Insomnia thread
Bender
Citizen
The battle has been lost for me, but I know a lot of people here struggle with it too. It's that one thing in my life that I found some workarounds for but never actually managed to improve.
Share your ups and downs, what helps and what makes it worse or just vent here if you need it.
Comments
Great thread topic, Bender. I'm so sorry you still face this ongoing struggle.
I have extremely complex sensory needs for sleep. In fact, when I wrote them out for my ASD assessment there were four pages of bullet-form notes broken down into each of my five senses. If I don't have all of those needs satisfied, I can't sleep. Most importantly, I absolutely require a mouthguard, four or five layered velvet blindfolds, foam earplugs, and my five pillows set just so. I could go on but I won't bore you. On top of the sensory issues I can't sleep without 5mg of Ambien and 1mg of Prazosin (Minipress) for nightmares.
With the Ambien my main issue is that I wake early, but I can usually get to sleep within an hour of taking it.
What makes it worse? Sunlight. I've been known to tack down my blackout curtains with pushpins so I won't get any cracks of light at all. My room faces east so if I can manage to avoid the early-morning death rays, it gets darker in my room as the morning progresses.
As you know I'm up almost all night because I love the dark and don't want to miss a minute of it.
I can't share a bed with anyone. There's just no way. That would make it worse, x 10000%. I can't even have another person in the room. My grandparents had separate bedrooms and I must have their genetic disposition for sleep solitude.
Vent away, Bender. Tell us your struggles and maybe it will help?
Ha, I hear you about light: I have black-out cling film on my windows, black-out curtains and storm shutters. I'm also fussy as hell about pillows - number, texture and placement
Various other things too, including earplugs, air purifier, the texture of bedsheets, firm mattress and so on. I also need at least a slightly open window, even in winter.
I always wondered how insomniacs are able to sleep during sleep studies, between the new bed and being deprived of my little "rituals", I can't imagine being able to get a wink.
Right now it's actually a bit better, quality of sleep isn't great, but at least I manage to get a few hours every night. Some messy dreams though.
YES -- add air purifier and pillow / bedding texture to my list as well! I've been shopping for a new duvet cover for about six years now but can't commit because I can't do: lace, buttons, weaves, knit, flannel, pleats, gathering, embroidery, or any texture except cotton sateen, or possibly bamboo. Now that I shop online I can't choose because I can't touch the fabric. My pillows cost a bleeding fortune but they're integral and need to be just right. I had a MAJOR meltdown during my first sleep study. Major major. Like, I trashed the room and threw things and swore at the staff. The nurses hauled me out and suggested I had Schizophrenia. This was prior to my ASD diagnosis and about a month after my stroke. I managed to settle and sleep enough that the doctor saw my results and reassured me I'm in no way Schizophrenic. The nurses had no clue what they were talking about. I could post my lab results here if I get the energy. Basically I don't do Delta wave sleep which is the deepest stage after REM. I'm incapable of restorative sleep. I spend my time in Stages 1 and 2 being hyperalert and on guard, with a busy brain. Apparently this is very common in ASD, not to mention CPTSD.
My dreams have been whacked lately too.
Comes and goes with me. Sometimes can't get to sleep. Sometimes fall asleep right away but then wake up after a couple of hours and getting back to sleep can take one to several hours or not at all.
Lately I have been sleeping alright. But I have started getting into taking naps. I plan to only nap for about 30 minutes but end up streaching it out to 90. It's not like I feel weary when I take them, I'm just enjoying the sensation.