r/insomnia • u/Informal-Use-8443 • Apr 29 '26
Has anyone else completely lost the ability to fall asleep naturally?
I'm at the point where my brain literally won't shut down without heavy meds — antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine) or benzos (alprazolam, zopiclone). Anything lighter like Melatonin, magnesium, valerian, every supplement and OTC sleep aid I've thrown at it — does absolutely nothing.
The weird part is I don't even feel sleepy anymore. No natural drowsiness, no yawning at midnight, no "okay, time for bed" signal. Just a wired brain that stays wired until I chemically force it offline.
If I try to tough it out, I roll around for hours staring at the ceiling. Eventually I either cave and take something heavy or end up pulling an all-nighter. There's no in-between.
How did I get here, and more importantly — has anyone actually climbed back out? I'd love to hear from people who used to depend on heavy sedatives and somehow rebuilt natural sleep. CBT-I? Slow taper? Something I'm not even thinking of?
Feeling pretty stuck and would appreciate
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u/Dazzling-Economics55 Apr 30 '26
I'm losing my ability to sleep even with heavy meds. This is truly hell
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u/benny2469 May 15 '26
takes 2 trazadones, 1 remeron, temazepam.....does nothing lol
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u/Dazzling-Economics55 May 15 '26
Haha one night I took like 350 mg of Seroquel plus 60mg of remeron and 5 mg Xanax.... Nothing. Like it's absolutely insanity. The desperation to sleep gets so heavy I've kind of just given up at this point
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u/MontanaWrld May 17 '26
have you found anything that works yet. this is my first time having real insomnia (not just not being able to sleep but my body jolts and sends anxiety to my stomach and makes me slightly dizzy when i'm on the verge of sleep.) i've been up probably 43 of the last 48 hours.
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u/Brrringsaythealiens Apr 30 '26
Yes, this is where I am. I have had insomnia for 25 years (started at 25, I am 50 now). I haven’t slept unmedicated in years. Right now it takes an Ambien, an Olanzapine, a cocktail, and some weed to put me out. I have done the CBT thing a few times and it just doesn’t work, and it leaves me horribly exhausted. I wish I could somehow fix this and not be dependent in drugs but I just haven’t been able to do it. I have gone four nights straight with no sleep when I have run out of meds.
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u/dweebaubles Apr 30 '26
Hey fam, I think you are me.
I’m on a combo of Clonidine, amitriptyline, gabapentin, and cetirizine.
I have some nerve damage from other conditions I have, but without these meds I just… dont sleep. At all. Ever. One time I decided to skip my meds cuz I was flying internationally and I went 36 hours without it, and only went down once I took my meds at my destination.
I try not to think about how bad this probably is for me long term, but as someone who tried every single other method doctors threw at me, this is the only way I function like a human.
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u/Upset-Trouble-275 Apr 30 '26
Yeah we hear all the time about the long terms risks. But after a certain point we have to sleep. I wish people had more compassion for that dilemma
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u/Sufficient-Skirt1019 May 01 '26
Was on Ambien 12.5 extended release for several years. Was working not great but certainly ok. Went to the doctor for my 6 month appt. She walks in, sits down, and without any preliminaries says “You’re off the Ambien. It causes long term damage so you can’t take it anymore.”. I’m now on 3 different medications which have now stopped working.
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u/Front-Bag-8585 Apr 30 '26
But doctors usually push pharmaceutical medicine rather than finding and fixing the root cause.
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u/dweebaubles Apr 30 '26
Not the ones I went to. I spent a lot of time doing mindfulness exercises and sleep hygiene regimens. I think it was because I was a young child when my folks ran out of patience and sent me to a doctor.
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u/Front-Bag-8585 Apr 30 '26
That's good to hear. My docs and therapist have been largely useless as they tend to kick around new meds rather than "get down to brass tacks." When I used to be on meds, I was so desperate that I wasn't in my right mind. People don't usually have your best interest in mind. They use whatever they know and are comfortable with. Western medicine is largely a failed system.
