The cool insomnia club #2

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Originally Posted by Mountaindewed I got about 10 hours of sleep without the help of anything for once. I guess it makes it easier since everything is out of the house.

Can't sleep, and ended up binge eating

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Originally Posted by Blue_Bird Can't sleep, and ended up binge eating

I find that when I'm tired, but cannot sleep I get hungry. Especially for sweet stuff.

I fell asleep last night with my 17 pound and 8 pound blanket. I guess 25 pounds is too much. I woke up at 3 drenched in sweat. I fell asleep at about 12:30.

I have this stomach ache I almost want to go to the ER for. But they’d probably just tell me I ate too much turkey.

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Originally Posted by Mountaindewed ... I have this stomach ache I almost want to go to the ER for. But they’d probably just tell me I ate too much turkey.

I was sleeping like a rock with the 25mg Seroquel. Problem is, it always works fro a few nights then craps out. So I guess tonight I'll try the 12.5mg Seroquel/ZzzQuil combo.

No I don’t think it’s with everyone. Between episodes my mom with BP1 can always sleep good. Just not when manic or depressed. I also have a cousin with bp1 and he doesn’t have issues with sleep when depressed only manic... I’ve never had issues with sleep until my first manic episode this year, then when I was more in hypomania, I started sleeping fine.... but then when the depression hit it’s been crap ever since!! Anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours, but it’s always broken sleep.

Oh man!! If only these meds were consistent! I wish zzquil worked for me. I was wide awake when I tried it!

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Originally Posted by NaoSky Oh man!! If only these meds were consistent! I wish zzquil worked for me. I was wide awake when I tried it!

Ugh, the inconsistency is giving me a big problem. I took 25mg Seroquel again last night and didn't sleep well.

I'll really try the 12.5 Seroquel and ZzzQuil tonight. The ZzzQuil had stopped working for me, too, so I switched to the 25 Seroquel.

I guess I've just been on too many sleep meds over the years. They used to work well and they maintained. Now, no.

well, i guess i'm now also an official member of this insomnia club but love reading what all of you take for sleep, and sharing what i take for sleep. no doubt this pandemic has been a big factor for insomnia.

i switch up my meds so they don't poop out on me and i document every am how well they worked or didn't work. i take: 1/2 .05mg klonopin, 15mg. temazepam and progesterone nightly...or take 25mg seroquel, 7.5. temezepam and progesterone; both combos usually work; i have excellent sleep preparation but noticed over the past few days when it cooled down here in az. that adding an extra blanket helped with sleep (sorta like a weighted blanket i guess); i conferred w/my psych nurse and she said if the klonopin/temezepam/progesterone don't work, also take a 1/2 of seroquel and it has added benefits of working on the anxiety part of my bipolar; i notice that when i'm taking the seroquel for sleep that i don't have my usual, predictable anxiety around 2pm every day...she also said there are several new sleep meds on the market but they still would not address the bipolar disorder i've lived with for 40+ yrs. am i groggy in the am? hell yes, but it's worth it to have somewhat decent 8 hrs. of sleep, even if med-induced...but that's my personal opinion of course. we're all on a different sleep journey!

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Originally Posted by TRNRMOM well, i guess i'm now also an official member of this insomnia club but love reading what all of you take for sleep, and sharing what i take for sleep. no doubt this pandemic has been a big factor for insomnia. i switch up my meds so they don't poop out on me and i document every am how well they worked or didn't work. i take: 1/2 .05mg klonopin, 15mg. temazepam and progesterone nightly...or take 25mg seroquel, 7.5. temezepam and progesterone; both combos usually work; i have excellent sleep preparation but noticed over the past few days when it cooled down here in az. that adding an extra blanket helped with sleep (sorta like a weighted blanket i guess); i conferred w/my psych nurse and she said if the klonopin/temezepam/progesterone don't work, also take a 1/2 of seroquel and it has added benefits of working on the anxiety part of my bipolar; i notice that when i'm taking the seroquel for sleep that i don't have my usual, predictable anxiety around 2pm every day...she also said there are several new sleep meds on the market but they still would not address the bipolar disorder i've lived with for 40+ yrs. am i groggy in the am? hell yes, but it's worth it to have somewhat decent 8 hrs. of sleep, even if med-induced...but that's my personal opinion of course. we're all on a different sleep journey!

