Massive issues with sleep and desperate for a solution.

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Anissem@lemmy.ml⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I’ve been struggling with sleep issues for over a decade now. My Doctor has prescribed me all sorts of medication, all of which has had many adverse side effects. What I do know that works, is Xanax. My wife was prescribed it for some stress issues and occasionally will give me one so I can finally sleep. Obviously asking my Doctor, “can I have Xanax” Will not go well. I’ve eluded to it in ways and the response has always been along the lines of “that’s habit forming, I’d rather you try this”. Of the many medications prescribed, none have worked. Resorting to the dark web is something I’d really rather not do. Fentanyl laced drugs took my sister and it’s a road I hope to not have to explore. Any suggestions?

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Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Apologies for giving you a boring canned answer when you are sleep-deprived and looking for help. But I swear these things really helped me.

Number one: think about getting a sleep study done by an actual sleep doc (pulmonary doc or neurologist). This was life changing for me. Don’t go to a chiropractor or whoever the fuck and get a CPAP machine.

Also, and this is important: Have you looked into tips for “sleep hygiene”? None of them are a quick fix like Xanax, but they can be powerful when used together.

These include things like:

going to bed and getting up at the same times every day. this means getting up at your normal time, even if it’s a weekend, even if you didn’t sleep well that night, just make yourself do it

when sleeping…making sure the room is dark, cool, and quiet (ear plugs are a big help here). by cool, I mean 68-69F (about 20C).

cutting way back on caffeine and/or eliminating it…and absolutely no caffeine after lunch (the older we get, the longer it takes to metabolize caffeine)

not looking at any glowing screens (TV, phone, computer, tablet, etc) before bed time… for at least 15-30 minutes

avoid eating / drinking a couple of hours before bed time

using your bedroom only for sleeping and for sex

And when you have trouble sleeping, it’s a very good idea to get out of bed, go to a different room (one that is not to bright) and do something boring like read a text book for 15-20 minutes then go back to bed and try again.

When we stay in bed and aren’t sleeping, we’re training our brain that it’s OK to do that. You want to beat it into your subconscious brain that the bed / bedroom is for sleeping.
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- Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  And I should have included exercise. The best sleep I ever get is when I get in a really good amount of exercise during the day. I won’t lie to you, I’m pretty lazy about it myself. You don’t want to do this close to bedtime, either. Go for a really long walk / jog / whatever in early afternoon if you can squeeze that in somehow.
  
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  - GBU_28@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Seriously. Nothing puts you to sleep better than 10 hours of hiking.
    
    Obviously that’s unattainable most days, but I struggle with insomnia all my life, and one of the things I look forward to most from backpacking trips is the restful call of sleep when I “actually” feel like I “need” it.
    
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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice. There’s definitely some stuff here I can try. I have a stressful computer job so cutting back on caffeine makes sense along with several other tips you mentioned!
  
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  - Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I hope you find something that works. Not getting sleep is the worst!
    
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  - fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    A few things to add to this great list:
    
    Magnesium supplement before bed. They’re not all the same. Don’t just take a pill. Get one of the proper powdered ones magnesium citrate or threonate. I really like this one.
    
    Also, pod casts and audiobooks. I use headphones and turn the volume down just far enough so I really need to concentrate to hear the words.
    
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  - AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Also the exercise thing. I find that when stress from the computer job is likely to keep me awake, a fast walk before bedtime is enough to help smooth that out
    
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- weariedfae@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Caveat: doctors will only let you have a sleep study if they suspect sleep apnea. Other sleep studies that capture off-the-wall sleep disorders don’t seem accessible, at least in my local health system which is a Catholic-run local monopoly. Perhaps HCA, or Kaiser, or others may have a different philosophy.
  
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  - GBU_28@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    This is not universal. I have average US insurance in Colorado and my GP sent me for a sleep study after we tried just a few things for my insomnia.
    
