What have you found to be the best solutions for insomnia?
Hello everyone, i have been struggling with insomnia for about a month now, getting an average of 3-4 hrs a night if lucky i get 5-6 (like once or twice a week) It is really driving me insane, i used to be happy and normal a month ago. Then i missed a nights sleep and anxiety about sleeping set in big time. I was prescribed xanax and i took some before bed which helped for a little while but then after did not help and it left me in a fog with no sleep. I tried ambien and did not like it and it only worked twice and kept me sleeping for only 5 hrs. I am now starting to ween myself off the xanax slowly. I am now trying lunesta, this was my second night taking it and it didnt really work well only 4 hrs sleep (if that). I was looking for opinions… should i keep on the lunesta and drugs, or try to go it drug free? What has best helped everyone. I soon will be seeing a sleep therapist, but would like to hear your expeirences and what has worked best for other fellow insomniacs?
The best solution for insomnia is to try and find the cause of your insomnia. Causes of insomnia can include, anxiety, stress, withdrawal reactions or adverse reactions to medications or alcohol. It can also have medical causes eg thyroid. In your case from what I am reading it just seems anxiety related where you didn't sleep for one night and then got worried about it and it triggered off an worry about not sleeping that is now causing you not to be able to sleep.
Unfortunately these sleep aids cause rapid tolerance development and people find they stop working after a few weeks or months of regular use. If you are trying to wean yourself off xanax you should join this withdrawal support group if you are having difficulty http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/
Lunesta works the same way on the brain as xanax. It is technically a nonbenzodiazepine but it is just molecularly different from benzodiazepines like xanax but it still works on benzodiazepine receptors.
You better be careful your body doesn't become dependent/addicted to these drugs or else you will never be able to sleep without sleep aids. Long term use of sleep aids often leads to a worsening of sleep quality as well with desruption of REM stage sleep. A natural sleep is better than a drug induced sleep.
You should seek counselling or CBT to overcome the anxiety related to your sleeping.