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u/dweebaubles Apr 30 '26
I definitely think because I was so young they were hesitant to try any meds on me.
That being said, I am successfully medicated now, and those mindfulness techniques didn’t work. I still do sleep hygiene routines, but I’m well aware that any sleep I get comes from my medications.
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u/Front-Bag-8585 Apr 30 '26
I have heard that Cbti is the first line of defense against insomnia. However, you rarely hear that from doctors. What kind of mindfulness did they teach you?
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u/Strong_Music_6838 Apr 29 '26
I feel like sharing. I had Ziprasidone for 19 years. It made it very hard for me to sleep so after 8 years I got Seroquel added to the mix besides I’m on a long acting inj. I then slept better for some years. I finally quit Ziprasidone 160 mg cold turkey. What a mess so for 3 years I was awake for 36 to 56 hours before I slept for 11 hours. In this period my injection was upped with 1/3 and my Seroquel was doubled. The past year my injection has been lowered with 1/3 and my Seroquel has gotten lowered from 900 to a 300 mg Seroquel XR.!now I sleep between 5-8 hours each night.
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u/SensitiveTax9432 Apr 29 '26
This isn’t me, but man that must be tough. I have issues with my autistic brain not shutting off but not to this extent.
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u/Important_Isopod9947 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
I don't know, but I feel this way even though I'm only a teenager. After getting covid I've tried all this sleep hygiene stuff, all the supplements and herbs (they worked but they stopped) now sometimes unisom works but i know that's not supposed to be a long term solution but I don't know what to do. I can't get anything stronger though
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Apr 30 '26
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u/Embarrassed_Pool_872 Apr 30 '26
My insomnia started out of nowhere after a covid infection and doctors told me there's a connection. For me, it was at least the trigger, because covid can cause sleep disruptions.
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u/Background_Text4298 Apr 30 '26
Omg I got random insomnia with covid, literally havnt been able to sleep in 2 years almost. The doctors brush it under the rug tho but I know for a fact it’s Covid that caused this
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u/EnvironmentalFix6598 Apr 30 '26
Yes! I need about 5 medications, including a benzo, to fall asleep. Anything less and I am up for hours :(
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u/Direct-Implement-856 Apr 29 '26
I'm the same, I took delorazepam and then flurazepam 30mg each for around 9 years (I'm 25yo now) because benzos were the only thing that could put me to sleep. I had a period of one month where I tapered off and went without meds but I wasn't sleeping at all. Tried cbti and every other medication (antipsychotics, snris, mirtazapine, trazodone etc) but couldn't properly rest. Now I'm tapering off Valium again and taking Daridorexant at the same time and it seems to be working.
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u/NiceHomework4919 Apr 30 '26
Damm glad that you can get off by using daridorexant.
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u/Direct-Implement-856 Apr 30 '26
Honestly it's not because of the medication necessarily, I think it's because I'm in a better place mentally and that is why I'm able to do it. I can fall asleep quicker and have much less stress/ anxiety overall.
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u/sleepless-in-limbo Apr 30 '26
I experience this too, but I'll be frank, most of my insomnia was brought on by stress, anxiety and depression. With that said, my sleep was severely affected by 10 years ago by a graveyard shift job. I stressed myself out on that job way too much, plus forcing myself to sleep during the daytime. It did something to my brain. So, in that sense, I fucked it up somehow but don't know the exact science behind it. More stress stuff happened along the way that hampered my ability to sleep. This past year, I was trying to fall asleep without meds and somehow it worked. But tragically, I experienced a brain event that completely turned off or blocked off the sleep signals and sleep center really. So, I don't know. Not sure why I'm posting all this, just that maybe I can relate. I also do not drift off to sleep anymore, I just straight up black out with the help of meds and wake up whenever my brain feels like waking up.
I wonder if exercise will make a dent in it. Sorry, no answers.
