Aylahopper

Insomnia has been a problem for me too latly. About 3 hours sleep a night for the last 11 nights. Sooooo tired! I won't take a nap thinking it will make things worse. I've cut my caffine (coffee in the morning only now) and tried the melatonin, cammiomile tea and lavender linen spray. Nothing works...broke down and bought sleeping pills today. It's a lousy feeling at 3:30 a.m. knowing you have to get up at 6:15 and you are still awake!! Guess I'll try one pill tonight and see what happens. All I need right now is one GOOD night of rest....but first...A Quilt Guild Meeting!!

Valerie Scherr

start writing a journal with all your worries and when you go to bed know that they will still be there in the morning.Worrying over things doesn't change anything and may just putting them on paper you will find some insight into the problems. Congrats on the wedding and hug your grandbabies...

redkimba

I've had insomnia most of my life; I don't suffer from it - I just have it. I limit my caffeine intake in general & don't have any after 2:00 pm. If I have a rough time getting to sleep, I will wait for 30 min then just sit up out of the bed for a while & go back to sleep. Lavendar, camomile & catnip with a pinch of valerian tea before bed helps.

donnajean

Warm milk usually works for me if I can't get to sleep.

patchitpat

I'm sorry that many of you suffer from this as well. I'm so tired tonight and I think that I will go to be early and see what happens, if I can't sleep I'll take a benadryl. Thank you for the many recommendations as well I will try some of them
I've always gone to bed about 9 and up by 5:30 but this insomnia has been getting worse since my late husband passed. I have had my grandchildren today and they will be here thru tomorrow afternoon and hopefully I'll have some energy tomorrow :) Been a lazy day playing games with the kids

kit'smamma

None of the posts has mentioned obstructive apnea. A sleep test might clue you into the cause of the problem. A sleep doctor (ususally a pulmonologist) could well be of great help. Restless leg is a sleep destroyer too. I suffer from both of these problems but since the diagnoses and follow up care the quality of my sleep has improved. I also take valerian, an herb which has some scientific backing for use as a sleep aid. It is available in any drug store in capsules. I stinks but that's of no consequence. Occasionally I do wake up in mid sleep. It's usually a quick trip to the bathroom. Sometime getting back to sleep seems impossible. Recently I read and my sleep doc has confirmed that the blue light one gets from the computer monitor or tv screen fools the brain into its morning mode. Reading with a yellowhish light works a lot more effectively. I've also heard that milk which has been warmed has a chemical response to the heat which facilitates sleep. I have resorted to Benadryl a few times but I tend to have a hangover the next day. Be sure you are getting adequate exercise. I sleep much better when I've had a good hike or workout earlier in the day.

greenini

I took Benedryl for YEARS for sleep. It was recommended by my doc and since I too have Fibro and pain is increased by lack of sleep and in fact, has been induced in healthy volunteers by lack of sleep, I took it and it worked like a charm. I did take it every night, but I can't say I felt "addicted" to it, it's not like it's a narcotic.

I am now taking Melatonin, again by doc's recommendation, sleep with a CPAP mask (and if ya wanta see sexy, see a CPAP mask with the hose hanging off ya) and also take Soma, an older muscle relaxant which helps with the pain and sleep.

I have also used the notepad routine to avoid my mind running in circles. Before I had to quit work, it used to keep me up for hours, it was like a bunch or mice up there running on a wheel. Once I got it on paper, tho I could let it go. ;)

MadQuilter

I used to sleep through ANYTHING. Now, after 50 - I already know the nights when sleep will be questionable. The smallest noise can wake me up and there are some nights when I seem to snooze and relax but not really sleep. Fortunately 1-2 nights later I crash and burn OR I turn into a very cranky girl.

MrsM

Okay took a Benedryl last night, slept in but kept dreaming about dead people in my life. I think I'd rather be awake. :-(

ckcowl

i used to claim (queen-ship) of insomnia-
i have (for the most part) got better-
it used to be very common- now it is a rarer occurance but sometimes it is next to impossible to shut the brain down.
i would be falling asleep in front of the tv, go to bed to be wide awake and the brain racing-everywhere.
still beats me sometimes but i have become much better at recognizing and fighting it. i have found ways to (calm/quiet) my racing mind by using soft instrumental music- sometimes i can (self-hypnotise) myself to sleep- by concentrating on a black dot...once i finally visualize the black dot i make it grow- and grow and by the time my (mind-screen) is reaching full black i drift to sleep. that is sometimes hard to accomplish but when it works it is great.
i have a whole stack of what my kids call (mom's mood music)
some of it is actual sleep-meditation cd's some is just soft instrumental stuff. if i can concentrate on one thing for a while i can go to sleep- it is the racing all over that keeps me awake-
i have spent years working on this- used to be i would literally go 4 & 5 days without sleep- now, i may have a restless night- but they are fewer and farther apart. having an understanding hubby helps too-