My 2-week bout with Insomnia

[Janice]

I recently had a terrible episode of insomnia. For two weeks, I couldn't fall asleep until 8 to 11am. Fortunately, I don't work. This was a side effect to a new medication. I'm happy to say that I saw my doctor this week, who changed my meds, and I'm back to normal.



Still, for 15 days, I was up all night, every single night. Here's what I learned and/or discovered. If anyone has ever had this happen, please post your experiences.


My cat Lily climbs on top of my tv at night, as well as my computer desk and everything else. I think she was a mountain climber in a previous life, lol. Our other cat, Caesar, is a night muncher. He hits that food dish every hour.




I discovered the Preacher, Joyce Myer, as her show is on at 6am. This was a good discovery.


My husband sleeps like a hibernating bear, and I got jealous when I saw him snoring away, lol.



TV targets the insomniacs with continous ads for sleeping aids, Lunesta, Ambian, etc.


Counting sheep does NOT help a person fall asleep.





Time goes by very slowly when you can't sleep.


I discovered some fantastic tv shows that I had never seen before. I love The Steve Harvey Show, Sister, Sister, Family Matters, Saved By The Bell, Dharma and Greg, and a few others.

[Dean Winchester]

I hate having insomnia, I am one of those types, I usually get very little sleep except on the weekends.

[Brieannas21]

I've had Insomnia twice once while in college, it was hard trying to go to school, study and running on no sleep at all. And the second time was when I was pregnant with my first daughter. It sucked, and my attitude was really bad, I snapped at everyone. When I was in college I just took some Tylenol PM's and I would get some sleep. But when I was pregnant I just had to wait until it wore off.

[Mikado]

i have suffered from insomnia for years (A by-product of the 12 years i spent working steady nights some years ago), i once went 57 hours straight without sleep, the more i worried about not being able to sleep the worse it got......I find the best remedy to be putting the classical music station in my stereo at maybe volume 2 with the sleep timer set at 45 mins....I usually conk out before the radio does. Another good tip is to forget "fashion" and paint your bedroom in a dark colour including the ceiling. (An ex GF of mine used to have her entire bedroom painted bright white and wondered why she could never fall asleep......my bedroom is all in a medium dark turquoise incl the ceiling)

[TripperFan]

I'm into a bout with it myself the past fews days. Starting to sound like Paula Abdul on "Hey Paula"!!

Janice - I know what you mean about the cats - if we only knew what they do. 'Course, Keisha's gone into heat again, so the minute the lights go out, the squawling begins. Then she and Dusty get tearing around and the next thing I know I've got a cat using my forehead as a launching pad or acting like those squirts of water that shoot around Epcot!

I've only had a very few bouts with it in my life so I've been pretty lucky really. It does suck. btw, you shouldn't give in and nap in the afternoon when you're going through this - it keeps the normal cycle out of whack. ugh

[Hollow]

oh god, i just went through pretty much the same thing at the same time. a little after christmas break i started sleeping from around 9am to 5pm every day, it wasn't until within the last few days that i've been sleeping at normal times.

[Ireneparalegal]

Glad to see you saw your doctor and got those meds changed. God, I remember my last bout of insomnia and it was a b*tch not being able to sleep for like 3 days. A few hours of sleep is all I got. Obviously having the pain issues like you Janice, our bodies are learning to deal with the various medications for different ailments and it takes its toll. When I take Codeine or Vicodin, I am screwed. That sh*t keeps me AWAKE!

I too have made discoveries...let me share them with you:

My dog Duke and my boyfriend snore EXACTLY THE SAME! I couldn't decipher which of the two was snoring one night. I was laying wide awake in our bedroom watching tv and my boyfriend went to sleep on the couch because he couldn't stand the tv being on. *Well excuse me!!! I CAN'T SLEEP, I DON'T WANT TO BE BORED TOO!!* Then I hear one snore after the after and I went to check and those two were snoring away. DAMN, IT MUST BE NICE TO SLEEP!


I figured out there are 24 slats in my bedroom blinds, that doesn't include the several slats on the bottom that never move when I open or close my blinds.

My neighborhood is extremely quiet at night. No animal sounds, nothing.

When I sometimes lay on the couch while watching tv and I can't sleep, I pretend I have a fountain in my midst, when in reality it is the sound of my fish aquarium air hose.

I can't see any dust with only the t.v. on.

I counted 8 paces from my bed to the bathroom.

When it is windy, I can hear my wind chime in my backyard.

Some of those informercials make me want to buy something.

My neighbor has one of those annoying car alarms.

My other neighbor drags her feet when she walks in slippers. I can hear it when she ventures out at night. Probably to take her dog out to do the bathroom.

MTV actually airs MUSIC VIDEOS in the early morning hours.

My daughter washes her hands FIRST, then she flushes the toilet.

My dog Duke likes to eat around 4 a.m. Weirdo.

[ilovethe80s]

Sometimes this happens to me i'm not sure if it's insomnia because sometimes i fall asleep and then i wake up and i can't get back to sleep again so i usually go on my computer or watch tv and then i get back to sleep again if i can

[Janice]

Irene, your post was hilarious. I know you've been there, by reading that.