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  - Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I wasn’t aware of this. That is discouraging. I think there are like 30-something sleep disorders. Though apnea is extremely common. Some insurance plans will also push hard for an “at home” sleep study first, which is fine if you just need a CPAP machine. But it’s no bueno if you need someone to monitor you and hook you up to all those Star Trek devices like they did to me.
    
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- Melobol@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  To add to the ‘canned answers’ here is one more:
  As non medication, Magnesium has a muscle relaxation effect. With a big cup of water before going to sleep it could help falling asleep. (Tho make sure you are using the right kind of magnesium pill that actually gets absorbed into the body)
  
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  - Onii-Chan@kbin.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Magnesium threonate cured my insomnia, it's fucking wild how well it works. I'd tried everything until I discovered it, from melatonin, to antihistamine sleeping pills, all the way to downing 350ml of whiskey every night just to force sleep.
    
    Magnesium works better than every single thing I've tried (but you HAVE to let yourself fall asleep when you feel it starting to work.)
    
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  - Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Thank you! Today I learned. (I’m usually kind of skeptical about supplements but what I’ve been able to find supports what you’re saying here).
    
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skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
doc doesn’t want to perscribe you xanax because xanax will stop working and this fucks up many other things in the process

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Ahh ok. That makes sense, while it works great, long term it doesn’t seem to be a solution.
  
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  - TragicNotCute@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It’s a really bad solution honestly. Benzo withdrawal can kill you and it’s extremely habit forming. Especially if you’re using it to treat insomnia, finding a way to stop taking it is gonna be tough.
    
    No solution provided, just giving some caution and saying that using Xanax to sleep is roughly equivalent to getting drunk to sleep. Both affect your GABA receptors and both are habit forming and dangerous to withdrawal from.
    
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Apytele@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks so much for all this. I only intake caffeine, marijuana and alcohol. Going to start weening myself off coffee for sure and I’m always trying to minimize the other two. Going to spend some months this summer relearning how to live.
  
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  - OhmsLawn@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Alcohol used to wreck my sleep. I’d come home, dog-tired at 7 PM, have a few (and a few more) drinks, look up and 6 hours had passed.
    
    I ended up burning out, and having to quit both booze and weed. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Along with all the obvious health, psychological and financial benefits, I sleep amazingly well now.
    
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- MrZee@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Wow. I just want to say thank you for such a thoughtful, informed, detailed response. You are an amazing person!
  
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aBundleOfFerrets@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Do not hop on the xan, your doctor knows what they are talking about.

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____@infosec.pub ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Are you seeing a family doctor, or a sleep specialist? You want the latter, and a sleep study.

The classes of drugs that might help are imperfect at best, I’d be partial to a benzo before e.g., Ambien or related, given the inherent risks of sleepwalking and worse with those drugs.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I’m going to do a sleep study this summer. I have some months off so my plan is to focus on health and wellness.
  
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  - fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Good choice, and as hard as it is, trust the boring “drop caffiene” and bedtime advice. After a few weeks your body will acclimate to the timing, too. Honestly though, the best thing for me is a long weekend backpacking trip. After a day or so of strenuous hiking, and a terrible first night sleep, it’s like your body sees the sun set and is like “I’m done”. Can really reset your clock.
    
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ultranaut@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Listening to a slightly boring audiobook has been the most consistently effective method I’ve found. Also, I had to give up caffeine.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Ahh man, giving up caffeine is going to be brutal
  
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  - ultranaut@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It’s easier if you cut back first so your body gets used to having less of it. I started by only having any before 12pm, then 10am, then I cut out energy drinks entirely, then I’d do part decaf coffee until I finally went full decaf. I definitely noticed some headaches and felt kind of shit occasionally but I don’t remember it being too terrible.
    
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  - Num10ck@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    but gaining sleep is quite worth it.
    
    also consider a hot bath/spa.
    
    its all about relaxing your thoughts and your muscles. stop trying to figure things out and let go.
    
    im surprised i havent seen more mention of deep breathing. if you can relax all your muscles and then drop your breathing down to 8 seconds a breathe, you should drift off to sleep within a few minutes.
    
