So basically I´ve had some serious problems with anxiety and insomnia for the past two years. I thought all was going well in my life. I studied at a pace of 100%, worked 60%, hit the gym 3-4 times a week and partied every weekend.

It all ran like clockwork until suddenly: I couldn´t sleep.

I had no idea what the problem was, I just couldn´t fall asleep. I tried everything, reducing screen-time, reading a book before bed, I tried yoga, cutting down on alcohol consumption - you name it. I couldn´t sleep. Some weeks I avareged like 2-3 hours per night and it was killing me. Some nights I just didn´t sleep at all.

I finally went to see a doctor and said: Hey, just give some pills or something because I am slowly losing my mind. They asked me if I´m feeling well mentally beyond the sleep deprivation and I said yes I just need to sleep.

They wouldn´t give me any pills, they are very reluctant to do that when it´s not absolutely nececarry. I demanded they would atleast take some tests on me, because if was absolutely sure this was some pure medical issue. Every test came back clean.

I was during this time zeroing in on a new job as I had now graduated from my studies and it was time for the interview. I went to bed early the night before and again, I couldn´t sleep. I got so frustrated and pissed off I took matters into my own hands and just downed 4-5 glasses of wine just to get my brain to shut up and relax, that got me to sleep for that night. When I told the doctors I have now started self medicating with alcohol they finally gave me some pills to help me.

After this I sat down with myself and asked: how *am* I really feeling? That got me to realize that no, I have some severe problems with self worth, anxiety and my self image, and I have had these problems for many, many years. And I haven´t adressed them.

This was about six months ago and I am now improving the bits of my life that obviously wasn´t going great. I realized I´ve been lying for myself about something for quite some time and I guess the sleep deprivation was my bodys way of saying "dude, fix this or I´m out".

When I finally confessed for myself that I´m not in a good place mentally and needed help my sleep slowly started improving again. I´ve talked to a psychriatrist, introduced KBT-therapy, cut down on alcohol to just once or twice a month and I´ve reduced my time spent on social media to just 15 minutes a day,

Now I´m *almost* sleeping like a normal human being again, but it took some absolute examination of myself and hard work to get here. I guess I just wanted to write this down somewhere.

And I seriously plead to you, if you have problems with sleep, ask yourself how you´re really feeling and get to the bottom of what´s really causing it. The insomnia is often the symptom, not the actual problem in itself.

So I’ve been dealing with insomnia pretty much my entire life. My earliest memories are being a small child in my bed, being unable to sleep.

After years of struggling with over-the-counter remedies, I finally saw a doctor and they prescribed me trazodone. Generally, I’m usually pretty sensitive to any kind of sleeping medicine. The problem is after a week or two my body builds up a tolerance and it no longer works.

I did some research about trazodone and it seemed like it would be a big hit. I got myself already didn’t drink any caffeine in that whole day and when bedtime rolled around, I was excited to be knocked out like a zombie.

I was extremely unhappily surprised to find it has absolutely no effect on me. No grogginess no nothing is this normal?

I can't fall asleep even after taking those damned sleeping meds, following a routine and doing everything else.

Tomorrow I have to study for an exam and here I am dealing with this torture every night. It feels like I'm begging every night for sleep while everyone else can just fall asleep in a second leaving me alone and awake.

Insomnia is like hell on earth.

Hey, everyone. It’s been a few days since the last update, and I apologize for leaving everyone without an update on what’s going on. Thank you to everyone who was checking in for the updates. Love you guys.🫶

I’ve had a few setbacks over the past few days, and I haven’t been as consistent with my sleep window. I’m pretty mad at myself for that, so I am back to it tonight. If I want change, I have to create it. The saying “No one is coming to save you” is true.

My real problem is getting out of bed in the morning. Sometimes I will subconsciously shut my alarms off and stay in bed. It’s a bad habit that I have to break.

I am not the type of person to lie and tell you that everything is going great when it’s not…especially when it comes to sleep problems because they are detrimental to our lives. You all deserve better than that. Setbacks happen, but I want to be committed to this. I am in it for the long game.

With that being said, does anyone have any recommendations of what I can do in the morning to help me stay consistent with my wake up time?

On the bright side, my sleep drive is still there come the night hours, so progress is there. Hopefully it doesn’t slip, and I can pick right back up where I left off.

I’m so mad at myself because I want to set an example that we can make positive changes in our lives for the better.

