Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Insomanical

Insomnia is so ridiculously frustrating. I thought I had it beat but the past three nights have been all about me lying in bed wide awaking waking impatiently to fall. The hell. To sleep. If I do happen to drift off I wake up seconds later with my heart racing, which as you can probably imagine is really super-duper restful. Falling asleep used to be easy! Something I did without thought or concern! But check it:

Saturday night: went to bed at midnight, fell asleep at 4:30am.
Sunday night: went to bed at 11pm, fell asleep at 2am
Monday night: went to bed at 11pm, fell asleep at 1:30am

I'm trying desperately hard not to resort to the sleeping pills again because that really isn't a real solution. And, before you pipe up with your wisdom, I regularly take any combination of the following:

- melatonin
- valerian root
- Benedryl
- chamomile tea
- Gaba
- horse tranquilizers (kidding! Unless you have some?)

Sometimes these works, sometimes they don't. I have no caffeine after 8am. I exercise daily. I eat a healthy diet. I am about to lose my MIND.

8 comments:

  1. Oh man, this sounds like a nightmare (pun). Sorry, Adrien.

    Being from California, I think I'm legally required to ask: medicinal marijuana...? :p

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  2. I'm sorry! That's the worst. Have you ever done a sleep study? I had a friend with terrible insomnia for years & she went to a sleep clinic at Columbia and they found out she had restless leg syndrome (something she never would have guessed.)

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  3. Sara, that is just mean.

    Eliza, ooh, sleep study! I haven't even considered this but I might have to look into it.

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  4. I'd look into that sleep study. Sounds awful. You need a better solution than addictive drugs. Though....the medicinal pot....

    Nah. That's probably a bad idea. Smoking's not good for you.

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  5. I am a nurse in a department called Electrophysiology. You would be surprised at how many people, especially women, have heart arrythmias that wake them up at night. Have you ever felt counted your pulse when this happens? If your heart really is racing or the pulse feels irregular, you may think about seeing a cardiologist. There are procedures they can do, where they find the pathway and burn it. Just a thought....

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  6. Oh, girl! I'm so sorry to hear this! One night of this is enough to freak a person right out; three in a row? Yowsa.

    I second the suggestion to seek medical attention. I have a really great doctor, a woman, with just the right level of concern without over-concern. If you don't have a good doctor you really trust, check out Amy McConnell. Her office is at St. Mary's and I'm a big fan.

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  7. It seems it was temporary, I've been falling asleep without problem for the past week. It comes and goes, though. LeighC, thanks for the information, I mentioned the racing heart to my doctor and he didn't seem concerned which means maybe I need a new doctor. (Mary, thanks for the doctor rec!)

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  8. Have you tried tryptophan? I've tried over the counter sleeping pills and GABA, but the tryptophan seems to work for me.

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