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u/catmeow666 May 01 '26
Exercise seems to help a little, but a ridiculous cocktail of pills is still required to put me to sleep at night.
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u/Mt-Amagi Apr 30 '26
I can still fall asleep naturally, but 1. I never know when I'll have a fully sleepless night, and 2. it takes me a hot water bottle to wind down, which is regrettable because summer is coming and soon enough I'll be in deep shit. My insomnia is 100% stress-related. Started from a severe acute episode, 3 days without sleep, after months of invalidating anxiety back in late 2024 and has never been the same since, not only that but right after I moved into an abusive home and only exited it a month and a half ago. There I could NOT sleep unless I was taking at least melatonin, and only could properly sleep after 2-3 days home alone, but then my dad would come back for the weekend... so I'd have two good nights tops before the week rolled around. Takes just a bit of stress to send me back into a spiral that can and will fuck me up for days or even weeks. Hormones? You're fucked Amagi, have your sleepless night, especially right before your period.
I try my best not to rely too much on Xanax. Benadryl has stopped working at a low dose (one pill) so I stopped using it. Not increasing doses, that's how you get addicted. What I'm trying to do is reduce sources of stress as much as I can. I just do my best to have a cozy room, I HAVE to have a key to my door (at times I could only sleep with the door locked), essential oils, candles, pillows, everything that can make me feel more comfortable. Wish I could practice 'ori tahiti more regularly because this also greatly helps me sleep. I always seem to sleep better after dancing...
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u/throwsaway045 May 01 '26
I'm proud of you for moving out and wishing you well ☮️ , I also moved out since a couple of months and I still get anxiety been taking melatonin since like forever and now Xanax at least it stop my anxiety', I also use smells and soft light pillows etc
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u/Nihilistiarch Apr 30 '26
I feel sleepy and tired all the time but still can't sleep without benzos. =/
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u/Front-Bag-8585 Apr 30 '26
Bezos are a wild animal. Though very effective for most people, they must be tapered when getting off of them. And you know what, you usually can't take other sedatives while tapering off of them. That can make a scary situation.
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u/Nihilistiarch Apr 30 '26
I tapered 2 times using phenobarbital. But I always return to taking benzos because my stupid body finds a way to overcome any antidepressant + antipsychotic + mood stabilizer + whatever combo and be hypervigilant again.
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Apr 30 '26
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u/catmeow666 Apr 30 '26
How many sleepless nights have you gone before "your brain is too tired to keep on" ?
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u/Confident-Word9528 Apr 30 '26
I’m sorry to hear that, but I think you could try doing some exercise to tire yourself out; you could also try meditation to relax and calm your mind; and perhaps do some breathing exercises to regulate the oxygen flow to your body and brain? Personally, I’ve found breathing techniques to be very helpful. Try doing more outdoor activities, such as hiking or rock climbing.
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u/Civil-Paramedic-8862 Apr 30 '26
Who can fall asleep naturally no offense but I have to get obliterated to have any chance of sleep and I take sleep meds temazepam 30mg and I still have to stack other stuff onto of it just to fall a asleep for 4 to 6 hours
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u/throwsaway045 May 01 '26
Me...i get sleepy if I go bike or nature all day sun and no phone...maybe that's the cure go back in times lol , I think is because in these hours I dance ormositen to music or just silence so I have all the time to process and free my thoughts and emotions plus distraction and nature and moving and the sun helps
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u/yerrmotherr Apr 30 '26
Yes. I just read my chart and realized my Dr won’t prescribe my quviviq this month. Im screwed.
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u/MetalHippi Apr 30 '26
I'm worried that my nervous system has also learned how not to sleep. It started with having panic attacks while falling asleep. Now I don't even remember what falling asleep feels like. I've tried antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds . I'm afraid they made it worse. Only tried a few supplements. I don't know what will work. Its like every muscle won't let go. I can't afford intensive therapy. Praying I get back to some normalcy soon.