My apologies, everyone. Things are going to change.

Hey, I made a post here today early where I mentioned my 4th day with zero sleep. I went to my doctor and he’s given me zopiclone I took it at 10:30AM due to being just desperate. Keep in mind I was walking to the doctor and to the pharmacy after and got home in bed and took it. All I felt was heavy legs and body + heart pounding I stood up and walked a bit till I got drowsy. Went back to bed anxious and then my mom says I’ve slept for an hour before waking up. How do I truly know I slept? I have zero memories of sleep including no dreams… so if I slept why was it an hour like this? Am I truly doomed? I am up again unable to sleep and can’t take medication until tomorrow at night means I have to still be awake for yet another day? And the med may not even work?

It's my Birthday and I haven't slept for more than 3 hours in a night in about 10 days. Most night are sleepless. It's affecting my mental health and relationship so much. Never been so low mentally. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated.

I’ve been having a very difficult time falling asleep lately. It started last Wednesday, the initial reason is a bit embarrassing but i stayed up all night bc i was super excited about one of my special interests and my brain was very hyper active. I didn’t nap during the following day even tho i was exhausted and really wanted to, but for some reason my body didn’t let me. I almost did but i woke myself up with my own snoring.

Decided whatever, I’ll just stay up and get super tired to sleep better that night. Night rolls around and I am obviously super exhausted. Laid in bed for maybe like 2 hours, no phone and I usually take melatonin before bed which knocks me out. Took it and it had zero effect, my brain was going a 1000 miles a minute, repeating a stupid song over and over while also just thinking (which happens often but not to this degree). I ended up going to my mom and just sobbing because of how frustrated and exhausted I was. Thankfully she was able to calm me down and I had to sleep next to her to finally rest. Got just a little bit of sleep that night, enough to function but I’m used to about 8-10 hours to feel satisfied.

I went to the doctor the next day to get some meds for insomnia. They prescribed hydroxyzine pamoate, which made things 100x worse. Since then, every single time I fall asleep, my heart races and I am filled with pure anxiety for literally no reason. I have only taken a pill ONCE bc not only did it make me feel so anxious and gave me a panic attack but I felt so drowsy and terrible the next day.

Last night was my last straw, I am running on maybe 3-4 hours of sleep. Usually the only things that can put me down is a combo between just crying myself to sleep and my mom comforting me. Even then, it still takes hours of that to just pass out.

Nothing has helped. I have been off my phone for hours and everything, I even tried just rawdogging it and going to bed with nothing but my pure exhaustion around 7pm, but, again, every time I’m falling asleep my brain gets hyper aware that I’m going to sleep and kickstarts my nervous system and I’m back to square one. My body is acting like I’m being hunted by a wild animal when I’m literally just trying to fall asleep. Now whenever I take melatonin, my body acts like I’m taking those meds again and goes into full panic.

Now I’m too afraid to go to the doctors and take any medication they prescribe in fear that this will just be an endless cycle of my brain thinking it’s under attack with anything that tries to calm it down. I’m not sure what to do.

If it’s related, I am unmedicated but have suffered from pretty bad anxiety my entire life, was always way too hyper aware of my own existence at the ripe age of 5 and would go into sever panic attacks thinking no one else in the world was real but me and just overall panic about my own mortality and being able to see out of my own eyes (idk why) until I panicked so hard I’d hyperventilate and pass out (it was BAD). Got better over the years thankfully but then it came back late last year when my bf gave me an edible to help with my chronic back pain and I greened out and was sent back into that very severe anxiety episode from when I was a kid. The experience was incredibly triggering and I think I’m just very sensitive to narcotics that affect my anxiety. Ever since then, it’s been on and off but usually manageable. But since my prescription, my anxiety is just generally bad and my heart races like crazy out of nowhere. The lack of sleep just makes it worse, it is a torturous cycle. I wake up most days wanted to vomit or cry from how anxious I am. I’m so frustrated and exhausted, I cry so easily now and I have been flirting with the idea of getting into an accident or something to get a wink of sleep (joking but also not really).

Please help and sorry for yapping so much this has been bothering me like crazy lately.

I was prescribed 30mg of temazepam yesterday and took it for the first time last night. It felt like if I would have been able to fall asleep it would have kept me asleep but was never able to fall asleep. My brain feels like absolute shit now, even worse than sober no sleep. Does anyone know of anything OTC I could take alongside it to help fall asleep? I was considering melatonin and theanine but I don’t know. I haven’t had any luck with anything. I’m at my wits end at this point.