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  - Anticorp@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    You don’t need to give it up completely, but definitely don’t have any after 3 pm.
    
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  - homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Decaf soda is also good. A little harder to find but it won’t beat up your stomach like caffeinated soda.
    
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JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Here is my best suggestion and it is serious. NO CAFFEINE after lunch. Period. No naps. Go to bed early every night at the same time. Wake up early to start your day. Drink lots of water every day.

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- Maestro@fedia.io ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Als, your bed is for sleeping (and sexy times). No phones, no tv, no distraction.
  
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pastabatman@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
So I have some experience with this and have a few things I want to tell you:

Consider a dedicated sleep study. If you have sleep apnea, medication will not fix your problem and some medications may actually make it worse.

Xanax (an anxiety medication) and Ambien (a sleep medication) are very similar drugs with respect to their mechanism of action. Xanax binds to a specific group of receptors to cause anxiolytic effects and happens to also make you sleepy. Ambien binds to a subset of those same receptors to make you sleepy, but don’t have the strong anxiety reducing effect. If Xanax works for you, Ambien should theoretically have a similar effect. In practice, it doesn’t tend to work as well because anxiety can keep you awake. If that has been your experience with Ambien, think about taking some steps to address anxiety even if you don’t think it’s that bad. Yoga, counseling, meditation, whatever. There are also guided breathing audio through apps like Fitbit and calm that may be helpful.

You can also supplement a prescription sleep aid with something non prescription, which is what I do. I take Ambien, and to keep my dose low I supplement with melatonin, tryptophan, and valerian root when I need an extra kick into sleepiness. I’ve heard CBD is also quite effective for this. Magnesium reportedly also helps with restful sleep, but get a sleep formulation because magnesium in the wrong form causes diarrhea.

Don’t underestimate sleep hygiene. For a long time I had the attitude of “I have real sleep problems, basic stuff like cutting back caffeine is not going to help.” The thing is, when taken together, that kind of stuff actually can help tremendously. I scheduled a month where I went hardcore on sleep hygiene. Strict caffeine limits, no late caffeine or exercise, don’t do anything on your bed but sleep and sex, wake up at the same early time every day even when you don’t have to, limit screens before, bed… I mean ALL of it. I found that it actually really helped. In combination with medication it might be a life saver.

Good luck!
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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice! I have a few months off this summer so going to dedicate that time to relearning how to live, hah
  
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BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Proper meditation training, and I’m not talking about some quick-fix youtube video.

I’m talking about weeks or months of training, like you’d do at a gym for your body. Just sit down, and focus on not thinking. You’re going to fail a lot as your mind tries to wander, but keep practicing until you can do it for longer and longer. Do this before bed each night, and don’t stimulate yourself in any way (no electronics, no book, no talking, no eating) between the meditation and the sleeping.

Also, trying to have a routine for your bedtime is excellent. Make it into a ritual so your brain gets used to it. Meditate, Go get a glass of water, Put it on your bedside table in the same spot, then go pee, remove and put your clothes in the hamper, climb into bed, get into your preferred sleeping position, and then I usually continue the meditation and I’m out before I know it.

Do this process slowly, there’s no rush. Calm everything. It takes time to complete, but it’s still faster than laying awake for hours like I used to.

Sounds like hokey bullshit, but it works amazingly. It’s like counting sheep on steroids (to continue the gym metaphor)

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice!
  
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dustyData@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
If the Xanax is helping that much, you might have to start considering that maybe your sleep issues are anxiety related. Try to enlist the help of professionally trained psychologist. Sometimes lay therapists could help, but the pros can diagnose and team with psychiatrists to prescribe medication. However, depending on the severity of the issue, you might not even need meds. Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually extremely effective at dealing with anxiety, PTSD and related issues that can cause sleep deprivation. Mental health is complex and reaching for drugs out of desperation can go really really bad really fast.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Yeah, this is definitely me. I’ve tried talking to someone before but it didn’t go well. Hard to find the right person.
  
