10 Ways We Manage Sleeplessness That Make it Worse

Given the acute distress often associated with sleeplessness, it's not surprising that so many of us respond to it with limited stop-gap, band-aid type solutions. In my practice I've found that so much of what we do to manage sleeplessness simply makes it worse.

 

 

 

Follow Rubin Naiman, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drnaiman

Comments

[John Hazelton Smith]

05:53 PM on 12/10/2011

I love sleeping. I am 40 and can sleep between 8 and 12 hours any and everyday if I could. I love it.

[eze486]

09:31 AM on 12/07/2011

I have been an insomniac for at least 20 years. as I have aged I can fall asleep easily.....an hour later I am up for 2 hours.....then another hour of sleep....then up again. sometimes another 2 hours. when I get up in the morning I am exhausted.....if it is the weekend I can nap all day....and I do. It's a terrible cycle. A friend gave me some ambien one day and when I take it I sleep all night long. I might wake up once but within minutes I am asleep again. It's the only time I sleep all night long.....apparantly medication can help some.

[Jason1953]

08:29 PM on 12/07/2011

That could me my post.

[ariellindz]

12:31 AM on 12/07/2011

I need my daytime nap...some people have to be at work at 5AM after all!
And may still need to maintain a normal sleep pattern for school.

[Margaret Penny Wood]

12:01 AM on 12/07/2011

eeeearticle reads like something written by someone who has never really experienced true insomnia. I never experienced it either until I developed depression and then my sleep as a normal person was a thing of the past. It doesn't matter what I do, if I do not have medication to help me I will not fall asleep - ever - and I will not stay asleep. With the help of medications I fall asleep quickly most of the time and I stay asleep, dream and I never need to nap during the day. If you have never experienced terrible insomnia, don't make judgments about it!

[Information Pioneer]

01:57 PM on 12/05/2011

When I can't sleep I take indium and sleep better, it's helphing my production of natural melatonin.

[Information Pioneer]

01:25 PM on 12/05/2011

When I can't sleep I take Indiumease and within a day or two I sleep like a baby. Maybe it's the mineral absorption they claim helps the pineal gland produce my own melatonin.

[Halsey]

12:17 PM on 12/05/2011

For me (and I SO wish Dr. Naiman answered some of our comments)...I do have insomnia, but am used to it. MY wish is to find out what friggin body chemical generates between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
I can wake up at say 2 a.m...use the restroom and go right back to sleep). But every morning I feel beyond horrible. It is hard to explain. I head feels like a vise is run throught it..I am dizzy, almost nauseous (I don't vomit though)..and it can take 3+ hours to feel somewhat "normal". IF I awaken at 3 a.m. for a bathroom visit (or from noise on my busy street)...I don't have that feeling..but if I sleep even another 2 hours..POW! I know it is some natural occuring thing inside me...and it's awful. I cannot imagine living like this the rest of my life. My dream is a silent blood draw between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. to find out what my body is producing..THEN ..figure out a way to make it stop. I know it sounds silly, but it is almost crippling. I USED to be a morning person..LOVED dawn..now..I dread every morning of every day..This has been going on and getting worse for about a year. um..anyone else with this strange thing? Ideas? (I cannot afford a sleep clinic..plus I KNOW it's chemical..natural chemical..)

[GOODDOC1]

04:40 PM on 12/06/2011

I don't know if this will help or not, but if you end up sleeping with your head under the covers the last part of the night, you might be re-breathing your own carbon dioxide. That can cause "turtle headaches", which have been described to me as similar to what you're describing. I'm not sure about the rest of your symptoms, but if you can figure out a way to prevent that it might help. If not, you won't be any worse off and you won't have spent any money. If you have 211 in your area, they might know of a sleep center with fees based on ability to pay. They also might know of some specialists who take on a few uninsured patients at no charge. (In Anchorage, it's called Project Access.) Good luck!

[Halsey]

10:31 AM on 12/07/2011

Thanks. I don't ever pull the covers over my head however. I mean, for all I know (I live in an OLD OLD bldg.)..it would be some as simple as mold that I breath at night...but I don't smell any and I have a very sensitive (to a fault) sense of smell. But I DO appreciate the reply...some morning, maybe I'll just make myself stay UP at 3 and see what happens..arrggh..

[shyhon]

06:28 PM on 12/06/2011

I think you should consider the possibility that you have fibro myalgia.
You should check with your doctor. It you can't do that, look up the symptoms on the internet and check yourself.
I was diagnosed with it about 15 years ago, and one of the biggest symptoms was chronic insomnia. That was taken care of by 1 low dose Zoloft taken at night. My Doctor told me it wouldn't put me to sleep (it didn't), but it would help my body re-regulate to normal sleep. (it did).
F.M. has alot of subtle symptoms beyond insomnia and musle aches.

Other than that, perhaps you are lacking vitimins or minerals? You could try Melatonin. People take that for sleep.
Most important, stay off computer close to bed time. Bedroom should be dark and no noise or TV.
Good luck.

[Halsey]

10:13 AM on 12/07/2011

Thanks..I don't "ache"..I am just ill..again, hard to explain. And I've tried melatonin (a few times)..OMG..horrible..same with valerian..there is some chemical..maybe adrenal?....that goes into overdrive..this morning, again..dizzy, nauseous.. it's weird, but scares me.

[halquestorganic]

12:15 AM on 12/04/2011

Great thoughts, but we could just rely on the teachings of our mothers - exercise daily, and sleeping early will do us right in the long run.

http://questorganic.com/search?q=sleep

[Nelson Montana]

04:12 AM on 12/03/2011

I'm reading this at 4 am. What does that tell you?

[dpkjj]

11:10 PM on 12/03/2011

Tells me that you're creative, a night owl, and that you march to your own drummer.

[Halsey]

12:10 PM on 12/05/2011

You're a New Yorker? (Manhattann specific :-)

[LeFlaneur]

12:30 AM on 12/03/2011

"Sleeping pills do not so much facilitate sleep as they mask the experience of sleeplessness."

To me that's kind of like saying food does not so much fill you up as it masks the experience of hunger.

[halquestorganic]

11:48 PM on 12/03/2011

That analogy can be true if we can believe some foods do not satiate hunger, but actually increase (eg white bread spiking insulin levels). Similarly, sleeping pills (particularly benadryl) give a type of sedated sleep that may not fulfill our body's need for a true restful sleep.

http://www.questorganic.com/search?q=sleep

[LeFlaneur]

10:14 AM on 12/04/2011

it makes more sense the way you put it. But to say it "masks the experience of sleeplessness" is a bit of a stretch. It not the best sleep, but you're still asleep. Just like white bread may not be the best way to satiate hunger, but it's still food.

I've been surprised how many people don't know that otc sleep aids are just benadryl.

[IWantTofu]

04:26 PM on 12/02/2011

I can't go to sleep right now because someone is wrong on the internet blog and I need to set him straight.

[susanbsbi]

03:25 PM on 12/02/2011

My sleeplessness comes from my medication. Coffee never has kept me up, in fact when it gets 2AM i have an espresso and I fall right to sleep. till 6:30 am and then it is time to get up. I sleep very deep. When I wake up it feels like I just layed down, except when I look at the clock.

[Pamela Ivins Dobuler]

12:41 PM on 12/02/2011

very good article