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Creative insomnia solutions

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Anyone who has been here for a while, or who reads my facebook status updates, knows I am an insomniac.It has come and gone throughout my life. My first memorable insomnia experience was in high school, when I learned that Star Search came on at 2 AM. Not sure why we didn't seek help then. I was regularly falling asleep in class.

Throughout my adult life, it has come and gone in spurts, a night here, a few weeks there. That was until March when it got hella worse. Can I explain what brings it on? Not really. What I do know is that I have "pervasive thoughts." The brain, it just doesn't turn off....like, ever. And while I have heard of people up at night with worry, I'm really just up with my head spinning around dumb stuff. "I wonder if I should buy a hammock", "What do I need at the grocery store?" "what goes with that new shirt I bought?" Seriously! It's annoying. Here is what insomnia, at it's worse, looks like for me: Lying in bed for a few hours before falling asleep, awakening in the wee hours and either not being able to fall back asleep or waking about once an hour until it's time to get up. Total suckage.

I have tried a bunch of things to address this issue:

  • -tried taking an herbal sleep blend. Impact: nothing.
  • -tried taking melatonin. Impact: nothing.
  • -no caffeine after 2 PM. Impact: some improvement in falling asleep.
  • -no alcohol. Impact: hard to tell, plus cutting it out completely is no fun.
  • -experimenting with TV/sleep timer (not using it). Impact: hard to tell.
  • -stopped taking vitamins at night. Impact: none on sleep but I feel less barfy :)
  • -focus on breathing. Impact: annoyance.
  • -reducing the temperature in the house. Impact: nothing.
  • -cannot do the warm milk thing...just can't do it. I am weird about dairy.
  • -taking an anti-anxiety medication for the thoughts (I hate that it's anti-anxiety because I don't identify with the anxiety part...I don't feel anxious, just have an active mind). Impact: Able to fall asleep most nights, not able to stay asleep. waking spells are shorter.

I'm sure that I have tried other stuff that I am forgetting. I'm just looking for the right combination. I'm really resisting taking "sleeping pills." At the same time, the insomnia has never gone on for this long. My memory and my focus are suffering (fortunately, I have strategies for dealing with those things).

So here is where I am at right now. Yesterday, I ordered blackout shades for my bedroom and the guest room. It never really gets that dark here; that's one thing I noticed after moving here. Must be our location on the map. I've seen other peoples' blackout shades and they are awesome. Hope mine get here soon.

I also, am turning the guest bedroom into my "quiet place." I try to spend some time in there every day. No clock, no TV, no music, no work or other distractions. This space is for reading and meditating. Yesterday, I painted it the same dark, calm blue that I have in my bedroom, so I am not distracted by the paint color that doesn't go with my home color palate (see how my mind works?). It's a really great space now. I'll post some pictures.

And the yoga. So far, so good. It truly is calming and focuses the mind. The challenge is to figure out when to do it. Late enough that the relaxation benefits my sleep, not too late so the exercise disrupts my sleep.

There will come a time when I go back to the doctor but I want to exhaust all options first. At this point, I am getting better sleep but I would like to sleep through the night. It's happened 2-3 times since March.

And if you think I've spent too much time thinking about this, you're right. I have. It's keeping me up at night! Maybe tonight I'll be kept up by thinking that perhaps I should not use periods at the ends of bullet points.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    I have been up since 4am local time - blew right through the ambien I took.  When my mind is full - I lay awake, and I hate it.  The wee hours are a lonely place.

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    I am a big fan of blackout shades.  My parents and brother make fun of me for having them. They dont see the point. I Have them in my bedroom and guest room (also good for watching in a room with a tv). Semi black outs in the rest of the place. I sleep very well with them. I am very light sensitive. I wwas in a hotel a few weeks ago (a brand I stay at many times), and was looking forward to the blackout shades in the room. Turns out this location hadn't been renovated and fitted with them yet. So bummed. I think they will help you. I know its helped me.

