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re: Anyone have a “fix” for insomnia?
Posted on 10/30/25 at 3:47 am to BluegrassCardinal
Posted on 10/30/25 at 3:47 am to BluegrassCardinal
I’d try getting off all medicine and do an intense 30 minute exercise each day after work. That’s assuming you have a white collar job. If you get a lot of exercise at work try wearing out your mind by reading.
0
Posted on 10/30/25 at 5:06 am to BluegrassCardinal
First, I feel for you. This happens to me. Less often now that I'm retired but it happens. As you can see from the responses to this thread there are many variables. Here's what seems to impact me -
Eat several hours before going to bed ( explains old folks eating at 4:30 or 5 pm at restaurants). Avoid high fat or high salt foods.
Get sunlight for several hours during the day - I retired this year. Until then this was difficult.
Control allergies.
Stay hydrated but don't drink a bunch of water before bedtime.
Avoid alcohol. Going to sleep after a drink was no problem, but staying asleep was an issue.
Exercise helps (outside - see the sunlight thing above) - cycling, walking, working in the yard, etc.
I discovered I can sometimes make coffee at 3, drink a few cups, eat something light (like a banana), pee, and fall asleep on the couch for an hour or two.
Eat several hours before going to bed ( explains old folks eating at 4:30 or 5 pm at restaurants). Avoid high fat or high salt foods.
Get sunlight for several hours during the day - I retired this year. Until then this was difficult.
Control allergies.
Stay hydrated but don't drink a bunch of water before bedtime.
Avoid alcohol. Going to sleep after a drink was no problem, but staying asleep was an issue.
Exercise helps (outside - see the sunlight thing above) - cycling, walking, working in the yard, etc.
I discovered I can sometimes make coffee at 3, drink a few cups, eat something light (like a banana), pee, and fall asleep on the couch for an hour or two.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 5:52 am to BluegrassCardinal
quote:Okay, good, so you have sleep apnea. You've likely found your problem. Keep the cpap on. You need to use it at least 70% of the time to see physiological results. 100% is even better.
Am I compliant with my cpap? Not really.
quote:Okay, no. If you weren't compliant you don't know what you were getting because there's no comparison to be made. You just don't want to wear it.
The sleep I was getting on it was worse than what I’m experiencing now.
You've probably got more of a sleep apnea problem than an insomnia problem, and you've convinced yourself you don't need the cpap, but you do need all sorts of pharmaceutical solutions instead. All sorts of weird stuff happens to your body when you have sleep apnea, including death. I have a cpap (6'2", 220 lbs, so not a rotund fella either), and at first, like you, I was convinced that I was built different than ALL other human beings and not only did I not need it, but it was detrimental to my health. I was wrong. It has drastically improved my ability to stay asleep once I gave it a fair shake.
You've admitted you have sleep apnea. You've admitted you weren't compliant. You've claimed you are different than the majority and the cpap was destroying your sleep, even though you were never compliant, so do you want sleep, or just tranquilizer pills? It won't hurt (like you're claiming) once you get used to it, and it could likely save your life.
When I was a little boy I started to suffer from insomnia due to physiological trauma, and because insomnia can be an acquired taste, I still suffer from it today, though less than I used to. There's no doubt it has taken years off my life, but the cpap has helped dramatically. Try valerian root, also Nello Super Calm drink mix before bed has been effective for me, and the main thing is healthy bedtime habits, diet, hydration, etc. Get a full blood panel done, too.
The worst possible thing you can do, and it sounds like it's what you're planning on doing, is to take an abundance of pills and continue with sleep apnea and probably insomnia too. Insomnia is as much a learned behavior as it is a physical condition for many, and from what you've said thus far, your plan going forward to use a bunch of prescription medications is not ideal. Just sayin', give the cpap at least 6 months of all night, every night use before deciding you've defied science.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 5:59 am to go ta hell ole miss
quote:
but what you are describing sounds like the life of a drinker. Once the alcohol wears off they wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety
This was an issue back in my drinking days. I started waking up around 3 or so wide awake. I was a very heavy drinker for a decade and it started my last 2-3 years. Once I quit, slept much better. Not right as I quit, took me close to a month of not drinking to finally start being able to sleep but after that it was all good.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 6:03 am to BluegrassCardinal
Wen t through some stuff similarly and my doc told me I need to retrain my body for sleep.
