Hello all. I have been dealing with insomnia my entire life. My parents tell stories about trying to get me to fall asleep at three in the morning by watching Turner Classic movies when I was four years old. I've tried everything I have access to, and the only thing that ever worked was weed. However, I've recently developed CHS, so that's no longer an option. I've been taking 5 mg melatonin with some success, but I'm just exhausted all day. I am in law school, and it feels like I'm too tired to retain anything I'm learning. I don't have caffeine past noon, I take a walk every day, no screens two hours before bed. I've spoken to several doctors and they all tell me the same thing: exercise! no screens! tea! meditation! melatonin! It feels like they're not hearing when I say that it's been like this since before screens were a thing someone could take to bed with them.

Upshot: are there some magic words I need to be saying to my drs to convince them to help me? I've cried in doctors offices because I'm just so tired, and they just tell me to stop playing on my phone so much and touch grass. Am I not wording my experiences correctly?

Last 3 days i got 0 hours of sleep, 5 hours then last night fell asleep for an hour. So im at around 6 hours of sleep the last 3 nights. Anyone here take anything to knock out ? Any otc sleep stacks that have helped anyone?

Hey all, as the title says. A little background below.

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I have never been a great sleeper but I wouldn’t say I’ve ever had a chronic insomnia issue. The last two weeks have been worse than anything I’ve experienced before.

I had been training for a marathon on the 18th and around the 7th of this month I caught the flu. This started causing some performance anxiety when I couldn’t fall asleep to a cough (and an accidental dosing of a stimulating mucus suppressant) a few days before the race. I started putting a bunch of stress on myself that I needed the sleep before the race and essentially got about 4-6 hours sleep over a 72 hour period and had to make a late scratch.

I was so wound up unable to sleep that a doctor prescribed Alprazolam, which initially worked great. Took it the night of the 18th and slept 10-11 hours. I was having trouble getting to sleep the next two nights so I took it both of those nights as well. The next night I didn’t take it and slept fine, but a separate stressful event (which has since resolved) appeared and I took it the next 4 days until I ran out of the prescription.

I’m realizing with hindsight I probably shouldn’t have done that. The last two nights without it are basically just like before the marathon now. A lot of what I’m reading just says I need to let the chemicals flush out of my system and let things naturally reset.

I’ve taken additional steps to let those around me know that I’m dealing with this and might not be as reliable over the coming days, but in my current state, it’s very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

For those that have been stuck in short-term cycles like this, any advice on how to breakout? I really don’t want to be dependent on chemicals if possible.

I have problem of not being able to sleep anywhere except my house not including naps more abt main night sleep

if I went to sleepover to friends home or relatives I struggle to fall asleep it takes way more than usual I lye down close my eyes and it can continue up to 2,3,4 hours without falling asleep

whenever I went for longer trips

specifically for university I had to rent house for a while and here I face the most struggling

I even tried forcing it by not sleeping a whole day thinking my body eventually can't handle and make me sleep but no it still didn't worked and instead backfired its not complete Insomnia I do sleep but quality and time of it will be so poor

And I feel -amazing-.

All the meds, advice, appointments, research, and time got me practically nowhere. 2 weeks ago I decided to give something else a real try. I had dabbled, but not given it a full attempt. So I fasted for 48 hours and then went extremely low-carb, mostly meat for 5 days. I slept through the night every night after day 1. On the 6th day I reintroduced salad and a little pasta and the insomnia returned. After that I went nack to meat-based. Still going.

The food rules I followed were pretty strict. In essence, I started meat-only and am now animal-based keto for a while. My theory is something is broken and I'm trying to heal it so I can eat a wider range of foods again.

Last time I commented in someone's post about what I was doing it was downvoted quite a bit so I expect the same here and I dont care. If I can help someone by posting this, it's worth it. I feel amazing right now writing this.

