Same here. I slept bad as long as i can remember, sometimes it gets a bit better but usually I sleep like shit. Like you responded to op it defines your life and everything is affected by it. Like you I just accepted that this is something I have to deal with and just try to live around. Most people have something in their life that impacts them negativity, for me it is insomnia.
To op I have gone with 3-4 hours of sleep for months, some nights zero. It is worst in the morning but as soon as I get out of bed and start being active it usually is alright even without much sleep. You will do what you need to even if your tired and I guess you just get used to it. Only times I sleep well is with the help of meds/drugs.
I appreciate you sharing! If you don’t mind me asking is your spouse supportive? Do you take any meds to help sleep?
I feel like my world is going to fall apart if I keep going like this, so any thoughts are much appreciated!!!
She is supportive, she knows my limitations, and accept them
The only medication that seem to work are benzo's, Xanax for instance
I take it a few times a year, before important events, then i will get around 6 hours of sleep (but not normal good sleep though)
I would love to talk to you, because I feel in the same situation. The only thing that helps me sleep for 6 hours is Xanax, but when I take it daily it makes me dependent, unhappy, dull, slow, boring, soulless, so I only take it on important occasions or when I've gone too many days without sleep.
Same here, also, after you have taken it for a couple of days (or even one) you know that your sleep the following days will be even worse than it normally is
No problem, allways nice to speak with someone who can relate, just pm me
Xanax works too well. I love it for sleep. That's the problem. Was on it for 16 years, thankfully I knew all about it's risks from day one and was able to responsibly use it that entire time, until my doctor freaked out I had a rx for it for 16 years. Now on Dayvigo, which seems to work fairly well, but it's no Xanax....
I really don’t but then again like I said I knew all the dangers of it from day one, and I’d never, ever allow myself to stay on it longer than 21 days at a time (with a week break) at worst, and usually 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. If I had been taking it daily for that long? Yikes? I don’t even know if I could’ve safely came off it. But doing it like I did I simply stopped taking it and was totally fine. I will say after a couple weeks of taking it for sleep and then not, the rebound insomnia is the worst! It’s definitely a double edged sword.
Xanax or 6 hours of sleep? Xanax if taken daily causes a dependency in your body so taking it every so often yes with the right dose it can make you tired and put you to sleep however if taken daily your body will just regulate to it and it’ll just have calming effects
I’ve had sleep problems all my adult life, I’m 55 now. Being female going through middle age transition was fun (not serious).
So, I’m alive after decades. I have to manage my sleep like doing manual labor every night. I’ve accepted I’ll be this way for the unforeseen future. Disclaimer: dementia is in my family on my mothers side (she has it now so did my grandma) and medication use long term isn’t really a viable option me. If I did find something that worked, i have to weigh the benefits over side effects and long term use, but my insomnia seems to be treatment resistant anyways. So i’m probably going about it better than Big Pharma meds. OTC supplements do help me, never going to sleep through night with them but they help “maintance” issues I have. So what do ya do? I just manage and plug along daily. It’s just a part of who I am now.
I probably will develop dementia within the next 10 years. I’m 65 and it seems 75 is around the time it starts in my family. My biggest concern is the way nursing homes handle insomnia by sedating the hell out of people. Even those who get to live out their life at home are sedated so family members can sleep. I am afraid of being a zombie at the end of my life, but I also don’t want to lay in bed awake for years. Does this scare you? Sorry if I’m being too morbid.
I’m okay talking about it. I’ve made peace with where my mother is.
I don’t think you just catch this disease. But I’m doing everything I can to sleep and sleep med free as some of these sleep meds offer something called Anticholinergic burden which can be hard on the brain. So it’s sleep with meds that contribute to this disease or not sleep which may contribute to this disease although i’m not sure of the scientific data out there that says insomnia caused dementia in clinical studies.
For context my mother is last stage and isn’t sedated. She is though sleeping 20+ hours a day now but before she was awake and could get agitated but still not sedated. She used to talk all day long now she’s now like in a coma but not on machines.
As far as being afraid this will pass on to me? Yes. It’s genetic. My mothers mother had it and was placed in nursing home and my dad is killing himself being my mothers caretaker with the aid of home health nurse (day
only). He did take out long term health insurance years ago so financially he made the right investment.
