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Insomnia in an apartment. What to do?

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  • GarkanGarkan Member Posts: 552

    Originally posted by HardWalker

    If you want a real cure for Insomnia, then look no further. 2 of those could put a horse to sleep.

    Worst thing you can do, I have been prescribed various sleeping tablets for nearly two years now and you reach a point where you do not get any benefit from them and the only reason you take them is to avoid withdrawal symptoms. I am one of the lucky ones that avoid all the side effects like depression and anxiety, things can be a lot worse. Some people have even decided to get up in the middle of the night and go for a drive, whilst unconscious.

    They might work at first but within a matter of days or weeks at most you can end up with a lot of issues worse than insomnia.

    Currently playing:

    EVE online (Ruining low sec one hotdrop at a time)

    Gravity Rush,
    Dishonoured: The Knife of Dunwall.

    (Waiting for) Metro: Last Light,
    Company of Heroes II.

  • HardWalkerHardWalker Member Posts: 84

    Originally posted by Garkan

    Originally posted by HardWalker

    If you want a real cure for Insomnia, then look no further. 2 of those could put a horse to sleep.

    Worst thing you can do, I have been prescribed various sleeping tablets for nearly two years now and you reach a point where you do not get any benefit from them and the only reason you take them is to avoid withdrawal symptoms. I am one of the lucky ones that avoid all the side effects like depression and anxiety, things can be a lot worse. Some people have even decided to get up in the middle of the night and go for a drive, whilst unconscious.

    They might work at first but within a matter of days or weeks at most you can end up with a lot of issues worse than insomnia.

    Can't say I've ever heard of that happening with Ambien. Just about everyone I know takes it. You can build up a slight tolerance to it, but there is a breaking point for just about everyone. I don't think I know anyone who takes more than 40mg. Most who've been on it for the past 6 or 7yrs still only take 20mg.

    Hell, I've been taking it since about 2008 and 6.5mg can still knock me out most of the time. 

     

    Yeah, you need self discipline if you take it. It gets your pretty high and you can't give in to it.

    AND DON'T DRINK ON IT! Last person I knew who did that, woke up next to a dumpster covered in his own vomit.

  • GarkanGarkan Member Posts: 552

    Ambien is the worst known for sleep walking, people have even died. Other Z-drugs like Zolpidem can have the same effects but Ambien is the most drug linked to behaviour. You make my point for in one respect when you mentioned people being on drugs like this for 6-7 years.

    OPs sleeping problem like most is probably a temporary issue and a 7 year commitment to potentially dangerous drugs is the last thing he needs to do.

    Currently playing:

    EVE online (Ruining low sec one hotdrop at a time)

    Gravity Rush,
    Dishonoured: The Knife of Dunwall.

    (Waiting for) Metro: Last Light,
    Company of Heroes II.

  • HardWalkerHardWalker Member Posts: 84

    Originally posted by Garkan

    You make my point for in one respect when you mentioned people being on drugs like this for 6-7 years.

    Except that I never told you the reason.

    PTSD doesn't go away. Nightmares don't wake you up on Ambien and you don't remember your dreams when you do wake up. It also puts them to sleep, regardless of their fear to fall asleep.

  • GarkanGarkan Member Posts: 552

    Originally posted by HardWalker

    Originally posted by Garkan

    You make my point for in one respect when you mentioned people being on drugs like this for 6-7 years.

    Except that I never told you the reason.

    PTSD doesn't go away. Nightmares don't wake you up on Ambien and you don't remember your dreams when you do wake up. It also puts them to sleep, regardless of their fear to fall asleep.

    I don’t question that hypnotics can have immense therapeutic benefit for people suffering from serious psychological disorders, but my point is that drugs like this should be the last resort.

    The OP does not need to use drugs like this, he describes a relatively normal form of temporary insomnia that millions of people suffer from time to time. Eventually it will pass but using powerful psychotropic drugs could cause some very serious problems for him.

    Anxiety attacks, sleep walking, Tardive dyskinesia, mood changes or changes in sexual appetite, they can also cause clinical depression that takes years to get over and leads to more drugs. These are only a few of the potential problems, you can end up in a life long cycle of different drugs.

    Taking such a radical step for a frustrating but temporary problem would only make things worse for the OP

     

    .

    Currently playing:

    EVE online (Ruining low sec one hotdrop at a time)

    Gravity Rush,
    Dishonoured: The Knife of Dunwall.

    (Waiting for) Metro: Last Light,
    Company of Heroes II.

