11-06-2020, 10:44 PM
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#42
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Winchestertonfieldville Jail
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thc/cbd has been awesome for me. I take .3-.5mg 15:15 tincture after work before the gym and after when I get home. Sleep 7-8 hrs easy a night and wake up feeling great. This is coming from a guy that battled insomnia for years and years, highly recommend it for the people battling it.
Working out + Limiting Caffeine and a decent diet are key.
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11-06-2020, 10:56 PM
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#43
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Franchise Player
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First I'm sorry to hear she's going through that. The impact lack of sleep over a sustained period can have on your life is massive. I am a diagnosed insomniac and went through a horrible bout a number of years ago. It was the worst time of my life by far.
So I will offer up some of the things that have helped me
Most importantly, get help. There is help available. I would recommend looking into the centre for human performance (if you are in Calgary). The doctors there, I feel without exaggeration, saved my life.
There is medication available that if prescribed and used correctly can also help in the short-term. I used zoplicone for a while and switched to zolpidem a couple years ago which has been far better for me when you need it. Obviously should be done under a doctor's care and advice. I only use it on an as needed basis now.
Melatonin can help but use it correctly. I highly recommend the melatonin strips available from Shoppers Drug Mart, from Jamesons. They are like the little breath strips you can find - but melatonin. I started with a third of a strip, placed under the tongue, and it worked better than pills. The key is to use correctly - meaning don't take it at bed. Take it about an hour before bed when she is ready to wind down. That means no more lights, no more computer, no more phone. It is a trick to your mind and is best used when paired with dim or no light.
If she watches TV to wind down (as I do) then purchase some blue light suppressing glasses. They look silly but they were a game changer for me.
There are several basic sleep hygiene things that can help too:
- No late night snacking
- Don't exercise late in the night (but general exercise can help)
- Breathing exercises can help
- Light therapy in the morning can help.
Sleep is a relationship between sleep drive and your mental arousal. When that is out of whack - you have issues. My sleep doctor put me on a program where they made my bed time even later. So if my bed time was 12-7, they told me to go to bed at 1 to drive up my sleep drive. Then slowly cut back in 5 minute increments to return to a normal amount of sleep. Again, a professional should help with this.
There is help. She need not suffer. Some of these things are things she can do herself, but I would highly recommend getting help from an actual sleep doctor.
Please PM if you ever want to connect 1:1 on it, or have her connect with me. I don't want to claim to be a professional but unfortunately I have lived with this, including quite severely for 2 years, so I can share my experience. Insomnia may never be fully resolved, but it can be managed so that one's life returns to normal. i have set backs but now I know what to do when they happen to avoid going into the very deep and very dark place I found myself in years ago.
Best wishes.
EDIT: I did not answer any questions about CBD. I think it can help but I would encourage again to seek some expert help.
EDIT: I see you say she's used the strips. Make sure she's doing the right things in terms of how she's using them - how long before bed and how she's unwinding. That's key.
Last edited by Jiri Hrdina; 11-06-2020 at 11:09 PM.
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11-12-2020, 12:17 PM
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#44
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Franchise Player
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Taking stuff, meditation, diet, activities etc. do affect my insomnia, and most of this stuff there's guides out there, professionals who can help etc. but I often find doing the absolute opposite helps my situation.
This means when I feel I have a bout of insomnia, I don't bother sleeping. I don't think anyone would generally suggest this.
If I cannot sleep, I immediately go and start doing productive things that I didn't get to during the day/week. This is more like undone chores, cleaning, tidying, work, planning/lists, projects around the house, work out etc. not social media, games, media binge etc. Sometimes, I just can't sleep because I guess I presume I am a bit anxious of things that aren't done or the house is a mess etc. and the expectations of the world are just piling higher and higher threatening to crush me. The more I try to sleep, the less likely I am to sleep anyways and a night cap, meditation, CBD, etc. aren't going to help too much.