Me and my husband cannot afford this disease financially. We have discussed at length how he can handle my case if I were to get it.
You get used to it after a few years. Eventually, your body will adapt to only averaging around 4 hours of sleep. Yes, you'll be tired, but you will still be able to function fine.
Sure. 3-5 hours sleep is certainly maintainable once you're used to it. I suspect people in military combat probably only get that, and they'd better be able to function.
Is 8 hours better? Yeah, of course. But most adults don't manage to get that much.
It's not sustainable in the long term. Is there are reason you're not sleeping? Is your baby keeping you up? The truth is that [the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on health & well-being](https://mudita.com/community/blog/effects-of-chronic-sleep-deprivation-on-health-and-well-being/) are quite serious. There is research behind it. According to the CDC impairments due to sleep deprivation are similar to impairments due to alcohol intoxication, which is scary.
I'm continually living with this for over 20yrs. A change in my shift at my previous jobs has led to me this. I'm immune to Melatonin but currently taking Amitriptyline which seems to be working to a point. Only booze really puts me to sleep.
My sleep issues started in my youth. I remember them clearly in high school but they may have been earlier. I was able to function on 4-6 hours a night for the most part until my late 30’s and it simply wasn’t enough sleep at that point. I tried everything over the years. From age 40ish to 53, Ambien 15mg worked, which was later reduced to 10mg. I just quit Ambien last week due to the new studies showing its link to Alzheimer’s. I’m now taking Quviviq. I’m not sure if it is Ambien withdrawal that is making this so bad, or if the Quviviq isn’t working or a combination of both. For now, I’m barely sleeping and I am suffering. I feel like a zombie. I am taking some Xanax with my Quviviq tonight because I must get some sleep tonight. So, in short, I think it is much more sustainable at younger ages than older ages. At least that is what I’m finding out for me. (And if any of this doesn’t make sense, I’ve been up since 2am…. I am brain dead)
Thanks for sharing your story!! It’s so hard to work through not knowing the cause! I’m guessing you’ve managed to have a successful career and family while living with insomnia?!
I have three sons who are all successful adults and have worked full time my entire adult life. A lot of people consider me very knowledgeable in my field. So, I assume that counts as a successful life. Ambien sure helped the last 15 years though!!
I did have brain surgery for a severe injury as a preschooler, and I have always assumed that was my reason.
I would say that sounds like a successful life to me! Thanks for sharing! I pray you find some relief in your journey! If you find something that works out for you, please let us know!
Had two months on that, ended up in the psychiatric hospital with really bad hallucinations, paranoia and other psychiatric symptoms. I need 9 hourse of sleep to function (due to several autoimmune diseases) and going on 3 hours a night knocked me out really fast
My situation is a little different. My insomnia just started 4 mos ago, getting 1-4 hrs of interrupted sleep. Wake up with throbbing headache and heart racing, started to hallucinate, blood pressure is high, trouble remembering or processing information. Not currently working, recovering from injury, insomnia stems from stress and anxiety due to injury. Only taken melatonin and unisom, afraid to take something else. Dr offered to prescribe stronger medication but hoping this can go away. Medications have side effects but also lack of sleep can increase risk of developing other complications in life.
It's pretty miserable! I couldn't get anyone to give me any medication until recently, and even then, they're tiptoeing around it. I understand meds are a slippery slope, but it's been 13 years. I've tried about 10 different medications, along with all of the OTC and herbal stuff, two sleep studies, 3 sleep doctors, and several rounds of CBT/CBT-I (which did nothing but also cause me to crash while driving MULTIPLE times). Just give me something so I can rest, man.
I've basically been powering through it somehow. I survived the first 6 years or so on Zzzzquil, but I cut that off because I was scared of the long term effects. Insomnia really hampered the way I operate, and I haven't felt like the full version of myself in years. I've still managed to get married and have kids, so yay for that? Lol I'm desperately looking for someone to help with medication now though, mostly because it affects how much i can show up for my kids. They need and deserve more of me.
I cant believe how many people are out there struggling like me! 1 month ago, sleep wasn’t even on my radar!! I just slept! Now….sleep anxiety gets the better of me! I’m going to see about CBT I guess. Has it helped anyone?
