Anybody else Dealing with Severe Persistent Insomnia?

[Dragi316]

Well some of you know I've been dealing with a crippling fear of CJD and Fatal Insomnia. Lately I was starting to sleep a little better . It was still taking me a couple hours to fall asleep. But when I did I was getting at least 3 to 4 hours of sleep . Not great but definitely a improvement . But the last 3 nights I have been getting the severe Insomnia again , Tossing and turning all night and sleeping only about a hour a night! God I'm so frustrated about this. The Doc increased my Trazodone to 200mg but it hasn't helped at all.I am wondering does anybody else have a long standing Insomnia like this? I'm really starting seriously freak out that it really is Fatal Insomnia. Plus my eye hasn't stopped watering for over a month and Excessive Tearing of the eyes is also a symptom of Fatal Insomnia. God it's a never ending cycle of Prion Disease fear. I just want to check myself into a nuthouse.

[swanlinnet]

So sorry to hear about the insomnia.

Yes; I did have insomnia and understand just how you must be feeling.

What I did learn, though, through experiencing the symptoms you speak about are
two things :-

In going to bed trying to 'force myself to sleep' I was making matters worse. Like you, I would lie awake in bed for hours' and still sleep eluded me. And so what I have learned is if I do not drift off in roughly half an hour or so then I get out of bed and do something.

Also; I remember at that time I was on certain medication and found out through my experience of that medication that it did liven me up a few hours after taking it. And, of course, as the dose increased, so did the enlivening. The bottom line is, I accepted that as long as I needed the medication (Which was a strong pain killer after cartilidge surgery) I would have to tailor my sleep pattern, not to the clock, but to when I had been awake for my usual fifteen or sixteen hours.

Since I work for myself it was good not to have to meet any deadlines. (In fact that is one reason why I began to work for myself since I never have been able to fall into tune with the regular nine-to-five regimented timetable.

It could be your medication does, at some point, enliven you. This you can discover for yourself.

One thing I ran into was boredom since all of my friends were sound asleep when I was awake. :) But, as it happens, I did discover a couple of people I knew who also had what I now call irregualr sleep patterns.

Hope this helps a little bit.

I still work all hours and today it is not unusual for me to be wide awake till 3 or 4.ooam. I beleive we will sleep when the time is ready.

Good luck, Vince:)

[Beyonderz]

Sorry to hear. I have actually experienced sever sleeping problems when I had panic disorder. Sometimes I wasn't able to sleep 3 days in a row, and was walking around like a zombie.
After I started my medication, it got better and better. The doctor especially recommended me to use the medicine, that makes me sleepy, at night. The anxiety medicine in the morning (because it was making me wide awake). So they balanced each other and it got better in 1-2 months.
When you are not able to sleep, don't force yourself to sleep. Try to do other things until you feel like sleeping again. Or you can just find things to occupy your mind, like designing things, listening to some radio program and imagining those people's gestures when talking, etc etc. You can be creative.
I was decorating an empty apartment in my mind :D That worked well for me. Of course it's not easy. It's so hard to fall a sleep when you can not.