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    97% is good. I have the honeycomb ones by Hunter Douglas. Also helps with sleeping in on weekends. During the week I am up at 6 am. With the blackouts, I am usually up by 9 if I dont have to be somewhere.

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    How about white noise?  That's supposed to helpful when trying to relax or sleep.  Or maybe sounds from nature, like a rainforest or ocean waves.

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    Oh man, I would LOVE to sleep in until 9 on the weekends! I was up to watch the sunrise on Saturday and despite the fact that it was beautiful, I would have appreciated 4 more hours of sleep. Joe - yep, tried that. I replaced my alarm clock with one with nature sounds. Unfortunately, they are not the kind of distraction that calms the mind, just makes me think about the beach :)

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2008
    Get thee to a sleep study immediately. Seriously. You need to have a complete workup done on you with overnight observation. I just did for a somewhat related issue (sleep apnea) and learned all kinds of stuff about my sleep patterns and brain activity. I did it through Virginia Mason - all the hospitals in town have sleep clinics because sleep science is booming what with all you over stimulated, overworked, multi-tasking folk wondering why you can't shut down at night (myself included).

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    Yes it is probably jetlag, but my schedule is off wherever I am.  I actually slept right through to 6am this morning so I was pleased.  Now in Dublin till tomorrow and fly home.  I somehow think that Curry would not put me 'right to sleep' HH....  I so wish we had IN/OUT burger  in Seattle- I would so be there when my plane touched down!

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    Larry - I'll look into that. You know, it never crossed my mind. Thanks for the recommendation. Wine-Oh- could you hang something on the window like a blanket or seomthing; incidentally, a decorating tip my previous home owners would have given. Pat- InNOut is my favorite. Mmmmm! Have some Guiness while you are in Dublin. My dad said it's like a beer milkshake there (it sounded good when he said it). Marion - that's really interesting!

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    My suggestion is to try a massage chair. We originally had an iJoy and then sold it to upgrade to one of the OSIM ones at Brookstone but they both had the same sleep-inducing effect. The massage from these chairs is awesome and it tends to put us to sleep. If I ever have trouble sleeping, I jump in the chair, put my feet up,  and it either makes me drowsy or puts me out. They can be a bit pricey but I think they're well worth the cost.

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    Mike - that does sound pricey. My concern would be that I still won't stay asleep. Getting to sleep has become easier but I still awaken in the night. See? This is difficult to solve :)

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    Yeah I wish I could hang a blanket, but my mother would be too worried what the neighbors might think. It would be reminiscent of a dorm room with a towel or a sheet hanging over the window. I'll deal. I have 2 more nights until I can be back in my apt.

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    This might sound silly: Sit-Coms When my mind is still quite active, I put a dvd on to play 1 episode (watching is optional) Usually it distract my mind enough for me to fall asleep within 15-25 min. I pick shows that I have probably seen a few times before.  (not new material or action/intense story)

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    I was recently in Vegas with my niece who has insomnia too and we pulled the big dark heavy curtains and she slept like a baby all thru the night!

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2008
    Ian- I have tried the TV with the sleep timer. The problem I have is that TV makes my mind more active. I guess with some people it's a distraction from thoughts but for me, it's a generator of them. some1saunt- I actually slept pretty well in Vegas. Must have been a combination of the blackout shades, the heat during the day and all that walking around. Not sure I would want to recreate those conditions in my daily life, but shades + exercise are probably a good way to go!

  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2008
    I'm with Larry on the sleep study, it did wonders for me. I have found that to block things out, I read a novel for a while before going to sleep to shut out the other thoughts. No tech reading, nothing about hobbies, just a story that I get lost in. I agree about the TV, it doesn't work nearly as well. I have incorporated this into a routine and the regularity + the novel do the trick for me.