Heavier blankets do seem to induce a better quality of sleep. I so want to get a weighted blanket, but I read that they're filled with glass beads. I'm worried that one of my cats will scratch open the blanket and eat a glass bead.

Interesting about the Seroquel helping your anxiety. I'll pay more attention to that.

Oh wow, 40 years?! You definitely have some wisdom with this Illness!! Have you had sleep problems the entire time? I was diagnosed this year and have had sleep problems only during the mania and depression, not when I was hypomanic. I’m really hoping I don’t have to battle this for the rest of my life! I would have continued sleep pills but they don’t work for more than 3-4 hours and when I try to increase the dose or take more when I wake up, they still don’t work. I’ve tried 4 different ones. So I used meditation on YouTube now that helps put me to sleep and when I wake up it helps me go back to sleep... but total I get 4-5 hours. Still it’s about the same or better than the sleep pills. I’m just hoping when my mood improves so will my sleep. I’m still going through the depression with some anxiety.

i've compulsively researched this disorder and for most of those yrs. i was on only 450mg lithium which destroyed my thyroid, parathyroids and quit when it started affecting my kidneys so i've been off it for several yrs. i still have anxiety and o.c. but no depression; i used to sleep well; perimenopause was difficult but got on estrogen patch and am still on it. progesterone nightly really gives addl. sleep and great dreams. just recently my psych nurse said to add 1/2 seroquel if my 3-meds per nite don't work but that sleeping pills only put you to sleep but i still have to deal w/hypomania/anxiety/o.c. i've been on 1/2 klonopin for more than 20 yrs. so it would be a hellish long-term withdrawal to get off bentos so for me, at my age, i'll stay on my med combo for sleep rather than go thru the agony of benzo withdrawal. no doubt the pandemic has additionally affected all of us. best of luck.

There are some youtube videos of binaural beats that are specifically for inducing sleep. Here's one example:

Thank you! I’ve added it to my YouTube list of stuff I play at night. Last night was a bad one. I only got 2 hours of sleep and couldn’t go back. Part of it was worry for my little one. She has a runny nose and it was hard for her to sleep last night. She was moving around a lot. Yes she still cosleeps with us. Even when I tried sleeping without her, my sleep didn’t improve. I’m at work today, so far I’m ok.

How many years were you on lithium? Which mood stabilizer are you on now? They have me taking 900mg of lithium.... it was 600, but they increased it because my depression wasnt getting any better.

i was only on 450mg of lithium for 30+ yrs. i'm 74 and when first diagnosed with hypomania in my 30's i'm sure none of the dr./research then indicated the long-term damage lithium does, but it worked for me. i'm not on any mood stabilizer now; briefly tried geodon and lomotril but had bad effects; i'm very in tune w/my body and mind; retired and happily married for 34 yrs. w/little stressors other than covid and yes, a mood stabilizer might improve my sleep but i'm not ready to try another. yes, it takes 3 meds at nite to sleep most times and yes, i have benzo tolerance but i've learned how to live with it and sleep is my biggest issue now. if i don't get those 8 medicated hrs., i'm totally trashed the next day and must sleep to catch up; cannot power thru lost sleep but i have the luxury of staying in bed to catch up. i exercise hard 6x/week; drink only 1 glass of wine per week and have a healthy lifestyle. any anti-depressant tried 30 yrs. ago moved me into mania because depression isn't on my bipolar spectrum. ask your medical person what he/she knows about lithium damage to thyroid/parathyroids (had to have mine removed) and eventual kidney issues after 30 yrs. on 450mg....but it did work for me.