This is an elimination diet. I think I have a nervous-system response to something I'm eating, which keeps my brain active (and messes with sleep rhythms, maybe by way of cortisol and adrenaline). People generally have no reaction to meat so they start there for a week or two then slowly reintroduce foods over time until they find out what's causing the issue.

I’m going on a big trip today out of town and I can’t help but think I might not make it home. My brain isn’t working right and I feel so unwell. That’s all I guess I can’t think of anything else to say just feel brain dead

Hello all!
I was looking for personal experience on the gentlest sleep med that doesn't leave you drowsy in the morning. I have had sleep issues for the last 3 years, but I need to be awake and moving at 4 am. I don't want to take anything that will make me groggy or feel awful. Has anyone had any luck with meds for themselves with this?

Thanks!

Heys guys so in summer i used to have really terrible sleep issues and sleep anxiety. While it was a terrible period i learnt alot of things about how sleep works. Through experimenting with different things, i have now made a method of sleeping which works incredibly well and feel like some of you would benefit

1. put on a sleep audiobook of a book you know very well. Being a massive harry potter fan i used those books to fall asleep to. The reason a familiar book is better is because your mind will easily be able to decode and imagine what the people are saying, allowing your mind to easily visualise the book without putting loads of effort into understanding. side note: I have a theory that the reason sleep anxiety persists in some people is that they can't block out thoughts as easily as others, which is likely linked to neurodivergent traits or anxiety. Having a familiar audiobook helps those who struggle with normal meditative stuff because it gives them a strong enough stimuli to redirect their anxious thoughts from.
2. parasympathetic breathing: when in bed, deep inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale with pursed lips for 8 seconds. Repeat 3x
3. Lateral eye movement: close eyes, slowly and controlled move eyes from left to right, right to left, up down, down up, clockwise/anticlockwise repeat 2x
4. Take a word "apple". Then use each letter as a starting letter for another word. Repeat this again with the word you end on using the "e". This can be repeated as many times as you like. No need to strain to create a word, you can also just use gibberish if you like

cycle 2,3,4

1. You don't need to do these exercises very fast or intensely repeat them. Just do them in a relaxed way and tune out to an audiobook

I hope this helps you guys and would encourage trying if you struggle with sleep given it is completely free. Would be interested to know if it works for you

Hello! Been struggling with awful insomnia for a while now. The GP wanted to prescribe Mirtazapine but I’ve been on that before and the weight gain was crazy!
So we decided on 50mg of Trazodone to try. I took it for a week and I will say I slept relatively well which was so great after struggling. The dr said to take it before bed so I took it at 10pm an hour before sleep.

The issue is, I feel so so groggy the next morning it’s almost impossible to get up and I was late for work every single day. It was like that for an hour and then wore off and I had a headache too.

I’ve stopped it now but the insomnia is back. I want to take it again but it’s like what’s worse, not sleeping and feeling awful or sleeping but my mornings being a write off. With some big things in my life coming up neither are good.

Perhaps taking it earlier, say 8pm might be better??

Thank you in advance

I slept the whole night 8 hours without waking up a single time. The only thing I changed was lowering the temperature in my room to around 16 degrees. Just wanted to share the information if someone wants to try out as well.

Im f22 , I have been struggling with insomnia since the end of my highschool year. At first, I had extreme trouble falling asleep, but once I managed to drift off, I could still achieve deep, restorative sleep. However, One random night 4 years ago, came a night when I woke up at 5:00 AM and couldn't fall back asleep, a pattern that persisted for the next two years. Eventually, my doctor prescribed a different medication, which allowed me to extend my sleep from 5:00AM until 10:00 AM. The problem, though, is that even with this longer duration, I have never truly experienced "normal," deep sleep and i dont even know the time that i woke up bcs it was soo hazy. I always wake up feeling completely unrefreshed and as exhausted as if I hadn't slept at all, i am gradually losing hope and fear that I may never be able to reach a state of deep sleep again. I suspect that because I was only able to sleep until 5:00 AM for those two years, my body has simply "forgotten" how to enter a deep sleep state. Does anyone know of anything that might help me achieve deep sleep? I haven't been able to sleep without medication a single day since this started, and I am terrified that my body has lost the ability to sleep normally.

