I Have Insomnia. Advise Please??

Question

have had this problem for about 2 years but it's getting much worse....I was admitted into the hospital 1 week ago (was bit by a brown recluse spider in a BAD place)....Anyway they put me on antibiotics and pain medication....it did help me sleep though....I got off the pain medicine immediately after i got out of the hospital and i have NOT been able to sleep much at all....Could i have got addicted to the pain meds (i forgot the name of it unfortunately)?...Just wondered if there could have been a connection there......Anyway i would appreciate it if anyone knew any websites or knew anything to tell me about this...It has been very rough...Thanks

Answer 1

Bigness,

It sounds more like you have a lot of unfinished business going on in your head that may be the reason for insomnia.

Have you ever tried to "empty your head" - so you can shut your eyes. One trick taught to children is when they are trying to sleep, they are asked to imagine a box. Put all their thoughts into that box. Then watch the box start turning 360 degrees. When fully trained, the child is asleep before they see the 360 degrees.

Meanwhile, one that worked from me during college was hypnosis. I was given a 2 mg valium with the suggestion that when I took it I must be near a bed because it was so powerful, I could fall asleep in the spot I took it. I went home and that night slept dead to the world. I never needed another valium, I was back to sleeping properlly. That one little suggestion & pill broke a two year insomnia problem I was having - by living the good life...

Meantime, you sound like you are ready to find a solution. It would probably be best to see a doctor and discuss what is going on in your life. A good doctor will not just discuss the insomnia - but try to find out about the whole person and why you have the insomnia.

Good luck to you on the way to good health.

Answer 2

You are not alone. I also have insomnia. I have been awake since 3:am. I have tried some of the over the counter meds, but they don't seem to work for me, altho many people use them regularly, and have success with them. My problem is depression. Are you aware that being depressed can make you unable to sleep?
I'm in the process of waiting for an appointment with a psychiatrist, that is being set up for me, by my primary care doctor's office.
It is essential that you are prescribed the right antidepressant, or you can be even worse. Ask your doctor about the possibility of your being depressed.
If you live in Volusia county Florida, you might have a problem, because the medical system here is overwhelmed by illegal aliens. Also, if you are a senior citizen, your chances of competent medical care are slim to none. In the meantime, I have to get up in 3 hours.
It is very important that you get help, because sleep deprevation can create other problems, physical and mental.
Good luck.

Answer 3

How to Beat INSOMNIA with Sleep
http://tips-to-sleep.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-to-beat-insomnia-with-sleep.html

Treatment for Insomnia
http://tips-to-sleep.blogspot.com/2006/09/treatment-for-insomnia.html

Answer 4

Lots of good advice already given. All worth looking at. I have been an insomniac most of my life and it continues to this day. I have learned not to get upset and worked up when I can't sleep. I keep telling myself no-one died from lack of sleep which is true if you don't drive a formula one car or operate heavy machinery! One thing that has helped is listening to 'talking books' on my Walkman. It is a rare night indeed now that I don't drop off before I have got more than 10 minutes into the story. I particularly like Terry Pratchett because you can keep re-listening to his books until you eventually remember what it is all about.

Answer 5

using sleeping tablets regularly can not cure insomnia.
Insomnia (sleeplessness) is due to stress, dietary and medical
problems. By making small lifestyle changes like having a fixed
daily routine, relaxing and eating properly, insomnia can be
cured. I found the information at http://tinyurl.com/jfzpz useful
for getting sleep.

Answer 6

Hrm....well, the safe road is to talk to your doctor. However, meds are overrated because you can get addicted to sleep meds.

I have some problems with insomnia, and I find drinking some sleepytime tea (it is a brand name) helps me. Also, there is the age old remedy of having warm milk and cookies during the middle of the night which works for my 87 year old grandma.

WebMD has the following advice:
* Eliminate or limit caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, and be sure to avoid using these substances late in the day or in the evening.
* Check all of your medications with your doctor to see whether they are affecting your sleep; you may be able to adjust your prescriptions or schedule to avoid creating sleep problems.
* Keep established bedtimes and wake times, 7 days a week.
* Reserve the bed for sleeping and sex; do your reading or TV watching in another room.
* Make exercise a regular part of your life, but don't do it within 3 or 4 hours of bedtime.
* Don't stay in bed longer than 8 hours, and try to avoid naps.
* Use the evening hours for settling down, and avoid challenging activities in the hours before bedtime.
* Eat meals at regularly scheduled times, and eliminate bedtime snacks, or have only light snacks near bedtime.
* Once you are in bed, relax from head to toe, and guide your mind to pleasant thoughts.
* Get plenty of sunlight in the outdoors, particularly later in the afternoon.
* Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool. Try using a sleep mask and earplugs to help you sleep.
* Restrict nighttime liquid consumption to reduce the need to get up to urinate, but don't go to bed thirsty.
* Avoid uneven noise (sometimes a steady "white noise" such a fan running can help), being too hot or too cold, and the bright lights of television or a computer screen during the late afternoon, evening, and night.

I hope it helps!

Answer 7

Have warm milk before you sleep or watch tv till you fall asleep. You could also knock yourself out every night (haha). The oldest women in the world sleeps for a whole day and then stays awake for another. You could try this as im sure you would be very tired by the end

Answer 8

It is unlikely that you have developed an addiction in one weeks time to that type of a medication. ( It is possible with things like heroin or crack though)

Most likely, your biorhythms and sleep/wake schedule have been thrown out of wack by being laid up in a hospital bed for awhile.

You might try drinking some warm milk, taking a warm bath or shower, listening to slow, relaxing music and easing your system back in to your normal sleep patterns.

good luck!

Answer 9

The medicine has nothing to do with you not sleeping. You should mention your insomnia to your doctor.

Answer 10

Try this to help you get to sleep. It works for me. Take in deep breaths. Breath in as deeply as possible, then breath out. Instead of concentrating on your thoughts, think only of your breathing, and concentrate on it. It sounds a little "new world", but it works. This is a meditation technique.