Having some serious trouble sleeping? looking for general help

Signs and symptoms
1

Hi, I'm 18 years old

I have some, well a lot of trouble sleeping, i get into bed around 10pm with no t.v or anything so my mind is not pre occupied and stopping me from nodding off but come 4 am I'm still wide awake laying there somwehat tired? Sometimes I'm not tired at all and sometimes I feel like death warmed up..

Around a year ago I used to be able to get in bed whenver I was tired put some tele on, set the timer and just drop off but now, nothing.

Had a consiulataion with my Gp, at first he said it could be stress at my age or due to me growing, so he just suggested buying some over the counter sleeping pills, so that's what I did, took them for two months, sometimes even taking 2/3 times as much as I should just hoping for a few hours sleep, but they had no effect on me at all, So I went back and he gave some presciption sleeping pills, I forget the name it's been a while. 

Well long story short they didn't work either and I'm in no position to pay for sleep therapy? 

I drink no forms of caffeine in the day, I only drink water. I exercise atleast an hour a day without fail?

Any one have some similair issue? and if so what can I do to get some sleep, It's really getting me down in the day because I can't function properly, simple things like reading become an issue and i get some what emotional and angry with myself, so as you can imagine that also impacts the next nights sleeep.

Thankyou in advance

-Ellis... P.s It's 5 Am and I'm not leaving bed as i'll have to get up soon to go to work but I've not even had 10 minutes sleep

2

Don't panic, I've had chronic insomnia for years very often just getting 2 hours sleep a night and recently been to see a sleep specialist.  What she suggested read Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems by Colin Espie.  Basically I've been going to bed at 12.30 and set my alarm for 6.30.  If I don't get to sleep or awake more then 15 minutes in night, get up and go into another room, read etc.  I'm on my 4th week and last night only woke once in night for toilet with the alarm waking me.  When you've been sleeping for 90% of the time you can alter the time in bed by 15 minutes a week.  Believe me it really does work I've taken sleeping pills and anti-depressants and they aren't the answer - the best thing about this method its drug free.

3

Hi Ellis,

There are many tablets that can be prescribed for Insomnia by your doctor, because I have been on numerous ones in the past years. The problem these days is a doctor can prescribe various tablets which will make you sleep, but these can have severe side-effects. You stated you worked, some of the tablets that can be preescribed these days, will make you sleep at night and drowsy during the day, which could cause major problems if you drive or operate machinery.

The problems I've had over the years is certain prescribed drugs will cause side-effects of which can be insomnia, so to counteract this problem they will prescribe drugs to make you sleep - okay, at first you think great these actually work, but you have to consider other factors, one of which should be a priority is what will happen in the long term?

Many medications can be prescribed these days were not initially intended for insomnia, but they can be given to you, some of these are strong painkillers, antidepressants, etc these can all make you sleep, but have serious side-effects in the long term.

If your own doctor said buy something over the counter at a local pharmacy, I would suggest you get a second opinion from another doctor. And ask if any medication is prescribed whether it will effect you in the long term, some can be potent and very addictive, hence you have to be weened off of them - in some cases this can be difficult. So basically, you need to try and balance the pro's and con's - and certainly question medication side-effects, and long term effects (if any).

You could try insoMniaC150's way, in which case the aforementioned would not apply, but it's there if you need it.

Now, if you look at my case you would think twice about taking any medication. I suffer from a lot of pain, hence getting a decent night's sleep proved to be impossible. So, I informed my doctor whom put me on Amitriptyline, in small doses, that worked for awhile but the body gets used to the dose so that was increased, again the same thing happened. Then I was given Tramadol (this drug is potent) small doses at first, but again the body becomes used to it, when I reached 150mg a day, I did not increase beyond this because the more you take the more your body craves for. So now, I try and sleep in pain, even with all these tablets. I have got an appointment to see a Pain Management Doctor in mid-December, to see if they can get me off Class 'C' drugs, and rely on Botox injections every 10 weeks ( I am hoping by this time I will be either on lower doses or at least dropping one of them completely!).

Believe me, relying on prescribed drugs is a 'nightmare' in itself. I hope you find a better way than the 'road' I took.

Regards,

Les.

4

Thankyou Les, This has given me something to consider and think about, Taking prescribed tablets is a but of an issue at the monent as I'm also being prescribes Tramadol hyrdo and naproxen for prolapsed disc pain relief, so this really lowers what I can be prescribed. Im taking 100mg of tramadol hydrochloride 4 times a day, each time I take too as told, So i'm already taking in 800mg of tramadol, Pretty sure that would be enough to knock me out right? but no, no effect what so ever, I will discuuss some of the above things you mentioned next time I see my doctor and see if any of these are open options for me.

Thankyou for the detailed reply

Hope you are soon able to drop your doses if not the medication completely.

-Ellis

5

Thankyou inso, I will definatly be giving that a read, If there's nothing in there that'll help me atleast the reading might exhaust me a little!

And yes I'd rather do it drug free, but that can sometimes be the longer route.

-Ellis