  • entertowinentertowin Member Posts: 5

    Since insomnia is a symptom, treatment depends on the cause of disturbed sleep. When insomnia is caused by stress or environmental factors, behavioral and lifestyle changes are often adequate treatment. Individuals are counseled to avoid stimulants throughout the day, get regular exercise, develop a regular bedtime schedule and routine, avoid heavy meals during the hours before bed, eliminate noise and light distractions, and initiate other changes in sleep hygiene. Sometimes individuals benefit from sleeping in places other than their bed or in reserving the bed for sleep only, instead of reading or watching television in bed. Relaxation therapy, such as progressive relaxation of muscles, guided imagery, or relaxation may be helpful.



    Short-term (2 to 3 week) courses of hypnotic medication may prove useful in treating some types of insomnia. Hypnotics with a rapid onset are used to treat difficulties falling asleep, while drugs that remain effective for longer periods are used to treat difficulties staying asleep.



    When insomnia is caused by a medical or psychiatric condition, the condition is treated. Medications that cause insomnia may be changed or eliminated. If the individual wakes frequently because of low blood levels of oxygen (sleep apnea, COPD), supplemental oxygen may help raise blood oxygen levels. Pressure applied through the nasal passages during inhalation (nasal continuous positive airway pressure or NCPAP; bi-level positive airway pressure or BiPAP) may be used. In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, an operation on the uvula may be necessary.

  • marcuzaurelmarcuzaurel Member Posts: 3

    Develop a regular sleeping schedule. Avoid daytime naps and stimulating activities just before bedtime.


    Avoid stimulating drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine, particularly before going to bed. Exercise during the day (but not in the late evening). Avoid alcohol- it is a leading cause of poor sleep. Minimize light and noise when trying to sleep.. Maintain a comfortable bedroom temperature. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. If hungry, eat a light carbohydrate snack. Take medications that may be stimulating, or those that may cause you to wake up to urinate long before bedtime. 

  • Hypernia009Hypernia009 Member Posts: 4

    The best medicine for insomia is to kill yourself. this will help you to get a long sleep in your entire life,,

  • republic009republic009 Member Posts: 1

    Treatment for insomnia for both primary and secondary insomnia might include cognitive behavioral therapy (helping you to set your environment, routine and frame of mind for sleep), dietary changes, exercise, relaxation and meditation, chromatherapy (color therapy), acupuncture, bright light therapy, dietary supplements and a range of herbal remedies.


    In this modern age where we want everything easily and quickly (usually yesterday) the use of these treatment techniques may seem 'old fashioned'. However, insomnia has been around since the dawn of time and many of these insomnia remedies have been developed, tried and tested over the centuries. More importantly - they work!

  • shaweecunetashaweecuneta Member Posts: 2

    I know what it’s like to go for days with little to no sleep.  As exhausted as you feel, as soon as you lay down in bed your brain suddenly clicks into the ‘on’ position, and you find yourself racing over thoughts and concerns you didn’t even know you had.  I have spent a long time looking for a cure for insomnia, and I’ll share my experience with you.



    First thing I tried; drugs!  As a tax paying American, I worship pharmaceuticals as much as everyone else.  Fast acting and effective, drugs can certainly help you get to sleep, but are they a cure for insomia?  Perhaps, but not a very healthy one.  The drugs you take to help sleep fall into two basic categories; prescription and over the counter.  Unfortunately, none of them are without some side effects.  



    I find that most of the over the counter drugs leave me feeling funky and irritable the next day.  The only non-prescription chemical I think even comes close to being a cure for insomia is melatonin.  Melatonin is a hormone secreted naturally by your pineal gland.  What melatonin does isn’t exactly fully understood, but it seems to have something to do with regulating sleep patterns.  I find that taking a melatonin supplement knocks me right out without any noticeable symptoms the next day.  Unfortunately, it only seems to have this effect for me if used once in awhile.  Using melatonin even twice in a row doesn’t seem to work as well, and the third consecutive time I take it does nothing.  Additionally, since it is so unclear about what melatonin may do, I’m a little cautious about using it too often.



    Prescription drugs are generally extremely effective remedies for insomnia.  However, they are not without drawbacks and serious side effects as well, and shouldn’t be thought of as a cure for lack of sleep.  The most commonly prescribed drugs for insomia fall under the benzodiazapine family of chemicals, which are all very addictive.  It is very easy to become dependent on these drugs, and once you are you wont be able to sleep at all without them.  



    In the long run, the best cure for insomia I’ve found is regular and vigorous exercise.  Once I got more serious about my workout routine, I found myself sleeping like a baby at night.   Just 3-4 times a week I got for a short 20-30 minute run, and on the off days I do some push-ups, sit-ups, and lift free weights.  Most people can’t stand the thought of exercise, but just 20 minutes of a day is a very small price to pay for better sleep!

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