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I'm too tired to address this properly, but has anyone else had experience with chronic insomnia and/or be willing to share their methods for getting over it? Tranquilizers like xanax, valium, and pot seem to work reasonably well for me, but I'd like to find a non chemical solution if at all possible. Herbal stuff like valerian and melatonin doesn't do much for me. Neither does meditation or working myself into exhaustion because while I can get my body to relax, my mind refuses to slow down. Distraction used to help, like putting on certain repetitive movies or, best ever, MST3K, but I can't do that anymore either since I'm no longer (not) sleeping alone. Any thoughts?
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SF Bay Area
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Re: insomnia
Wed, January 28, 2009 - 8:05 PMthis can be done all sorts of ways.
1. exposure to hot water.
2. creative visualization.
3. Massage
4. total or near total darkness
5. psychonautical means- once you learn those...
a. hypnosis/ post hypnotic suggestions
b. reptile brain switches.
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 8:12 AMPhysical exercise or orgasm have usually worked ok for me as short term, at-the-time palliatives. However, the only real solution for me has been dealing with the source of stress, which is sometimes boredom and requires finding something for me to do during the day which excites me and gives meaning to my life. Exercise during the day works a lot better than late night exercise. And it tends to need to be pretty intense workouts rather than just taking a walk.
Sleeping pills haven't worked very well for me. I have about a 20% chance of falling asleep in the first 10 minutes, but if I don't, then the sleeping pills seem to act like a stimulant for the next 6 - 8 hrs. Beer has a similar effect. I haven't tried any other pharmaceuticals. -
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 8:20 AMI have tried everything. I am a very physically active person. I meditate, do yoga, listen to hypnosis, have tried milk, melatonin, tryptophan, valerian, kava, you name it.
I also have a Very Small Bladder.
I can sleep on Pot and on valium. But I have to wake up between 3-10 times a night to pee and can't get back to sleep unless I either take another valium and wait for it to work and you can't do that after say, 3AM. Or smoke half a joint.
Valerian is a diuretic and makes me pee. Kava gave me nightmares. Orgasms make me have to pee ten minutes later. Non self inflicted orgasms mean there is someone in my bed and I am too nervous to sleep.
Antidepressants & sleep meds make my behavior get worse than it is when I am at my worst without drugs.
Pot is th eOnly thing that helps me get back to sleep with no adverse effects or hangover.
Oh yeah, booze makes me pee more too, I could pass out drunk and be up to piss an hour later and be up all night from there.
When my mom was dying I slept through two nights in a row. Thats the only time I can remember that happening in the past 15 years.
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 10:51 AMI have had years and years of insominia.
I feel like I have to literally learn how to go to sleep. and then any time I end up not having to do it on purpose for awhile I loose it and then have to relearn it again.
TN has a good point about stress for me. I have to deal with the thing. Problem was that for years the things were not dealable.
something called Calms Forte was suggested to me as something to help my nerves not get shot when I am in loud, bright places full of people. It seems to help and is actually meant for help sleeping. It's a long shot but it's pretty cheap and you can find it at any drug store. -
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 3:25 PMdid you try it for the spaz reducing qualities for being in busy places? or is it just me that gets all spazzed out in places with too many people? Cause I thought it helped. But it would be cool to know if it was placebo or actually helped somehow sooth my nerves. -
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 4:29 PMOh God people twittering all arpund me and there are too many conversations and I can't process them all at once and when its in different languages it gets much much worse. Hell yeah, I got that!
I've learned to bring earplugs when I'm pretyty sure its going to be like that. -
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Re: insomnia
Thu, January 29, 2009 - 4:44 PMwe bought earplugs...but I keep forgetting them. Plus I need sunglasses too. Just dark enough to make it less bright and flashy.
though really I can't use ear plugs because I have to be able to hear my sons.
I find one of the things that gets me really bad is TV and radio on at the same time. or more than one music.
though when I was a teenager one of the few ways I could focus sometimes was to put on the TV, the Radio, all of the lights and read and do something else. and sometimes that would put me to sleep. though I never could get it to put me to sleep when I wanted it too.
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