not sleeping

[Palmolive]

hi guys. So i'm not sleeping. There are days where i go nights without sleep and when i do sleep its normally just an hour or so. My doctor has asked me if i want to go to hospital because of my current mental health issues but i dont want to go. I've been put on sleeping pills but i've been taken of them because they're not helping. If my doctor changes the dose to make it higher or to a different one then its basically going to be sedating me and cant be done in the community and would require hospital admission. I dont know how to manage. This is exhausting me. I try baths, warm drinks, staying away from caffeine in the evening, reading, writing, herbal tablets, everything. How do i manage to get through nights without sleep on end and how do i cope in the day time? Im exhausted. Any suggestions would be grateful . Thanks.

[Lottie]

Jess. I'm going to be brutally honest. You need to go to the hospital. You owe it to yourself. If you can't get to sleep on such strong sleeping pills then you need to go in to hospital...even if it is for a couple of days. You need to look after yourself. You need to make sure you are safe and without sleep you'll just get ill. You have tried all of the conventional treatments.

Jess, I know you don't want to. But you need to have some form of rest. <3

[escape_thereal_world]

Have you spoken to your doctor about Melatonin supplements? They aren't exactly a sleeping pill, but the natural chemical in our bodies which makes us sleepy. If you are watching tv or reading or doing any activity after you take this, you won't really notice being tired. So you will have to lay in bed doing nothing for 15-30 minutes after you take it. It should help you relax and get your body to settle down.

That only will help if it's your body and not your mind that needs to settle. Otherwise, I suggest the hospital sweetie. If they are wanting you to go to a behavioral hospital, you can ask if you can go to a normal medical hospital to try the sleep pills. This way you can still have visitors, tv, laptop, books, etc. And once you get a couple days of sleep at the hospital you can get a prescription to hopefully help you sleep once you are home.

There are several sleep meds available, so I'm not sure why your doctor isn't just trying different ones that are safe outside of a hospital. Lunesta helps you GET to sleep. Ambien helps you STAY asleep. Several knock-off brands of both, as well as several other brands are available.

Just work with your doctor to find something that will work for you. If you are set on not going to the hospital, then let the doctor understand this so they can work with you to find something you are comfortable with doing or taking.

[Nostalgia]

I've always been told not to use electronics an hour before bed and to switch off and read, you could also try colouring as-well. Listening to some classical music. I sometimes watch the bbc politics on tv when I cannot sleep that sometimes bores me to sleep. I've also always been told to not use my laptop on my bed .

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I've used this method on myself and on others, so it does work. Go into a dark room or your bedroom at night, preferably when it's as quite as possible. Light a single candle, no incenses. Bring yourself to a calm, relaxing place and imagine you see it as the flame flickers. If you cant imagine anything, that's fine, just relax and watch the flame. Maybe you hear the rolling tides on a nice warm beach or feel you're in a nice hot bath. Imagine these places in the flame. If you need to close your eyes to imagine, not a problem. When you open them, look into the flame.

Try this method out, you have to be very calm because it's a method of self-hypnosis. When you feel you're falling asleep, leave the candle be. Ideally, put it in a small bowl away from any flammable material. Don't use a tiny ass candle that gives a miniscule flame, use one that has a longer stock.

If that fails, then you're off to the hospital.

[Lottie]

Originally Posted by escape_thereal_world

Have you spoken to your doctor about Melatonin supplements? They aren't exactly a sleeping pill, but the natural chemical in our bodies which makes us sleepy. If you are watching tv or reading or doing any activity after you take this, you won't really notice being tired. So you will have to lay in bed doing nothing for 15-30 minutes after you take it. It should help you relax and get your body to settle down.

.

Melatonin supplements don't exist over here For some reason all of the shops recalled them ages ago

[Palmolive]

I've been on melotonin and went on to the highest dose but it didn't help. I don't know if that is the same thing as melotonin supplement?

He said he would try medications like Benzdiazepines and Halcion (i think thats how you spell it) but that he felt the low dose wouldn't be beneficial and going on a high dose would require hospitalization and that something about it being addictive and how I need something long term. I think he was concerned that some of them might affect my current mental health difficulties as well, making me actually worse. I'm not sure.

[Complete Love.]

I used to do this and it worked for me. Maybe it sounds stupid but whatever .. Eat a good meal 4 hours before going to bed and drink hot tea. Preferably chamomile tea. It relaxes your muscles and your whole body in general so that could help you fall asleep and if not well atleast you can relax

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by Lygophobia

I've been on melotonin and went on to the highest dose but it didn't help. I don't know if that is the same thing as melotonin supplement?

Yes it is the same.

Originally Posted by Lygophobia

He said he would try medications like Benzdiazepines and Halcion (i think thats how you spell it) but that he felt the low dose wouldn't be beneficial and going on a high dose would require hospitalization and that something about it being addictive and how I need something long term. I think he was concerned that some of them might affect my current mental health difficulties as well, making me actually worse. I'm not sure.

I agree that if he wants to give you a long-term high dose of benzodiazepines, you will require hospitalization. Benzodiazepines are a family of medications that are moderately-strong sedatives and hypnotics, meaning they result in you feeling drowsy and put you to sleep temporarily. A good amount of benzodiazepines are used for other purposes, such as treating convulsions and seizures. It is a family that has been extensively studied in research as the first was Librium, invented sometime in the 1950s.

All benzodiazepines are addictive, which normally restricts them to short-term usage. Like many other addictive substances, long-term usage of benzos results in increased tolerance, however, unlike other addictive substances, withdrawal from benzodiazepine can several months, even a whole year. The length and severity of the withdrawal depends on the duration and dosage. Since benzodiazepines are effective anti-seizure medications, withdrawal symptoms tend to include persistent tremors that can resemble Parkinson's disease alongside unstable emotions.

Another reason for your hospitalization is benzodiazepines have a unique feature of interdose withdrawal. In other words, as you change doses (high to low or low to high), you experience withdrawal symptoms and their severity varies according to the dosage being changed.

For these reasons, a newer family of medications emerged called non-benzodiazepine medications. This name reflects the fact they achieve similar therapeutic effects despite being chemically unrelated, so there is less of a dependence, withdrawal and concern for long-term usage. Common non-benzodiazepines for treating sleep disorders such as insomnia are Lunesta and Imovane. These differ from Halcion as it is a benzodiazepine. I expect that your doctor has already tried administering you non-benzodiazepines because your doctor's plan is rather drastic and is used when previous attempts using various medications failed. I would be baffled if he has not tried using any non-benzodiazepines and if he hasn't I honestly cannot answer why, particularly because long-term benzodiazepine can result in psychiatric complaints, especially if the person has a prior psychiatric history.

[escape_thereal_world]

I completely agree with everything the above user has said. This is a drastic move because it could affect your mental health more, which is why they want you to be hospitalized. And if they really have tried everything else, including the non-benzodiazepines, then you really do need to go to the hospital considering you need to sleep for physical and mental health.

Hopefully things work out for you, Jessie.
Why are you so set against going to the hospital?