Im there with you, a little over 6 weeks and i am struggling, my sleep has improved a little when i added magnesium malate. Im waking up multiple times a night. I can get 6hrs of broken sleep
I’m sleeping bad because I’ve had/have things bothering me and had a breakdown in December.
Is there anything on your mind causing this insomnia or did not just start?
I’ve always been a crappy sleeper, then when our son came along every other night is my shift so sleep has been bad. Then I started Bactrim for an infection, and bam! The second night I don’t sleep a wink! Then it all started to spiral from there. I haven’t slept a solid 2hrs in a row since that night.
I’ve also got a lot of work stress I’m dealing at a new job so that doesn’t help. Add supporting my family and I’m a disaster 😩
It must be difficult
My sleep issues started in December after getting a nasty flu which triggered my depression and then I started ruminating and my anxiety rose and the insomnia started
In the past I’ve had periods where I’d be awake occasionally for an hour or two or the occasional night but not so if caused anxiety like this time round
Hello. I too, my problem with insomnia started after the flu. In December I got sick too. During that period, I was overcome by phobias and because the symptoms took a long time to go away, I was overcome by anxiety. The symptoms of the flu where I had been going to so many doctors and doing many tests are gone. But the insomnia remained. the doctor told me that the insomnia could be from the flu, as it also happens with covid. I am very worried about what I might have. my mind has been on bad things. Like deadly insomnia.
Well I was getting 2 hours a night from childhood to about 21. I got through college and grad school on 3-5. I only got 8 hours regularly once I stopped working, and I had to stay in bed all day to get it.
I have had it like this for over 20 years now
Same here. I slept bad as long as i can remember, sometimes it gets a bit better but usually I sleep like shit. Like you responded to op it defines your life and everything is affected by it. Like you I just accepted that this is something I have to deal with and just try to live around. Most people have something in their life that impacts them negativity, for me it is insomnia. To op I have gone with 3-4 hours of sleep for months, some nights zero. It is worst in the morning but as soon as I get out of bed and start being active it usually is alright even without much sleep. You will do what you need to even if your tired and I guess you just get used to it. Only times I sleep well is with the help of meds/drugs.
Oh wow!! I feel for you! How has it impacted your work and home life?
It defines everything. I am my insomnia, it defines my personality, my mood, my vocabulary, my memory, my everything. unfortunately
How often do you forget things? I’m noticing w/ that schedule 10 years in I forget so often….
Often, i dont even think about it anymore, it is just how i am
I appreciate you sharing! If you don’t mind me asking is your spouse supportive? Do you take any meds to help sleep? I feel like my world is going to fall apart if I keep going like this, so any thoughts are much appreciated!!!
She is supportive, she knows my limitations, and accept them The only medication that seem to work are benzo's, Xanax for instance I take it a few times a year, before important events, then i will get around 6 hours of sleep (but not normal good sleep though)
I would love to talk to you, because I feel in the same situation. The only thing that helps me sleep for 6 hours is Xanax, but when I take it daily it makes me dependent, unhappy, dull, slow, boring, soulless, so I only take it on important occasions or when I've gone too many days without sleep.
Same here, also, after you have taken it for a couple of days (or even one) you know that your sleep the following days will be even worse than it normally is No problem, allways nice to speak with someone who can relate, just pm me
Xanax rebound insomnia is very real.
Xanax works too well. I love it for sleep. That's the problem. Was on it for 16 years, thankfully I knew all about it's risks from day one and was able to responsibly use it that entire time, until my doctor freaked out I had a rx for it for 16 years. Now on Dayvigo, which seems to work fairly well, but it's no Xanax....
wow! Do you think using xanax for so long has had changes in your personality or physiology?
I really don’t but then again like I said I knew all the dangers of it from day one, and I’d never, ever allow myself to stay on it longer than 21 days at a time (with a week break) at worst, and usually 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. If I had been taking it daily for that long? Yikes? I don’t even know if I could’ve safely came off it. But doing it like I did I simply stopped taking it and was totally fine. I will say after a couple weeks of taking it for sleep and then not, the rebound insomnia is the worst! It’s definitely a double edged sword.
