It was too late for the Ambien, and now...

[KTMom91]

I'm a chronic insomniac...have been for as long as I can remember. Add this with my night owl tendencies, even if I get to bed about 11:30 pm, I'm lucky to get 4 hours of sleep on a good night, which makes it nearly impossible to hear the phone ring at 5 am, so I miss a day's work. About a month ago, I was so tired of being tired that I asked my doctor for something to help me sleep, because I just can't shut my mind off and relax. I was in the middle of something, and didn't take my Ambien, it's 5 am, and I'm rambling after playing games on Facebook all night.

I went to bed about 12:30. It's hot. Left side uncomfortable. Right side uncomfortable. Back...maybe. Pillow lumpy. Adjust, adjust...OK. But because it's summertime, the windows are open, and...I hear EVERYTHING. The neighbor closing a door. Sirens blaring. Dog barking. Panther teeth crunching food. Hubby snoring. The weird squeak and rattle from the ceiling fan. Car starting. Tell myself to breathe and relax. Weird song...doo dah, doo dah...what? Oh, yeah, Camptown Races...Mom used to sing that. Why that one? I have got to clean this house. I don't even know where to start. I'm so overwhelmed. There goes that clown on his motorcycle again. Wish he'd slow down. It'll take forever to clean out Miss KT's closet, and then I'll have to wait for Hubby to build the walk-in, and we probably can't afford it anyway. Our class reunion's in two weeks...where did I put that dress? Is it August already? I haven't ordered the food yet for Miss KT's birthday party. Hope there's enough in the bank. Dang, that skunk smells awful. Hope he's not too close. Try right side again. No. Back...again. Song..."if you're lost, you can look and you'll find me, time after time." Get up and go to the bathroom. Realize the bathroom really needs to be cleaned. Look at the clock. Go back to bed.

And start the whole right side...left side...back thing all over again. Finally get up in disgust and play games on Facebook waiting to get sleepy. Hasn't happened yet, and the Sunday paper just hit the doorstep. The alarm's going off in half an hour because Hubby needs to be at church early and I hate to take two cars. I'm hungry, too.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

What a great description--unfortunately.

I'm so sorry. I hope you'll get through the day okay and then sleep great tonight! You'll be SOOO tired by then....

 

[ML]

Great descriptive writing. Boy can I relate, have been there and it's awful. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I pray for a MUCH better tonight xo

 

[GoingNorth]

Yuk! Without medications, I am like this nearly every night. Being a night owl by nature, combined with BiPolar (BP), doesn't lead to good sleep habits at all.

 

[Abbey]

When I was in the hospital the doctor noticed I could NOT sleep. You had a great description. You just can't turn your mind off. He gave me some anxiety medication and I slept like a baby. Didn't wake up groggy either. I have a prescription for it but no money and well...ummm...stuff happened.

Hope you get some rest!

Abbey

 

[tawnya]

Yep, flip flop like a flounder....all night long. UNTIL about an hour before the alarm goes off.

I'm sorry you are doing the same thing.

It could be worse, though, husband walks in his sleep almost every night and does stupid stuff.

Of course, I try to stay up and see what he's doing, too.

You can't win, LOL.

 

[KTMom91]

Took the Ambien tonight, and will go to bed after the weather segment on the 10:00 news. I will also set the motion dectector so I don't go out sleep driving, hunting for donuts in the middle of the night wearing unmentionables. Seriously. Eating, cooking, and driving whie asleep have all been listed as a potential side effecft, which was why I had refused sleeping pills for years. These really work, and I can get to sleep and stay asleep.

 

[GoingNorth]

I tried Ambien, and while I didn't have any escapades in my sleep (other than waking up one AM sleeping on the floor with the dog), I found that I was waking up with NO memory of the last couple of hours before I went to sleep...scared the bejabbers out of me.

I am currently on a high dose of Temazepam (In the benzo family), and that seems to help somewhat.

 

[DammitJanet]

I take ambien and I do somewhat sleep eat...I dont sleep drive. I dont actually cook or anything but I have to have a snack food in the bedroom with me and I have been known to wake up with skittles in my bed stuck to my chin or marshamellows stuck to my butt! (gosh I cant believe I tell the things I do!)

 

[KTMom91]

GN, I was wondering about the memory loss thing. I have an excellent memory, and am usually the one reminding the family about what's been done, needs to be done, etc. Lately, though, Hubby's been saying things, and I don't remember them the next day. He was really angry when I told him I didn't remember we did...well, you know. I hadn't thought about it being the Ambien. Hmmm.

