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For the most part, I have been blessed with good health. Unlike a lot of people, I suffer from very few maladies and the couple that do plague me are easily managed. As I’ve gotten older; however, I’ve been bothered more and more regularly by a horrible condition known as insomnia.
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I read up on this condition and tried to pay attention to the events immediately preceding its onslaught. I try to avoid all of the “bad” things you’re supposed to stay away from before bed: too much caffeine, too much sugar, eating too late, too much alcohol, too much excitement, blah, blah, blah. Nothing seems to make a difference. The only thing I can really blame for this bothersome condition is the dreaded “M” word. No – not marriage, although that does play a role in this condition from time to time. I’m referring to (cue scary music) menopause.
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My doctor prescribed sleeping pills for those nights when dreaming seems to be an ideal rather than a reality, but I hate having to resort to chemical aids just to get a good night’s sleep. No matter how weary I am when I crawl into bed, at least twice a week or more, I wake up after a couple of hours and proceed to lay there – wide awake – thinking of everything under the sun whether it’s relative to my life or not. And it’s like my brain is on speed because I can’t even stay focused on any one topic. I flit from one subject to another faster than Mario Andretti ever crossed a finish line. It’s like the worst case of ADD imaginable.
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I try not to complain, especially since there are so many worse afflictions that I could have, but after three sleepless nights in a row, I’m about ready to strangle someone. Seriously, how long does this insomnia phase last? I’m so ready for it to be over.
How do you, my lovely readers, deal with insomnia? Any tricks or suggestions for getting back to sleep? If I wake up after midnight I have to decide – soon – whether to take a pill or not. If I take one of those magic sleeping pills after about one o’clock in the morning, I’m useless until, at the very least, noon the following day. That’s not possible when I’m expected to show up at a professional office at nine o’clock looking fresh as a daisy and ready to put on my happy “let’s solve your problems today,” face. Most mornings I just look like this:
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Do you ever suffer from insomnia? What’s your cure? I’d love to know. I thought about even trying this:
Until next week, here’s hoping you all have peaceful nights with lots of quality REM sleep. Sweet dreams!
Word of the Day: Obeah
Fun fact about me: I recently discovered that I’m quite proficient at corn hole. Who knew?
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, June 2014. Photos courtesy Google Images. Video courtesy YouTube.
jansenschmidt 
Good morning, you fresh-as-a-daisy, happy faced woman! (You can punch me later!)
I totally relate to what you’re talking about. I tried everything, except sleeping pills, for the same reason you’re reluctant to take them. My doctor even suggested going to a sleep clinic. One thing I found that worked is Valerian root. It makes you sleep, and it doesn’t feel like a normal sleep aid. You don’t feel groggy in the morning. On nights when even the Valerian root didn’t work, I found that keeping an extra blanket on the bed helped…until the hot flashes became unbearable.
For me, the insomnia lasted for years. Yes, years. Just in the last six months, I’ve begun sleeping again. All my friends went through this too, and we just had to forgive each other’s forgetfulness and crazy behavior until we all survived it. It helps to have someone to commiserate with. And a big pot of coffee.
Hang in there!
Now I must ask you a question: how did you come across the word obeah? Is this something I need to be concerned about the next time I see you?
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And a great big top o’ the mornin’ to you my sweet smiling faced friend. I’ve tried Valerian root but I think I’m not taking it far enough in advance. I usually take it right before I go to bed, which means at least an hour waiting for it to kick in. I’m trying to get into a habit of taking it sooner, but alas, I have not remembered once yet.
I occasionally get night sweats, which is one of the reasons I wake up in the middle of the night. Then I get out of bed to cool down and suddenly I’m freezing. It’s a vicious cycle.
And since I hate coffee, I have to resort to other ways to wake myself up each morning.
I know it’ll all work itself out in time, but in the meantime, this sucks.
I’m pretty sure I found obeah in my two-foot-thick Dictionary. It’s not an omen – or maybe it is.
Thanks for stopping by and your kind words. Have a great day.
