Insomnia Cure with 80%+ Success Rate for Me

[ChiliPepr]

On those nights when you really need a sleep aid why not use a drug specifically designed for the task, like Ambien - Zolpidem? I make a few hard rules to avoid dependence -
#1 - low dose only ~ 2mgs. - I bite off a chunk and dissolve under the tongue (it is bitter to discourage the kiddies from confusing them with tic tacs).
#2 - Never after 1AM - if I really need dependable sleep and am getting up early, I take a dose before 11PM.
#3 - Never two days in a row or more than 2 times per week.

I would add a fourth rule...
#4 - Never take a laxative the same night

 

[jqrz]

When I try to sleep too much thinking leads to insomnia. Also prevents falling back to sleep in the morning. Been like that most of my life. Some comedian on a podcast talking about life on the road mentioned what works for him. Started using it 3 months and it works for me.

The technique is simple. When a persistent thought, that is one that lasts for more than a few seconds, appears I convert from thinking about it in words to using visual images. Soon the though fades away. I have no idea how I do the conversion, but it was easy the first time I tried it and most times since then.

I struggle with insomnia as well, and find that once I start thinking, BAM! i'm awake for good. I've had some success with halting thinking altogether. If i have a thought, i stop my mind from thinking any further. It is true that language seems inextricably tied to the wakefulness mechanism in the brain

 

[David1961]

I resurrected this old thread because I have suddenly been hit with the terrible insomnia. I've had many nights in a row with only five hours of sleep or so. If I wake up, I think about not being able to sleep, and the problem just feeds on itself.

I'm sure you have thought of this, but are you taking any new medicine? Many times, insomnia can be a side effect of medicine.

 

[Lancelot]

For most of my life I was a very sound sleeper. A few years back I had a bout of insomnia. I thought about it too much and like Al says, the problem fed on its self.

I eventually decided the heck with it, stopped thinking too much and, my sleep improved.

In my case I think as I age perhaps I simply don't require as much sleep

 

[TromboneAl]

My daughter let me use her Zeo. Although the company went out of business, this is an amazing device. It actually measures brain waves rather than just motion.

Here is the record of my sleep from a few nights ago:


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Closet_Gamer]

I went thru a brutal stretch of insomnia about 18 months ago. Went on for months. Just reading this thread raises my anxiety level remembering it. To this day I no longer read in bed because it conjures memories (and stress) of reading at 3a trying to get to sleep.

I did the ambien thing. Closest I've ever felt to being addicted to something. Probably all psychological but I finally flushed them just to ensure I wouldn't take them again.

Eventually led me down some interesting paths learning about myself, but here's a headline: W*rk stress sucks. (In case anyone on this board had somehow missed that...)

 

[W2R]

I can't imagine having to resort to drugs, OTC or not, just in order to sleep. That's hideous, to me anyway.

Lately I have been taking a nap and then sleeping like a rock for 7-8 hours every single night. I would sleep longer except that I set my alarm (even now, in retirement - - I need the structure).

Sometime, though not lately, I find myself staying up most of the night once every couple of weeks. I assume that in that case, I just didn't need the sleep. Sort of the reverse process compared with catching up on one's sleep - - catching up on my awake time.

Before retirement, I used to awaken in the middle of the night very frequently with what I could perhaps call "work terrors"; freaking out about something I forgot to do at work, or had not completed, or worrying about some exchange with one jerk or another at work. After five years of retirement, that doesn't happen AT ALL any more. I don't miss it a bit, either.

 

[sengsational]

My daughter let me use her Zeo. Although the company went out of business, this is an amazing device. It actually measures brain waves rather than just motion.

Here is the record of my sleep from a few nights ago:

Looking at your image, I thought: That is really cool!

Looking at twenty 1 star ratings on Amazon (vs 13 5 star) and seeing it's iPhone only, I'm thinking "not so cool".

Does anyone have a device that collects this data that actually works well?

 

[frayne]

Daily exercise and thinking about sex when I go to bed at night helps me fall asleep although I find it hard to roll over sometimes.

 

[TromboneAl]

Looking at your image, I thought: That is really cool!

Looking at twenty 1 star ratings on Amazon (vs 13 5 star) and seeing it's iPhone only, I'm thinking "not so cool".

Does anyone have a device that collects this data that actually works well?

It isn't iPhone only. I'm using on my Android Nexus 7.

