Anyone else have insomnia?

[luvallpeeps]

I would love to shut my brain off long enough to sleep. I've been unsettled since the "American Carnage" inauguration. Even though I suspected this wouldn't end well, this idiot's behavior and job performance is beyond the pale and even topped my worst fears. This is indeed war, and we're fighting an invisible enemy. A few of them in fact. Stupidity, greed, and a virus. I'm scared.

[OhioChick]

1. I've barely slept a full night in weeks

My brain won't shut off with worry for my family members in hospitals battling this thing.

This seems to help me relax. (A bit graphic with swearing but relaxing)

[luvallpeeps]

20. Thanks, I'll try anything.

I start thinking about the old people, then I think about poor pregnant women waiting for new life and worrying what will be here when they arrive. God help us.

[OhioChick]

42. Try to keep calm

Get some arts and crafts to keep your mind busy. Don't watch the news all the time, it'll drive you insane.

Things aren't good out there and we need to "try" to crack a smile once in a while.


And yes, God help us all.

[Aquaria]

52. There are some self-hypnosis/trance-inducing things you can do to help you fall asleep

I used to be a shift worker, and of course sleeping during the day was a challenge. You feel like you need to be up and doing when it's bright out, but you'll never get any rest if you don't get sleep during the day.

Black out drapes weren't helping. And a bunch of other stuff wasn't working, either.

In desperation, I tried to resort to the old counting sheep thing, but that wasn't quite doing it. I'd lose count and get mad at myself over it. But then I realized... If I closed my eyes for a count of five, then opened them for five, after five or so times, my eyes wanted to stay closed. Even weirder, I'd have to force my eyes open for the five count, and they didn't want to stay open for five when I reached that point. And then it always seemed like I'd drift off into sleep not long after that.

I still use this method when I'm keyed up but need to get to sleep because I have something big coming up and I need to get my sleep to accomplish it the next day. I use it all the time when I'm going on a trip and too excited about what's coming, not to mention paranoid about what I might have forgotten to pack/prepare for. It helped when I returned to college and stressed out about a big test or when I had to turn in a make-or-break paper. It's worked when I had to report for surgery at 4 am (WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?), and when I needed to go in for a biopsy and then the follow up for the results. And I used it most recently when my kitty was obviously in failing health, I had an early appointment, and I had a feeling I'd have to put her to sleep during it (which I did). It helped me sleep when I was upset and depressed after having to say goodbye to her.

So if it worked for me through all those super-stressful things, give it a try and see if it will work for you.

[Rorey]

76. Thank you for an additional method!

I used to have bad insomnia, and sometimes wouldn't sleep at all for several days. I tried OTC sleep aids and edible marijuana, both of which caused me to have horrible nightmares even if I did fall asleep.

What finally worked for me was guided meditation on youtube. I got to the point where I didn't need to use youtube and could do it for myself. Even just the breathing often works. Occasionally it doesn't. When that happens again, I'll definitely try your eyes closed/eyes open method.

[smirkymonkey]

37. Hilarious!

I love this!

[OhioChick]

41. We need to laugh sometimes

[Ilsa]

73. I have a routine that helps me sleep, but even that

can't keep me asleep all night. My dreams know that everything is wrong. When I wake up, it's the first thing on my mind.

[Texaswitchy]

2. I am still up.

Not a bit sleepy
.

[True Blue American]

3. I am here at 1:36.

Slept a couple of hours.

[OhioChick]

5. We all have to get some sleep at some point though

Lack of sleep lowers your immune system.

Have you tried taking Melatonin?

It's safe, even my elderly mother takes it nightly.

[True Blue American]

10. Yes, a long time ago.

I can sleep for a couple of hours.

Exercising at home is not the same as an hour in the pool.

Went to Kroger’s early yesterday. The pool gals were all at the grocery! Kroger’s well stocked , produce, meat, except bread and TP. Meijer empty in produce, meat and bread.

Did you call for your absentee ballot? I did yesterday.

[OhioChick]

18. I'm the same way, I get a few hours and that's about it

It's going to be a long time in hibernation. I've stocked up on some arts and crafts to try to keep my mind busy, as well as moving around as much as I can.