Patricia
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Oh Patricia, I feel for ya, hon! Insomnia is the WORST. I have a couple of medical conditions that can interfere with sleep, so I’ve been there many, many times. I’ve also gone through the “M” word, and that really messes up your sleep. *waving from the other side*
What makes it particularly hard is that, once there are a string of nights like that, it’s the first thing that’s on your mind when your head hits the pillow.
What’s worked for me (and you’ve probably read these):
1. 20-30 min of exercise every day (early in the day, not near bedtime)
2. 10mg of melatonin (a natural substance your body makes, but it’s production can get inhibited – see below).
3. avoid all electronic screens at least 1 hours before bedtime – 2 hours is better if you can manage it. Computer/tablet/television screens emit blue light, which has been shown to interrupt our natural circadian rhythms and suppress our body’s sleepy hormone, melatonin, twice as much as any other form of light: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/May/blue-light-has-a-dark-side/
4. staying well-hydrated (though not right before bedtime, of course, or you’ll keep waking up to pee, LOL).
5. Sometimes a set of worries, or a plot idea, or a “to do” list is running through my head and keeps me awake, so I have a notepad and pencil in my nightstand drawer. I can write the stuff down and not worry about holding it in my mind.
Good luck, and hope it gets resolved soon!
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Thanks for all the tips Kathy. I appreciate any suggestions. I do watch t.v. before bed, but I usually try to get at least a half an hour of reading (a real book not my Kindle) right before I turn out the light. And I make sure I’m in bed all comfy with calming light and no other distractions.
I do exercise and I drink probably a gallon of water every day. I seriously do. I drink water all day long. (My husband is the one who gets up to pee every hour. Probably why I’m not sleeping very well either.)
And it’s strange because when I’m lying there, I’m not thinking of anything worrisome – just weird things. Sometimes I try to use the “down” time to plot my next book (hey I might as well make good use of this time) but usually I’m just wondering why I’m thinking about lawn mowers or go karts or what people eat in New Zealand. It’s so bizarre how the mind works.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll do some more reading on melatonin. That’s sounds interesting.
Thanks for your support and here’s a big wave right back atcha!
Patricia
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I feel for you, P! If I don’t get my 8 hours of snooze time, I’m pretty much a walking zombie ready to bite anyone’s head off. You’ve got some great tips already, but I’ve also heard lavender scent is a good sleep aid. Maybe you could plot a new book revolving around New Zealand zombies on riding lawn mowers or something. 🙂
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Hi CJ and thanks for the support. I’ve always been the kind of person – even as a kid – who needs at least 8 hours or more to be fully functional. I try to get at least 7 on particularly long days.
I do have some “sleepy time” aromatherapy spray that I put on my pillowcase, but that doesn’t really help when I wake up in the middle of the night. I think it does help me get to sleep, but not stay asleep.
I’ve given up fighting and just let my busy brain do it’s thing. Some nights I even go “hmmm, that was weird,” and then trip over to the next random thing. I’m not sure zombies on lawn mowers in New Zealand is ever a book I’ll write, but it’s worth giving some thought to. What else have I got to do in 4 in the morning in a dark quiet room?
Thanks for stoppy by today. I appreciate the suggestions. I’ll try the lavender. I’m pretty sure I have some essential oil somewhere.
Have a great week!
Patricia
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I haven’t slept through the night consistently since my daughter was born 21 years ago. An herbal doctor diagnosed me in my late 30’s with “hyper-vigilance” – I wake easily at unusual sounds preparing to defend my off-spring. He prescribed some ridiculously expensive herbal remedy that did nothing but drain my checking account ;-). My regular doctor also prescribed a sleep aid, it worked wonderfully to put me to sleep, but nothing in that pill kept me from waking up at 2am, then 4 am, on any given night.
When I finally decided to take my writing seriously, my Muse seemed to enjoy waking me at oh’dark-thirty with bits and pieces of stories. I find that some of my most inspired writing happens in those dark times of sleep deprivation.
Menopause just made my waking moments more frantic – not only was I awake, but now I was awake and there were voices in my head (I eventually identified them as bits of my personality).