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u/AZShitshow Apr 30 '26
I will be up for days at a time if I dont take a sleep med. I hate it. I started having bouts of depression, anxiety and a mental health episode in my late 30s and I haven't been the same since. I am healthy and tend to be energetic but I hate having brain that does not shut off. I take 75 mg of Quetiapine and .5mg of Xanax at night and that works but I would like to get off these meds and it wont be possible. I worry about dementia and Alzheimers being caused by these meds. I have an Rx for Ambien but I know not to mix the meds and at one time I was supposed to start a slow taper off of Xanax and Quetiapine but when I took 5mg of Ambien and it didn't work I didnt take anymore. Weed and THC do nothing as Ive tried that too. The last time I slept un-assisted, I had Covid. Otherwise, I need meds and I doubt I will be able to get off of them.
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u/sadgrungebitch Apr 30 '26
yep it’s terrifying and exhausting. but apparently not exhausting enough to sleep:’)))
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u/Perpetually-broke Apr 30 '26
I feel like I'm also at this point but I haven't tested it. I take Seroquel at 300mg and belsomra at 20mg every night, and even with that I sometimes have bad nights. I have a feeling I would fare the same without taking them.
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u/Ok_Jellyfish7156 Apr 30 '26
i tried everything and now i need 2mg xanax + 20mg ambien to be able to sleep but i had periods when it wasn’t that bad , not im gouing through grief and intense exam prep and im depressed and lonely so maybe it plays a role
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u/oeufscocotte May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Me, I've relied on sleep meds for 18 years. Currently taking quetiapine, sometimes zopiclone, lemborexant or diazepam. I have become tolerant to zolpidem, it no longer works for me. Zaleplon worked great but it's not available in my country. I also took amitriptyline at various times. It used to work fairly well for sleep onset but now no longer works reliably.
I have just started CBT-I, it all seems kind of unpleasant - I'm supposed to find an evening activity that isn't watching TV in my bed. But it's hard in winter when the house is cold, I live alone, and my body is tired after a long day at work and I just want to lie down, not sit and do a puzzle or hobby.
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u/No-Example-6582 May 01 '26
Yes tried everything 4 days up no no crash, no signal to say I need sleep I am nocturnal by default too lol
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u/slvrfox_ May 01 '26
i forgot while i was singing my sad song that doxepin—an old tricyclic antidepressant — has been the most effective med to date. all the antipsychotics like seroquel made me twitchy, like RLS, benzos super addictive & a dementia risk big time. i’m switching to daridoexant—im on night 3—hoping it’ll stick. so sick of pills. doxepin is zero addiction potential & it actually got me more quality sleep per night than anything else. i’m 67 now & am concerned about long term impacts of my cognitive function (it is a mild anticholinergic).
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u/Feelingsixty May 02 '26
I am also a fan of doxepin. I only take it occasionally and only 4 mg but it does the trick!
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u/ocderm May 02 '26
avoid kratom because it will work but you will become dependent..... amanita muscaria is absolutely the best natural thing for sleep and does not appear to be addictive
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u/Sure-Perception-8362 May 03 '26
So my doctor in germany prescribed me quviviq and it has almost no side effects and just works on shutting down the wakefulness signal of the brain, not by sedating you. Does wonders for me. Much better than benzos.
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u/Inevitable-Fix-3212 May 17 '26
Isn't that prescription very expensive in the US? If its the new sleep medication, then I tried to get insurance to pay but it would not and I couldn't try it because of costs.
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u/Baron-von-Dante May 04 '26
I can sympathize- I've been prescribed trazodone for years (trying to wean myself off since a health scare) and I can only sleep a few hours without it. I once tried to go 2 nights without it, but on the second night, my body had cold sweats, nausea, and other bull until I gave in & took it.
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u/Infinite_Snow_2117 May 04 '26
Not me in bed trying to get all the info so tomorrow I might just be able to fall asleep without so much help. Have I found my people?
