For the past few months, I've been plagued by insomnia. After the girls died, and I wasn't working, I got into a habit of staying up really late watching TV or reading until I couldn't stay awake any longer, getting out of bed just long enough to get Maddy to school, then going home and going back to bed. Not the most healthy thing, I know.
Now, I go to bed between 10:30 and 11, but I'm wide awake at 3:30 or 4:00. I'll lay there and endure the incessant chatter in my head, until I fall asleep again for about an hour before I have to get up.
My doctor prescribed Ambien for me way back when, and I've never taken it. After hearing about people who have sex, or drive to the store, or cook a meal, without remembering, it kind of scared me. (Although Craig seemed intrigued by the thought of nooky and an omelet - - typical boys.) I'm was also afraid if I took the Ambien, and I actually slept, what if something happened and I didn't hear Maddy? Or the dogs alerting me to a burgalar? Or a tornado? Or the end of the world? (This would be some of that above-mentioned incessant chatter).
So, I suffer through it for now. I've tried melatonin and it worked a couple of times, but it's not working now. I go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks, and I'll ask him about it then, if I'm still not sleeping. It might be my body adjusting to the Lexapro, who knows? I'd look it up on WebMD but God knows what fodder I'd give my brain for tonight's sleepless entertainment.
6 comments:
melatonin doesn't work for me either. I do not have severe insomnia, but I can be pretty twitchy at night, with my mind churning. We (my hubby and I) use a natural supp called Formula 303. It's inexpensive, and you can order it on Amazon.
I've been reading for several weeks, sorry to be a lurker. All my best to you.
I was on Rozerem for quite a while and it worked well....Olivia had me so trained (after 2.5 years) to get up at 3:00 that my body kept doing it even after she quit waking up. I never had a hard time waking up in the middle of the night if I had to, and was never groggy in the morning. It works on the sleep center in your brain, to help you stay asleep, rather than "drugging" you to sleep. Hmmm, perhaps I need to go back on it as well. :)
You can try to adjust the time you take your Lexapro. That may help. I changed taking my antidepressant to bedtime and it helps me sleep better (plus I am more awake during the day). Just a thought.
I have been checking in with you periodically to see how you are doing. Just want you to know that I care--not in a weird stalker way or anything!
Take care,
Sandy
Kim,
I take Valarian. Non habit forming. I just gentles me to sleep. I had to work with the dosage to get it right for me.
I sleep and am able to wake up as needed with any strange noises in the night. No groggieness in the morning.
The worst thing is to get past the taste. YUCKY.
In the past few years though, the really bad taste seems to have been filtered out. Kinda like the garlic pills aren't so garlicky anymore.
Knock on wood, I've never had a problem with insomnia for longer than a couple random nights in a row, but I've found that eating cottage cheese before bed helps me sleep better. Totally strange, I know, but if you can stand the stuff, it might be worth a shot!
Ambien does make you do strange things. My husband started taking it 2 weeks ago and it's been the funniest 2 weeks of my life.
Last night when my sister and I pulled into the driveway after dinner out, he was in the driveway in his boxers looking around. I asked him what he was doing and he said looking for fish sticks. (Thank god we live in the country.)
However, I will take the crazies over his addiction to Walmart Liquicap Sleep medicine. He was taking 10-15 pills per night just to sleep 4 - 5 hours straight.
I hope you can get the rest your body and mind deserves.
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