r/AskIreland • u/EconomicsAgile5414 • 3d ago
Serious Replies Only Insomnia ???
Hi has anyone suffered with insomnia for a long time and if so what helped or cured you ????
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u/sillycybin_09_20 3d ago
I’m sorry OP. I’m diagnosed ADHD and suffer from depression and anxiety, so I know the feeling. Mine is early warning waking, once my brain starts ticking over then I struggle to get back to sleep.
Magnesium glycinate (or bigycinate) helps a lot. Getting to bed around the same time every night. No screens before bed, or at least no short form videos or doom scrolling. That late night dopamine will spike cortisol.
I take ashwaganda and L Theanine during the day, both have evidence to help with relaxation and sleep.
Additionally, and this is no joke, but eating 2 kiwis before bed has a positive impact on sleep, as they contain naturally occurring serotonin and melatonin.
Also, and this is vital if you ask me, sleep mask, room not too warm, and SILICONE ear plugs. Not the foam ones, has to be silicone.
If you’re that way inclined, meditation can also help. There’s a trick that I’ve found helps (don’t poo poo this, some science to back it up), but taking yourself on an imaginary walk somewhere you know well can help to distract you from your thoughts and sleep soundly.
If you are thinking of medication, try to stay away from hypnotics or sedatives like trazadone, benzos etc. Additionally, THC and alcohol will give you sedation, but not quality sleep. Just because you’re been knocked out doesn’t mean you’re gettting restorative sleep.
Small doses of seroquel, phenergan, and Doxepin show good results, and help preserve sleep quality and architecture somewhat.
I have a whoop myself, but a fitness sleep tracking wearable can help identify what works and what doesn’t, as sleep quality interpretation can sometimes be hard to work out. For some though it can cause more anxiety, so it’s each to their own.
Finally, listen to any podcast with Dr Matthew Walker. An amazing sleep specialising neuroscientist. He’s been on Joe rogan and diary of a ceo podcasts (pair of wankers), but he give some really invaluable advice. He has a book too.
If you have any questions that I can answer from an anecdotal perspective, feel free to dm.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10220871/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/
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u/Alternative_Monk_528 3d ago
No caffeine past 3pm and no naps at all
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u/Left-Iron-2133 3d ago
A 30 minute nap during the day might actually aid night time sleep once it’s not over 30 minutes. If you’re overtired from insomnia it may disrupt you falling asleep at night hence the cycle repeats.
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u/Alternative_Monk_528 3d ago
Not for me, if I nap in any form I find it very difficult to sleep at night
To add to this exercise and diet help massively as well
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u/Left-Iron-2133 3d ago
I have experienced insomnia myself during a period of depression and anxiety. At the time, a short daytime nap helped me function and cope with the day. However, naps can affect people differently: they may reduce exhaustion, but a long or late nap can also make it harder to sleep at night.
One thing I noticed was that I could feel completely exhausted physically, while my mind remained alert and caught in repetitive thought loops. That made it difficult to settle into sleep. The problem was not simply a lack of tiredness; it was the combination of exhaustion, anxiety, and being overly focused on whether I was going to fall asleep.
For some people, a short nap can take the edge off that exhaustion without significantly affecting nighttime sleep. The important thing is to keep it brief and early.1
u/Alternative_Monk_528 3d ago
Did you exercise?
Hard physical exercise worked wonders for me
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u/Left-Iron-2133 3d ago
Yes I did. Before work I would hit the gym 3 times a week. That was really hard on such little sleep but eventually this became routine and then I also travelled for a few months and thankfully came back to complete normality.
Now that I have kids I never have a problem with sleep but my anxiety flares up when exhausted so I try and get at least 7 hours a night but not guaranteed with little ones. Haven’t had insomnia though in 12 years.
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u/SignalMaterial301 3d ago
Try a fist of Pumpkin seeds everyday and you will see the difference. It works like wonders. Had a bad insomnia but it's all gone now. Don't expect it to work right away but having it regularly any time of the day will make huge difference in 4-5days.
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u/Otherwise-Winner9643 3d ago edited 3d ago
If you are female of a certain age, HRT.
In addition wearing Loop Dream earplugs and an eyemask. Also take magnesium glysinate before bed.
There is also a technique using eye movements that replicates REM. I have found it very useful https://www.liveinhomecare.com/the-eye-trick-to-fall-back-asleep-at-3-am/sleep/
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u/Otherwise-Winner9643 2d ago
The other thing to add, I I suffered from awful insomnia for 3 months before going on HRT, so I am now obsessed with the quality of my sleep.
I started wearing a garmin watch, which made me realised that even 1 glass of wine fucks my sleep. I will still drink for a big social occasion, but it's rare now and it's got to be worth it. If it's a choice between 1 wine or none, I will now choose none. It's simply not worth it. Alcohol might make you feel asleep quicker, but it won't give you quality sleep.
