Do I have insomnia?

Question

I have been increasingly working longer days. I work from home - at my computer. I have realized that lately I have been having trouble sleeping. I have been under a lot of stress - as I said in another question earlier, I have quit smoking this week (well, for 4 days and restarted yesterday, but it was hell for the first part of the week), I haven't left my house since Sunday, and I have been working 11 - 14 work days - with no break (seriously) for about 2 weeks now.

I used to go to bed at about 11 pm - it is 3:20 am and I am wired and tired at the same time and can't sleep. Yesterday it was 2:30 am and the day before like 1:30 am. I am noticing I am getting progressively less and less sleep - and I wake up around 8 am in the morning.

Is there anything I can do about this? I have tried meditation, muscle relaxers, managing my eating, laying down with the lights off.

What is wrong with me?

Answer 1

Don't listen to these knuckleheads on here that are so quick to suggest prescription drugs for sleeping. That's just what the sinister pharmaceutical industry wants. This is the industry that blocked Stevia from being labeled as sweet and stopped importation of the plant. This is the industry that puts many of their posions on the market, and only takes dangerous pills off the market after a significant amount of people DIE !(Remember Phen-phen, Vioxx, Redux and countless others?)Their sleeping pills will not provide you with natural sleep, and many of them are addicting.

Try these tips:

1. Get plenty of exercise. The benefits of exercise go way beyond the body beautiful.

2 Do not eat large meals before you go to bed or drink any stimulants, (chocolate, coffee)

2.5 Do not drink cow's milk. Drink Soy Milk. We came from the earth, not a cow. Cow's milk is designed for cows, not humans. Imagine that. I stopped drinking milk years ago, and my bronchitis, acne, bad breath, bad body odor, sinusitis, and colds dissapeared. You can get calcium from vegetables and soy milk. Soy milk comes from a plant fruit.

3. Eat a healthy diet, not one that is full of sugar, animal products, fat, salt, high-glycemic this and that. Fresh vegetables, fruits and grains, should make up the bulk of your diet. Drink at least 50oz of water per day unless you're drinking many freshy juice extracted fruits and vegetables per day. I highly recommend getting a good juice extractor. When I say good, the centrifuge strainer on it should be at least 5.5 inches wide.

4. Before you go to bed make sure you stretch your muscles to relax them and take a hot bath.

5. Take the television and computer out of your room. These can keep you from sleeping. They are mentally stimulating, not relaxing. However, if you frequently fall asleep in front of a tv on low volume, then that may work for you

6. Make sure your room is pitch black when you go to bed. The body reacts to light as a signal to wake up, so having any distracting light in the room is not good for sleep. Light is an energy lifting force. I have light colored curtains in my room that don't block all the light, so I put black sheets over them at night and it does the trick.

7. Stop consuming artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to cancers, and organ swelling. Aspartame and Sucralose has been linked to liver damage and other organ damage. Aspartame, Acesulfame, Sucralose, High Fructose Corn Syrup (yes, it's artificial too). Your body cannot metabolize these poisons.
Sugar (the white crystalline granules in that bowl on your table top) is not a natural substance either. It's an industrially processed chemical. The other sweeteners I mentioned above are manufactured in a lab factory.

Also if you've smoked for a long time, it's not going to be easy to quit. Your body will actually go through withdrawals because it's not getting its nicotine fix. This could be what you're experiencing now. Substitute these habits with nutritional habits that fill you up, and over time your body won't crave those poisons it used to like.

Answer 2

I am a diagnosed/treated insomniac, here are some questions to consider before I can make a proper diagnosis. (I am a licensed physician, State of California).

1). Do you consume large amounts of caffeine/sugar?
2). Have you made a considerable change in your diet?
3). Are you taking any stimulant medications?

Here are some ideas on how to get sleep to come easy:

1). Make the bed comfortable for sleeping and sex ONLY, do not work from your bed/eat in your bed/play with your kids in your bed, etc., the bed should be a place associated with sleep & sex only.
2). Do something that you enjoy/relax before bed, such as watching t.v., going online, reading a book etc.,
3). If all else fails, don't use muscle relaxers, get sleeping pills such as: Zaleplon (Sonata), Diazepam (Valium), etc., they will induce sleep, but make sure you have 4 hours before you need to be awake, that you can dedicate to sleep.

Hope this helps,

- Blake K. M.D.

