Top products from r/insomnia

What do you think triggered her sleep problems? Does she have a history of dieting and/or overexercising? Or a period of a lot of stress?

• Some ideas:
  
  -> Make sure your mom gets enough light exposure during the day (ideally sunlight). Sitting inside all day is not good for your circadian rhythm. Try to get half an hour of sunlight exposure as soon as waking up. If that's not possible, buy a blue light lamp, like this one:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Therapy-Rechargeable-HF3429-60/dp/B00M3SGD4Y
  
  -> Make sure your mother eats enough. I've seen lots of people, including myself, who got insomnia due to excessive dieting and overexercising. Eating enough in the morning and at lunch is key. Make sure every meal contains a good amount of protein, fruit and vegetables, to make sure your blood sugar levels remain stable.
  
  -> The right kind of exercise is important. Weightlifting is a great way to improve metabolic health without exhausting yourself. Improved metabolic health is a key factor in insomnia. The increased amount of mitochondria and improved insulin sensitivity make sure your cells are able to produce a lot of energy, thus reducing levels of stress hormones. Endurance type exercise is less ideal because it can wear you out.
  
  -> I'd also recommend taking some CBD oil for resetting your nervous system and calming you down. I don't know if it's legal where you live, but if it is, definitely try it. It's one of the best supplements there is for insomniacs.
  
  -> Finally, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a good way to improve sleep as well. There's a number of good books on CBT that you can find on Amazon. I recommend this one to start:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1524235804&sr=8-1&keywords=gregg+jacobs

I've tried a ton of stuff to fix my 'sleep maintenance insomnia'. I can only sleep 5 hours then still tired but wake up. I literally have almost no stress in my life right now (unusual I know) so don't think CBT will help. I've also used at least 5 sleep trackers: Zeo, Beddit, ResMed, FitBit and a couple more.

The fascinating thing about Trazadone is it great increases my deep sleep according to my ResMed tracker (the best and surprisingly cheapest sleep tracker). I'm still short on total sleep and experimenting again with melatonin - specifically REMFresh mentioned by my psychologist.

I've not had nightmares from Trazadone in the last several months, but I also almost never have nightmares so am not currently pre-disposed. I don't watch horror movies though.

Sorry about the anxiety and depression.

Also a friend just recommended this book which is great: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316

I've read a dozen books and hundreds of other articles. Reading this is the first time I've learned new and clarifying information in a long time. It is extremely well researched + written by a world class sleep expert. It's also on Audible which is great if you have tired eyes like me.

Hope some of that's helpful. Though not all pointedly answering your question these are the most valuable things I've learned in the last year.

I'd recommend trying to cut out horror movies and continuing with the trazadone. My gf loves horror too. It distracts her from her anxiety and though I don't claim to be an expert it logically self perpetuates some of these issues. I have other behaviors I need to break which perpetuate mine as well.

• No more caffeine, ever. No coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate.
  
• No other stimulants.
  
• No alcohol. It interferes with your sleep cycle. It may make you drowsy at first but it will make you more wakeful later.
  
• No screen time in the hours before bed. All that blue light keeps you awake.
  
• Nothing mentally stimulating before bed. Find a way to ramp down.
  
• Have a bedtime ritual.
  
• Sometimes a warm bath before bed helps. You get your body temp up and then it cools down which helps you sleep.
  
• Get up at the same time every day.
  
• Schedule worry time. Write it down. Put it aside. Don't worry when you're in bed.
  
• Exercise! The harder the better. But not in the hours before bed. Late afternoon is usually better for sleep.
  
• Don't eat before bed, your digestion can keep you awake.
  
• Sleep hygiene: Dark room, quiet room, only use bed for sleep and sex. I make my bed every day so I have a smooth bed to sleep in. White noise or soft ambient music helps some people. Youtube is full of stuff. So is Pandora. A sleep mask and earplugs can help.
  
• Get up at the same time every day. Even weekends. No sleeping in even if you go to bed late.
  
• Go to bed early enough that you don't need an alarm to wake you.
  
• Learn to meditate or do guided relaxation. Youtube is full of videos.
  
