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Anybody Suffer With Chronic Insomnia?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Coast Cruiser, Dec 4, 2016.

  1. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    I hope Fred doesn't mind if I throw this question out there, in his House of Pancakes. I've been struggling with severe insomnia for 34 years. Seriously. I cannot even remember, when was the last time I got six or seven hours of quality sleep. During my working years I used to average about three or four hours... of fitful sleep... if I'm lucky. But the last several years, in retirement, it's gotten even worse. I've only been getting 1 or 2 hours of sleep per day. Or sometimes none. (So please excuse my crazy comments in posts. Sometimes I'm a grumpy poster. :D)

    My brain never turns off. I'm always thinking about something. Over the years I've consulted several doctors. I had a sleep test. Nothing unusual was found. I've tried every sleeping pill known to mankind. I've never had sleep apnea, or any of that stuff. They did determine that I am "drug resistant." Pills and medications that are supposed to make you sleepy or relax you, just make me more hyper! :LOL: Nighttime cold medicines, muscle relaxants, prescription pain pills, it all just makes me more energetic.

    I'm not a drinker, I never really acquired a taste for alcohol… But I got desperate and tried various kinds of booze and wines. I wish I could say it helped, but the alcohol just kept me awake all night. If anybody has any suggestions or advice, I'm all ears. Yes, I have tried warm milk. Even massages. Even acupuncture, but that was mainly for back pain. I walk 1 to 2 miles or more, every day, so it's not for a lack of exercise. I don't drink large amounts of coffee or caffeine. Reading or watching late-night TV, that doesn't work either. It sure is a weird problem, and nobody has ever been able to figure it out. I worked a lot of various shifts the last 35 years, and I wonder if that permanently screwed me up. (Most of those years were on the night shift.)

    ZZZzzz.....
     
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  2. Bluegrassman

    Bluegrassman Active Member

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    Yes. 20+ years of shift work have made me an insomniac. I do manage about 4 hours of sleep here and there. Not always consecutive though. And only by taking melatonin and benadryl (along with some of my homemade wine)

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  3. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Thanks for the reply Bluegrassman. My sleep was never consecutive, either. And I also tried Benadryl but had no luck with it. Those kinds of things maybe helped a tiny bit, but only for an hour or hour and a half. Then I was back up, bouncing off the walls! It's really a frustrating problem. I thought things would get much better in retirement, and I was looking forward to all kinds of relaxing and restful sleep. :ROFLMAO: I'm still waiting……
     
  4. Bluegrassman

    Bluegrassman Active Member

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  5. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Not since retirement. But mine was never as bad as yours.
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The trick I find is to turn off your thought process. It's not easy tho. Takes concerted effort, often multiple tries. Like quitting cigarettes.

    If all else fails, give up and read a book. There's a good one by Stephen King: Insomnia. ;)
     
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  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Is there any consistency in the thoughts you have when you wake up(i.e. relationship issue, neighbor dispute, getting your Prius back up over 60 mpg,etc)?

    One thing I have used is to set boundaries. In a previous job at a different company I had 3 facilities I managed and got over 100 emails a day (sometimes 200) and had to respond to them in between meetings. I would very rarely have a night where I got more than 4 hours of sleep or did not have headaches constantly during the day. This was stress related, but advice given was to set limits on when I would do certain activities (not respond to emails after 7 pm) and not engage in activities before a certain time (say 7am). Also doing something enjoyable as a "wind down"activity prior to going to bed is helpful.

    Remember your mind is setup for success. It just needs a little assist on occasion in reducing some stimuli that affect it the most.
     
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  9. Eastside

    Eastside Member

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    Try ramping up the exercise and physical activity.

    Walk 5-7 miles several times a week, with an occasional 10-12 mile scenic hike.
    Or, bicycle 25+ miles weekly.

    Take some Yoga classes . . . Good luck.
     
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  10. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Insomnia affects millions of people. It seems to be a very common ailment. Kind of odd that it's so hard to diagnose, and/or correct. If there's no physical reason for it, then it has to be mental as you guys have mentioned.

    I hate it when family and friends say, "I can sleep anytime, anywhere, even while standing up in a busy noisy train station!" And other people tell me that they sleep too much, and they don't know why! I only wish...
    I take extra caution while driving, especially now that I'm older and my reactions are not as sharp. And obviously the sleep deprivation doesn't help. I drive slower, I do my best to eliminate distractions in the cabin, and I look 2 or 3 times before I pull out or make a turn. I've had some pretty close calls, just because of the fact I was fatigued or exhausted.

