What do you do when you can't sleep...other than...

[jhm47]

I am a paramedic. Sometimes after a particularly bad call, I have trouble sleeping for up to a month. I had a very bad call a couple years ago (4 yr old twin boys and their mom killed in a fire). I was acquainted with the family, and the father was a classmate of my daughter. This bothered me for a couple months till I finally went and talked to a therapist. He suggested several antidepressants, but I hate pills. He then said that I should try fish oil. That helped, but the biggest help has been just visiting with others who have been through similar circumstances. And---reacquainting myself with God has helped too.

 

[CritterHill]

Ambien. My doctor gave it to me when my 3 year old was diagnosed with JRA. Lying in the dark thinking was not good (what if, what if, what if!). Ambien would turn me off until morning so at least I could deal with reality the next day on a full night's sleep which helped IMMENSELY.

Note that I could only take it when DH was home and on duty as I had an older baby as well and SOMEONE had to be getting up at night with the littles when they had nightmares and what not.

Also, the sleepwalking/amnesia thing (which I never experienced, but apparently Ambien is known for that) would have been bad if I was the only adult on duty as well.

Oddly, it did not stop me form waking up with the baby (or the 3 year old). Despite DH technically being on duty, I would wake up with every peep from the other bedrooms. But if all was quiet, I could sleep like a rock.

Not something you want to take long term though. But for a couple weeks, it was really what I needed.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

I go downstairs, open the medicine cabinet and take ONE tylenol PM(or the generic equivalent)
I actually do not like taking them though. Makes it harder to get through the next day.. even when I take them early enough
I have ended up falling asleep on the couch though in the midst of making jewelry.

 

[Redfeathers]

Quote:
Thank you for all that you do. Thanks to a skilled paramedic such as yourself, my mom is still alive as well as my young cousin. I'm sorry you lose sleep from some of the calls you take, but I want you to know your help and sacrifice means the world to me.

 

[Mahonri]

I stay up and worry that America is going to do the same thing that Germany did just before Hitler was elected.

The only solace I get is the fact the Ronald Reagan was this far behind in the polls on the 15th of October when he was running against Jimmy Carter in 1980.

 

[peapickinchicks]

JennsPeeps:

What did the OP mean by "other than...?"

other than.......BYC. It's in there look again,