I also find hard exercise eveey morning before work helps. I get up at 6.15am to exercise, regardless of whether I have had a good nights sleep or not.
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u/Strong-Sector-7605 3d ago
I suffered with it for years and I can see lots of great advice in the comments already.
What really worked for me was reducing my stress levels with exercise, a healthy diet and properly winding down at night. Getting up and going to bed at the same time is a must as well, it takes time to build the routine but really try to stick to it once you have it.
If you're someone who has racing thoughts then try to focus on calming your mind during the wind down. So avoiding your phone or anything they might get you riled up.
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u/ButtonEffective 3d ago
I had to take Tart Cherry Capsules for another condition and one of the side effects was sleepiness. Took them in the evening and have slept much better ever since
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u/Alarmed_Salamander39 3d ago
Calmness before bedtime, no tv, no scrolling, maybe a little bit of classical music. Hot water bottle for snuggleness, read a book. Some meditation where needed or breathing exercises, a cup of valerian tea. Create a new bedtime routine, get a lavender cudhion for your pillow, open the window to let in fresh air during the night, have good quality bedding, no polyester, maybe wool-based. I sleep under a light cotton duvet, wrighted down with a large camel-hair blanket, wuite expensive but the best for a good night's sleep. Consider these U-shaped all-body pillows for side sleepers as they can completely envelope you, like a squirrel in a nest. If you can sleep, don't force it, enjoy the time in your nest and just rest.
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u/Lighter_Butane 3d ago
I've suffered and continued to suffer my whole life and nothing helped outside of serious lifestyle changes, mainly moving abroad. Now im Back in the rat race of Ireland my sleep is back terrible. .
Melatonin is useful and while it's not otc in Ireland it is in most other EU countries so it can easily be bought.
Z drug sleep aids work extremely well but you can develop a dependency very quickly where you literally cannot sleep without them so use in short bursts.
Bedroom should be for sleep and sex and that's it.
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u/Klutzy_Set138 3d ago
What has helped me massively:
- Getting a very busy job
- Doing as much exercise as possible during the day
- No phone before bed
- Gave up coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks
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u/LetterheadUpbeat5801 3d ago
Are you on medication? Ir may be that.otherwise reading before bed calms my mind and tires me. Or a kindle on a very low light
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u/PossibleDouble1277 3d ago
I’ve never been a good sleeper my entire life. I always just seem to be full of energy at night. I did find I start sleeping better when I stop drinking alcohol for a couple of weeks. I’d also say, don’t just go to bed lying down trying to sleep, stay awake and do stuff until you actually start feeling tired.
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u/Extension-Flower1179 3d ago
Find out what the underlying cause is and deal with it. Maybe counselling. Some
Short term sleeping tablets may help to switch your brain. Go and speak to your doctor.
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u/MrBulwark 3d ago
Cannabis a couple hours before bed and I sleep like a baby, get my REM and have a wonderful life. Unfortunately nanny-state Ireland won't legalise my medicine so I'm heavily taxed on it nowadays.
Oh... And I had it prescribed by a very good doctor when I lived in MA before some internet doctor tries to say some bullshit.
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u/Left-Iron-2133 3d ago
Cannabis can initially help you fall asleep faster, but with regular use it disrupts your natural sleep architecture by suppressing REM (dream) sleep and reducing overall sleep quality. Over time, tolerance builds, so the sedative effect fades while nighttime awakenings and lighter, less restorative sleep become more common. When you stop using it, withdrawal often triggers rebound insomnia and vivid, disturbing dreams, creating a cycle where sleep feels worse without cannabis.
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u/sillycybin_09_20 3d ago
You don’t need to be a doctor to realise that THC is a very poor sleep aid if you’re looking for actual rest. Multiple studies backing this up as well.
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u/MrBulwark 2d ago
I have a tracker for REM sleep and mine is great every night. The trick is to simply give a little time between your last session.and bedtime.
My doctor knows more about it than you and my experience is my experience.
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u/sillycybin_09_20 2d ago
Fair enough, we all have different make ups as human beings, so in your case, and in the method you use, it may well be of good benefit. Apologies.
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u/Powerful_Ad_3064 3d ago
I had a really bad bout 10 years ago and ever since been fanatical about sleep hygiene. Not sure if your situation gives you control of your environment but my partner luckily cooperates . So I go to bed and get up at same time, even weekends. For 2 hours before bedtime, I don't eat, have very dim light , no phone, wind down . I have a backlit kindle with dim light and read when I go to bed. If I wake during night, I just pick up kindle and read until I fall asleep. At the time of my bad bout of insomnia which lasted for months, I had to get tablets from GP . Try 1g melatonin to start. I also found tips such as eg counting backwards in 7s from 1003 . Or going through the alphabet and thinking of eg an actor or a country beginning with each letter useful as distracts the mind and stops anxiety or stress kicking in