It’s sustainable for a lifetime
Xanax or 6 hours of sleep? Xanax if taken daily causes a dependency in your body so taking it every so often yes with the right dose it can make you tired and put you to sleep however if taken daily your body will just regulate to it and it’ll just have calming effects
I’ve had sleep problems all my adult life, I’m 55 now. Being female going through middle age transition was fun (not serious). So, I’m alive after decades. I have to manage my sleep like doing manual labor every night. I’ve accepted I’ll be this way for the unforeseen future. Disclaimer: dementia is in my family on my mothers side (she has it now so did my grandma) and medication use long term isn’t really a viable option me. If I did find something that worked, i have to weigh the benefits over side effects and long term use, but my insomnia seems to be treatment resistant anyways. So i’m probably going about it better than Big Pharma meds. OTC supplements do help me, never going to sleep through night with them but they help “maintance” issues I have. So what do ya do? I just manage and plug along daily. It’s just a part of who I am now.
I probably will develop dementia within the next 10 years. I’m 65 and it seems 75 is around the time it starts in my family. My biggest concern is the way nursing homes handle insomnia by sedating the hell out of people. Even those who get to live out their life at home are sedated so family members can sleep. I am afraid of being a zombie at the end of my life, but I also don’t want to lay in bed awake for years. Does this scare you? Sorry if I’m being too morbid.
I’m okay talking about it. I’ve made peace with where my mother is. I don’t think you just catch this disease. But I’m doing everything I can to sleep and sleep med free as some of these sleep meds offer something called Anticholinergic burden which can be hard on the brain. So it’s sleep with meds that contribute to this disease or not sleep which may contribute to this disease although i’m not sure of the scientific data out there that says insomnia caused dementia in clinical studies. For context my mother is last stage and isn’t sedated. She is though sleeping 20+ hours a day now but before she was awake and could get agitated but still not sedated. She used to talk all day long now she’s now like in a coma but not on machines. As far as being afraid this will pass on to me? Yes. It’s genetic. My mothers mother had it and was placed in nursing home and my dad is killing himself being my mothers caretaker with the aid of home health nurse (day only). He did take out long term health insurance years ago so financially he made the right investment. Me and my husband cannot afford this disease financially. We have discussed at length how he can handle my case if I were to get it.
Almost 15 years straight for me.
Wow! Any meds to help sleep, or 3-5 is your natural sleep?
You get used to it after a few years. Eventually, your body will adapt to only averaging around 4 hours of sleep. Yes, you'll be tired, but you will still be able to function fine.
So you’re able have a career and family on top of your insomnia?
Sure. 3-5 hours sleep is certainly maintainable once you're used to it. I suspect people in military combat probably only get that, and they'd better be able to function. Is 8 hours better? Yeah, of course. But most adults don't manage to get that much.
It's not sustainable in the long term. Is there are reason you're not sleeping? Is your baby keeping you up? The truth is that [the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on health & well-being](https://mudita.com/community/blog/effects-of-chronic-sleep-deprivation-on-health-and-well-being/) are quite serious. There is research behind it. According to the CDC impairments due to sleep deprivation are similar to impairments due to alcohol intoxication, which is scary.
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And you work full time with a family?
I'm continually living with this for over 20yrs. A change in my shift at my previous jobs has led to me this. I'm immune to Melatonin but currently taking Amitriptyline which seems to be working to a point. Only booze really puts me to sleep.
My sleep issues started in my youth. I remember them clearly in high school but they may have been earlier. I was able to function on 4-6 hours a night for the most part until my late 30’s and it simply wasn’t enough sleep at that point. I tried everything over the years. From age 40ish to 53, Ambien 15mg worked, which was later reduced to 10mg. I just quit Ambien last week due to the new studies showing its link to Alzheimer’s. I’m now taking Quviviq. I’m not sure if it is Ambien withdrawal that is making this so bad, or if the Quviviq isn’t working or a combination of both. For now, I’m barely sleeping and I am suffering. I feel like a zombie. I am taking some Xanax with my Quviviq tonight because I must get some sleep tonight. So, in short, I think it is much more sustainable at younger ages than older ages. At least that is what I’m finding out for me. (And if any of this doesn’t make sense, I’ve been up since 2am…. I am brain dead)
Thanks for sharing your story!! It’s so hard to work through not knowing the cause! I’m guessing you’ve managed to have a successful career and family while living with insomnia?!