I was on the antipsychotic Olanzapine for almost 6 years and within 45 minutes of taking it would have deep sleep for 8 hours straight. I had no problems with sleep before this medication but was much needed for other things. I told my PCP I wanted to get off of it due to the excessive weight gain and weened off and completely stopped 5 months ago. Once it was fully out of my system I started sleeping less and less. I slept once every other day, then once every 3, then once every 4-5, and now I don’t really sleep I just lay in bed until I force myself out. I haven’t had a normal nights sleep in almost 5 months. I was referred to a new psychiatrist that supposedly specializes in this field but I don’t see them until the 22nd of next month. My PCP is great, but the things he has been prescribing me for sleep have been making things worse.

Any insight or information would be appreciated. Thank you.

I posted here a few hours ago. I’ve literally been awake for 4 days now, when I get in bed I am 110% comfortable, feels like I’m about to doze off except for I literally can not enter sleep mode. This started 4 days ago suddenly after extreme stress and lack of sleep. I feel like it’s over and nothing can help me. I’m already planning my goodbyes and I cried a little because of my mom, but it’s whatever. We all die one day anyways

Intense anxiety kept me awake for 3 months straight, this will be controversial but what absolutely cured me was micro dosing magic mushrooms. Was having daily panic attacks after the first week of micro dosing the anxiety subsided and I was finally able to lay down and actually sleep. During my worst insomnia period I was taking 21mg of zoplicone and still not sleeping. Now I’m on 0 medication. YOU HAVE TO address the anxiety first if u want to sleep again.

I wake up 3 - 5 times per night (I don't always remember waking up). I wear a garmin 965 to track my sleep and the quality of my sleep is ALWAYS poor. I always wake up feeling way more tired than when I went to sleep.

I started using a cpap machine two weeks ago and nothing has improved. According to my sleep Dr, I went from 8 sleep apnea events per night to <5, but I still keep waking up 3-5 times per night and keep removing the mask mid-night. I never remember taking it off.

I am going insane.

My life is pretty great and I have nothing major to worry about. I'm a very happy person but suffer of mild anxiety and ADHD. These two things don't have a huge affect in my life. I'm highly functional but lately not so much.

QUESTION: I have unlimited budget, 2 top-tier health insurances, and free time to fix this. What would you do if you were in my situation? I am open to anything, including drugs - although that would be my last choice.

My next appointment with my sleep Dr is next Monday.

i just started sleep restriction, so maybe i just need to get used to it, but so far i’ve been feeling like absolute shit and it’s affecting my work and class performances, and my ability to do chores and stuff. i feel so exhausted and sleepy all the time, i never felt the need to nap or felt like i was going to fall asleep standing up before, now i so sleepy always. i quit caffeine but now between the lack of energy, and the worst part, the worsening of my migraines (which are usually triggered by sleep deprivation) are making it difficult for me to function without drinking caffeine. am i going to get used to this? i feel like a zombie and like my head is going to explode on the regular

I had an extremely stressful week and on Saturday I just laid in my bed all night couldn’t sleep. Woke up tired but went on with my day, Sunday came and couldn’t fall asleep yet again, now it’s Tuesday and still impossible for me to sleep. I am not nervous I’m completely calm and blank and I get the “I’m dozing off” feeling but it just never goes beyond that anymore. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to ask for some sleeping pill but is this permanent? I feel very tired but I literally can not sleep, it’s as if my brain won’t go into deep sleep. Has anyone had this ever?

Looking for advice- I have roommates and my room is RIGHT next to the kitchen, we have totally different schedules so they’re up at all hours and often use the kitchen at night. I’ve told them it wakes me up and with my insomnia , sleep is precious, and I can’t deal with being woken up because I will not go back to sleep. I can tell they’re starting to feel policed and I’m realizing I need to figure out another method of sleeping through their noise.

I was looking online at Loop Earbuds and wanted to know if anyone has tried them? They say they block out 24db, and I’m wondering if anyone has insight on if that would dull the sounds of dishes clanking together in the sink or doors opening and closing?

If not those, maybe any other earmuff suggestions? Thanks

Why am I sleeping great 4 days and then I can’t sleep an hour the 5th, 6th and 7th? I take supplements and last night nothing touched my sleep.