I'm glad your Kroger's still had food. We haven't had Kroger's here since I was a kid. I didn't think they were around any longer. It was a blast from the past hearing you mention Kroger's.

I don't know what State you're in and don't mean to pry, but please be safe when going out.

Our cases have seemed to start exploding, the streets are eerily empty. Last week at the grocery store, nearly everything was gone.

Thankfully, I saw this coming and slowly stocked up within the past months, little by little.

I usually have to vote absentee, so that's taken care of, although it looks like we won't be voting until June 2nd.

[True Blue American]

22. Southwestern Ohio!

My IPad Spell check keeps coming up with Ohiotucky! Give you a little smile.

[OhioChick]

23. LOL.....

That's funny.

What a small world it is.

Nice to "see" you, neighbor.

[True Blue American]

28. Clayton.

[OhioChick]

29. Clevelander n/t

[True Blue American]

30. 2 blocks from I 70.

[mahina]

48. Argh, our Y closed today.

I understand and stuff. I do but damn. I will miss the excercise, the fun, the laughs.

[OhioChick]

61. You'll have to amuse yourself at home for a while n/t

[True Blue American]

66. Mine closed last week.

[Aquaria]

55. Melatonin gave me a massive headache that made it impossible to sleep

It was that bad, and Valerian made me super-nauseous.

My experience with herbal "remedies" has always been bad. If alternative medicine worked, it would be called "medicine."

[OhioChick]

60. I'm surprised..

My elderly mother has taken it for years with no issues. Her cardiologist suggested it.

What works for one, doesn't always work for another though.

[Nay]

79. Oh, that's too bad. I'm an insomniac and until I started taking 5 mg of dissolvable

melatonin and a cup of valerian tea (from the actual roots) at night, I hardly slept at all. I was a mess.

Edit: I have used a breathing method that helps a whole lot to calm the mind and body. When you get into bed, start breathing like this:

breathe in for 4 seconds
hold your breath for 7 seconds
breathe out for 8 seconds

keep repeating this and, if this works for you, you will fall asleep in the middle of a breath, just boom. Gone.

[mahina]

82. Thank you! You're very kind

I will definitely do that

[calimary]

62. Still here, still up.

I don’t sleep well - most of the time. Can’t turn off the ol’ brain.

[morillon]

4. I've been an insomniac all my life, but...

My parents always told horror stories about how they tried and failed to stay up as late as I could, even when I was 4 or 5, so it's not a new thing.

But it's a lot worse lately. I am a software engineer by trade and an obsessive what-if scenario runner. My brain just won't stop running them.

[sarcasmo]

6. I bought two big things of nyquil which helps me sleep a few hours.

[Aquaria]

58. I wouldn't advise this method

Two of the chief ingredients in NyQuil are alcohol and acetaminophen. MDs strongly advise not combining those two things, not even in small doses. You're asking to wreck your liver taking them together like that too often.

One of the other ingredients in NyQuil that helps you sleep is an antihistimine called Doxylamine Succinate, but you can get a similar response from ANOTHER antihistimine: Diphenydramine. AKA Benadryl. It's the active ingredient in their ZzzQuil product to help induce sleep. Like NyQuil, ZzzQuil is dangerous because it, too, contains alcohol, and, as with acetaminophen, using alcohol with diphenydramine is strongly counter-indicated. You don't really need the alcohol for it to work, anyway. Diphenhydramine has plenty of sedative properties, all on its own, and it's not addictive, unlike alcohol.

Better yet, you can get 600 pills of of diphenydramine for what it costs to get one bottle of NyQuil or ZzzQuil. Most people take 2 pills per night, as needed, so a 600 count bottle will see you through nearly a year of taking it every night.

If you feel like you must resort to a sedative to sleep, I'd use diphenhydramine instead.

Note: I wouldn't take more than 3 of the pills, unless you are a big person, as in a 6'4 guy who weights over 250. My scrawny 5'8" hubby took 4 once under a doctor's care, and slept about 28 hours straight. He was out so cold that I thought he was dead, but he needed it to combat a bad but not fatal allergic reaction--which is what Benadryl was created for.