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  - dustyData@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I know it can be frustrating and particularly hard with insurance limitations and all of those obstacles. But finding the right person can mark an extraordinary difference.
    
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dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I don’t have an answer and it may not apply to you but Benzos like Xanax are dangerous man.

Like it was nearly the end of me, yet I still get nostalgic for them. Be careful is alls I’m saying.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I hear you. I have addictive tendencies so it probably would backfire.
  
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  - dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Honestly if this helps I was wasted on Xans one night and ended up falling in a canal alone and was terrified.
    
    I threw away my stash, not knowing you should taper and can die just stopping.
    
    What proceeded was a week of me lay in bed unable to eat but starving, twitching like a crack head at any movement, insomnia, shaking, sweats like nothing else, panic attacks and just generally wanting to die.
    
    As I said before they feel that good that I would probably have been back on them if I didn’t stop going on the DarkWeb and falling out the loop with marketplaces.
    
    I know it must be hard with your sleep issues, even more so as doctors are not keen on prescribing sleeping tablets due to the addictive nature of them, but I do hope you find a solution that works.
    
    Finally I hope you don’t think I am lecturing you, just really wanted to stress how hard benzos are.
    
    That said if a doctor prescribed them to you then they would manage any tapering off when it was time to come off them.
    
    Good luck.
    
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Wanderer@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Don’t know if you tried this. The only thing that stops me from sleeping is my own brain

Military sleep method

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umbrella@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
weed

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weariedfae@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
What, specifically, have they tried? Did you try trazodone? I don’t think Xanax is the solution you think it may be even though it worked for you.

Is the issue falling asleep or staying asleep? Do you have an idea of what prevents you from falling asleep? What do you think about when you’re in bed falling asleep? What is your natural sleep cycle timeline? In other words, when do you naturally get sleepy and if given no restrictions, when would you wake up? How is your sleep hygiene (really, not just what you tell people)?

Do not, I repeat, do not go in there asking for Xanax or you will be labeled a drug seeker permanently. A doctor is not going to give you Xanax for this, full stop. They’re going to ask all of the above questions and try other avenues first. If they suspect an anxiety disorder they will move up that avenue and you may need a benzo but you have to be under care for a while and basically prove you’re trustworthy.

I have massive sleep problems too but you don’t have enough information in your post to give any other advice other than the standard sleep hygiene stuff you’ve already been told.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Trazadone was pretty intolerable with all the dry mouth side effects, plus it didn’t really help sleep a ton. I have a lot of problems with stress and anxiety. From a stressful job, to an insane family and some horrific life shit that happened over the past years. It’s tough to get my mind to stop racing sometimes. I’ve depended too much on substances in the past to manage it, and I know that probably means something habit forming may backfire. Honestly I’m always tired, but at times I’ll just lay there, tossing back and forth. Without restrictions, I can normally sleep from about 10PM-6AM, that seems to be the pattern for this point in my life. I’ve recently tried to start going for a hike at sunrise and that did help. Going to get back to doing that soon.
  
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  - Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I know it feels tangential to getting a good night’s sleep when you haven’t had one in a long time, but if you have access to therapy consider making an appointment. Any one of those would be worth time with a therapist, and mental wellness definitely affects your sleep quality. This isn’t to say it’s all in your head or your fault you can’t sleep or anything like that, just that your mental health is as important a contributor to your wellness as your physical health.
    
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deranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
There are no effective long term sleep medications except possibly THC. They’re all habit forming and you will get a tolerance, which will make sleeping impossible when you stop taking them. Benzodiazepines are garbage drugs and you will get addicted taking them for sleep. I had a nasty habit for years and kicking it was one of the worst things I’ve had to do. Please do not get involved with benzos.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  For THC I’ve switched over to edibles and they do help sometimes. Had to stop smoking it for various health reasons.
  
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  - Slayan@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Did you try cbd then? One of my coworker swear by it. One or two drop under the the tongue and he goes to sleep like a baby.
    
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- weariedfae@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I don’t discount your experience but I want to point out that benzos can be a very useful tool for people, especially with panic disorder, and they’re not inherently a trash drug.
  
