I have terrible insomnia anyway, mostly due to anxiety and based on a loss from back in 2010.
It's taken several forms...first, being able to fall asleep and not being able to fall back asleep once I woke up 3 or 4 times a night...now I can stay up all night and sleep better during the day, but try not to let that happen.
Regardless, when I sleep I have terrible dreams that I don't ever really remember, but a jumble of terrible, anxious thoughts and images that used to make it almost impossible to get ready for work in the mornings the next day (when I had a job), because I was so anxious that all I wanted to do is cry.
I now take 4 mg of klonopin before attempting to sleep. If I manage to sleep (my anxiety can win over the klonopin, and it has on many occasions), it keeps the bad jumble of dream images away, although I have other dreams sometimes. (My pdoc says klonopin should help with my anxiety into the next day, but I don't care what he says, it doesn't...)

[hamster-bamster]

If this high a dose of Klonopin does not help, then I would stop taking Klonopin altogether.

Medical marijuana, if available in your state, does completely block my dreams. That is one reason, besides cost, that I stopped using it as a sleep medicine. It was a wonderful sleep medicine, non-psychodelic, without any bad side effects, without any lingering tiredness in the morning, just beautiful and all you can possibly wish to get from a sleep medicine, but I did not like not having dreams. It was that powerful - it completely deleted dreaming.

But for you, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

If this high a dose of Klonopin does not help, then I would stop taking Klonopin altogether.

Medical marijuana, if available in your state, does completely block my dreams. That is one reason, besides cost, that I stopped using it as a sleep medicine. It was a wonderful sleep medicine, non-psychodelic, without any bad side effects, without any lingering tiredness in the morning, just beautiful and all you can possibly wish to get from a sleep medicine, but I did not like not having dreams. It was that powerful - it completely deleted dreaming.

But for you, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

The klonopin does stop the bad dreams...it just doesn't help with my general state of anxiety. I have always had a high tolerance for any med as has my father. Example, we both need twice as much novacaine at the dentist when we have a cavity filled...I was told it has to do with how fast our kidneys process meds..apparently mine are at rocket speed.
I know with benzos you can have a tolerance build up, but that's not the case here. As long as it keeps my anxiety-filled dreams away, it's worth it. And sadly, medical marijuana is not an option in my state.

Your post was helpful to me as I'm concerned about klonopin being suggested for my son for sleep. He has anxiety and I don't want it exasperated. I personally have built up a tolerance to benzos but if you haven't that's great. I found the only drug to work to blank out my dreams is quetiapine. It is a bipolar/schiztophrenic drug but I use it for sleep. Hope you find help take care

Originally Posted by kelly4519

Your post was helpful to me as I'm concerned about klonopin being suggested for my son for sleep. He has anxiety and I don't want it exasperated. I personally have built up a tolerance to benzos but if you haven't that's great. I found the only drug to work to blank out my dreams is quetiapine. It is a bipolar/schiztophrenic drug but I use it for sleep. Hope you find help take care

I will ask my dr about the med you take, thanks.
And Klonopin seems strong for a child, although you did not mention his age. Ativan I did build up a tolerance too (also a benzo), which is unfortunate because it was working for my anxiety (not tried for sleep, however). Not that I wouldn't trust your son's dr., but maybe ask for other options or proceed carefully at a very low dose if you go with the klonopin? Good luck!

[avlady]

maybe sleep apnea

I only started having these dreams + insomnia after a specific trauma in Oct. 2010...until then I slept just like a "normal" person, maybe even better, than how I heard other people say they slept.

But thanks for the idea!

[roads]

Do you work with a therapist? Are you working with these dreams? They probably contain the information you need to get past the insomnia ... if you're interested.
roadie

Originally Posted by Roadie

Do you work with a therapist? Are you working with these dreams? They probably contain the information you need to get past the insomnia ... if you're interested.
roadie

Yes I have a T and we have been working on the trauma itself since it happened...the trauma has caused me so much anxiety that I started up with the insomnia...my brain won't stop going at night.
And I would love to work on the dreams themselves, but they are only a cluster of anxious flashes of images I can't remember well the next day, never solid dreams...I just know well the anxiety they produce.

[optimize990h]

I have to take sleeping med due to depression. Before and after the time I started with Temazapam, I had difficulty remembering my dreams. I am lucky to remember fragments, but I know I have dreamed. They all involve situations where I feel I need to take corrective action, but the details are never clear. My problem is not being able to remember those dreams.:-p

[Nammu]

Propranalol helps with anxiety and prazosin at night helps w/ dreams.