Insomnia & Me
I was diagnosed with insomnia in high school. I was working in a movie theater and staying out till very late, sometimes we wouldn’t screen a movie until 2 and 3am. I would get my popcorn, grab a huge soda, and sit in a theater and watch a movie. A majority of the time it was several of us, but on occassion we would each sit alone in a theater to make sure it ran well. I remember watching The Skulls at 3am, by myself, with a huge glass of Cherry Coke and popcorn…. That is when I knew I was not like everyone else.
I would go on church trips and I remember laying in bed, eyes open, unable to sleep. I would stare at the clock, which is what most insomniacs complain about, I also would watch smoke detectors blinking on and off…
My mom saw there was an issue, so I went to the doctor and got put on meds. There was about a 15 minute window before I feel asleep wherever I was once I was on the meds. That helped for quite a bit, but the meds had a side effect that would wake me up after a few hours and keep me awake the rest of the night.
I’ve always enjoyed sleep, but always had a hard time getting to sleep.
What do you do to help you go to sleep? I’ve always been a night owl, and sometimes struggle to get to sleep. I had more to talk about with this but TOTALLY blanked out on it!
April 3, 2009 at 3:09 am
Really? that’s when you figured out you weren’t like everyone else? I figured it out when you’d eat a french fry or something like that and collapse on the floor in pain while curling into fetal position.
It happens to everyone at some point in life, I assume.
I figured out I wasn’t like everyone else when I went to a museum on a class field trip and got bit by a rare spider. I tried to act all cool but when I went home I fell asleep and when I woke up things were different….
April 3, 2009 at 3:21 am
A couple of natural supplements can help. Some people have a melatonin deficiency and melatonin supplements will help but you can only take them for a couple of months consecutively and then you have to take a break. Valerian root will give my eyes the burning feel of tiredness and put me to sleep; the good thing is that it doesn’t drug you so you can wake up if you need to. I don’t have a problem staying asleep, just getting to sleep in the first place. I’ve also found that a large glass of milk close to bed is helpful. There’s also tryptophan in turkey and some other foods naturally. Doctors will tell you that if you suffer from insomnia that you shouldn’t have any caffeine intake in your diet at all – it can mess with your ability to sleep long term. I’ve had insomnia since I can remember, so I don’t think it is the cause but it certainly doesn’t help. Lastly, plenty of exercise helps me to be tired at a decent hour and I seem to sleep really well on days I’ve worked out.
April 3, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Have you been checked for sleep apnea? I have trouble sleeping as well. I’ve been on sleeping pills (Lunesta) for a while and they help – or at least if I don’t take them I’m awake all night. But last year I did a sleep test and found I have sleep apnea as well. Now I’m on a CPAP machine. The combo works great most nights. And of course little things like getting up at the same time daily, not much or no sugar and caffeine in the evening, etc help. But if there’s something chemical or physical going on (both for me is why I take a pill and use a machine), the “tips” won’t cut it.
April 3, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I have been to a sleep study and they said I had sleep apnea as well. I had nasal surgery done to help me breath better at night, but still have some troubles getting to sleep. It goes in and out of phases though where I can’t sleeep for awhile.