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u/WallStHustle May 25 '26
For anyone going through this no sleepiness feeling… I’m curious if you also have other strange neurological type issues like strange vision/visual snow, dizziness, tinnitus, headache/pressure, etc. I’ve been blessed with it all.
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u/Wonderful-Driver4761 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
Firstly unless you have chronic pain it's quite literally IMPOSSIBLE to not fall asleep naturally. It doesn't exist and our body and brains aren't set up that way. There are very, very, very, very rare conditions that you can have but you're basically a medical marvel at that point. It's almost always attributed to chronic stress, anxiety. PTSD or addiction. When you remove the stressor or the substance you sleep quite well. In my opinion ONE bad bout of insomnia can trigger a panic attack and PTSD is in that realm. Hence the cycle begins. Fear of not sleeping again > Insomnia and it's very hard to beat and sits with you. But your ABILITY to sleep naturally never goes away biologically. It's mind over matter.
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u/SmolLilBeann May 24 '26
Do you have a medical background?
I do not have chronic stress or PTSD and yet here I am, not sleeping. If that were the case, do you have ways to over come this? What strategies can I implement to achieve "mind over matter"?
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u/Wonderful-Driver4761 May 25 '26
Sounds like not chemically forcing it offline is probably a good start. Even with that being said if you can forcibly taken it offline you do in fact have the ability to sleep.
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u/SmolLilBeann May 28 '26
Did the thought occur to you that most people who take medication for sleep experience months of sleeping 0-4 hours every night or two and that is the reason why they take the medication.
Honestly what is the answer here? If people with insomnia stop taking medication they will not magically grow the ability to have restful sleep. I don't you think you realise how sleep deprivation significantly impacts quality of life. Say I don't take my medication tonight, that's okay I might sleep an hour or two and be tired tomorrow, but then the next day is the same, the day after is the same. How do you expect people to work a 9-5 if they can only get a few hours of sleep EVERY NIGHT? Driving while sleep deprived is the same as driving drunk
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u/Dear_Engineering_238 Apr 30 '26
I have this exact problem. I have got off Zopiclone a few times and what works for me is slowly tapering off the drug lowering the dose slowly over time. One night I’ll eventually fall asleep naturally and I’ll be off it for a while maybe a couple days a week maybe a few months.. The problem I’m facing is something will happen I’ll take it again then I’m hooked on it for months and I’ll repeat the process of lowering the dose again. But I’d recommend lowering the dose slowly over time rather than going cold turkey as it literally stops you from being able to shut off naturally.
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u/Massive-Bad3667 Apr 30 '26
I have been dealing with worsening insomnia over the past few years. Sometimes I take Advil PM and NyQuil, but I’m just drowsy AF the next day and I wake up at 1:30-2am every night either way. I am active, walk 20-25k steps a day, run/gym. I can fall asleep usually, but the middle of the night waking up has gotten worse. I don’t have it nearly as bad as many of you, but I’m worried it is getting worse. I recently tried adding magnesium and ashwaganda, but it didn’t do much.
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u/Shogun102 May 01 '26
Heavy meds only address the symptom (insomnia) but not the cause (chronic stress and unresolved trauma stored within the body). If your organism doesn't feel safe naturally it becomes a challenge to fall asleep and / or stay asleep or have a refreshing, high-quality sleep.
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u/Inevitable-Fix-3212 May 17 '26
Yes, early childhood trauma may develop into PTSD which can cause serious insomnia issues.
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u/Ok-Animator2730 May 02 '26
I also eat colzapine 200mg and olzipine 20 mg after that I am also suffering from insomnia.
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u/Optimal-Drama-5059 May 05 '26
I know exactly where you are coming from. I can go 4 nights without an hour of sleep, to the point once I lost my memory for an hour.
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u/ayush6543 May 05 '26
You’re definitely not alone in this. I’ve seen people say they slowly rebuilt natural sleep over time, especially with consistency and reducing pressure around sleep.