It’s been “crazy” to say the least but I’ve finally just accepted that I wasn’t meant to sleep through the night. I make the best of my waking hours regardless of when they happen, and make sure to nap like a mad woman on the weekends.
Here’s hoping yours is over quickly :-).
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Well thanks for letting me know that I am not alone in this journey. I try to concentrate on my WIP but my brain won’t stay on any subject for longer than a couple of minutes. It’s like I’m awake but without the ability to control my thoughts. It’s just bizarre. My husband often asks me “well what are you thinking about,” and when I tell him, he says “why do you care what gas prices are in Maryland?” I have no idea, but I was wondering at 3:00 in the morning.
I have decided not to fight it and not to even try to go back to sleep. I just lay there enjoying the mental journey, puzzled about the places I end up.
Thanks for your support and suggestions, but unfortunately, I have never been able to nap unless I’m sick. I lay down and try, but I cannot sleep during the day. That’s another frustrating thing about this sickness. Oh well. Onward and upward.
Patricia
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I feel like I should pretend I missed this post but I wanted to extend my sympathy for your problems around sleeping. I have several friends with similar issues and so far I haven’t heard of any surefire cure. On the other hand, I … zzzzzzzzz … anywhere, any time, although I am fine on 5 hours. Trust me, I feel very fortunate and posts like yours remind me not to forget that. Hopefully something will work for you soon.
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Well, Patricia, count your blessings. Isn’t it funny how every body is configured a little differently?
I guess in the broad scheme of things, I don’t have it bad at all, but those sleepless nights are REALLY long. Here’s hoping there’ll be fewer and fewer in the future.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments on the issue. I appreciate the support.
Patricia
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Been there, done that! A couple times while going through perimenopause, I actually did not sleep a single second the entire night. Then I had to drive to work and teach a room full of bored college students the next day. So glad that fun is over with.
It gets better once you’re in the post-big M stage, although I still have more problems sleeping than I used to. I definitely recommend melatonin. As Kathy said, it’s the natural hormone that promotes sleepiness, and its production goes down with age. You might want to start with 3 mg though, to see if it makes you groggy the next day.
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I am so trying this melatonin. You are the second person to recommend it and – bonus – it’s natural. I love that.
Thanks for stopping by, sharing and for your suggestions.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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I had a lot of trouble sleeping earlier in the year. I’d wake up around 3:30 and take a reverse nap for two hours or so. One of the things I did was to move my water glass so that it blocks the sight of my clock. Not saying it is a cure all, but sometimes knowing how many hours until that alarm goes off is a real sleep killer.
I’ve also started taking 12 minute naps in the afternoon. A few days when I was so tired from not sleeping, I’d come home and have fifteen minutes before I’d have to turn around and pick up one of my kids. So I’d set the alarm on my phone and wake up refreshed with 3 minutes left. And surprisingly, I’ve been sleeping better at night.
Good luck with the insomnia. It sucks.
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Reverse naps – I like that. I’ve been taking a lot of reverse naps lately. I have my clock turned the other way so I don’t see it either. I never know what time it is unless I get out of bed so I can see the clock.
I cannot sleep during the day so napping proves futile. The only time I can sleep when it’s light outside is if I’m sick. That sucks, too, because quite a few times I’ve laid down on the couch and half an hour or an hour will go by but I haven’t slept a wink. I rationalize that at least I’m resting.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the support.
Patricia
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Oh my, I could have written this post! I’ve never been a sound sleeper, but lately, I’ve had more trouble than usual – for the same reason as you, I’m pretty sure. And I can’t sleep during the day, either, so forget naps! I tried Ambien years ago, also Melatonin, and neither worked for me. I also tried all the suggested sleep-hygiene tips: turn off the computer, TV and tablets an hour before bed, don’t do anything active, no caffeine after mid-afternoon, etc. Didn’t noticeably help. Not sleeping well is one thing that makes me just exhausted the next day, so that’s the first thing I tried to work out, and here’s what I’ve found:
I’ve taken Benadryl to get sleepy for years, and it still works, but a few months ago, the racing thoughts got so bad even that didn’t make me sleep. So I did some reading and started taking vitamins and supplements recommended in one of the books, Female Brain Gone Insane by Mia Lundin. One of the supplements that helps TONS is L-Theanine – it’s a compound found in green tea, and helps to calm those racing thoughts – the only thing I’ve ever tried that does! I think it helps enhance melatonin production or efficacy. But what I do is take Benadryl a couple hours before I want to go to bed, then take L-Theanine right before I hop in bed with a book (it takes about 1/2 hour to work). By the time I’ve read a couple chapters, I’m good to go… to sleep! I still wake up once or twice in the night, but usually am able to go back to sleep.