[mucifer]

7. Yes insomnia it's bad

[Laffy Kat]

8. Try to watch something mindless until you fall asleep.

I have terrible anxiety an often calm myself down by reducing the situation to here and now: I am in my house, I am safe for now, My children are safe, This will pass, the sun will rise tomorrow; etc., etc., just keep going. I also take melatonin or a benzo. if it's really bad. Don't be afraid to reach out.

[emmaverybo]

43. That's helping. I am in my house...safe now...thanks

[Frustratedlady]

9. I haven't had 8 hours of sleep in several years.

If I do go to sleep, I sleep 2 or 3 hours and then am up for the day. I've always been a night owl, but this is ridiculous.

You aren't alone in being scared. I'm angry rather than scared. With this dolt leading the country in such a crisis, I don't have any faith that anything will level off. I think we are headed for a challenging year and that is being kind. Trump has already screwed up as much as he can and I fear he will cancel the election so he can continue to save our hides. I think we've seen enough of his "saving" and he's managed to not only endanger my life, but my retirement.

I can't imagine anyone can be this stupid and not know it.

[True Blue American]

11. I am so angry

It is almost making me ill. Disliked a lot of people in my time, but this fake,lying, ignorant blob is killing me.

[Frustratedlady]

13. And, there is not one damned thing we can do to make it better...

I think I'm angrier at the people that stand with him and act as though he is a king. It doesn't take too much intelligence to recognize a liar but they praise him. I simply can't get it. That's what keeps me awake...trying to figure out how our country got so dumbed down.

[True Blue American]

16. I watched that one Doctor

Gaze adoringly at Trump. Someone must have said something, she does not do it now. Or she must have realized what he is.

I refuse to watch his self aggrandizing made up face.

[Rorey]

78. Maybe she took something

She looked high when she was listening to him.

[smirkymonkey]

40. I feel the same as you do.

I despise him more than I can say, but when I hear people talk about him like he is the second coming of Christ and that he craps rainbows and sparkles, I just can't take it. I just want to beat my head against the wall until it bleeds.

I fell asleep for a few hours around 10pm because I ate a late, carb-heavy dinner, so it knocked me out for a little while, but now I have been up since 12:30am and will probably be up until around 6am. Since I am wfh, I can sleep until about 8:30am which takes a lot of the pressure off.

[luvallpeeps]

17. Me too, and I hate the feeling of hatred.

My sister will actually tell me what she wishes would happen to the yam. Anal cancer, stroke, etc. I always tell her to stop and pray he gets what he deserves. No more, no less. Plus I don't have as good an imagination as karma probably does.

[BamaRefugee]

12. I wake up 2 or 3 times a night and look at DU on my iPad. I'm getting exhausted, but even total

exhaustion doesn't let me have a full night's sleep anymore, Been that way for the last 9 months and WAY worse now of course.

[Maraya1969]

14. I learned this technique for stopping your mind. Close your eyes and watch for where your

next thought comes from.

[mvd]

15. Always had a little but it is common now

I think it is a combo of still recovering from death in the family, trying to get by every day, worrying about my mom and I getting the virus, Trump in office...

[True Blue American]

19. Losing a loved one

Hurts so much. That is enough, but now your whole life is disrupted, nothing you can do to make things right.

I am sorry for your pain.

[mvd]

21. Thank you very much

I think I was in shock for a while, so my dad’s death has affected me even more a year later. Thanks again.

[True Blue American]

25. Shock

Keeps you functioning for a while. Trust me, I know. Misdirected anger, comes in waves.

[VarryOn]

24. Talk to your GP about zolpidem..

It's generic for Ambien. I've been taking it for about 10 years. I frequently half-jokingly call it man's greatest medical achievement. It's like a light switch for your brain. I take it, and within moments, my alarm is going off. I dont have any side effects the next day. I think it's generally well-tolerated by most. With my insurance through Express=Scripts, my 30 pills per month are $.84.

I dont know if you're a drinker, but I do some. I can take a couple ounces in a gin * tonic about 45 minutes before bed time, and it doest the job.