So I have had horrible insomnia for about 20 years or more.

So way back then my doc gave me Ambien and that worked great...for awhile but after many years it has started to lose its punch, so I told my doctor that, so he added 900mg of gabapentin at bedtime along with the Ambien.

Again, that worked for awhile but eventually it didn't work as it initially did.

I brought this up last time and so my doctor added 100mg trazodone to the others. I asked if that was safe and he said yes.

Naturally after about 2 years it's wearing off again, so just today he added 1 mg alprazolam.

I was wondering now if this might be too much & is unsafe. Does anyone know or do you take this same cocktail of pills to get to sleep? I have a horrible case of insomnia but I'm worried this may be too much. Thanks.

i used to rely so heavily on melatonin and magnesium gummies just to shut my brain off at night. half the time, they wouldn't even work, and i’d still end up doomscrolling on my phone until 1 am with racing thoughts.

around 2024, i started exploring self-care toys, and honestly, it completely transformed my sleep quality.

a lot of people tend to view toys as just a "replacement for a partner," but that’s really missing the point. I have toys and I have partners sometimes I enjoy solo time, sometimes I’m with a partner. in my opinion, self-pleasure isn't a backup plan; it’s an essential self-care routine.

I don’t know if you guys knew this, but orgasms trigger a massive release of dopamine and oxytocin, which are natural mood boosters. these chemicals naturally reduce stress, ease anxiety, and create a deep sense of well-being that signals to your body it's safe to rest.

however, I will say ordinary, cheap vibrators did absolutely nothing for me. those violent, cold, high-speed buzzers just made me feel overwhelmed and numb rather than relaxed.

my whole routine is leave a sex toy like tracy's dog on my bed now, i would like to share 5 best sex toys that i've tried maybe in the future! when i'm feeling low on dopamine or drained from a long day, I lock my door, put my phone face down, and give myself that time. it has drastically lifted my mood, washed away the sad vibes, and gives me the best sleep of my life.

curious if anyone else incorporates self-pleasure into their nightly wind-down or sleep routine or not? is that normal?

Getting sleepless nights or just 1.5 hours of sleep. Maybe it's because I changed from Paroxetine to Fluoxetine, I don't know.

Hi, I think I might die. I feel like dying. Its been a month and all I can sleep is max one hour during the day. The last couple days I again, havent slept anything, not even one hour. I went to ER last week. Zolpidem feels like water even 2 pills. Xanax too. I dont think clearly and want to end it. I cant even stand right now i am that weak. My head is about to explode. I cant anymore. This feels beyond insomnia. I think something is wrong in my brain. Idk....

What the title says. I'm awake with insomnia, no surprise there. I see a psychiatrist who actually treatments my insomnia with strong medications.

If there's a sleep center or a sleep specialist, the chances are high it's a pulmonologist and they treat sleep apnea, snoring or narcolepsy. The chances are aldo high that it's be a neurologist and they treat restless leg syndrome, or sleepwalking.

The actual "sleep specialists" don't actually help insomnia and give you bullshit like CBT-I or an effective medication but only for a week or two.

If you want effective insomnia treatment, go to a psychiatrist who has a private practice or an old psychiatrist. New psychiatrists or psychiatrists at hospitals won't go above and beyond in medication management and will only do it short term.

Old psychiatrists or psychiatrists in private practices are comfortable prescribing antidepressants, antipsychotics, DORAS, z-drugs, benzodiazepines, and in rare cases barbiturates long term because they know that shit works and CBT-I is bullshit.

I've tried my fair share of medications and found a cocktail that works for me. If you want actual insomnia treatment, go to a psychiatrist at a private practice, preferably an older one.