  While some people may develop a problem, others are able to use them on an as-needed basis long term. I’m sorry you struggled but glad you were able to overcome it. It’s absolutely understandable why you would feel negatively towards benzos as a whole.
  
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  - ultranaut@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It’s possible to be both a useful and trash drug. Benzos are inherently dangerous in ways that lots of other drugs are not, it is very easy to fuck up your life with them.
    
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  - deranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I’d still call them bad drugs. I’ve seen more people get their lives fucked up than get better, as they’re frequently inappropriately prescribed for long term use to treat the symptom without addressing the cause. Benzos are also one of the few drugs that can kill you with withdrawal, and the withdrawal lasts significantly longer than opiates. They’re essential for treating acute anxiety, but I really think the manner in which they’re prescribed needs to be improved. I think it would be a good thing to move away from the benzodiazepine class altogether to a more specific drug that doesn’t just hammer GABA receptors so broadly.
    
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lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Yeah it’s hard to help because you didn’t go into the nature of your sleep issues, but I hX wicked bad insomnia for about 2 decades and sleep great now. CBD/weed helped immensely as well as getting a white noise machine.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice!
  
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SupraMario@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Do you drink a lot of caffeine and sugary drinks?

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  No sugar, too much black coffee though. Only drink black coffee, sparkling water and regular water.
  
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  - August27th@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Brother, if you are having sleep issues and haven’t cut out caffeine yet, you owe it to yourself to start weaning off of it asap and see how that works for you. I can’t have any caffeine after noon, for instance, or else my sleep is fucked.
    
    Other folks on here have already made the Xanax-anxiety connection for you, so I think it’s relevant to point out that in some people, caffeine is an anxiogenic, just saying.
    
    I hope you find better sleep even if this is a dead end.
    
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neutron@thelemmy.club ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Do a sleep study when it’s possible, OP. If it’s sleep apnea, a proper CPAP therapy can definitely help.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I need to do this. My dentist recommended I should get a study, can’t remember why, but he referenced something about my tongue / mouth.
  
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foggy@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Sleep is a multifaceted problem. It can be dietary, it can be psychological.

If there is a mountain with a trailhead near you… And I mean like at least 3 miles out, so 6 miles round trip. And I mean at least 1500ft of vertical gain…

Have a day with no caffeine. Eat small snacks during the morning/day. Hike that mountain. No breaks allowed. Go as slow as you need to go in order to not stop. Go as fast as you can. Bring plenty of water.

After, eat a huge dinner. Lots of carbs. Like a spaghetti pizza or something insane on the carb front.

Take a CBN supplement about 2-3 hrs later.

Stop using your phone at this time. Read a book for an hour. Go to bed.

If you struggle after all of this, see a specialist. Because that’s fucked.

Like, even if you’re massively anxious, and your diet sucks… You’ll be out like a light. Unless there’s other issues.

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Septimaeus@infosec.pub ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Go camping together. Nothing fancy, just a weekend at a park with a small tent and backpacks.

Let your team know you’ll be unreachable. Once there, phones off. No working. Just walk and talk, rest and eat, explore your surroundings, focus on what and who is in front of you.

You may not sleep well on night 1, but you will on night 2, especially if you covered some ground that day. The morning after night 3, however, will be the most well-rested you’ve felt in a some time. The effect carries to subsequent nights, then eventually wears off, but can give you the chance to restructure your days for better sleep in the long term. Use as needed.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I’ve been meaning to go to Yosemite and see the redwoods, maybe it’s time for a road trip!
  
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Anticorp@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Here’s what worked for me when I was an insomniac.

Tune out. Turn off the news. Block it from your life. Disengage from all politics.

Meditate at least once per day. Start out with one minute of meditation and increase the time as you get better at it.

Try to get some physical exercise every couple of days if you can. Bodybuilding works great, but it’s a difficult habit to form if you’re a depressed insomniac.

Turn off all electronic screens at least 2 hours before bed time.

