Are you an Insomniac?

I do have medication to sleep but personally, I get more done at night when the rest of the world is sleeping. Some look as insomnia as a curse, for me, well, I have become used to it.

I have had chronic insomnia for over 8 years and been medicated for that long. Before medication I tried everything OTC as well as holistic remidies, herbs, etc. Nothing worked until I started taking Ambien. Since then I have done 4 sleep studies. They can find no medical reason for the insomnia. But I can neither fall asleep nor stay asleep without medication. 2 times I tried to go off my meds and was up for 2 weeks. I had auditory and visual hallucinations. I can't go off my meds. I have tried everything, Ambien, Ambien CR, Halceon, Soma, Sonata, Lunesta, Amatryptiline (sp), and Restoril. Ambien and Halceon worked the best. I am now on Seroquel because everything stopped working because I had taken it for so long. Now this med is giving me horrible nightmares and dreams, so much so that I am waking 3 -4 times a night because of these strange dreams. Time to find something else but I don't go back to the doc for another month or so. If I am in a pinch I take a 3 or 4 Benedril. My friend who is a nurse told me about that and it works. I would only do it in a pinch if I didn't have my other meds though and not for any extended period of time. At times I did put my insomnia to work for me. In the last 7 years I have gotten my master's degree, principal's license, and finished my course work for my Ph.D. and superintendent's license all while teaching full time, owning a business and raising twins with my husband. If you can make it work for you do it! I usually get around 5 hours of sleep if I am lucky! Sometimes less if I am under a crunch! Good luck!

I have this insomnia for as long as I can remember. My mother used to let me take a glass of warm chocolate milk before bedtime. She used to say it shall help me get to sleep. The doctor advised me to stay tuck in bed everynight at 8:00. He said that even if I do not get the 8 hours sleep I'll need each day, being rested for at least the same number of hours will greatly help in renewing my strength. Taking daily exercises will also help in promoting better sleeping hours. Do some every morning.