lack of sleep could be mindfulness or meditation, which is something I get about thirty seconds into before going and doing something else before realising I should be sitting down being peaceful, I go back to it. I will continue to try (practice makes perfect!).

The alternative is medication. I had promethazine, which worked until it didn't. I have clonazepam, which I am refusing to take unless my hand is forced, because I hate it (spacy feeling, I lose my clarity, and I lose my control over my world), which my CPN seems to be vaguely surprised about (apparently refusing benzos is not the usual reaction they get). I have been offered zopiclone, which I hate even more because while it works, it only works while I take it, which one is not supposed to do for more than 7 nights (I think?) and then I go straight back to not sleeping. It doesn't really offer a solution only a plaster. I also can't stand the hangover. I have been offered zolpidem, which I thought was just the brand name for zopiclone but apparently not, which I've never had before so that is a possibility, at least to try. But it seems like a not-good-thing to take meds just to pass the time. I can wait the three hours no one is awake.

Are there any other ways to sleep?

[CANDC]

Hi catsofa. Welcome to PsychCentral. Sorry you are struggling to get adequate sleep. THere are meds that friends use to get sleep but I am not qualified to recommend any by name.

Lack of sleep is a serious concern. Finding a solution that works for you could be a big help. You have done well to seek professional help in a psychiatrist for meds. When meds do not help you sleep, contact your psych doc and let them know so they can adjust. Some meds take weeks of months to fully kick in.

Here are alternative options that might be of interest.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/14-stra...eeping-better/

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archiv...-better-sleep/

https://psychcentral.com/disorders/sleep/

https://psychcentral.com/news/2010/0...aid/18252.html

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archiv...ner-sleep-aid/

I use mindfulness and meditation to relax enough to go to sleep. I listen to music that is instrumental and relaxing not with heavy beats. Sometime ocean sounds help me. It seems like you have tried some things but do not give up.

Have you discussed sleeplessness with your therapist. Maybe there are experiences in the past that make sleeping very difficult because of hyper vigilance as if something was about to happen. Finding safety within is important to give into sleep.

Please feel free to private message me or any of the Community Liaisons by left clicking on the name in blue to the left of their post) for questions or just to share

[Theresa1991]

Well, I have the same problem. I only fall asleep after being sleep deprived for about two weeks. I also fall asleep the other nights, but like half an hour asleep, waking up, dreaming very vividly and so on.

I am taking Promethazine as you were and so far it helps me. Not always though and for the last few weeks I have been waking up like a swiss clock at 4:30 in the morning no matter how much Promethazine I took.

What you write about meditation is just what I feel about it. I manage thirty seconds of breathing and then - what the hell there are so many other thing to do, let's jump up and run in circles.

Actually, my post is not really getting anywhere. I don't have a solution, I am crap at sleeping. Just wanted to say I can relate.

[catsofa]

Thanks Theresa, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this, I've been taking clonazepam now and it helped a bit, but back to an hour sleep again now... So much for that solution, but they're increasing my aripiprazole for reasons unknown to me. Basically doing everything I'm told now to avoid getting sectioned. Still feels like sleep is the only problem.

[Moose72]

I got like that when I first started Wellbutrin. I know how hard it can be. I ended up watching YouTube all night. It eventually evened out and I could sleep but for weeks I only slept an hour or two or not at all.

[Sad Mermaid]

My sleep problems are severe and my current cocktail (unusual per me, scary per my PCP, but OK per my psychiatrist) is:

zolpidem (Ambien) 10 mg
Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg
Atarax 50 mg (or whatever the smallest denomination is)
a few sips of marijuana juice

I sleep very well (for the past three nights, that is) and wake up refreshed and ready to face the day. I invented that cocktail on my own out of a sense of desperation, which gave rise to ingenuity.

[MBM17]

Agh, I wish sleeping problems didn't exist! My husband struggles every single night to sleep and has his whole life. Meds we've tried haven't worked to get him normal sleep. I, on the other hand, slept deeply as a kid. Bipolar messed that up and now I can't sleep without meds, but each med works for a few years before we have to change it. I wish everyone could get the sleep they need!

[bioChE]

I talked to my psychiatrist about sleep problems at my last appointment. I've been struggling with sleep since my recent trial with Wellbutrin. The doc gave me 25-50mg Seroquel to help sleep. I've taken it a few nights and it has worked well. Other nights I haven't needed it, which is a very welcome change. I've also tried melatonin and Valerian root. Valerian gives me an allergic reaction, so I don't really use that anymore. My medical doc suggested taking melatonin at dinner time instead of right before bed, and that seems to help. Within a few hours I get sleepy.

Best of luck with your sleep problems. It's worth a conversation with your doctors, and hopefully they can help.

[mossanimal]

I think a lot about the quality of sleep versus the quantity. I've never had problems falling asleep at night.. but I've also had coping methods since I was a teenager. i.e.. music, movies or book to settle down before bed. Ever since I can remember I've always gotten up WAY early. I remember as a kid waking up before 5am and trying to watch TV back when there was no programming early in the morning and nothing but white noise. Over the last few years I really started having issues with staying asleep in the wee hours.. waking up obsessed with things and having too vivid dreams. Once I started the lamictal however... I sleep VERY soundly but still get up extremely early. For me it's way harder to figure out ways to go back to sleep when you wake up early because you know you will need to be up soon and the mind just starts going. So.. I still struggle with lack of HOURS of sleep.. but the meds have way improved the quality. If I get quality sleep.. I don't fall to pieces as often or as badly.

So.. I don't know. That might be a helpful way to think about it? Trying methods to improve the times that you DO sleep??