Insomnia remedies what works for you

Ive always been an insomniac even as a kid, but now my old remedies and routines don't seem to work as well. It's weird it's as if when I don't feel well I can't sleep, and when I do feel well the insomnia is even worse.

Throw in the tinnitus and the sleep apnea and Ive settled into the brutal routine of falling asleep between 11ish to 1ish which if I sleep through I'm fine I get my 5 to 7 hours mostly and I'm okay. I'll occasionally do a green tea or something but that's more of a fall or winter thing. The tinnitus has lessened quite a bit, but it's still there.

but lately Ive been waking up at 3 or 4 and feeling well rested it's hard to go back to sleep, I usually have my fan on, and play some white noise to mask the tinnitus. But I've tried turning off everything no lights even the alarm clock is turned over so I can't see the numbers too.

Have had so many different routines over the years, from tensing up each section of muscles and holding for 15 20 seconds and going to the next group from toes to the head and finishing off tensing up the whole body, using pressure points, sleep breathing techniques, lol even rapidly opening and shutting my eye till they get too tired to open.

I will take Melatonin occasionally and it zonks me out pretty good, but I have the most vivid dreams, Ive been told I will literally talk in my sleep like I'm at work and do a whole presentation or spiel. Even tried the ASMR vids and it's interesting for me If it's gonna work I'm asleep in 10 minutes, but if I set a timer to shut it off it always wakes me up.

a reply to: putnam6
Almonds are your friends and bananas too. Don't drink alcohol.

a reply to: putnam6

Medicinal canabis is emerging as a great treatment for insomnia.

Bring it up for discussion with your doctor.

originally posted by: musicismagic
a reply to: putnam6
Almonds are your friends and bananas too. Don't drink alcohol.

Hmmm okay, I enjoy almonds and recently have started to try and eat a banana a day, but I do that in the morning. Are you suggesting eating them later in the day? If not I'll add some almonds in with my banana honey and cinnamon I do try and eat every morning.

Thanks, I think Ive put your suggestions to good use before MIM

a reply to: ancientlight

Thanks, I'll try this tonight.

a reply to: putnam6

If after trying everything else without success, ask your doctor for mirtazapine. Although it's an antidepressant, it is a great off-label sleep aid, too, with fewer side effects than any of the approved label prescription sleep aids.

Nothing has worked for me and I've tried a Lot of them.

One word of advice...Stay Away From Ambien.

My wife tried it once.

She did 2 loads of laundry
[ the dirty clothes were in the dishwasher and the clean ones in the fridge ]

Called her Mom and her best friend [ had 20 minute conversations and remembered none of it ]

Called a bank we have never used to ask about her account.

That was all in one day.

a reply to: DAVID64

One word of advice...Stay Away From Ambien.

I will underscore that. I've had people get caught by their spouses eating stuff like soap, potting soil, and other nonfood items in the middle of the night while on Ambien. And they do not remember doing it. Ambien amnesia and blackouts are a real thing. People have committed serious crimes while under the influence of Ambien and have no recollection of it.

It has all kinds of other side effects and withdrawal from Ambien seems horrible.

The research is still pending, but the long-term use of Ambien likely leads to conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: putnam6

Medicinal canabis is emerging as a great treatment for insomnia.

Bring it up for discussion with your doctor.

Yes, they have THC edibles with CBM or melatonin in them. I find the ones with melatonin work the best for me. I won’t lie though, I have to take a lot for them to work.

a reply to: putnam6

You absolutely under no circumstances and with no excuses are not allowed to sleep for three days.

originally posted by: tamusan
a reply to: putnam6

If after trying everything else without success, ask your doctor for mirtazapine. Although it's an antidepressant, it is a great off-label sleep aid, too, with fewer side effects than any of the approved label prescription sleep aids.

To be honest I'm working towards not having to take prescribed meds and even counter stuff daily. The only medicine I take daily now is just the aforementioned Zyrtec and it's OTC along with a few supplements and vitamins.

I did recently find some CBD gummies that seem to help but they are expensive and I try to only take them as needed. Even then they are more of a relaxer for me, and that doesn't necessarily put me to sleep it just takes the edge off where I can wind down, but when I feel good and relaxed I really don't want to sleep, LOL I want to stay up and enjoy feeling good and relaxed. Backasswards as a friend used to say but it's true, and I don't want to take anything that knocks me out either.

a reply to: putnam6
Gday Putnam6.
For 50 yrs...I need white noise to sleep ..fans, anything.I cant sleep when it's quiet! Hotels, camping too. (musician, lr ear tinnitus)...

Also .storms and rain, thunder YouTube videos w headphones. I swear to you if you haven't...

Rain, thunder vids+headphones.

Good luck, God bless P

Exercise, eating a filling balanced meal, reading a book, partaking in an Indica strain of ganja, and not getting wound up reading ATS before bed are my suggestions!

Meds should be the last resort and there are tons of teas and tinctures that can also help.
GL and have a good sleep tonite!
Cooka

a reply to: putnam6

I am suggesting talking with your doctor about mirtazapine after trying everything natural without success. I'm hesitant to suggest anything natural because none of it has worked for me, but that does not mean that there isn't something that might work for you. But I feel that I'd be no better than an internet search if I were to just list everything natural that might help you sleep. 

a reply to: putnam6

I did recently find some CBD gummies that seem to help but they are expensive

I've been meaning to make a thread about CBD, and will soon unless someone beats me to it. I find that the research supports many benefits from taking it as a supplement, but there are some interactions with other drugs and supplements that you need to watch out for. Basically, anything that processes in the liver has a chance to interact with the CBD and could lead to liver damage. CBD also lowers blood pressure, and it could be dangerous for those on prescription blood pressure medication or taking another natural supplement that lowers blood pressure.

You guys are insane! Taking pills? For what?
You got 5-7 hours that's not even real insomnia.

I also have annoying fake-sounds I'm hearing, humming, roaring, howling, peeps and everything it feels like 100 dezibel at times. You wanna know what I do?
Earplugs, read a couple more pages in darkness, especially no blue light at least for an hour before you go to sleep, get in a relaxed position, aware of your relaxed body, breathe, empty your mind.
Don't even think about sleep, you're just relaxing.
Works always.

Stop eating pills you don't need dumbasses. They all have side effects and make the problem bigger.

a reply to: Peeple

All I know is that actual insomnia is real for some people, including myself. If I do not take something that works to make me sleep, I will be awake for weeks.

a reply to: tamusan

Because you're addicted to sleeping pills.

a reply to: Peeple

No, I am not addicted to anything. I tend to roll with the insomnia and generally work 72 or so hours without sleeping before taking anything. For the first several years of having insomnia, I didn't take anything at all for it.