Insomnia/Sleep Troubles... Natural Solutions?

[SourRoses]

Another thread gave me the idea to post about my small problem...

As evidenced by the title, I have trouble sleeping. Something you might notice if you see the wierd times I post at.... 4am 7am 12pm 9pm 12am 2am.. ect ect... pretty much all around the clock it seems when I'm not busy with daytime activities

When I can't sleep I try reading the forum for a while before going back to bed to try again... (and by the way... you all need to work harder to come up with more new and exciting topics every single day, I read fast

)


So... when I do fall asleep, I sleep a loooong time... who knows why? But it's been that way since I was a kid and didn't have insomnia and had parents trying to wake me.
Alarm Clocks don't do anything but leave me waking hours later feeling faintly annoyed for some reason

As you might imagine, I don't have one, to save other people in the house from going crazy... but I used to try a variety... when I was a kid I even had one that played the song from Pocahontas very, very loudly.. and I would sleep through it.

Other people trying to wake me.... it just doesen't happen. I've been told I sleep like a dead person

and I faintly remember the times people try to wake me... I register they want me to wake, and I want to do it, but then I drooown back down in sleep.

If I don't get my 10 - 12 hours, I am the grumpiest, grouchiest, most cantankerous gal you could deal with... but when I get my 10 - 12 hours I'm back to my "more cheerful than most folks around me" self (

- Because I wish they were that happy too).

I have a lot of stuff to get done during the day... and I'm in a very happy state emotionally... so I don't think it's depression or anything like that.

Just rather used to it by now.... but with the addition of insomnia... that means that my 10 - 12 hours of sleep is flopping around all over the place... I can't keep on my regular schedule and it's driving me batty! I try to "fix" it sometimes but staying awake through... but it's a very grumpy thing for me to do and then I often zonk out before I've made it to a decent hour to sleep and then wake in the wee hours of the morning.

So when I asked a Doc about it, he just said it's fairly normal and I should try to get more exercise and drink warm milk

Not doing the latter, and the former - I get alot of activity with the animals and my new horse

Also... I don't like taking medications. The over-the-counter sleeping pills do NOT put me to sleep anyway... I've never been sleepy on Benadryl either... I just learned on another thread that they're both anithistamines, so no wonder

I don't even take pills when I have a headache... I really dislike the way they make me feel.


So.. I'm sorry if this post is a little "Woe is me!"... I generally don't bring this up, or bother with being bothered by it, because it's not the biggest problem in the world and I know there are people with true sleep disorders... but I'm rather tired of people thinking I'm just in general lazy and I would like to be able to accomplish all that I have planned for my day without putting some of it off for tomorrow all the time.

I was wondering if there are any natural herbal supplements that can help people fall asleep? Not tea though.. and no milk

(unless it has chocolate in it, then I will happily drink it, and be very awake for a while

)

That reminds me that I also HAVE to have my sugar and caffiene to stay up when I do wake up. No caffiene means I'm about to fall asleep a few hours after I wake up

 

[debilorrah]

I did not even read a word but the title of thread. Melatonin.

 

[Mahonri]

Well, caffeine is a drug, a stimulant and it's not good for you... especially if it comes in carbonated form. (Bad for the kidneys) Bad for the system too.

I've done well with Valarian root and HTP-5.... (Chooks Chicks/Renee) turned me on to it and it also curbs appetite.
I will also use melatonin from time to time if I really want to get into a deep deep sleep.

I agree, Benedryl is NOT good for you either, unless you've had an allergic reaction.

Good luck from the king of sleepless nights.

 

[justbugged]

What you have described doesn't sound normal to me. If you have insurance I would recommend that you have a sleep study done. I also think it might be time for a new doctor. His advice is lousy, and won't ever work for you.

 

[bluesub]

Maybe you need one of those lights for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder?

You do know that if you are on the computer it can mess with your ability to fall asleep, right?
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-light-affects-our-sleep/

 

[shelleyd2008]

You sound a lot like me, except for the fact that I can be awakened (given enough prodding). I seem to have a much easier time going to sleep during the day, which seems very odd to me.

Melatonin does seem to help, when I remember to take it, but I can stay awake through it with little trouble.

 

[SourRoses]

AHA!
For once.. self diagnosis via the internet was sucessful for me, LOL!

Thanks Debbie for prompting me to do a search for Melatonin... I then followed a link to something it treats, Circadian Rhythm sleep disorders... and waa laa... Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome fits me perfectly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm_sleep_disorder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-24-hour_sleep-wake_syndrome
Oh... But I was just reaidn more in depth about it at the above link... and apparently it is rare... that makes me think it might be more this one which is more common, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome except that the symptoms of the Non-24 fit me better....??

Thanks to everyone else also.... unfortunately I don't have insurance, so no sleep study... but I'm quite certain this is what it is.

Looks like I can try the Melatonin for it... I wonder how much my clock will fight it though.

It makes sense now with the times I get hungry and when I am most alert... and when I am not

 

[Livinzoo]

If the melatonin doesn't work I would recommend that you get a saliva hormone test done. Especially your cortisol.

 

[hilareee]

melatonin is great, but if you're prone to nightmares, i don't recommend it. dreams tend to be very vivid with melatonin. otherwise, it's good stuff.

 

[Judy]

There's a fairly new sleep product on the market (over the counter) that is all natural. It contains melatonin, tryptophan, and I forget the third ingredient. Might be more helpful than plain melatonin.