My insomnia... what do you think?

Hi all

I would be grateful for any thoughts on my insomnia and whether anyone can give any pointers.

I've struggled with insomnia for some years now. I never used to as a kid/young adult. Typically I can get to sleep but wake early, but I have phases, like now, where I take hours to get to sleep.

I have tried lots. I sleep alone rather than with my wife. I sleep on the sofa, the thinking being it takes the whole 'routine' and formality out of going to bed, like saying to my brain "hey, let's just crash right here, on the sofa". That seemed to work for some time.

I have tried going to bed early, and going to bed late. I switched to late because, again, I thought it would remove the formality from it - "let's just chill until we drop", sort of thing. That no longer works. At university I was pretty much literally nocturnal, so whether that is the root of this problem, I don't know.

Sleeping pills (diphenhydramine) work, but not all the time.

I am fairly active; I swim several times a week, walk a lot, do a short but intensive rebounding (trampolining) workout each day, and do kundalini yoga (an intense form of yoga). I also meditate. I'm vegetarian and have an excellent diet. I don't drink or smoke, and I have practically zero caffeine.

What keeps me awake / wakes me up is my brain. I'm sure it's not my body. I have a fairly comfortable life, with little to stress over. Moreover, I'm very in the Buddhist mindset of not worrying about stuff or getting worked up about bills to pay or whatever. It's almost just like the background noise of my head that does it - songs I've heard recently, that sort of thing.

I'll lay there almost 'trying' to fall asleep, which of course is a none-starter. I find myself analysing brain patterns, wondering what's working and what's not. For example, I'll suddenly wake and realise that, for the last 10 minutes or so, I was asleep or almost asleep. Then I'll wonder how I managed it, and not be able to replicate it.

As a final note, I'm giving up on the sofa idea and have ordered a proper bed and good mattress, which is being delivered this week. I'll have a dedicated bedroom, with no electronics in there or anything, just the bed.

So, what do you think? Where am I going right? The hardest part is I really don't want to have to TRY with this. When I was younger sleep wasn't an issue - I would just go to bed whenever, straight off the computer, or whatever, and never any problem. Trying just adds pressure to it...

Thanks in advance and sorry for the essay.

Hi, panguage. Your language and reasoning are a little off in your essay. I will eventually be writing about "insomnia" in my topic in the General Forum, "I'm frustrated in this lousy world. Are you?" A slight hint: a lot hinges on the definition.

Who diagnosed you? Where do you get the sleeping pills? Are you addicted to them? If so it may be time to withdraw. Your long essay sounds like you're writng of a proud possession. Are you? Possessions often are hard to give up.

Well, there's no need to hurry. It's been going on a long time. You're not dying of it. Should you reply to the above, do so in my topic. Other than one shot deals, like this post, I don't go chasing all over the place trying to keep up with people or topics.

I think a room free of electronics is a great plan. Just in case you hadn't considered it, light can be a factor. Screens off an hour or more before bed, and lower-level lighting during that period might possibly help. I think the routinising can help, too. So that your body and mind "know" that you're approaching bedtime and they need to wind down.

Did your doctor make any suggestions beyond sleeping pills? Although you say you're sure it's your brain, rather than a physical problem, sleep apnoea and similar issues might be worth ruling out by a sleep clinic. Another common cause can be depression. That doesn't have to feel like "being sad all the time." It can be more subtle and 'I don't have anything to be depressed about' isn't always a good indicator either. It might be worth looking into, at least to rule it out anyway.


Rusty, the vast majority of forum posters here are looking for, and give, positive and constructive support. Calling someone's language "off" or belittling the issue "you're not dying of it" "sounds like you're proud" isn't very helpful or kind. Nor is directing people to your own topic, for your 'eventual' post. I do appreciate you're new and still finding your way around here. But mostly we try to stay on topic within each forum. The 'General Forum', Living With Mental Illness, is for issues that don't seem to fit anywhere else. You'd be welcome to write about insomnia here.

Thanks for the replies.

I am very conscious of the idea of being proud of one's "condition" and actually clinging onto it as a form of identity. I am quite attuned to Buddhist principals such as this and so I feel I can safely say that, no, I am not proud of this. I do not seek to label myself. Nonetheless, one must act if something doesn't just go away by itself.

The doctors here (UK) are rarely any help with insomnia. By their own admission there's not much they can do. They are reluctant to prescribe melatonin and say that, even if they did, it would be for short-term use.

I have no electronics whatsoever in my bedroom. But putting in place rules such as this can have the opposite effect, I find, insofar as it adds pressure to going to bed. In its own way it's tempting to break all the rules and just try to go to bed naturally, without the need to follow lots of injunctions.

Recently I've had nights where I take literally hours to fall asleep. I've noticed that, just when I seem to be wandering into dream territory (you know, where your thoughts are not really conscious thoughts), a (seemingly random) part of my body spasms suddenly and I wake up. Almost as though my body doesn't want to go to bed. Not sure if this sounds familiar to anyone?

Finally, has anyone here restricting the time in bed? This say that, if you think you need 8 hours' sleep, be in bed for 8 hours only, regardless of whether you sleep or not. Don't sleep in in the morning. Of course, this is not easy!

Thanks again