Essentially, pull an all nighter one night. The next night, stay up till 2.5 hours before you want to wake up. Do that for a few nights... you'll be exhausted, but the key is to stick with it. After a few nights of 2.5 hours, push it back to 3 hours of sleep. Do this for 304 days. Eventually, you'll work yourself into a full night of sleep.
Essentially, pull an all nighter one night. The next night, stay up till 2.5 hours before you want to wake up. Do that for a few nights... you'll be exhausted, but the key is to stick with it. After a few nights of 2.5 hours, push it back to 3 hours of sleep. Do this for 304 days. Eventually, you'll work yourself into a full night of sleep.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 6:17 am to BluegrassCardinal
Quit looking at your phone or any clock for that matter when you wake up. That “oh crap” is sleep anxiety and will make it that much harder to fall back asleep.
ETA: Insomnia Coach app by the VA is CBT-I if you’re disciplined enough to do it on your own. First few weeks are challenging due to sleep restriction window as mentioned earlier. Once you’ve achieved 85% sleep efficiency then you can start moving bedtime back incrementally.
ETA: Insomnia Coach app by the VA is CBT-I if you’re disciplined enough to do it on your own. First few weeks are challenging due to sleep restriction window as mentioned earlier. Once you’ve achieved 85% sleep efficiency then you can start moving bedtime back incrementally.
This post was edited on 10/30/25 at 6:23 am
Posted on 10/30/25 at 6:32 am to BluegrassCardinal
I took 125mg of Trazodone last night and slept a solid 10 hours. I could have slept longer, but I had to get up for work.
Up your dosage.
Up your dosage.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 7:58 am to BluegrassCardinal
I know a few have already mentioned it, but I will always tout the benefits of meditation (specifically Vipassana). This is what got my insomnia down. You have to learn to calm the fluctuations of the mind. It’s not a quick fix, you have to give it a few months but it is probably the most important thing I do during the day.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:31 am to BK Lounge
How did you get off the ambien and did you have any issues when you stopped taking it? Did you have to ween yourself off of it or did you just stop cold turkey? I was prescribed 12.5 mg nightly well over a year ago for my insomnia and admittedly I didn't know too much about the drug so I just figured "ok doc knows best so I'll give it a try". It helps me sleep MOST nights and I haven't had any problems on it although there have been a few nights where it feels like it did nothing for me. No sleepwalking episodes or anything crazy like that but I've heard the horror stories and they led me to do some more in depth research about the drug. I started getting scared that I may get in my truck and go for a drive and wind up getting in a crash and possibly killing someone. When I googled if I could stop taking it cold turkey I was directed to the National Suicide Hotline and that scared the shite out of me. I want to get off this shite and no longer be dependent on it for sleep but the couple times I've forgotten to take it, I got zero sleep and I was an a-hole to everyone around me.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:47 am to BluegrassCardinal
THC Gummies. I take them every night. It's glorious.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:48 am to Graton
quote:
How did you get off the ambien and did you have any issues when you stopped taking it? Did you have to ween yourself off of it or did you just stop cold turkey?
The way i describe my prior relationship with Ambien is that i wasn’t addicted to it, but i was dependent on it …there’s a big difference, b/c whenever i wouldnt take it, i wouldnt go through ‘withdrawals’ or throw up like coming off drugs.. but like you, i would be sleepless, irritable and an extremely unpleasant person to be around … To answer your question, no i didnt have any issues per se after i stopped taking it, other than just going back to being a general insomniac with good nights and bad nights (now i take the OTC and herbal stuff I mentioned above).. as to how i did it- definitely it was cold turkey.. it actually worked out pretty well, albeit drastic- in that i moved to a different city for work, away from the city where the doctor practiced who had prescribed Ambien to me for daily use .. i suppose i could have figured out a way to keep it going, but what i did is as soon as i ran out of the last month’s worth of pills, i never had them refilled, or went to see another Dr to re-prescribe.. and i just let the Rx run out and never touched Ambien again.. that’s been a few years ago.. i think immediately after i had a couple sleepless nights over a weekend, but then i was relatively fine .