Use incandescent or color temp adjusting LED lights for warm lighting in the evening. Turn light intensity down a couple hours before bed.

No caffeine after 3 pm. None! That includes chocolate.

Eat a balanced meal a couple hours before bed.

Drink chamomile and valerian root tea an hour before bedtime, and then go to bed.

Go to bed an hour before you need to be asleep and start reading. Read something boring. The Bible often works for me, but you can pick whatever makes you sleepy.

Get a white noise machine if there is background noise where you sleep.

Don’t lay in bed at any other point during the day. Don’t have a TV in the bedroom. The bed and bedroom needs to be a place of sleep and rest. Keep it sacred.

It takes some discipline and it certainly requires changing your habits, but that worked for me. In 2020 I was getting less than 2 hours of sleep per night, and I lost 15 pounds. I felt like I was literally dying all day, and I probably actually was. I implemented all of those changes and my sleep returned. I slept like crazy for a long time, getting caught up. Now my sleep schedule is pretty healthy, and I feel safe saying that I’ve mostly cured my chronic insomnia. Good luck to you!

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- Drummyralf@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Not a doctor, but I believe people should be careful with selfmedicating melatonine. Each person needs a different amount and at different times to make it effective. Too much melatonine can actually make you sleepy during daytime, or have an adverse effect on sleep.
  
  Rest of the tips are great.
  
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  - retrieval4558@mander.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Agree wholeheartedly with this comment and the parent comment.
    
    It’s frustrating to hear but sleep hygiene is the answer for the vast majority of people.
    
    Xanax and benzos in general will make your sleep worse in the long term. Medium term even. They should be avoided.
    
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  - HelixDab2@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Too much melatonin–about about 5mg for most people–tends to cause nightmares.
    
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Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
In addition to good sleep hygiene and trying to get a sleep study as others have suggested, a white noise machine that you turn on only at bedtime is great as a “go to sleep” signal for your brain. It also should make you less likely to wake up from noise during the night.

I take gabapentin at night to help me sleep, and it works pretty well. It’s non addictive so I’m not worried about dependency. But it works well for me because of what’s stopping me from sleeping (nerve pain). Without pinpointing why you can’t sleep well it’s going to be hard to treat it.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice, I have a Snooz white noise machine and love it.
  
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- otacon239@feddit.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I can second the white noise. I fall asleep to a mix of rain, wind and rolling thunder pretty much every night. It probably takes about half the time it used to now that I do it as a habit.
  
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AwkwardTurtle@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have really terrible insomnia too. Then I tried my friends Pregabalin, and oh boy. Never had such a restful sleep.

It is a bit habit forming, but if you keep it to just before bedtime it’s a wonderful sleep aid, and much less risky than Xanax.

It’s not without its risks of course, and some people are better with it than others, but might be worth asking your doctor about. They prescribe it for almost anything where I’m from.

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- mrbaby@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Pregabalin actually has the opposite effect on me, it wakes me up so I take it in the morning. It also gives me some pretty bad withdrawals if I miss a dose by more than 24hrs. I’m only on 400mg and it’s one of the few drugs I’ve been on that actually help with my depression, so not bashing it, just sharing my experience. :)
  
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  - AwkwardTurtle@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    That’s fair, I have also heard that effect happens to some people. I should also mention when I used it for sleep I tried to use it very sparingly, and never try to exceed much higher than 150mg for sleep. Otherwise higher doses get too groovy for me haha
    
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Chef_Boyardee@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Take up a sport. Kick the crap out of yourself with some intense cardio or something.

And sorry you can’t smoke pot due to health reasons. That’s what I do. I dislike exercise.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Going to start going for hikes at sunrise again, definitely could use more exercise
  
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RBWells@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’m not a doctor, and certainly not your doctor. But agree with the comment about anxiety - if the Xanax helps, you are treating anxiety that’s keeping you awake, right?

Have you tried running? Or some other tiring physical activity? I’m wound pretty tight and without physical exercise, preferably to the point of exhaustion, it’s very difficult for my brain to let go. But with physical exhaustion from physical activity comes mental relaxation.