I don't recommend it since the company is kaput, but it's worked perfectly five nights in a row. Jenny got hers for about $25.

To think that this little thing can decipher and interpret the EEG. Wow.

A problem is that sleep trackers are now a commodity; no perceived diff between this and a motion tracker.

Here's a night when I decided to not take a half doxylamine at 3 am. I actually felt great the next day.



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[sengsational]

Jenny got hers for about $25

I need to hire your daughter to find deals for me!!

 

[TromboneAl]

Last night I thought I slept a good 7.5 hours, but the Zeo said I only slept for 5.3. I wonder who's right? I feel okay today.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Last night I thought I slept a good 7.5 hours, but the Zeo said I only slept for 5.3. I wonder who's right? I feel okay today.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

You are.

This is why I don't have one of these things...same reason I don't have a speedometer on my bike anymore. Maintaining a 17mph average speed became more important than enjoying the ride...

 

[redduck]

Daily exercise and thinking about sex when I go to bed at night helps me fall asleep although I find it hard to roll over sometimes.

I feel your pain because it's exactly the same deal for me. It's tough to roll over when you're handcuffed spread eagle to the bed frame.

 

[bmcgonig]

Last night I thought I slept a good 7.5 hours, but the Zeo said I only slept for 5.3. I wonder who's right? I feel okay today.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

I sleep like zeo said that you sleep on many nights. I toss and turn a lot and see the clock multiple times at night. I feel "okay" too..but I wonder would I feel a lot better if my sleep wasn't as interrupted as it is. Maybe I just got used to "okay"


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Lsbcal]

Last night about 5:30am I kept cat napping until 6:30am when I got up. The Vivofit chart showed a slightly higher activity bump ... Probably just my change of sleeping sides. I think it still felt restful during that last hour.

 

[Sunset]

Originally Posted by frayne
Daily exercise and thinking about sex when I go to bed at night helps me fall asleep although I find it hard to roll over sometimes.

I feel your pain because it's exactly the same deal for me. It's tough to roll over when you're handcuffed spread eagle to the bed frame.

You two know each other ?

 

[redduck]

Quote:
Originally Posted by frayne
Daily exercise and thinking about sex when I go to bed at night helps me fall asleep although I find it hard to roll over sometimes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by redduck
I feel your pain because it's exactly the same deal for me. It's tough to roll over when you're handcuffed spread eagle to the bed frame.

...The Vivofit chart showed a slightly higher activity bump ...

I'm not sure I'm liking where this is going. But, then, again, maybe it's just a form of male bonding. (I wish I hadn't said that).

 

[W2R]

You guys! Sounds like you have discovered some activities that provide you with great consolation for not sleeping well, when that happens.

As for me, since I retired I have been sleeping like a ROCK (and no, this has nothing to do with sex! ). I just wonder when I will start having the usual age related sleep problems that most people seem to have. I'm no kid any more.

If/when I have sleep problems in retirement these days, they are of the "I don't wanna go to bed!" type (visualize little girl stamping foot). Once I do go to bed, I sleep like the dead until my alarm goes off. (I have to set the alarm or I go into 25-26 hour days, as I have mentioned previously.)

 

[steelyman]

I remember posting to a thread about techniques for dealing with insomnia, saying I listened to classical music softly.

I can't find that particular thread, but this one seems appropriate. Being back in the Midwest let me find just what that station was.

It's the local NPR FM station, and what they do is stream a program called "Classical 24". I think it is available nationally.

"softly", for me, means volume level 2 on a 20-level scale.

Edit: Ha! I guess that was THIS thread!

 

[Marita40]

I went through a terrible bout of anxiety and sleeplessness a couple months ago. Once I began sleeping again the anxiety lifted rather quickly. Because I did not want to take any addictive anti-anxiety drugs or insomnia drugs my doctor started me on a regime of magnesium, 5-HTP, B complex vitamins, vitamin D, and melatonin. The melatonin works like a charm. I take one every night and within an hour I am fighting to keep my eyes open. I'm getting 8 hours again and starting to feel nearly normal again.

 

[SumDay]

Marita40, what strength Melatonin are you taking? In the past, if I've taken too high a dose, I notice I'm "hungover" the next day and could take 3 naps if my j*b would allow it. I'm down to 1mg, which seems to be just right for me.

 

[Marita40]

SumDay I'm taking 5 mg. Now that I'm feeling a lot better I'd like to start to reduce this slowly.