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:46 am to TRUERockyTop
quote:
ce cold room when sleeping - I keep my downstairs on 65 at night
-Blackout curtains & minimal to zero light of any kind. your room should be pitch black
-Magnesium glycinate to relax your body/muscles
-Melatonin to slow down your brain & induce tiredness (add to regiment last if everything else fails)
-Exercise / movement during the day
-Eat healthy, real food and put some distance between dinner and when you go to sleep.
-Go to bed and wake up around the same time
-Sunlight
-Vitamin D
Thank you, I used some of these strategies. I started taking Vitamin D the other day. I was low on Vitamin D last fall, and I came off the weekly supplement over the summer. Stands to reason I was low again as sunlight dwindles. Made our bedroom very cool, and went to bed around 10. Actually got six straight hours of uninterrupted sleep, and then an additional hour after a trip to the bathroom. Feel like a human today.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:48 am to BluegrassCardinal
quote:
Anyone have a “fix” for insomnia?
Wear yourself out with vigorous sex before bedtime.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:53 am to mudshuvl05
quote:
The worst possible thing you can do, and it sounds like it's what you're planning on doing, is to take an abundance of pills and continue with sleep apnea and probably insomnia too. Insomnia is as much a learned behavior as it is a physical condition for many, and from what you've said thus far, your plan going forward to use a bunch of prescription medications is not ideal. Just sayin', give the cpap at least 6 months of all night, every night use before deciding you've defied science.
I'm trying not to take a pill cocktail before bed. I have been taking magnesium glycinate and half a pill of trazodone (25mg). So, really a baby dose of trazodone. I just can't get used to the flow of air of the cpap mask. It's like trying to relax and drift off in a wind tunnel going into the lungs. I tried the nasal pillows and it's really the same issue. I have a ton of respect for folks that can tolerate the air pressure. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:08 am to TRUERockyTop
There's a great book called -- really OP give it a read/listen. There's a reason the reviews are so good:
LINK
Mostly great recommendations. Temperature/any light (even very little) are the most important. Avoid sustained used of Melatonin or any drug. Alcohol affects sleep and ability to retain information (even if consumed up to 3 days after learning something new).
Early morning sleep spindles (5am-6:30am) is extremely important for a lot of people. Don't force yourself to wake up earlier to exercise in exchange for less sleep. LINK
Seriously give the book a listen.... It has changed a lot in my life!
LINK
Mostly great recommendations. Temperature/any light (even very little) are the most important. Avoid sustained used of Melatonin or any drug. Alcohol affects sleep and ability to retain information (even if consumed up to 3 days after learning something new).
Early morning sleep spindles (5am-6:30am) is extremely important for a lot of people. Don't force yourself to wake up earlier to exercise in exchange for less sleep. LINK
Seriously give the book a listen.... It has changed a lot in my life!
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:11 am to BluegrassCardinal
quote:
I have a ton of respect for folks that can tolerate the air pressure.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:16 am to BluegrassCardinal
Natural remedies:
- Consistent starting sleep time
- Get up early in the morning and move around before work
- No electronic devices 30 minutes before bed
- Limit caffeine intake
- exercise or do physical work after you get off work
- stimulate your brain as often as possible throughout the day
- Consistent starting sleep time
- Get up early in the morning and move around before work
- No electronic devices 30 minutes before bed
- Limit caffeine intake
- exercise or do physical work after you get off work
- stimulate your brain as often as possible throughout the day
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:16 am to SECretariat
I haven't logged in to this site in forever so I couldn't find the edit button but it is called: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. There's 33,449 ratings on Amazon
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:36 am to Thirty Three
Did anyone sleep better last night?
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:43 am to Mingo Was His NameO
Glad you could have fun with that, Mingo.
This post was edited on 10/30/25 at 10:46 am
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