• There are OTC sleep meds. Some are combined with a pain killer. Sometimes ibuprofen by itself will help you sleep, but you develop a tolerance within a few days.
  
• Supplements that might help: l-theanine, ashwagandha. Also hops, valerian.
  
• Get lots of sunlight and bright light first thing in the morning to help regulate your circadian cycle.
  
• If you can't sleep get up and read or do something quiet until you're sleepy. Avoid screens because of that blue light.
  
• Install f.lux on your PC. https://justgetflux.com/
  
• I've had luck with self hypnosis tapes. Again youtube is full of them. I found one in the library that helped me enormously.
  
• If you want to put on weight and sleep better have some carbs before bed. A baked or boiled potato works great. http://www.amazon.com/Potatoes-Not-Prozac-Solutions-Sensitivity/dp/141655615X

If you haven't already, invest a negligible amount of money into the book Say Good Night To Insomnia by Gregg D. Jacobs. Read it slowly, do what it says.

I think your system is just waaaay too used to all these pills. Extensive use like that will definitely mess up your homeostasis. You might have started down this path because of some other problem, but it has created an entirely new problem. This book will help you slowly move away from sleeping pills and find your native ability to sleep back.

Good luck to you my friend, and remember, whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish.

I also wake up by the slightest noise. The only thing that works for me is earplugs. But not just any earplugs. The ones workers in factories etc. use.

I'll try to find a picture or link for you, hold on.

Edit: i dont know if exactly these are available outside of germany but they are called bilsom laser lite.

http://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B0007XJOLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420567335&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

They look like this. They are stronger than normal ear plugs because they are supposed to be used when working with heavy and loud machinery.

I hope you find something like that and it helps you.

Here's what I use. I just got it last week but so far I really like it! It has a sunrise/alarm setting, and different brightness levels for the clock so you can make it just barely visible at night.

What I'm still struggling a bit with is creating a dark environment before bed! But I'm getting better at that.

Yes I use them. Yes I love them and think they helped me advance my bedtime, but I did a bunch of other things too. I got these: https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-Blocking-Computer-SCT-Orange-S1933X/dp/B000USRG90 I picked them because they are safety glasses and have to actually do what they claim to.

I do not believe I am magnesium deficient. Were your levels actually tested?

That's possible, but people all too quickly assume they have some kind of genetic dysfunction, or something else inherently wrong with them.

I myself have epilepsy, and I used to blame my insomnia on that. But once you learn more about metabolic rate, and how it affects about every part of your cell, and how you can properly increase it (it isn't set in stone) you quickly figure out that most health problems can be traced back to it.

This is what these lifestyle changes are to help with.

When I say you should work standing up, this is to increase your metabolic flux, the input and output of energy (in the form of calories) which in turn increases metabolic rate, making all your cells work better and strengthening circadian rhythm.

Your argument of gays, there is good evidence that homosexuality is caused by problems with wrong hormonal signals being given to the foetus, so the brain develops differently. This is the epigenetic approach, but again, this only shows how powerful hormones are, if they can determine what kind of people you are hardwired to be attracted to.

The lifestyle changes I give have little to do with CBT, by the way. They serve to induce certain biological, hormonal and physiological respones.

You should definitely read Mark Starr's book on thyroid and metabolism. It shows that even things like autism are caused by metabolic dysfunction. https://www.amazon.com/Hypothyroidism-Type-Epidemic-Mark-Starr/dp/0975262408

Also been wearing earplugs for 10+ years. No issues. Never heard that from an MD, although I'm sure it's possible if you're predisposed to infections. The best earplugs available are these guys: https://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Plugs-Xtreme-Protection-pairs/dp/B001EPQ86A. Although... the company used to sell a "round top" version that was supposed to be an improvement but didn't work at all. Look for the "flat topped" version like the earplugs in the link. Or, check out a home supply store for contractor ear plugs. You're looking for an NRR (noise reduction rating) of 33.

I use these everyday, because roommates make a lot of noise in the morning much earlier than I wake up. they hurt my ears the first few times I used them and every once in a while but they seem ok now. I did cut them a little bit near the end because sometimes tossing and turning would pull them out of my ears.