So you don’t experience depression? How long have you been off of the lithium and no mood stabilizer? I wish I could go off of them too but I just worry that I might cycle again. Honestly it doesn’t feel like it does much for me. My mom never took them longer than a month or so. I’ve only experienced one episode so I have no clue how I will react. I can’t even tell if increasing the dosage really helped or if it’s in my head. I feel a little better but i felt better a month ago too. It’s like I have ok days and better days and worse days... but not sure how much the meds really affect me.

i've been off lithium for several yrs. and tried 2 mood stabilizers which caused more side effects than doing what they were to do; i do take 1/2 klonopin in am and as needed throughout the day; anxiety and now insomnia are the most prominent parts on my spectrum; i've only had situational depression but not recurring depression and my diagnosis has always been hypomanic. i get irritated and agitated but i've learned this illness inside and out and seem to manage it; i work out 6x/week; only have 1 glass of wine per week which i can tell isn't good taking 3 meds to sleep nightly so eliminating it is no big deal for me. i do everything i can to maintain good sleep prep. and i have a lot of serenity in my life but there still are those days when i don't feel great. only you (not your p/doc or therapist or whomever) know if the meds work or how you feel from day to day; i'm totally in charge of what i'll take and won't take and haven't been under care of a p/doc since quitting lithium and needing the ongoing blood work and now occasionally video chat w/a psych nurse to update her and to get her input. i've prob. had this disorder longer than most of the people on this website. best of luck.

I don’t like going to bed early because it then feels like an eternity of keeping my eyes closed and hoping for sleep... so I try to go to bed close to 11:30-12... I’ve been managing to stay asleep till at least 3:30 and then get another 1-2 hours of sleep, but last night I was awake at 2 and could not go back to sleep! It was so frustrating... I did fine functioning during the day, I’ve gotten used to such little sleep... but I really know I need more and definitely want it. Tonight I’m going to try the sleep meditation mindful movement and then the brain sound waves that Beth suggested.... keeping fingers crossed I get at least 4 hours of sleep!!!!

Thank you for your insight! So you never went manic/psychosis? I did once this year.

I still don’t know if the lithium is really working or if it’s in my head. I’m going to talk to them about long term effects and express my concerns. I also read that some people take lithium for a year to 5 years then get off of it. I don’t think I want to stay on it long term that’s for sure.

I ate a couple eggs on an English muffin for dinner around 5 and then fell into a deep sleep until 12:30. I’ve been up since. I haven’t taken any melatonin just my Geodon. I’ve been doing well with not taking stuff every night and when I do take stuff it’s just one melatonin.

yes, do your research, learn everything you need to know about lithium, cause what is known today prob. wasn't known 30 yrs. ago when i started and i was only on 450mg. lithium daily; never was really manic or psychotic but it still was an issue yrs. ago w/spending, sexually acting out during time between marriages and i still don't have a `high' that i like: i'm agitated and irritated; blood work was always done yrs. ago to check lithium levels which were always below normal since i was only on 450mg, but was never told about long-term kidney damage...meanwhile my thyroid was affected and had to have parathyroid surgery cause lithium caused over-production of calcium so with their removal, i've been on calcium tabs ever since...lithium might work well for you but prob. over time, you'll be switching meds. i'm not trying to scare you and am only writing about my experience since i've lived with this for 40 yrs.

I do not want to sleep. I just don’t. I’m going to try to stay up. I was asleep for about 4 hours and I’ve been up for about 4. I have a lot of energy and I kinda feel like just screaming really loudly.

I love being a night owl. It's quiet. My creativity is peaking at this time but so are my demons. O tend to get vulnerable and like to speak honestly and candid. During those hours. Is it my nature or is it a metaphor of some sort. Interesting topic. Good thread new to this forum.

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Originally Posted by OffbeatOnbeatSteady I love being a night owl. It's quiet. My creativity is peaking at this time but so are my demons. O tend to get vulnerable and like to speak honestly and candid. During those hours. Is it my nature or is it a metaphor of some sort. Interesting topic. Good thread new to this forum.

You should start the thread! It would be an excellent and interesting one.

btw, I really like your username.