insomnia

[Judy2]

hey there:)

i thought i'd just ask about this rather sooner than later.

not sure why, but it started maybe four weeks ago that i have difficulty falling asleep on most days, and difficulty sleeping through/falling back asleep on some. usually that's even after quite active days where i went outside for walks and also ate healthy food... i know i'm sensitive to caffeine and never have caffeine any later than 1pm anyway, so this can't be it. it's mostly just annoying when i know i should use the time at night to be sleeping, and i know i felt tired before i went to bed, but then i still can't fall asleep.

in case this matters, the last bloodwork i had done a few months ago didn't indicate any deficiencies and i supplement omega-3, folate, and magnesium.

 

i'd be happy to hear some advice or suggestions regarding this issue:) 

[Michael569]

4 hours ago, Judy2 said:

but it started maybe four weeks ago

what's been going on the past couple weeks? New job? change in life environment? breakup? bereavement? any new stressor added to your life? 

What is the pattern like? Do you fall asleep and then wake up or do you take a long time to fall asleep? How much sleep do you usually get? 

Insomnia tends to be more emotionally-related rather than biochemically but neither should be rulled out. Some things to look into potentially: 

• are you getting sufficient daylight exposure the first 30-minutes after waking up? 
• how much time on average do you spend in front of screens? (inc. tablets, phones, PC, laptop, TV, LED readers) 
• could you be over caffeinating? (also consider hidden sources like energy drinks, preworkouts, chocolate, green tea, black tea, oolong tea, certain painkillers) 
• are you taking any regular medication that could be contributing to it? (e.g. neurostimulants etc) 
• are you sleeping in bed with someone else? 
• are you making sure your room is ventilated enough? (you might be sensitive to increased concentration of C02 at night - try opening windows or your bedroom doors) 
• is your room too hot/cold/humid/dry 
• do you tend to associate your bed with sleeplessness? Does your body get agitated by the site of your bed? 
• do you have any signs of restlesness? (biting nails, teeth griding at night, restless leg under table, neediness to play with objects, difficulty focusing) 
• do you suffer from anxiety or depression? do you take any meds for it? 
• are you currently undergoing something stressful? (preparing for exams, moving etc)  
• do you tend to eat late at night
• do you eat enough? 
• do you avoid any food groups? (carbs, fats, sugar etc) 
• when is your first and last meal? (with regards to your bed time and wake up time)  
• do you drink alcohol? 
• how is your phone usage 2 hours prior to bedtime? 
• are you taking any new supplements or herbs? 
• have you ever had your iron checked? thyroid? 

4 hours ago, Judy2 said:

in case this matters, the last bloodwork i had done a few months ago didn't indicate any deficiencies and i supplement omega-3, folate, and magnesium

Potentially unrelated but you could try some magnesium glycinate during the day, start with 100mg. Careful that it doesn't add up to magnesium from other sources you are already taking like multinutrient supplements or targeted formulas. 

 

 

Edited September 24 by Michael569

[Schizophonia]

@Judy2 Do you compulsively have too stimulant thoughts ?

[gettoefl]

Climate has been unusually sticky during these last throes of summer

That has affected my sleep quality quite a bit recently

I don't think it will persist

[Judy2]

@Michael569 thank you for all of the suggestions/questions, Michael:)

there are definitely some things in there that i could pay more attention to.

the pattern is usually that it takes me a long time to fall asleep (like several hours after going to bed), and i've had maybe three of four days where i woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back asleep for several hours.

actually i would say that i have reduced my screentime in the past few weeks and done more things offline, like embroidery and reading. so it's strange that despite these changes, sleep quality has been declining? emotional turmoil is definitely a factor though, but that isn't really new.

is magnesium glycinate different from the regular magnesium i get at the drugstore? on the packaging of my current supplement it says magnesium oxide and it's combined with B12.

[Judy2]

@Schizophonia yes. i guess it's especially bad at night in bed because there's not much to distract me. 

 

[Judy2]

@gettoefl i think the moon also got quite close to earth last week? might be that that had some sort of impact, who knows.

