Insomnia

[lee]

I've suffered with insomnia on and off for the past couple of years. I've tried everything from herbal remedies to prescription medications and the only thing that seems to work are the prescribed meds, however some of these have nasty side affects, some are even addictive so I prefer to only take them when really necessary. I'm doing all the right things i.e. exercising regularly 40 minutes per day, eat a fairly healthy diet, drink in moderation etc. However the problem keeps creeping back to haunt me.

It's kind of a snowball affect, a couple of bad nights sleep will make you feel groggy and irritable and then I'll feel anxious about whether I'll be able to sleep each night, therefore compounding the problem further. The clinics and hospitals in Udon haven't been much help, some clinics are reluctant to help at all. One clinic almost showed me the door when I asked for sleep medication.

Bumrungrad Hospital in BKK was the most helpful, they did know what they were talking about. They prescribed zolpidem along with an antidepressant (not sure why because I don't feel depressed). The zolpidem worked very well, too well in fact, however without it I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to become dependant on it so I stopped. The antidepressant gave me a really bad headache after the first tablet so I didn't take any more. Anyway with work commitments I didn't have time to return for the follow up appointment so decided to tackle it myself.

Anyway its been on and off, I can go for months without problems and then it will suddenly return like the last couple of weeks. I've used over-the-counter alprazolam to help which is OK but is also habit forming, however its helped the past couple of days and given me some much needed rest and feeling a little more human now. However I would really like to find a natural alternative if there's one out there that will work.

I've tried Melatonin supplements, Valerian root, chamomile tea, anti-histamines etc. without any joy

Has anyone had experience with insomnia and what has helped you deal with it?

[jimboLV]

Lee, I used to have the same problem. My Doctor prescribed ambien (zolpidem) and it worked well with no side effects. I did not take any antidepressants, in fact he warned me not to. I would definitely not recommend alprazolam. It is powerful and meant for severe anxiety attacks, and it is addictive.

I haven’t had a problem for the last couple of years. I felt that my problem was psychological - - worried that I can’t get to sleep, so that keeps me from getting to sleep. Kind of like performance anxiety. So I started playing little psychological tricks on myself. If I couldn’t get to sleep, I just said screw it, got out of bed and watched TV, read, played on the comp, etc. until I got tired. It now happens very rarely that I can’t get to sleep, and if it does, I am thankful for the bonus of some extra waking hours.

Forget about what your Mother told you about “getting a good night’s sleep”. I’ve always thought that
“a good night’s sleep” was over rated. It’s kind of like good sex. Nice to have but you won’t die if you don’t get it. People rarely die from not getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, I’m retired so don’t have to worry about job performance, but even when I was working I found that I could always manage to get through the day with little sleep. The whole idea is that once you trick your mind into not worrying about it, the problem will go away.

Of course, this all presupposes that there is not an organic problem causing the insomnia, but it sounds like you’ve effectively ruled that out.

Well that’s my experience FWIW. It may or may not apply to you. Hope it helps.

[lee]

Thanks for your reply. You're probably right, the problem could be more psychological that physical. I'll give it a try, read a book, watch TV etc. and see if I can make myself tired.

Thanks for the heads up about alprazolam, the trouble is ambien (zolpidem) or ambien CR is not available in Udon so I would need to travel to BKK to get them.

[BobHelm]

If you can't sleep & need some reading matter this might be worthwhile Lee....

http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm

[lee]

Thanks for the link Bob, I'll have a read.

[Mainer]

I would suggest reading a book, not a magazine, as the pictures are not as nocturnal for me as boring words. It works for me, but we are all different. Exercise, as you mentioned, is also good. Try not to work too late. Try not to think about work.

But for me, I always pick up the current novel on my bedstand and start to read. Would like 10 baht for every time the dang thing slipped out of my grip and fell on my head !!

Good luck.

[Wisdom]

When i had heart op December 2007, the recovery led to many months of poor sleep because i could only sleep on my back and also recovery was a long road, as it were. What i used was a personal radio. It didn't affect the wife sleeping next to me but allowed me to stay in bed listening to talk radio, or music. Even now, i often through the night return to listening to the radio if i can't sleep. Many times i actually go to sleep while listening and wake up to the early morning news!

I only have one earpiece in now so i can actually lie on my side. Also i have renewable batteries because of the high use, going to sleep with radio on. But i do concede that through the night radio stations in Udon area may not have English talk radio!? How about music that you'd like? If not, not perhaps an idea for you Lee, but i'm stuffed also when i come across permanant! Must be a plan B somewhere.....

[BKKSTAN]

Old ,but tried and true,visualiize sheep jumping over a low fence and count them!It is a form of meditation,focusing on a nonthreatening benign object that quiets your mind and minds eye ,so your body and mind relax,if tired,you fall asleep.