 

[Momslittleangels]

Are you going through perimenopause or regular menopause? Insomnia is certainly a side effect and the doctor just renewed my Xanax, because I was having trouble staying asleep. I have never tried the Ambien though - - - I find that 1/2 of a 0.25 mg Xanax puts me to sleep without waking up feeling like I have a hangover in the morning. Another thing I have heard that works well is writing down everything you have pending for the next day/week, such as: buy gifts for birthday, clean kitchen, go to the bank, food shopping on Wed, etc) before going to bed. By writing things down, it is supposed to help purge those details from your mind, so you can forget about them until morning. Not sure if that really works, but it makes some sense to me. We have all of this stuff in our head and think about it, so we don't forget to do it, so maybe try writing them down before you turn off the light and see if it helps.

I hope things get better, but I sure had to giggle at your story, unfortunately. I think anyone that has had insomnia can relate to the junk that goes on in our minds when we are laying there staring at the ceiling.

 

[KTMom91]

Not yet, MLA, but I'm probably getting close! Does that make you forget things, too?

My insomnia has been a life-long problem...I know my dad and my Granny (his mom) had similar sleep issues.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

I've been on ambien for a fairly long time. If I don't take it, the nightmares are terrible, and there's absolutely no sleep maintenance. For me, I think it has been the combination of stressors and the perimenopause phase. My doctor seems in agreement. For me, this problem only came along within the last five years. All the nightmares, of course, have difficult child themes. I rarely remember any dreams as long as I take the ambien.

Yes, it can cause memory issues for me (perhaps that's why I don't remember any nightmares?) but the key is to take it like I'm supposed to. For example, if I'm in the middle of something and want to finish, and I go ahead and take my ambien, thinking I'm going to have a "race"... ambien won't kick in before I'm through with my project... mistake. If I mis-judge the time, I won't remember what I was doing right before I went to bed. Furthermore, it seems that I get that sleep "wave" not too long after I take the ambien. I am perfectly capable of fighting it off and staying awake if there is a need--and staying quite lucid, as if I've not taken anything at all, if it's a case of NEEDING to be "on alert." For instance, if there were a difficult child crisis, I would function just as if I'd taken a placebo, and I'd remember every detail. If it's more mundane and routine though... Doing laundry, cleaning up things before bed, etc.--I'm likely not to remember. It's sorta nice, though, to wake up and find that a "magic genie" has cleaned house overnight!

I also learned early on that I WILL wake up if there is a need, such as easy child sick, etc. BUT...if I fight off that first sleep wave, it can be forever until another one comes along.

So...the theme for me is to take it like I know I'm supposed to. Take it and then immediately go to bed. Then no problems.

 

[DammitJanet]

EB...you are so exactly right about the waves! If I take my medications then get up and get online or something and fight off going to sleep, well then I can do it but then I will have a hard time getting to sleep. If I take my medications while in bed, watching tv...I drift right off.

 

[everywoman]

I just went to Walmart and bought almost one of every over the counter sleep aid they had----I am dying for a good night's sleep---just one night---I haven't slept more than 3 hours a night in over a month and it is driving me crazy.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

Everywoman--have you read the labels? Last I knew, there were only two over-the-counter sleep aids. They're just marketed every which way. Usually, it's the benedryl component. I've forgotten the other one, because I never took it.

If you don't get relief, I hope you'll check with your doctor, because most people can get help, between all the options there.

 

[KTMom91]

Apparently I stop breathing when I sleep...Hubby says I snore, and I didn't believe him till he presented a recording, and I could hear the pauses in breathing. Scared me...so I called my doctor, who said to stop Ambien until I have a sleep study done. Swell...a sleep study for an insomniac. That's gonna be a fun evening.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

I'm sorry your situation just got so much more complicated. Is the theory that you have the breathing issue only when you take the ambien?

You're right. Ths sleep study isn't exactly a fun night, but I guess I have a weird outlook on things.... I thought it was very interesting from an academic standpoint. Amazing what modern technology can do. Remarkable that so many wires can be hooked up to a human being! Yes, I asked a lot of questions, but as expensive as the study is, I figured I might as well get as much as I could from the experience! Since you're not able to sleep anyway, maybe you can learn something new? Sorry. I know you probably aren't thinking that way right now.

Now that I know what it's all about though, I wouldn't want to do it again. I'm not THAT curious. Hopefully, this will be the step you need in order to get real help for the problem--and that you can get it done soon!