Edited September 24 by Judy2

[Schizophonia]

20 minutes ago, Judy2 said:

@Schizophonia yes. i guess it's especially bad at night in bed because there's not much to distract me. 

 

Do you have sleep anxiety ? Ruminations ?

It's normal to think, but you're supposed to have "low vigilance fuzzy thoughts" that allow you to fall asleep, not too serious thoughts.

[Michael569]

49 minutes ago, Judy2 said:

s magnesium glycinate different from the regular magnesium i get at the drugstore? on the packaging of my current supplement it says magnesium oxide and it's combined with B12.

mostly just better absorbtion - but I feel this won't be fixed by supplements, there is something else going on. 

It is really hard to give targeted advice without knowing more but maybe reflect on some of those points and see which of those are low hanging fruit and gradually cross those of the list which do not apply. 

There are also forms of sleep retraining but you'd have to work with someone on a more one to one basis. 

Also make sure to speak to AI about it all, describe your experience in the deepest possible detail and let it give you some practical advice

 

[Judy2]

@Schizophonia  i'm struggling with that.

[Judy2]

@Michael569 okay:) thanks again.

[Judy2]

for example last night i kept myself busy working on my embroidery until i felt very tired. then i went to bed and suddenly felt wide awake and it took me until 3am to fall asleep.

it's like my heartrate goes up again just when i decide it's time to sleep?

[Michael569]

25 minutes ago, Judy2 said:

it's like my heartrate goes up again just when i decide it's time to sleep?

It seems like there is a learned response there. That's what I meant when I asked if you get agitated at the site of your bed. Because your body associates your bed with adrenergic response. You can break that pattern. 

Do you work on your bed or do you do other things on it other than sleep (and intimacy) ? 

What do you think could have led to you getting this response to bed time? Did you use to work on your bed? Or was it your escape place when you were stressed? 

Edited September 25 by Michael569

[Judy2]

yes i think it's just uncomfortable to be lying there and be by myself with my own thoughts and no distractions. i tried having a YouTube video play in the background (without looking at the screen) to hear some noises cause i thought this might help, but then i worry about needing to turn it off when i feel sleepy...although i guess i could work around that on spotify with a sleep timer.

i live in a single bedroom apartment, so my bedroom is my office, my kitchen, my living room...and if i want a couch throughout the day, that's usually my bed. but it's been this way for years. i had some insomnia when i first came here, but it resolved on its own after a while and i got used to it.

 

also i got a night light. it's around the corner and not too bright...the reasoning being that i don't want to get scared or disoriented when i wake up from a bad dream or something. although sometimes i wonder if it would be good for me to have complete darkness during sleep.

[Schizophonia]

Have you tried to cut off most of distractions during the day like music, youtube shorts etc ?

Have you tried meditation ?

 

[Buck Edwards]

Look for tachycardia. 

[Princess Arabia]

Also, a few drops of lavender essential oil on the pillow. Soaking feet in Epsom salt (add lavender essential oil to the foot soak also) before bed and drinking chamomile tea. Try boiling ripe banana peels in water and make a tea from it. Another tip is to ingest raw honey (make sure it's raw) with a bit of Himalayan salt on top and take a few minutes before bed.

If you do all this in one night I guarantee you'll sleep like a baby. 

[Schizophonia]

2 minutes ago, Buck Edwards said:

Look for tachycardia. 

Btw Clonidine is actually a good medication for insomnia.

[Princess Arabia]

2 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

Btw Clonidine is actually a good medication for insomnia.

This is why the body doesn't know how to heal itself. Keep giving it drugs upon drugs upon drugs is like slapping a child over and over again when it cries without getting to the cause of why it's crying. One symptom leads to another and before you know it, a catastrophe occurs. Gently leading it back to homeostasis is a more suitable approach.

[Princess Arabia]

23 hours ago, Judy2 said:

is magnesium glycinate different from the regular magnesium i get at the drugstore?

Never buy vitamins from the drugstore.  Choose a health food store instead or do research on reputable companies - this applies mostly in the US, not sure about other countries. They are usually not regulated. Sometimes the stuff we take thinking they are doing good are the culprits that cause sleep issues.