[Janice]

Originally Posted by TripperFan

and the next thing I know I've got a cat using my forehead as a launching pad

My Lily does that, but she uses my chest. She'll be cuddling with me, get spooked, and her back paws push hard into my....bosom, as she flies through the air. I want to kill her. It hurts! Cats are so inconsiderate, and after all we do for them, lol.

[LuLu Rogers]

For 2 weeks now I've been falling asleep at 6am and waking up at 3pm, lol. Here's what I've discovered:

SO pretty much dies around 1am, LOL

I enjoy watching movies that I haven't watched in years late at night

My mom gets up and takes the dogs out 3 or 4 times a night and feeds them at 4am

My guy gets up between 3:30 and 4am

I can quote every episode of M*A*S*H in Seasons 1-3 word for word

I get hungry around 3am

Three's Company is funnier in the dark

I can actually write more chapters in my stories if I write during the night

The more I watch M*A*S*H, the sexier I think Wayne Rogers and Alan Alda are

I am truly obsessed with M*A*S*H and need professional help

[catlover79]

I feel for you, Janice. I've suffered from insomnia as long as I can remember. Last night was the first long, uninterrupted sleep I've had in days!!!

There was a great quote from Florida on Good Times when she was struggling to sleep, since she had to take a physical the next day: "I tried counting sheep, but they all went home." I hear that!!!

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Janice

My Lily does that, but she uses my chest. She'll be cuddling with me, get spooked, and her back paws push hard into my....bosom, as she flies through the air. I want to kill her. It hurts! Cats are so inconsiderate, and after all we do for them, lol.

Reading that abt the cats makes me miss my cat Taz. She used to do that too. She'd get spooked and if she happened to be curled on my stomach, BAM! this hard push on my tummy and it felt like I got punched. Oooooooh. I miss how I would lay in bed and she would jump on the bed and do that thing that cats do with their paws, pressing on the area they are going to lie on, pressing and pressing til it feels just right and then, ahhhhhhhh.

Even when I do sleep, I don't get much sleep. Once I wake up to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, it takes me a while to fall back to sleep. I rely on Benadryl almost daily to help me sleep. It is non-addictive and it eases me into a sleep. Not like those sleep aids that hit you like a ton of bricks and you feel groggy in the morning.

[Corolla]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Glad to see you saw your doctor and got those meds changed. God, I remember my last bout of insomnia and it was a b*tch not being able to sleep for like 3 days. A few hours of sleep is all I got. Obviously having the pain issues like you Janice, our bodies are learning to deal with the various medications for different ailments and it takes its toll. When I take Codeine or Vicodin, I am screwed. That sh*t keeps me AWAKE!

I too have made discoveries...let me share them with you:

My dog Duke and my boyfriend snore EXACTLY THE SAME! I couldn't decipher which of the two was snoring one night. I was laying wide awake in our bedroom watching tv and my boyfriend went to sleep on the couch because he couldn't stand the tv being on. *Well excuse me!!! I CAN'T SLEEP, I DON'T WANT TO BE BORED TOO!!* Then I hear one snore after the after and I went to check and those two were snoring away. DAMN, IT MUST BE NICE TO SLEEP!


I figured out there are 24 slats in my bedroom blinds, that doesn't include the several slats on the bottom that never move when I open or close my blinds.

My neighborhood is extremely quiet at night. No animal sounds, nothing.

When I sometimes lay on the couch while watching tv and I can't sleep, I pretend I have a fountain in my midst, when in reality it is the sound of my fish aquarium air hose.

I can't see any dust with only the t.v. on.

I counted 8 paces from my bed to the bathroom.

When it is windy, I can hear my wind chime in my backyard.

Some of those informercials make me want to buy something.

My neighbor has one of those annoying car alarms.

My other neighbor drags her feet when she walks in slippers. I can hear it when she ventures out at night. Probably to take her dog out to do the bathroom.

MTV actually airs MUSIC VIDEOS in the early morning hours.

My daughter washes her hands FIRST, then she flushes the toilet.

My dog Duke likes to eat around 4 a.m. Weirdo.

Sorry, I couldn't read the rest of your post. After "MTV actually airs music videos...", I went into eternal shock.

[PlayOn]

I have on/off episodes of insomnia. Like last night, I didn't go sleep until 4:30 am. and woke up at 11:30 this morning! : I, too, discovered somethings while I have insomnia.

*my ADHD is worse than I thought. (yes, I have ADHD. I don't turn on the TV, because I'm trying to sleep)
*SitcomsOnLine has only a few members on at night.
*the cat and and dog chase each other (they do it in the day time as well )
*the cat sounds like he's been hit by a truck when he meows because he wants to go outside. But in the day time, you can barely hear him.

I want to take some medicine, but am scared I'll get hooked on it. (I.E: Judy Garland, Elvis Presley.) But I took some for a while and it made me have crazy dreams. Like once I dreamed my cousins house was being invaded by wolves. Another: somebody shot somebody in the mall and nobody heard/saw it but me. When the paramedics came (strange because don't remember calling them) he was pronounced dead. Then later I got to thinking he might not have been dead at all. If I told somebody I could have saved his life. Crazy dreams, huh?