Getting a Good Night's Sleep...

Or maybe just getting some sleep? A few months ago I was struck with some pretty nasty insomnia. I'd collapse fall asleep at night just fine but then at around 3am my eyes would pop open and I'd be wide awake. It is so hard not to be so angry when your Hubby is sound asleep next to you, you're exhausted and there is nothing at all to watch on tv. You're too tired to do anything really productive like clean or write a blog entry so you're stuck sitting on the couch staring at the curtains that probably need to be washed.

I tried several sleep remedies starting with Melatonin which I've used with success in the past. Didn't help me this time. I've used Coffeea cruda homeopathic remedy in the past but it stopped helping me after a while (wasn't the truly correct remedy for my complete issue this usually means.) So, I went straight for the big guns. I asked the doc for help and got a prescription for Lunesta and waited for that neon butterfly to visit me. I warned Hubby not to be afraid if a giant lit up moth flew around our room at night...

Well, the Lunesta didn't help me but gave me some nice headaches! So it wasn't completely useless.

Doc gave me a prescription for Sonata to take when I woke up in the middle of the night. Well, let's just say that taking an ambulance ride at 3:30am to the ER due to violent side effects is less fun than a day trip to the ER.

After the Sonata experience I was reluctant to try the new drug on the block, Lyrica. This is supposed to help with seizures and chronic nerve pain but Doc said it apparently also induces some nice, deep sleep. It didn't take me long to scan the Internet and find a lot of negative experiences with this bad boy. I didn't even take one pill of it. Wasn't worth it.

So, what was left? I should clarify what issues I'm dealing with that I think are affecting my quality of sleep. I have annoying anxiety and depression symptoms. This was taken care of by a small dose of Klonopin at bedtime and a small dose of Prozac in the morning. The Klonopin works great, but you have to accept some sluggishness in the morning even at a very low dose. If you reduce the dose so you're not sluggish in the morning, you're anxious... Can't really win there. Then there is the basic insomnia that started on top of what I already had.

So, while I was browsing the local health food store that I had found in our new hometown, I spotted some mood herb supplements (containing those wonder substances 5HTP and GABA) and also a homeopathic remedy for "Sleeplessness / Restless Sleep" made by Boiron called Quietude. I wondered if it just had the classic Coffeea remedy in it but it has a few totally different ones so I got a little optimistic! And, since it's homeopathic, I don't have to worry that I'll end up fatter, sicker or deader.

The first night I took the Quietude, I slept. Of course, M woke me in the middle of the night but I was sleepy and grumpy and tired like normal people are when they are awoken at night. Then I quickly went back to sleep!

I've also started Mood Sync made by Pain & Stress Center Products and stopped my low dose Klonopin and Prozac. I had a couple of slightly moody days that barely rivaled my former PMS days and now I'm feeling pretty darn good and without the drugs. (P.S. I was taking below normal or very low doses of these meds... do not just stop meds without talking to your Doc first! Weaning off is normally necessary!)

I will post about how this continues to go. So far, I met up with a friend of mine and she remarked at how "rested" I looked without knowing what had been going on.

Now, if I can only keep my daughter in bed until 6am...