I wanted to share my experience with sleep anxiety in the hope that it might help someone else going through the same thing.

It all started about two years ago, after one night of bad sleep. I’ve always loved sleeping and never had any issues with it before. But that one night somehow changed everything. I started worrying about my sleep, trying all sorts of things to make sure I could sleep well, and the more I tried to control it, the more anxious I became. Eventually, I developed terrible sleep anxiety.

Around that time, I found out I was pregnant. I’m not sure if there was any connection, but having a new purpose in life helped me forget about the whole thing for a while.

Unfortunately, the anxiety returned when my baby was around four months old, and it has resurfaced again recently. I’ve realised that the thought of sleep anxiety has always been somewhere in the back of my mind, and even the smallest thing can trigger it.

But this time, I’m trying a different approach.

1. Changing the way I respond to anxious thoughts

Whenever the thoughts start racing and I feel anxiety building up, I remind myself: I slept well for so many years without even thinking about sleep. If my body knew how to sleep all those years, why should I suddenly believe that I’ve forgotten how?

This helps me step back from the thought instead of getting caught up in it. I acknowledge it, remind myself that I don’t need to solve anything right now, and continue with whatever I was doing.

1. Learning more about the mind through Buddhism

I’ve started listening to Buddhist talks and podcasts about the mind and anxiety, particularly Ajahn Brahm’s talks and the Modern Buddhism podcast.

One thing I’m learning is that thoughts are just thoughts. Just because my mind produces a frightening thought doesn’t mean it’s a fact or that I need to react to it.

I’ve also started being more compassionate towards myself. Instead of treating my anxiety as an enemy that I need to fight and defeat, I’m trying to treat it like a friend. It’s uncomfortable, but I don’t need to be angry with myself for experiencing it.

1. Making meditation a daily practice

This is something I’m particularly excited about. I’ve decided to meditate every day for a month and see how it affects my relationship with my thoughts and anxiety.

I’m Buddhist, so I’ve always known about meditation, but I’ve only recently started exploring the different types of meditation and how they can help with the way we relate to our thoughts.

For now, I’m practising breathing meditation. Rather than trying to force my mind to become completely quiet, I’m learning to notice when my attention wanders and gently bring it back to my breath.

I’m trying to approach this as a practice rather than expecting it to fix everything overnight.

1. Changing my goal when I go to bed

This has been one of the biggest realisations for me.

My goal is no longer to make myself sleep. My goal is simply to rest and relax.

I can’t force myself to fall asleep. The harder I try to make it happen, the more pressure I put on myself. So now, when I close my eyes, I’m trying to let my body do what it naturally knows how to do, without constantly checking whether I’m falling asleep.

If sleep comes, that’s great. If it takes longer than I’d like, I want to learn to be okay with that, too.

I’ve realised how much time and energy I’ve spent worrying about something that used to happen so naturally. Meanwhile, there’s so much of life to experience, so many things to enjoy, and so much good we can do.

I’m also learning to let go of the need to control everything.

I know this might not be the end of my sleep anxiety. These thoughts might come back and torment me again. But I want to keep responding to them differently, rather than allowing them to take over my life.

I don’t expect to become completely free of anxious thoughts. I just want to reach a point where they no longer have so much power over me.

I’m still learning, and I know I have a long way to go. But for the first time, I feel like I’m beginning to understand that I don’t have to fight my mind to find peace.

If you’re going through something similar, I hope you know that you’re not alone. ❤️

I’d also love to hear from anyone who has experienced sleep anxiety and found ways to change their relationship with it. What helped you?

I’ve been diagnosed with insomnia, and although I can sleep relatively well most nights, I occasionally go through periods lasting several days when I struggle to sleep at all.

When this happens, my heart starts racing, and no matter how much melatonin I take, I just can’t seem to fall asleep. I feel incredibly restless and find myself constantly getting in and out of bed, scrolling through TikTok, eating, or simply lying there trying to fall asleep.

