How I beat insomnia

I struggled out here in Japan for a few months with insomnia. It basically started when I took a sleeping pill (benzo) that my girlfriend's mother gave to me one day when I couldn't sleep. I basically had rebound insomnia and I was drinking to pass out.

I tried Valerian root but it just made me lay awake. Melatonin just made me tired but wouldn't knock me out.

Finally I just decided to work out nonstop until I almost passed out. I went home and finally fell asleep. Since then I have stopped drinking completely and I'm sleeping 8 hours a night.

I also bought the book Say Goodnight to Insomnia. That really helped me overcome some of the fear I had of lack of sleep.

 

No Ben Askren or Jon Fitch joke?

 

Good enough for me.

 

What's in it?

 

Basically information on how your body sleeps due to a drop in body temperature. Also, that there is a lot of misinformation on insomnia and that most insomniacs don't have anxiety but try too hard to sleep. Most insomniacs start by some event that triggers a lack of sleep and you have to retrain your body to sleep again(through exercise, diet, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, etc...)

 

Just beat it.

 

Doesn't work for insomnia, but helps you fall asleep faster if you already sleep well.

 

Haha I was just bein an ass, doesn't work for me either. I don't like sleeping pills so I just suffer.

 

If you want to try and break out of it send me a PM. I think I can help most people because I had it pretty bad and was able to break out of it.

And if anybody else needs help send me a PM. I can give you some tips and maybe develop a plan for you. Insomnia is torture, but it doesn't have to be a permanent situation.

 

Might have to pick up that book. I've been on Ambien for 2 years, but I'm trying to stop

 

There is a 6 week program to ween off of sleeping pills. I was lucky that I refused to take them. I've heard it's hard to stop.

 

Drunk and have sex = go to sleep.

 

honestly i used to have insomnia until i started deep breathing. It works for my anxiety and passes me out after like 5 mins ever time. even when I am in sort of a "realization" that Im falling asleep, I still go out.

 

Another thing to consider is magnesium supplements. I read an article online that said magnesium deficiency was found in something like 70% of insomniacs they tested. I usually take a calcium and magnesium supplement everyday and it seems to help.

 

This

 

Alcohol doesn't allow you to go in to "deep sleep". You pass out but it is much different from natural sleep.

 

I've been using melatonin; it makes me go to sleep fine, but I'm always tired.

 

Yeah I took it once with wine so I wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night, but I woke up the next day still groggy. You should stop taking it, get a lot of sun in the morning and run a few miles. You will sleep well. Also try some Sleepy time tea.

 

sex is the ultimate sleep aid, corrects my sleep cycle each time.

 

Also makes it very difficult to drive to that guy's mother's house.