A lot of people like to talk about sleep hygiene, my I-never-take-so-much-as-an-aspirin wife being one of them. Things like your needing to wind-down before bed, no electronics, cool bedroom, avoid all caffiene, etc. All that's good. I'd rather just take something and "flip the swtich."

[True Blue American]

26. Not a drinker

Do not like pills.

I had no problem sleeping until lately. And I know why. Only one thing will make it go away,or several, honestly. Half the Government sent packing.

You know Mitch had polio as a child. You would think he had a shred of compassion or decency in him. He told Senators to gag and sign the bill yesterday!

Not sure who is the most evil, Trump, Mitch or Barr!

[True Blue American]

27. I read.

[luvallpeeps]

56. My funny Mom told me to read the Bible.

She said to read Genesis 5, which she calls "the begats". It bores you to sleep apparently.

[mucifer]

64. My dad had a book about the Torah that he read to put him to sleep.

[True Blue American]

67. I could not get through that

The first time. Pastor told me to skim read!

[Native]

72. My husband reads Chapman's Sailing Handbook - it's huge in size and hugely boring. 4 pages on knots?

Hardback that he can barely hold up in bed. Never fails - he falls asleep within 5-10 minutes. At this rate, he'll still be reading it next year.

[BigmanPigman]

35. I take that and other things too.

It has worked better than most. Usually I do combos. Can't drink anymore though (daily migraines). THAT would have done the trick, damn it!

[VarryOn]

39. Interested in what else you take...

Was on trazadone (hard as hell to wake up), Lunesta (penny taste in my mouth while taking) , then eventually Ativan. Worked great for sleep. The frequent lapses in memory sucked, tho!

[BigmanPigman]

57. Indica did the trick!

[Aquaria]

63. Tried Ambien. Didn't work for me.

Doctor wanted me to take a few nights off before a surgery to get my sleep cycle reset from being a graveyard worker, so that I'd be better rested before surgery and more inclined to respond favorably to it. So I got Ambien to help me transition to that. The first night, it worked as advertised, then after that it put me in a weird zone of being half-awake and half-asleep that made me more exhausted than not getting any sleep at all.

Haven't touched it since.

But I have weird reactions to a wide variety of sedatives.

[Rorey]

77. I'm trying to imagine a scenario where I'd give up my coffee

I just really enjoy it. However, I cut way back, and I only usually have my two cups in the morning. Once in awhile I'll have a third cup, but I try to never have caffeine after 11 a.m.

I definitely can't drink alcohol too late in the evening. Sure, I'll fall asleep, but then wake up in the very wee hours with insomnia.

I tried the no electronics, and it didn't seem to make a difference for me. I got into guided meditation a few years ago, and now no longer need the guidance to do the meditation. I strongly recommend meditation to get through all kinds of situations in life.

[applegrove]

31. I've tried this and it helps.

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/want-to-fall-asleep-faster-combat-pilots-use-this-hack-to-get-to-sleep-in-2-minutes-or-less.html

[alittlelark]

32. I reccommend solfeggio tones on youtube.

Chronic insomniac here .

They do wonders for me. I listen to them in the background. They eventually lull my 'monkey mind' to sleep. I'm listening to this one now.

Zen in a time of cray-cray.

[ribrepin]

33. I hear ya Sister

I knew he would tank the economy, but this is beyond my wildest expectations.

[ibegurpard]

34. Yes since November 2016

Gets worse all the time

[spudspud]

49. Same here. /nt

[peggysue2]

36. I haven't slept well since my sister died in late January.

I've always had periods of insomnia but my sister's death and then this daily craziness just keeps my thinking processes in spin mode.

I was up all night Monday night, slept 8 hours last night, and here it is 2:30 a.m. and I'm still wide, wide awake. Even tried a glass of wine but it's had little effect. I'll give it another 10-15 minutes and then try bed again.

Aghhh!

Nice to know I have company though

[Alwaysna]

38. I stay up late looking for news. My schedule is mixed up now.It started when I saw we lost Florida.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

44. Perhaps this will help: Dr Sanjay Gupta with Deepak Chopra: How

do we cope in these times of uncertainty? [Audio @link]

MAR 18, 2020
Pandemic Panic
Living in a pandemic can be scary, isolating, overwhelming. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta invites Dr. Deepak Chopra to help answer the question: how do we cope in these times of uncertainty?

https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/corona-virus

[SunSeeker]

45. Fuck yes. My 16 year old son is home with his school closed.

My husband is home with his work dried up. And I'm home trying to keep everything "normal."