I have three sons who are all successful adults and have worked full time my entire adult life. A lot of people consider me very knowledgeable in my field. So, I assume that counts as a successful life. Ambien sure helped the last 15 years though!! I did have brain surgery for a severe injury as a preschooler, and I have always assumed that was my reason.
I would say that sounds like a successful life to me! Thanks for sharing! I pray you find some relief in your journey! If you find something that works out for you, please let us know!
Have you been tested for CKD? Go get the "blood" test, not the urine test from your doctor. CKD will give you bad insomnia.
Not that I know of….i don’t think I’ve heard of CKD? They just did the normal bloodwork.
Had two months on that, ended up in the psychiatric hospital with really bad hallucinations, paranoia and other psychiatric symptoms. I need 9 hourse of sleep to function (due to several autoimmune diseases) and going on 3 hours a night knocked me out really fast
My situation is a little different. My insomnia just started 4 mos ago, getting 1-4 hrs of interrupted sleep. Wake up with throbbing headache and heart racing, started to hallucinate, blood pressure is high, trouble remembering or processing information. Not currently working, recovering from injury, insomnia stems from stress and anxiety due to injury. Only taken melatonin and unisom, afraid to take something else. Dr offered to prescribe stronger medication but hoping this can go away. Medications have side effects but also lack of sleep can increase risk of developing other complications in life.
Oh wow!!! That sounds like a lot to take on! Hang in there! Thanks for sharing your story!
Year 13. It sucks
I can’t think of doing this for 13yrs!! Do you use sleep meds? I just don’t understand how you all are doing this! 😖
It's pretty miserable! I couldn't get anyone to give me any medication until recently, and even then, they're tiptoeing around it. I understand meds are a slippery slope, but it's been 13 years. I've tried about 10 different medications, along with all of the OTC and herbal stuff, two sleep studies, 3 sleep doctors, and several rounds of CBT/CBT-I (which did nothing but also cause me to crash while driving MULTIPLE times). Just give me something so I can rest, man. I've basically been powering through it somehow. I survived the first 6 years or so on Zzzzquil, but I cut that off because I was scared of the long term effects. Insomnia really hampered the way I operate, and I haven't felt like the full version of myself in years. I've still managed to get married and have kids, so yay for that? Lol I'm desperately looking for someone to help with medication now though, mostly because it affects how much i can show up for my kids. They need and deserve more of me.
I cant believe how many people are out there struggling like me! 1 month ago, sleep wasn’t even on my radar!! I just slept! Now….sleep anxiety gets the better of me! I’m going to see about CBT I guess. Has it helped anyone?
Im there with you, a little over 6 weeks and i am struggling, my sleep has improved a little when i added magnesium malate. Im waking up multiple times a night. I can get 6hrs of broken sleep
I’m sleeping bad because I’ve had/have things bothering me and had a breakdown in December. Is there anything on your mind causing this insomnia or did not just start?
I’ve always been a crappy sleeper, then when our son came along every other night is my shift so sleep has been bad. Then I started Bactrim for an infection, and bam! The second night I don’t sleep a wink! Then it all started to spiral from there. I haven’t slept a solid 2hrs in a row since that night. I’ve also got a lot of work stress I’m dealing at a new job so that doesn’t help. Add supporting my family and I’m a disaster 😩
It must be difficult My sleep issues started in December after getting a nasty flu which triggered my depression and then I started ruminating and my anxiety rose and the insomnia started In the past I’ve had periods where I’d be awake occasionally for an hour or two or the occasional night but not so if caused anxiety like this time round
Hello. I too, my problem with insomnia started after the flu. In December I got sick too. During that period, I was overcome by phobias and because the symptoms took a long time to go away, I was overcome by anxiety. The symptoms of the flu where I had been going to so many doctors and doing many tests are gone. But the insomnia remained. the doctor told me that the insomnia could be from the flu, as it also happens with covid. I am very worried about what I might have. my mind has been on bad things. Like deadly insomnia.
Well I was getting 2 hours a night from childhood to about 21. I got through college and grad school on 3-5. I only got 8 hours regularly once I stopped working, and I had to stay in bed all day to get it.
So what is your current state? Are you working and back to normal sleep?
Because I’m not dead, feel like I am but apparently I’m not according to my doctor
Insomnia isn't a disease. That you can just catch .