My sleep is disturbed because "rust never ...

by NoOnesMan2002 2 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  NoOnesMan2002

  My life these days seems to be one big emergency. It's not that things have changed much - that is the problem. I desperately need for things to change, in a positive way, because the status quo consists of deterioration.

  In about two months at the latest, I expect to be moving to an area where there will be more opportunities for me. Yet, I must reach out for the very best opportunity I can find, and I have self-doubts as to whether I can handle so much opportunity.

  When I am awake and consciously directing my thoughts, I seem tobe able to hold my own, most of the time. But when I lay my head down and close my eyes, unless I take a combination of OTC drugs to keep myself asleep, within a short time I will awaken with a feeling of fear in my heart, and my mind whirling with anxious concern.

  I am doing everything I reasonably can, I think, to improve my situation. Anything positive that may be happening seems to be happening at a snail's pace - if indeed it is happening at all. (It IS happening. It's just that my deterioration is relentless, and I haven't reached any major milestone of results in my efforts to fight it.)

  Someone may suggest counseling or anti-anxiety meds. Well, I can't afford it. I applied for free help of that nature, and the state denied me based on my gross income. (Never mind that precious little of the money I earn is available to me. Gross income cannot provide a true picture of a person's circumstances, and therefore should NEVER be used as a criterion for receiving aid.)

  Now, having issued my complaint - and I can't say what I expect any of you to do about it! - I will go search for something with which to aid myself, perhaps an online discussion group devoted to problems and circumstances similar to my own.

  Fond regards,
  George
• 

  patio34

  Hi George,
  Pleased to make your acquaintance! I'm sorry you're having trouble with sleeping all nite. I have had insomnia problems for 20 years now, off and on. Here are two tricks that help me shut my mind down:

  1. I play the 'alphabet game.' For instance, i pick a category that's not too hard so as to keep me from drifting off, such as "round objects." Then go thru the alpha thinking of those, e.g., apples, avocados, baseball, berries, cherries, doorknob, etc. Other categories are countries of the world, clothing objects, furniture, names, body parts, etc.

  2. If that doesn't work, i turn on the TV on low and pretty boring (not too interesting or it'll keep you awake watching it) with a lot of dialogue and that's often enough to drag my busy mind off my problems. I usually set the timer so it shuts off in 90 minutes.

  3. Lately, if it's a slight problem, i've been trying (gasp! )meditation. But that's not a strong help to me.

  Sometimes, nothing works.

  Now for the aids:

  1. I have used Benedryl (OTC) (an antihistamine) which causes drowsiness, but it upsets my tummy if i use it too often. I don't wake up drowsy the next day with this.

  2. Unisom (OTC) also works, but it causes drowsiness the next day all day in me and has a very unpleasant side effect of dramatically increasing your appetite.

  For the past year, because of menopause that makes it impossible for me to rest well, i take 0.5 mg of Ativan (prescription) which is a tranquilizer that wears off in about 7 hours.

  I tried prescription Ambien, but would sleepwalk and one night i even cooked in the dark and started a small fire! There were several other accounts of that sort of think on the net from this drug.

  Oh, even a
  small cup of coffee in the morning can keep me awake till after 1 a.m.
  Plus, chocolate in anything after about noon.
  Too much protein with dinner can rev up your metabolism too and keep you awake.
  Don't exercise vigorously in the evening, anything more than a stroll can accelerate your metabolism and keep you awake.

  Hope you find something helpful in this

  Pat
  
• 

  NoOnesMan2002

  Hi Pat,

  Thanks for all the tips.

  I have been using antihistamines and melatonin, and occasionally acetaminophen. I even have a few pills left from a prescription bottle of Trazodone, an anti-depressant that tends to make people sleepy.

  However ... over the weekend someone sent me a link to this page: http://livingbyheart.tripod.com/lauriekristensen/id22.html. I have been using some of the Meridian therapies listed and discussed, and the results have been amazing! I am going to post a new topic later in the day concerning this.

  Fond regards,
  George