{{hugs}} and good luck!
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That’s interesting, Jennette because I drink at least 2 cups of green tea every morning (or 1 large iced green). You’d think I wouldn’t need a supplement. But hey, I’m game to try anything, especially natural or herbal remedies. I’ll check with my local natural foods store and see what they recommend.
The racing thoughts is what makes me crazy. It’s like “what the heck? Why am I thinking about that?” Not anything useful, like how organize my pantry or something like that. No, I think about tree bark, the mating habits of squirrels, and other such nonsense. It’s so bizarre.
Thanks for the love and support. I can feel your warm embrace.
Patricia
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I wouldn’t suggest this on a regular basis, but Nyquil makes me zonk right out. I feel so rested in the morning! More often, I imagine myself lying on a beach with waves rolling onto the shore, or floating totally relaxed in a nice, warm swimming pool. Or ice skating, spinning and gliding across the ice. These images relax me and quiet my mind. Hypnosis tapes might help, too.
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Hi Cathy – I do take Nyquil or Motrin PM but I have to know ahead of time that I’m not going to sleep. It’s those awful nights when I wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning. Then what? Too late now to take something. And I am not going to take medication every single night. It’s ridiculous.
I try to think of relaxing things, but my brain just trips along at hyper speed from one thing to the next. Usually I don’t remember any of it in the morning (if I’m ever able to go back to sleep), but I can’t stay on topic. Which is why I don’t try to write or read or anything, because my brain is out of control. It’s so crazy.
I didn’t think about hypnosis. Hmmm. Another remedy to consider.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Every little suggestion is appreciated.
Patricia
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If I get insomnia I usually swig some Nyquil but like you I am useless until noon. At least I get some sleep though.
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Believe me, Phil, if I didn’t have to get up at 6:30 every morning I’d be taking those pills or Nyquil every time I wake up after midnight. Oh well, this too shall pass – or so they say.
Thanks for stopping by.
Patricia
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Hi, Patricia,
Insomnia isn’t my problem, but I hurt for you because my husband’s prone to it, and I know how tough it is for him. I asked him if he had any advice for you. He doesn’t, and, as a matter of fact, he picked up some sleeplessness-fighting tips from your post. He generally gets up and reads. Hang in there.
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Your husband picked up some tips from my post? Interesting. I hope he’s not thinking about that baseball bat trick from the video. It seems pretty surefire, but I’m not recommending it.
I like the melatonin and L-Theanine that Jennette recommended. I’ll be visiting my local health food store this weekend. Hopefully something will help.
Thanks for your support. I appreciate seeing smiling friendly faces.
Patricia
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I am happy to say that I don’t have a problem with insomnia. My problem would be more the opposite. I have trouble staying awake, even when it’s important. I’ve fallen asleep on a bus and ended up in an unknown part of town, and when I drive long distances I need to drink coffee and have air blowing in my face, no matter how awake I feel. I’m like a baby and any motion lulls me to sleep. It can actually be really frustrating when it’s my turn to drive. My mom has had insomnia her entire life, so I have witnessed many tries to overcome the issue. She even did an overnight sleep study, but it turns out she doesn’t have sleep apnea. She has gone round and round the all natural thing, and ended up back with a sleeping pill. She takes it early so that she isn’t groggy in the morning. I figure, if that’s the only way to get a good night’s sleep, then it is worth it. But if you find a better solution, I’d love to pass it on to her.
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Hi Emma. I have a nephew who can sleep anywhere. We used to make fun of him because whenever we’d get in the car to go anywhere, even 5 minutes, he’d fall asleep. It think it is associated with motion.