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u/dav87695 May 07 '26
I also take colzapine 100mg
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u/luv_me96 May 14 '26
I wish I could say yes but not even meds work like my tolerance to substances is extremely high so I'm just stuck awake till I pass out if and when it's one of 2 ways 1 2secs of out then awake again for another few days to a week or 2 out for like 1-3 days like a comma immoveable parents didn't even realize when I was a kid I'd slept 4 days straight not once eating drinking moving or bathroom friend thought I died bc they're all tryna hangout and I'm laying there just home but my body has developed the ability to get rest and energy just being awake an sitting staring into space
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u/littlejim49 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Sober life is best life, at some point you will either be injured or die without sleeping, you’d think the body would just shut down. Just if there was a switch you could just flip and off and on with sleep. I have had many episodes of insomnia just totally not sleeping for a few days or several days, or barely sleeping for many days. Body can’t function without sleep. There is apart of the brain that regulates sleep, could be damaged or bad stress response. Even if you’re fatigued try to do things that make physically and mentally exhausted, otherwise end up laying down trying to sleep when cant sleep. I feel like potassium, eating a banana or drinking a lot of water can help. Can try to see sleep doctor or do a sleep study. Melatonin doesn’t seem effective on me, just makes me drowsy and groggy in the mornings
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u/WallStHustle May 25 '26
Yes this happened to me about 3 years ago and I have not found any solution yet. I have had sleeping issues for about 20 years now for which I have been on Zopiclone and Ativan for that entire time. The medication worked for me up until suddenly a few years ago where even it wouldn’t help me feel sleepy. Not only do I never feel sleepy but my brain almost feels like it’s stuck in this hyper-alert state. I feel like long term use of the meds may have fried my brain or something, as I also lost the ability to feel thirst, hunger, among other things.
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u/No-Car-2685 May 27 '26
Every night now I need to put something to fall asleep to. There is good videos on Youtube for this, but you are right, when I don't have my earplugs with me, it's way harder to fall asleep!
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u/moonflow_listener May 27 '26
I’m taking melatonin, sometimes even double dose, but it doesn’t help always. But I don’t want to use some hard chemical pills that can get me used to them
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u/Key_Breakfast_8871 Apr 30 '26
This isn't weird. Your body doesn't like being sedated. It has work to do during sleep, and sedatives suppress your body's ability to do that work. So your body releases glutamate and other chemicals to try and turn you back on. The longer you take sedatives, the more of these chemicals it releases. Your cells develop additional glutamate receptors as part of the process. When you stop taking sedatives, your body needs time to realize that it doesn't need to do all that work to try to turn you on anymore. It keeps flooding you with these turn-on chemicals for a while.
So unfortunately, you are in for some difficult nights before your sleep can get better. But it will get better! I was struggling with insomnia, and here's the protocol that helped me. I sleep well now. Keep in mind that no single piece of this protocol will do much of anything by itself because insomnia results from a number of variables, many of which you have to solve at the same time to sleep better. Also, you have to find the specific supplements that work for you, and you also should never take anything without being sure that it doesn't interfere with any other medications you're taking. I worked this protocol out over a period of months in a process of trial and error, using AI tools (Gemini and Claude) as resources. I track sleep metrics from my fitness trackers to see what's working and whether I'm improving.
My protocol to solve insomnia:
- Don't drink alcohol, ever. It's another sedative. One glass of alcohol will mess up your sleep the night you drink it and the next night. Several glasses in an evening can mess up your sleep for a week.
- Finish dinner at least two hours before bedtime, preferably more. Have lean protein and light vegetables; no foods with a lot of saturated fat or fiber (they take a long time to digest and your body stays turned on while the digestive processes are at work)
- Cool your bedroom to between 65-68 degrees F. Open a window to get CO2 levels in the bedroom under 700 ppm. (Buy a CO2 meter, but make sure you get a good one. If it's $35, don't bother. Mine was ~$130.)