You know the Xanax helps, are there other times you’ve had good sleep? Do you know what the conditions were that let you fall and stay asleep?

Also one of my kids got relief by taking Adderall, as counterintuitive as that sounds, helping the ADD helped her sleep even though she was taking literal speed. So please go to a doctor who can evaluate you for anything that might be going on in your mind, you might have room for more improvement than you think. And really - exercise.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I have an unusual amount of fucked up shit that’s happened in my life and enough demons pulling on me to end the story. I have some months off soon so I’m going to focus on health and wellness hopefully. I started hiking at sunrise, which was great for a few months. I have the bad habit of reverting.
  
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- borari@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  if the Xanax helps, you are treating anxiety that’s keeping you awake, right?
  
  I am also not a doctor, but I just want to point out that xans can knock you out regardless of anxiety. I absolutely do not have anxiety, but I go straight to sleep if I recreationally take xans. Snorting some roxy’s and passing out doesn’t mean you’ve treated underlying pain you didn’t know you had either, you’re just taking something that’s a sedative and becoming sedated.
  
  Correlation vs causation and all that.
  
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  - RBWells@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I cannot believe I forgot yin yoga. Yin yoga knocks me out better than drugs. Do it in the bed. Lots of forward folds calms your nerves, tricks your brain into feeling safe. You can look them up online, and do them all with pillows stuffed in the spaces where you can’t reach (like if you are bending over your legs put a pillow between your belly and legs) don’t use effort. Hold each pose a long time - 4-6 minutes.
    
    Seconding the recommendation for Nidra too, but Yin I find works better to lull my brain into sleep.
    
    One thing I read that stayed with me was “vigilance is the enemy of sleep”. Since you are so stressed with work, probably your mind stays on alert. It’s counterproductive but normal, it’s like it thinks it’s your turn to watch for threats all night long. The yin yoga fights that feeling very well.
    
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alphacyberranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Sometimes when I’m sleepless for few nights, what I do is workout, try my finish my work for the next day and get myself really tired. Also try to calm your mind before going to sleep, too many thoughts can keep your brain active. Also try changes mattress, blankets and pillows ( the shape matters as well as the material ).

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice. I definitely need to learn how to calm my mind. Going to take a meditation class or something along those lines.
  
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  - alphacyberranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Music also helps me. Try Lo-fi music. Use any music player app with a timer. A good pillow was a game changer as well.
    
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thezeesystem@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have had frequent problems with sleep too. Due to trauma I have no memories up that come up when I’m about to sleep.

Suggestion from me is fine a good therapist, not for medication but to understand why exactly ots happening, if it’s physical or mental. It’s ok and completely understandable to deal a therapist and talk to your doctor more to not try to necessarily solve it. But to figure why it happing in the first place.

Get a therapist that doesn’t try to fix you or try to make you fit into mold. Therapist are supposed to help you discover things about yourself and understand your self better.

This is from my decade’s long experience with mental and physical health problems.

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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  As a pessimistic introvert who generally avoids people at all costs, it seems so against my grain. But what I’ve been doing has obviously not been working. Hoping I can find someone genuine out there.
  
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  - Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I love that some douche downvoted this. What a miserable slob you’d need to be.
    
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HappyRedditRefugee@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Op, I have been suffering from sleep issues for years, what I found it works:

Sleep/Awake (roughtly) at the same time every day

No alcohol

No Caffeine after 15:00

Weed (if you don’t want/can getting high, CBD is legal almost everywhere, but tbh CBD does nothing for me

Melotonin (otc, helps sleep, not adictive)

Sports
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- Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the advice!
  
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InternetUser2012@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I get anxiety and have sleep problems too. My good friend gave me some of the cbd thc gummies. I take like 5mg and sleep great. Eventually you build up a tolerance, so for me, every 4 months I take a week off and sleep like shit to reset the tolerance and I’m good to go again. I don’t know if it’s a legal option for you, but it’s a game changer.

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Today@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Have you tried CBN?

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