Answer 3

Seriously it could be because you stopped smoking when i stopped i didn't sleep properly for a couple of month it was awful but eventually got back right try to stick it out but after so long if still same go to doctors for advice good luck and well done on the quitting smoking :)

Answer 4

lessen your work hours seriously - this isnt healthy. Dont spend as much time online, that by itself gives you insomnia and trouble sleeping due to the static.

Get some fresh air work our and break your routine somehow.

good luck

Answer 5

Insomnia is characterized by an inability to sleep and/or inability to remain asleep for a reasonable period. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and nonorganic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder. It is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression or sometimes for no apparent reason. An overactive mind or physical pain may also be causes. Finding the underlying cause of insomnia is usually necessary to cure it Treatment for insomnia

In many cases, insomnia is caused by another disease or psychological problem. In this case, medical or psychological help may be useful.

All sedative drugs have the potential of causing psychological dependence where the individual can't psychologically accept that they can sleep without drugs. Certain classes of sedatives such as benzodiazepines and newer non-benzodiazepine drugs can also cause physical dependence which manifests in withdrawal symptoms if the drug is not carefully titrated down.

Many insomniacs rely on sleeping tablets and other sedatives to get rest. The most commonly used class of hypnotics prescribed for insomnia are the benzodiazepines. This includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, flurazepam, nitrazepam and midazolam. These medications can be addictive, especially after taking them over long periods of time.

Recent research has shown that cognitive behavior therapy can be more effective than medication in controlling insomnia . In this therapy, patients are taught improved sleep habits and relieved of counter-productive assumptions about sleep.

Non-benzodiazepine prescription drugs, including Ambien and Lunesta, have a cleaner side effect profile than the older benzodiazepines; however, there are controversies over whether these non-benzodiazepine drugs are superior to benzodiazpines. These drugs appear to cause both psychological dependence and physical dependence, and can also cause the same memory and cognitive disturbances as the benzodiazepines along with morning sedation.

Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle, but lacks definitive data regarding efficacy in the treatment of insomnia.

Melatonin agonists, including Ramelteon (Rozerem), seem to lack the potential for abuse and dependence. This class of drugs has a relatively mild side effect profile and lower likelihood of causing morning sedation.

The antihistamine diphenhydramine is widely used in nonprescription sleep aids, with a 50 mg recommended dose mandated by the FDA. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries, a 50 to 100 mg recommended dose is permitted. While it is available over the counter, the effectiveness of these agents may decrease over time and the incidence of next-day sedation is higher than for most of the newer prescription drugs. Dependence does not seem to be an issue with this class of drugs.

Some antidepressants such as mirtazapine, trazodone and doxepin have a sedative effect, and are prescribed off label to treat insomnia. The major drawback of these drugs is that they have antihistaminergic, anticholinergic and antiadrenergic properties which can lead to many side effects. Some also alter sleep architecture.

Low doses of atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine (Seroquel) are also prescribed for their sedative effect but the danger of neurological and cognitive side effects make these drugs a poor choice to treat insomnia.

Some insomniacs use herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower. Valerian has undergone the most studies and appears to be modestly effective.

Alcohol may have sedative properties, but the REM sleep suppressing effects of the drug prevent restful, quality sleep. Middle-of-the-night awakenings due to polyuria or other effects from alcohol consumption are common, and hangovers can also lead to morning grogginess.

Some traditional remedies for insomnia have included drinking warm milk before bedtime, taking a warm bath in the evening; exercising vigorously for half an hour in the afternoon, eating a large lunch and then having only a light evening meal at least three hours before bed, avoiding mentally stimulating activities in the evening hours, and making sure to get up early in the morning and to retire to bed at a reasonable hour.

Pomegranates are also believed to help insomniacs sleep.

Warm milk contains high levels of tryptophan, a natural sedative. Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.

* Adding honey to warm milk helps get the tryptophan in your system faster. Tryptophan absorption is normally inhibited or deterred by other amino acids but in the presence of sugar tryptophan is absorbed more quickly.

Many believe that listening to slow paced music such as funeral doom will help insomniacs fall asleep. This theory is currently being studied by professor Jedediah Fajman at the University of Illinois.

The more relaxed a person is, the greater the likelihood of getting a good night's sleep. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep. Such techniques can lower stress levels from both the mind and body, which leads to a deeper, more restful sleep.