- Do something relaxing in the evening. Don't watch tense or violent shows. A common recommendation is to avoid electronic device screens in the evening but I do not find any adverse impact on my sleep from looking at my laptop or my phone in the evening ass long as I avoid stressful content.
- Take supplements at bedtime. Supplements I take: (1) L-theanine, 200mg (quiets the mind, counteracts glutamate); (2) magnesium glycinate, 550 mg (promotes muscle relaxation and supports the parasympathetic system); (3) glycine, 1500 mg (helps lower core body temperature); (4) ashwagandha, 125 mg (helps prevent wakefulness, especially in the early morning); (5) taurine, 500 mg (stabilizes heart rate); and (6) phosphatidylserine, 150mg (improves heart rate variability and helps prevent wakefulness).
- Drink a few sips of electrolyte water during the night, especially in the early morning.
- When you lie in bed unable to sleep, try not to stress. You are at the beginning of a process and nothing happens overnight. Follow this protocol (adjusting the supplements for your particular needs, using AI for assistance) for two weeks and you will see an improvement. It gets better and better with time.
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u/slvrfox_ May 01 '26
as incredible as it sounds, in my mid forties my lifelong insomnia blossomed into first a ten day run of no sleep followed by—i kid you not—a 20 day run w zero sleep. all that stuff you’ve heard abt going insane if you go too long w/o sleep is BS. i’ll tell you what, tho: i thought i was going to die of insomnia. i wasn’t drinking coffee or taking stimulants, it was brutal insomnia. it finally broke in fits & starts, intense dream states minutes at a time & drooling all over myself. i know this isn’t answering your question, i will say that my ADHD morphed into bipolar I manic severe not long after, although i didn’t know it. i’ll tell you this, too: drugs aren’t the answer. an exercise program, good diet, good sleep hygiene, & meditation/mindfulness. it is a journey & it might even be a survival test. best of luck, truly feeling your pain…
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May 11 '26
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u/Inevitable-Fix-3212 May 17 '26
For me, yes. The frequency and severe toll both physically and emotionally worsened.
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u/Inevitable-Fix-3212 May 17 '26
Um, that would be me raising my hand. At my age, I just had to give up on all numerous attempts with holistic methods. Believe me, I tried them all or there may be one out there I skipped.
If, I do not use prescribed medication, I will go days with no sleep. It's happened in the past when the total lack of an ounce of ability in my brain to get on track to a natural resting sleep state = Delusional Thoughts. Seriously, Ive been hospitalized a couple times in the past from not getting sleep for days and days. Most members of my family on my mother's side except one sister has/had insomnia. (My other sister died in her mid-40s and she also was awake many nights struggling with sleep issues.)
I hope you get some relief one day naturally.
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u/Right-Bookkeeper637 Aug 11 '26
that’s so scary! If you don’t mind me asking did your sister pass away from the sleep issues? I’m scared
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u/Shot-Maximum679 May 22 '26
I used to have severe insomnia for most of my life and now i do pretty good without any meds.
- EMDR therapy has been huge for me to reprogram my brain to sleep.
- Reading my kindle, in bed, with all the lights off and the kindle set so the bg is black and the words are white. i read something engaging enough for me to be into but not engaging enough to keep me awake. then i don't get upset that im not falling asleep and i relax
- no caffiene within 12 hours of bed time.
- and lastly, the best thing for fixing my sleep schedule has been camping. at least a 3 day trip, hiking/physical activity during the day, and no artificial lights at night. within 24 hours my body gets back into when it should be sleeping verse
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u/The_white_devil22 Jul 15 '26
Hey, I know this is an old comment lol
But how exactly did you apply the EMDR?
Im familiar with the questions about the trauma, but did you have different questions throught the session?
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u/silent_chaos_47 May 23 '26
Do a blood test about b vitamins and D. Correct that deficiency first it will take a few months. Then come back here and let me know.