If I wasn’t sleeping every single night, I’d definitely take a pill every night. That’s the frustrating part, I never know when I’m not going to sleep. And most nights I’ll go to sleep, but wake up 2 or 3 hours later and then it’s too late to take the pills. I need to know ahead of time. Ggrrr.
I suppose it’s just a part of nature that I must contend with, but man oh man, it’s hard dragging myself around after 2 sleepless nights. I think I’m becoming part of the zombie apocalypse.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your suggestions. I wish I had the answer for your mom. I am going to try those herbal things and see how that works. I’ll let you know.
Patricia.
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Jan — Had to laugh at this one. Normally I’m right there with you but here’s a lousy solution: depression. You’ll feel like sleeping all the time. I’ve switched one malady for the other. And to be honest, that zombie feeling of wanting to sleep all the time beats dragging oneself around due to sleep deprivation. But I don’t recommend it. Good luck. I deal with it by waking up and reading.
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Hi Ellen and thanks for the encouragement. Depression is not something I want to switch for. I’ll just keep dealing with this thank you very much. Everyone has that one thing they’re battling. At least I know my enemy.
I appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Always nice to see new and smiling faces.
Patricia
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Oh Patricia, I feel for you. I don’t know very many people who are able to sleep through the night anymore without the aid of a drug or herb. And then it still is a struggle. I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime, no matter what. Now, forget about it. I wish I had the answer. You received a lot of helpful comments. I took notes. Great idea for a post girl. Thank you for writing about this subject. I wish you sweet dreams my friend! 🙂
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Thank you Karen. I never had trouble sleeping either until about 2 years ago. Now, it’s getting worse. I used to blow it off as just too much on my mind or worry about something, but lately it seems as though there’s no reason why I wake up and there’s no reason why I can’t go back to sleep. I’m not worrying about anything and I don’t feel stressed out. That’s why I’m attributing it to hormones. There’s not much I can do about it and I’m not going to take the hormone replacement unless it’s absolutely necessary. My mother told me to avoid it if possible, because she was certain it was what brought on her breast cancer. Not sure if that’s true or not, but I just keep toughing it out. My doctor doesn’t think there’s enough of an imbalance to warrant the replacement drugs, so . . . that’s something I guess.
Thanks for your support. I appreciate knowing that I’m not alone in this journey.
Take care and sweet dreams to you too.
Patricia
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I once had insomnia for three months! I seriously thought I was going to die from it. I now believe in better living through chemistry. I have Ambien but only take it after I’ve had 3 or 4 nights with little sleep, and then just that one night. I’ve hear Valerian root is good, I also take Melatonin most nights (it’s what your brain produces that keeps you alseep). I hope it ends soon for you!
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Hi Suzanne and thanks for the support. I’m definitely going to try the melatonin. I’m all for trying something that’s natural. Hopefully it will help.
I can’t imagine having insomnia for 3 months. I think I’d go crazy. Like you, I only take my Ambien if I haven’t slept for 2 or 3 nights in a row. You’d think that the body would be so worn out it would want to sleep, but it doesn’t happen that way does it.
Anyway . . , it’s good to see you.
Patricia
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Oh I feel for you, Patricia. Insomnia does suck. Mine seems to come in stages. I’m afraid to even mention it for fear it’s listening… (insomnia=paranoia too). When it happens, I give in and go downstairs to watch TV. Usually boring TV. When it’s really bad I eat sugary stuff in the middle of the night and that often helps me pass out, but then of course that begins a new problem! I imagine some folks in the West Indies resort to Obeah to stop insomnia…
Hope you have a good, restful weekend!
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Thanks for the support Coleen. I’m going to be trying a few of these tricks to see what works. The pills work I just don’t want to take one every single night. I’ll stay away from the sugary snacks though; my go to snack is salty. Probably even worse than the sugar.
I suppose those West Indies folks could resort to Obeah to cure insomnia. If I come across someone from that area, I’ll try to remember to ask.
Take care and have a good weekend.
Patricia
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Hey hey hey, take a gaendr at what’ you’ve done
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