It is the same principle as reading a book,only better for a fast sleep!

Problem,for me,with pills is the after effect when waking up.

[BobHelm]

Phil no problem. Via the internet there is access to just about every station known to man.
Downloads for programs (often known as 'pod casts') are plenty available. Download that to your i-pod or MP3 player & there you have music/radio for the night.
Would suggest you buy i-pod/MP 3 before you come to Thailand as they are no doubt cheaper & better choice available with you in the States...

[Shado]

Lee;

Try perusing the threads and when you see this little guy , just stop and have a nice long read. Something seems to be putting a few of the members to sleep, perhaps it'll work for you.

[lee]

I tried relaxation tunes downloaded from the internet once, I think it was called bonfire insomnia. It was like very calm music with the sound of a crackling fire and waves washing up on the beach. It was so repetitive and drove me crazy in the end, certainly didn't help with the sleep. I've tried relaxation sounds, counting sheep etc. Nothing seems to work very well, I feel like I've had 10 redbulls before sleep, my eyes are wide open and feel completely switched on. I don't even feel tired during the day, though my mind is fuzzy from the lack of sleep.

I even tried walking 2 laps of Nong Prajak park, 45 minutes on the elliptical machine followed by 1 hour massage and still wide awake at night. One things for sure I don't need a strong coffee to keep me awake.

[jingjai]

I hate to be the one to tell you this Lee...Sleep problems/disorders are one of the first signs of aging .
I use ear plugs occasionally. I keep a couple fans going to provide white-noise.
Another natural herb sold in health food type shops is Kava Root Extract in capsules or tablets. Usually a small dose.
Drink a glass of milk, milk contains Tryptophan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan

Tryptophan is a routine constituent of most protein-based foods or dietary proteins. It is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, bananas, durians, mangoes, dried dates, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, and peanuts. It is found in turkey at a level typical of poultry in general.
For some time, tryptophan has been available in health food stores as a dietary supplement, although it is common in dietary protein. Many people found tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels) and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels).
Clinical research has shown mixed results with respect to tryptophan's effectiveness as a sleep aid, especially in normal patients and for a growing variety of other conditions typically associated with low serotonin levels or activity in the brain such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder and seasonal affective disorder. In particular, tryptophan has been showing considerable promise as an antidepressant alone, and as an "augmenter" of antidepressant drugs. However, the reliability of these clinical trials has been questioned.

Also, occasionally I take a very small dose, 0.25-0.5, of alprazolam, with no adverse affects. But, be careful of the alprazolam you get. In Thailand it is supposed to prescribed by a M.D., however some unscrupulous pharmacies, will dispense OTC what they say is alprazolam and it really isn't. IMO, an occasional small dose of real alprazolam is not a problem.

[WBU ALUM]

When in the states, a 10 mg ambien does the trick about once every twenty days or so. It gets me back into a regular sleep regimen.

When in Thailand, I never need anything, but a pillow.

[lee]

Another natural herb sold in health food type shops is Kava Root Extract in capsules or tablets. Usually a small dose.

I've heard of that one but never tried it, do you know anywhere that sells it locally?

[jingjai]

I've heard of that one but never tried it, do you know anywhere that sells it locally?

I've only seen it for sale in the States, and not every State allows it's sale.
An Australian friend says it is available in Australia.

This is one place I've gotten it from:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/ ... n=vitamins

[Ter]

I agree with jingjai, ear plugs,fan in the background, eye mask all work for me and I have had this problem for eight years. If all of the above fail try reading Izzix or arjay posts never get to the bottom of the page

[lee]

I've only seen it for sale in the States, and not every State allows it's sale.

I've just purchased some from eBay, thanks for the tip.

[mortiboy]

Can you sleep in the daytime Lee?I often wake up for a pee, then difficult to get back to sleep.I always sleep good in the day.
But who says you MUST sleep at night.its the norm I know.But when I get sleepless, I don't toss and turn in bed.I get up and do something.Not into reading (Put off that now reading izzik's posts)but I just make a drink,open the computer, spend an hour or two, then back to bed.
I envy my missus.She stays in one position all night.Even when the selfish neighbours yap loud all night under our window..... she never wakes up!
Hey Lee it's not the dodgy posts you have to sort out getting to you is it?

[trubrit]

Well I wonder why my suggestion to get up and read the forum if you can't sleep was deleted. It was a serious suggestion that I believe many forumites do, judging from the logged on in the early hours show.
After an hour of reading I guarantee to get back to the land of nod, very quick.

[lee]

Can you sleep in the daytime Lee?

I can't sleep day or night. I think a holiday would do me good, I've been working hard and haven't had a proper holiday for a couple of years now.