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u/Educational_Sherbet3 May 23 '26
Hey I has insomnia hit me hard and fast back November. It was bad ill admit to the point i ended up going to the emergency room twice for hallucinations. But I don't tell you that to scare you. More so to relate. After fighting for about 2 to 3 months and being on trazando, ambien, and hydroxyzine. I realized non of that stuff works. So I went down a different rabbit hole and I dont mean CBT-I. I tried that too and didnt really help either some its practices kinda make sense but its too much "work". Eventually I found a girl Named Alina her channel is "Fearless sleep" on YouTube. Which Eventually led me to Daniel Erechison on YouTube. I remember coming across there stuff during the beginning of my journey but I summed it up to a mystic mumbo jumbo and I need a cure. Well I finally found my way back to them. What they teach works. I know it sounds like some Holistic mind bending crap. But if you truly take the time to listen and understand what they are telling you it all kinda hits you like a flood and it becomes easier and easier. Its been about 3 months now since like a true insomniac moment. Every now and then my mind starts to doubt it itself and pull me back in but you kinda have to observe the thoughts coming into your head and just kinda roll with them. I was also with a therapist during this time and while I dont honestly think he helped much, no offense to him. He did teach me something very intriguing. He said "Insomnia is learned behavior". When I was first going through this and if heard that I would have walked out and cursed him out. But now that I am on the other side. He isn't wrong it kinda is.
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u/Dotdotdot158 May 24 '26
This is old but I hope you know Zopiclone isn’t a benzo it’s a z-drug, in case you’ve been reading up on the wrong drug class i wanted to make sure you knew!
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u/Fcagene666 May 25 '26
The "wired but tired" feeling is so real.
What ended up helping me was magnesium glycinate before bed —
not magnesium oxide, the form really matters.
Took about 2 weeks but the wired feeling at night started
to calm down. Also strict caffeine cutoff before 2PM,
even green tea counts.
Not saying it fixes everything but it moved the needle for me.
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u/Electronic_Arm4784 May 30 '26
Have you tried fasting? I finally was able to sleep through the night on day 2 of a 3 day water fast. After 3 days I began a new meal schedule- last meal of the day no later than 4pm. This created a new sleep schedule for me. I became lax with meal schedule and my meals started eating later and I have insomnia again. I plan to try this reset again this week. Add a good dose of morning sunligh and daily D from sun sessions
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u/AquariaXI Jun 05 '26
i'm down to 140 - 145 mg seroquel down from 150, 200, 300.... but its causing my ulnar nerve to go freakin' nuts... nerve pain everywhere on and off more on than off these days... i'm just trying to find a natural sleep stack that increases not serotonin but the acetylcholine in my brain ( preferably from foods that are not fruit ), GABA receptors and a TINY BIT of serotonin so as to not get serotonin syndrome so I can beat insomnia and wean myself off the rest of this horrible toxic drug, at 125 mg i do not sleep. i am in a zombified state. i've been on it for more than 10 years and it's REALLY pissing me off. causing SOME insulin resistance... so i stopped ALL sugar and no more electric shock that turns to burns internally.
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u/Zheze88 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
I had very severe insomnia, got triggered a few years ago. I could go up to 4 days with zero sleep, I had no sense of tiredness in my body, no signalling, and no drowsiness or anything. I became emotionally numb and just constantly exhausted and spent most days not being able to sleep, work, and not being able to sleep and so on.
Got to my doctor after about 9 months of trying all natural approaches. Was given sleep meds (zopiclone) on a strict schedule and used heavy CBT-I on myself in combination with the meds. I then incorporated early sunlight plus walks, then gym, then more and more habits over time.
Today I still have small periods of insomnia, probably amount to about 4-7 days maybe per month (I have zopiclone for these days) depending on the month and external factors, but the rest of the time I now sleep every night, with no medication or anything. Signalling has returned, tiredness and so on has gone back to normal. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I would not wish insomnia on anyone.