Usually I'll get out of bed, spend around 45 minutes to 1.5 hours doing things and then go back to bed and see if I'm ready to sleep. If 10-15 minutes later I'm still awake in bed, rinse and repeat.
My thought process is that if I'm screwed anyways and only going to get maybe 2-3 hours of sleep total by rolling in bed, I might as well not bother. Instead I'll plan on getting 1-3 hours, extra is bonus, but also I'll have far less menial things that can become proverbial straws that break the camel's back. (or bluntly speaking, perhaps a few less things that my spouse can nag me on).
Yeah, the next day is likely still a ####ty day, but not a ####ty day with as many really dumb and small things that speed up the rush, anxiety and panic.
Like, as much as I'd love to get out of bed and start working in advance and taking a nap later on, I usually can't muster that mental energy at the dead of night. I count it a blessng if I can muster up the motivation to work at the dead of night though and I will do it as much as possible so I can bank some productivity for an especially bad day.
The next day still sucks due to lack of sleep, but at least it's a crappy day that doesn't have me making a second trip to the store for things I missed, missing/rushing garbage/recycling/compost, injuries from toys, no clean dishes or clothes etc. adding to a rush when I'm mentally fried which adds anxiety and decision/depression paralysis.
Good luck and restful moments for all of ya'll. Insomnia sucks. I hope you guys find methods that work for you.
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11-12-2020, 02:18 PM
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#45
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Franchise Player
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^The "reset" is a valid strategy. When you go to bed you should be sleeping within 20 minutes. If you aren't, and if you are vulnerable to feeling anxious about sleeping - at that stage it's a good step to get up and "reset". Sitting there and stressing about sleep won't help.
And don't look at the clock, and start doing "sleep math". Don't do that. I know you want to. Don't.
In fact I got rid of all clocks in our bedroom except for my phone, which I never look at the time on during the night.
I would generally say avoid a lot of activities that will make you more awake (e.g. chores and certainly work) but everyone is different. The general recommendation is to get up and go back to doing some relaxing activity - reading, tv, meditation - whatever you thing is. Given it 30-45 minutes and then go back to bed.
Sometimes my reset also involves just changing the location. If I can't sleep - I'll get up, reset but then crash on the couch.
But again everyone is different. Find what works and repeat.
Last edited by Jiri Hrdina; 11-12-2020 at 06:09 PM.
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11-12-2020, 02:25 PM
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#46
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
^The "reset" is a valid strategy. When you go to bed you should be sleeping within 20 minutes. If you aren't, and if you are vulnerable to feeling anxious about sleeping - at that stage it's a good step to get up and "reset". Sitting their and stressing about sleep won't help.
And don't look at the clock, and start doing "sleep math". Don't do that. I know you want to. Don't.
In fact I got rid of all clocks in our bedroom except for my phone, which I never look at the time on during the night.
I would generally say avoid a lot of activities that will make you more awake (e.g. chores and certainly work) but everyone is different. The general recommendation is to get up and go back to doing some relaxing activity - reading, tv, meditation - whatever you thing is. Given it 30-45 minutes and then go back to bed.
Sometimes my reset also involves just changing the location. If I can't sleep - I'll get up, reset but then crash on the couch.
But again everyone is different. Find what works and repeat.
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I agree with this. If im not asleep in 20-30 mins I get up for 20-30 mins. No phone or TV though. I will read or take the dog for a walk or something, then try again.
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11-13-2020, 08:28 AM
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#47
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First Line Centre
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My old man has sleep issues. Seems be getting worse. He gets really upset and when we visit we can hear him thrashing around, deep frustrated sighs, some swearing, etc. he’s never been able to manage it and won’t seek help. Recently however he started some CBD (don’t know dose) and it’s helped a lot. But he’s still the same high strung anxious heavily planned A type and that won’t change. Especially since he won’t even try.
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11-15-2020, 01:54 PM
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#48
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titan
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I have been using a modified version of this trick for years and I will say that 9/10 times it works like a charm. As the first article said, it take some time to train yourself into using it properly.
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