It’s exhausting and frustrating, especially when I know I need sleep but my body just won’t let me.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Does anyone know what might be causing this or have any advice on how to manage it? I’d really appreciate any help or suggestions.

It was caused by Vitamin D supplements. I ran out and was too lazy to get more so I didn't take any for 10 days and I've been sleeping like a baby for the last 2 weeks.

Not being able to sleep almost drove me insane. I wrote a poem about it.

My psych prescribed me Hydroxyzine 50mg.

I haven't taken before in the past but my main concern is in the last few years I have an issue where I couldn't help but go to bed early and in turn wake up early.

It sucked being up in the dark, alone, and bored. (being all tired eyes) I don't know. It was bad for my depression. I remember feeling bad until sunrise. It's like something switched in my brain.

I think an ideal bedtime for me would be 10 or 11pm?

But I guess it does depend what time I need to wake up.

All I know is I don't want to wake up until 6 or fall 7 am. (my schedule allows this)

But sometimes I go to bed and accidentally fall asleep without taking meds.

My true sleepover issue isn't the falling asleep part. It's the staying asleep part.

Ever since my insomnia flared up almost two months ago, my hands have been shaking to the point where I have difficulty doing normal day to day things.

I am sleeping better now, with the occasional sleepless nights here and there. However, my hands still shake terribly.

Anyone else experiencing this?

For context I am 23 F

M19. So this all started after I quit my summer job and just let go of my sleep rhythm. I was sleeping from 12am to like 7pm and my sleep quality has been absolute poo. I have now started to try to fix my sleep schedule but I get these weird muscle pains in my body that I can't really explain like sometimes my forearm or one of my finger joints ace's or I get ace's in my legs and even sometimes near the neck. Also I feel rather twitchy if that makes sense and I'm just wondering if this is something possibly related to the really bad sleep quality and has anybody had similar experiences as finding stuff about this on the internet is really not working out.

I have been dealing with sleep issues since elementary school but they have gotten drastically worse through high school and college. I have been tried since I was 11 and I just feel like it will never end. No matter when I go to sleep I take at minimum 2 hours to fall asleep and that is a very good rate occurrence for me. Every morning it is a struggle to get out of bed and I always feel like I wake up more tired than I was the night before if I am able to sleep. I have 8 am and 9 am classes every day this semester( they were the only slots offered for the classes I need 😭😭😭). I just struggle to get ready and then I am tired the rest of the day and feel like I am not getting things done at the pace I should. When it is actually time for me to sleep I have the energy to do my schoolwork but I often try to make myself sleep anyway so I won’t be exhausted the next day from waking up early with no sleep. I am sorry this just sounds like a complete useless rant but I feel so lost. I am scared that this will be my life once I enter the workforce and probably will have a job that stays at 8 or 9 am. I just feel useless and pathetic. If anyone has any advice or suggestions they would like to share I would be more than happy to hear them. I feel like I have tried almost everything to help me sleep but nothing ever works. Again I am sorry this is kind of a rant I feel like I am going to breakdown from a lack of sleep at this point.

So I've got pcod and thyroid and constantly working on treating it. No matter how much exercise i do even if I feel sleepy alot I wake up after 3-4 hours which is shit and i don't get the urge to sleep after that... like i just want swear wth is hapenning bro 😭

I didn't sleep since 3 am now its 5:34 and fk bro i also woke up b/w 1-2 am and bruh.. how is this even possible for human brain 😭 to function like this. HELP.

I was referred to do this and have been reluctant because it would mean driving 40 minutes and I assume I will sleep even worse in a clinic with lots of cords attached. Then have to drive home in the morning... I have read the odd person sleeps better, but I doubt if I would. And there's someone watching me and perhaps talking with me, or replacing wires if they come off. I'm just skeptical that's it's worth it. Has this procedure provided a diagnosis that then helped you sleep well?