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2008
    No one has mentioned this yet: listen to the radio or podcasts. I don't like total quiet because similar to Heather, I can't stop thinking about dumb stuff. Listening to sports talk radio (KJR 950 am) or public radio podcasts (This Amer. Life, Studio 360, or Sound Opinions) gets my full attention. It takes my mind completely off of thinking about the dumb stuff so I am able to relax and eventually fall asleep.

  • Anonymous
    July 19, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 20, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 21, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 21, 2008
    I feel your pain. I know you said you tried Melatonin, how much? (it comes in different strengths). I take 2 of the 5mg. (it comes in 5mg, 3mg and I think 1mg strengths). Warning (start this on a weekend), because you'll sail straight through that alarm clock if it works "too good"--learned that the "Hard" way. Also, I found that if turn off the computer/internet by 9p.m. it helps A LOT (and I say this as I write this at 9:27 pm.) For me the T.V. does not matter..but something to do with being on the computer and "actively thinking" makes it harder to sleep. I'd say try that first and I bet it makes a BIG difference.

  • Anonymous
    July 21, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 22, 2008
    mszv - already went to the doctor. Take them daily (well, at night). Like I said, I can get to sleep but I don't sleep through. I'm realizing that people have different sleep styles because playing a video game, for me, would keep me up. I'd be trying to improve my score. I've been journaling (gawd, can't believe I said that) so we will see if that clears the mind. Ranthony- tried lower doses. Maybe I'll get a higher does. I fell asleep without TV last night which was good. OK, so I had a People magazine in bed with me (I'll be better off when my subscription runs out but it is mindless reading). I'm not really drawn to the computer late at night. On or off, it's not a problem for me. Larry - if I had 8 kids, I'd definitely have trouble sleeping.

  • Anonymous
    July 23, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 23, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    July 30, 2008
    When I've had a bad night I've used self-hypnosis and hypnotic recordings to get myself to sleep in the past. What I find easier these days are binaural beats. It's completely passive and requires no practice, just a pair of headphones. I've personally found it to be completely effective without exception. If you get the free SBAGen from http://uazu.net/sbagen/ the exact script I use to drop off to sleep is below. Copy this into a .sbg file and run it... hth. -SE -m river1.ogg off: - ts1: 750+15/8 500+10/4 350+7/0 100+2/0 ts2: 750+14/0 500+9/8 350+6/6 100+2/8 ts3: 100+1/15 00:00:00 off -> 00:10:00 ts1 -> 00:20:00 ts2 -> 00:30:00 ts3 -> 00:59:00 off

  • Anonymous
    January 15, 2009
    Oh man, I really feel you there. I've tried exercise to the point I dropped to the ground to even staying up for days on end. Nothing. Tried SBaGen myself, nothing. I've tried everything, even the post above me. The only thing that put me to sleep was my Geodon. ...I've been weened off it. I haven't slept in days. But oddly enough, my memory, physical, and emotional status has cleared up without sleep. This probably isn't healthy, but shoot. I feel fine. The only thing I really miss is my dreams. I really loved them.

  • Anonymous
    January 15, 2009
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  • Anonymous
    June 15, 2010
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  • Anonymous
    June 16, 2010
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  • Anonymous
    June 20, 2010
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  • Anonymous
    June 20, 2010
    Keep working at it, kid! If you are looking up "insomnia" on the internet, it's not a "little insomnia problem".

  • Anonymous
    June 23, 2010
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  • Anonymous
    June 24, 2010
    I found a 3D computer game where you are a flying person and you go through a city and it's awesome! but I stayed up until 12 playing it. oops. gotta "sleep" now. (translation sit in bed forever before falling asleep)

  • Anonymous
    June 24, 2010
    OK, kiddo. I'm gonna cut you off here. Maybe you can start an insomnia blog!

  • Anonymous
    June 25, 2010
    sorry, I tend to blab on and on and on.........

  • Anonymous
    December 15, 2010
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