Our 401k is taking a beating, I fear for our future. I fear for my son's future. Oh, and with my medicial history, I fear I may mot survive a Covid-19 infection. And the cherry on top? My kid came down with a runny nose yesterday.

[Raine]

46. Can't sleep also

can hardly eat anything.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

47. To quote Severus Snape...

"Always".

Sincerely, Sleepless

[Aquaria]

50. Nah, but getting prescribed statins

Has thrown my sleep cycle completely out of whack

The first week I took them, I was sleeping 12 - 14 hours a day. Sometimes more.

It threw me off so much that now I'm staying up all night and sleeping during the day, like I did when I worked graveyard shift. I'd rather be up for at least some of the daytime hours. I feel like I get more done that way.

[True Blue American]

65. Statins can

Really mess up your body. Muscle aches. My first one was really bad. Lately I do not take them half the time. My neurapathy seems to be better. Talk to your Doctor.

I went back to bed,read,fell asleep for 3 whole hours.

[spike91nz]

51. french versos

nuit blanche: white night or sleepless night. Like the light from the static on TV screen, only in your head, and the thoughts circle round with a regularity that creates both the expectation and a dread.

[cstanleytech]

53. I have suffered from near constant insomnia for decades and its not fun.

Then again I have also been in a near state of panic almost every day for years as well as I constantly worry over things like if I will have enough money for the bills this month and the next month.

[yaesu]

54. I'm lucky that I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow but I listen to ASMR every evening

to wind down.

[Glamrock]

59. Not an insomniac

My cat Steviewonder woke me up last night at quarter to four needing attention. Couldn’t get back to sleep. Fell out tonite before eight. Woke up at 12:30.

On the plus side, I found The Longest Yard on Netflix. I was 3 when it came out. I think I was hot for Bernadette Peters even then....

[eShirl]

68. I tell myself insomnia means I need more exercise

I do find exercising helps me sleep later, that night

[Sugarcoated]

70. YES

Just hitting the hay now😞

[hlthe2b]

71. I rarely have any trouble getting to sleep (and still don't) but staying asleep. yeah.

I sleep in three hour increments, sometimes taking two hours or more to get back to sleep.

Deep breathing exercises and long walks with the pup help a lot, though.

[pansypoo53219]

74. I used to, then i discovered i am not a night owl. i am an extreme night owl and go to sleep easily

at 6 am.

[panader0]

75. I don't really sleep

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181332105

[redstatebluegirl]

81. Since November of 2016.

[Amaryllis]

83. I just put a bunch of meditation/ relaxing stuff for sleep on an MP3 player. Found a link

for a free site that converts YouTube videos to MP3 files. Can only do up to an hour but i did 4 twenty minute to 45 minute ones. You could also make playlists on your phone. It really helps to go to sleep and to shut my mind off and go back to sleep when i wake up in the wee hours. There are a bunch of them that have words but I like the ones without words the best. Bunch of them here on this page:

You might like the ones with reassuring words.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwEMKhsjY8P9-GuIKMYVrQ/videos

There are also a bunch of Tibetan ones. I really like ths one:

&t=911s

I just spent about an hour listening to find four i liked and then converted to MP3 and made a playlist on an MP3 player. I figure I'll make a folder with about ten and rotate them once a week or something.

What else are you gonna do with your time when you are stuck at home?

[EarthFirst]

84. Terrible.

I’m up by 3:30/4 a.m. daily after getting five or six hours of rest; not usually meaningful sleep.

The anxiety of current events hasn’t been helping things either...

I do find; that cannabis helps.

[musette_sf]

85. In all seriousness:

On my first overseas business trip, I was sent to Singapore. The time change really threw me off, and I had much trouble sleeping.

The hotel was in the Marriott chain, and there is always a guaranteed soporific in every Marriott room: The Book Of Mormon.

As Mark Twain said, "It is chloroform in print." Worked a charm for me.