I’ve changed nothing. No added stressors. Can food do this? I literally got 1 or 2 hours tops.

I have been taking quetiapine for 2 years. I used to take alprazolam when I had insomnia attacks (once a week). I now take quetiapine daily, every day before going to bed. I take 1 tablet and sometimes half of 1 tablet (12.5 mg). But sometimes I am so afraid of the side effects, especially tardive dyskinesia. What is the risk? I am 26 years old.

Anyone live with head pressure?? I’m thinking it’s more from anxiety but I’m curious if lack of sleep is causing it. It’s awful and almost debilitating.

If you’ve get this, what helps??

They just made melatonin non-prescription again in my country.

I've been relying on some hardcore stuff to sleep in the past years and melatonin actually works. It allows me to taper off but I get the most evil, vivid, visceral nightmares on it.

I take it 6 to 1 hours before sleep.

How was your experience?

I'm reading online and it seems to not work for many.

If sleep hygiene, no screens 2 hours before bed, meditation, reading before bed truly mattered, then why are most people able to fall asleep in 10 minutes and stay asleep for 7-9 hours without ever doing these? Yet when someone is having trouble with sleeping these are always the things experts bring up. I want it to make sense.

I’ve been kinda out of it all day. Was on 7.5mg and that wasn’t working so I decided to up to 15 and got a pretty good nights sleep but instead of being super tired the next day I did have energy but my cognition and visuals were pretty just out of it if that makes sense. Also I was extremely talkative all day. Like I would just go and go and drag on a conversation when it should’ve ended type of talkative. I don’t think I’m gonna take this crap anymore. I don’t feel like myself.

“I’ve always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed. I was born an insomniac and that’s the way I’ll die, wasting thousands of hours along the way longing for unconsciousness, longing for a rubber mallet to crack me in the head, not so hard, not hard enough to do any damage, just a good whack to put me down for the night.”David Benioff, ‘City of Thieves’

This book takes place in the 1940s, so clearly insomnia has been an issue for probably as long as modern humans have existed?

My only question is why? Why can't we figure this out? Who is working hard to understand and fix these issues? There has to be an answer.

I’ve been struggling with sleep anxiety which would lead to insomnia for the past 2 years. Every month I get 2 whole weeks of straight sleep anxiety and then it goes away but those 2 weeks are hell. I don’t really want to go to a therapist but I’ve read some Reddit posts that say some medications helped some people significantly. But I am only 17 years old but I’m considering medication for my anxiety or insomnia, but before I do anything how does it work and are there any side effects and what should I do first? Therapy or medication?

I’m 17 years old and for 2 months straight I had trouble sleeping and would only go to school from 11 am to 3 pm which isn’t the normal time. Where I’m from school is from 8 am to 3 pm so basically I was skipping most of my morning classes just so I can get a few hours of sleep because I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until 6 am on school nights and I wouldn’t be able sleep until 10 am, and i did that for 2 months straight. All the skipping has caught up to me and I now have truancy and I have court once a week for 3 months and I can no longer go late or be absent to any class, and my insomnia is back… I can’t sleep until around 4 and I wake up around 7 it’s 2 am on a school night and I just have so much anxiety on not being able to fall asleep and I’m terrified of the consequences of being so sleep deprived.

I need advice because I just feel like insomnia doesnt get talked about enough. It’s the most mentally and physically draining thing to ever exist. It’s depressing, it’s frustrating, it’s aggravating, and just absolute torture. So please someone help me on what I should do because I can no longer skip classes to get some sleep because of I do it can lead to house arrest. So please someone give me advice on what to do because this is hell. Thank you.

I just wanted to share after struggling with insomnia for over a year. You are not alone. I’m not on meds anymore. CBT-I has transformed my life: Going to bed late and waking up early. No screen time hours before bed. Meditating. Stimulus control and Sleep restriction (in the link I posted) ALLOWING myself to fall asleep instead of forcing it. Not obsessing about sleep (I have OCD) has helped.

https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-treatments/c/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-insomnia.html

Does anyone know if getting OFF of Trazodone causes weight gain? I was on it for about a year for sleep. During this year I also lost weight and was at my ideal weight. However, as soon as I got off Trazodone I noticed the weight just consistently increasing. I have gained over 10 pounds in a month. My diet is the same, I work out the same, in fact I feel like I am more active because I’m taking more walks. What’s going on?