    Where did I put the bottle of Jack Daniels Bourbon... ZZZZZZZZZZZ

    Thanks Eastside, I appreciate that suggestion. But I'm 62 years old, and I think my "10 mile hike days" are behind me. I casually walk 1 to 2 miles through the nature center and talk to the ducks and squirrels. Is that enough? :ROFLMAO: I thought older folks were supposed to take a couple naps every day, and sleep like a baby?!

    Many times, I will just get up and leave the house in the middle the night and go for a drive in my Prius. It sure beats just sitting here and staring at the walls! I get out there and annoy people with my bright LED headlights. :LOL:
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Hey, try watching New Yankee Workshop. That show always knocked me out. Right about the time Norm would say "but before we get started, a little talk about safety precautions". Bam, I was out. Would come to when he was varnishing, lol.

    That and the YouTube demonstration of the Prius transaxle innards: I cannot stay conscious through that.

    Then, wake up at 3 am, and start thinking about our abysmal portfolio's ability to drop even on "up" days, that's it: might as well get up.
     
  12. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    That made me laugh. :LOL: Thanks Mendel. A lack of sleep does have some benefits. I will get up in the middle of the night and do two loads of laundry. Or vacuum the house. Catch up on all the news, and do a little Prius chat.:) Kids and Grandkids live far away. I'm a single resident.

    It's a nice warm sunny day. I just got done waxing my Prius for the 16th time, in nine months. Probably isn't going to be any paint left on that car! :ROFLMAO: Just kidding, I'm using that Turtle Wax "Ice", and it's very thin and goes on & off extremely easy. I got to the point where I can do the whole car in 45 minutes. An angry bird must've flown by, and deposited a few "presents" for me. I needed to wash it. Such is the life of an insomniac…

    Maybe a large pizza will induce sleep :eek:
     
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  13. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    Have you tried radio?

    I've gone through several phases of insomnia, and I often struggle to sleep when I'm travelling for work and I'm on my own. I find it really helps to have the radio on: it gives me something for my mind to focus on that takes my mind off of work or whatever else I might be thinking about.

    The only trouble is, late-night radio simply doesn't work: whether it's drunk people on a phone-in, or allegedly-relaxing middle-of-the-night music, it just doesn't do the job: I find daytime radio much more effective.

    So I tend to either use a listen-again feature (like the BBC's iPlayer) to listen to a show from another time, or I listen to the BBC World Service (as long as it's not about something too depressing), as it's always daytime somewhere for the World Service. Or I use TuneIn Radio or Simple Radio on my phone, and listen to the radio somewhere that it is daytime: I listen to British or American radio when I'm in Australia or China, and to Australian radio when I'm in Britain. Sometimes I find French radio - especially French rap - really helpful.

    Anyway, different things suit different people, but the thing with TuneIn and Simple Radio is that you can access pretty much anything, from anywhere in the world. So if there's something out there that might work for you - whether it's Japanese comedy or a Russian polka station or Spanish nursery rhymes or Chinese sports news - it'll be there.

    You can experiment with different sorts of speech radio, or different sorts of music. But I find it can really make a difference.

    If you share a bed with someone, then it's more of a challenge: you can't really use a speaker on your bedside table, because you'll keep them awake, and headphones are just uncomfortable. My wife got me a pillow with a speaker embedded in it: if I've got my head on the pillow, I can hear it, but no-one else can.

    But a moderately-interesting (not too interesting) documentary, or some decent music, really makes a difference for me.

    Good luck!
     
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  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    there is a newer product called 'audible' that might be worth a shot. my wife has pillow speaker, but the only problem is that she has become addicted to it. can't fall asleep without it. that's better than insomnia i guess.
     
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  15. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

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    I agree that being very active is the answer.

    I am very busy with regular gym time (hard workouts), working on engineering projects (my job is demanding), studying guitar (brain stretching), reading, and non-stop chores around my old house. By the time I near bedtime, I'm beat. Any brain activity is gone when my head hits the pillow. Staying as active as possible helps me.
     
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  16. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    The audiobook company, or a different Audible?
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  18. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    Ah, right. I find myself concentrating too much on that. It has to be something I can fall asleep during without worrying about missing anything.
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they must have some boring stories.:cool: but that's why i had to get my wife a pillow speaker. i would lay awake listening while she would fall asleep.
     
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  20. Weasle543

    Weasle543 Member

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