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Visibility-Disposable-Earplugs-200-Pairs/dp/B0007XJOLG

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I also purchased this mask to try and sleep a bit more without the sun waking me and I like it so far. just be sure you are wearing it correctly or you will get light by your nose.

https://www.amazon.com/Contoured-Sleeping-Blindfold-Concave-Meditation/dp/B07W3L3DJB/

I have trouble functioning if I dont sleep enough so I totally undrestand. hope this helps!

I'm sure not everyone has seen all of these tips. and while they likely won't solve chronic insomnia, they may help in small ways! And it's not like this guide is doing anyone anything bad!

And yes, fixing insomnia is not an easy thing.

You make a good point that unconditioning your brain is a very important aspect in treating insomnia. The author covers that aspect in this book pretty deeply http://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463595683&sr=8-2&keywords=insomnia

If small noises waking you up is a major part of the problem, let me C&P my reply to another post:

Two solutions would be (A) wear ear plugs, or (B) get a white noise source in your room.

You could even combine them. For instance, recently, there has been heavy construction in my building starting every day at 8 (jack-hammering, hammering, etc.) that reverberates through the whole structure. It's so noisy that even ear plugs don't block out the sound. However, I've discovered that if I wear in-ear ear buds and play low-frequency white noise (this track is good) at med volume, it totally drowns out the sounds of the construction. It sounds a bit like the whoosh/rumble you hear on an airplane, so I can still fall asleep to it.

If you prefer earplugs, my experience is that these Moldex ones block out the most sound, more than 3M, as they are longer and denser.

If you absolutely can't tolerate sleeping with anything in your ears, then you could also get a loud fan or other white noise source (or just play the noise over speakers with decent bass).

Hope that helps.

Thank you for posting this! I was just getting ready to post the same thing and ding here you are! I'm on day five of CBT-i after receiving my results from a sleep study and learning that while I don't have Apnea, I do have a highly f-ed up sleep architecture. So...here I am, doing CBT-i and FEELING LIKE HELL It's expected, I know, but I'm so tired, I can barely figure out what day it is. In fact, I'm really only typing this in a desperate effort to stay awake until my specified bedtime. I'm literally counting the minutes until I can go to sleep.

I now have a VERY strict bedtime and wake time, and am restricting to 7 1/2 hours of time to sleep. It's scary how bad you feel while you're going through this, but it just goes to show how f-ed up our sleep architecture is. Anyway, last night I had my best night of sleep in a long time.

You should check out Gregg Jacobs book. He takes you step-by-step through the process.

I'd be totally happy to be your CBT-i buddy through this process. It might help us to have someone to gripe to until our sleep architecture readjusts.

I had been using these, but I recently got a pair of these from a free offer and have been using them lately.

May I recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? In two months, this drug-free psychotherapy undid my five years of Ambien addiction. My sleep still isn't perfect, but it's 90% better than it used to be, and it's just so liberating not to be drugging myself unconscious.


If you can't find a local therapist, books may also work since a lot of the therapy consists of exercises done at home.

Very helpful and inspiring post. Also wanted to let everyone know that the techniques you used are all explained in detail in the book, "No More Sleepless Nights" http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0471149047?pc_redir=1413519616&robot_redir=1

That lead me to this fascinating read

https://www.amazon.ca/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586

This book has a good run down of cbt techniques

Seriously, you need some CBT for insomnia. It's very simple and will probably solve your issue or at least make it like 80% better. (BTW - Alcohol makes insomnia worse and can permanently destroy your sleep architecture!)

This book walks the reader step by step through the process! $10 + 6 weeks and you will probably feel a lot better. (It really, really helped me!)

Well, try it. Buy the generic, diphenhydramine. Get Kirkland. I believe that is the COSTCO brand.

http://www.amazon.com/Diphenhydramine-HCI-AntihistamineCompare-Ingredient-Benadryl%C2%AE/dp/B000OTAJTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382805793&sr=8-1&keywords=diphenhydramine

Yes. I have both tried out light therapy in the morning and blue light blocking glasses in the evening. Both seem to have had quite an effect on me.
Maybe you try out the glasses first. You can get them for just a few dollars online. (e.g. [those] (http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90) )

I bought this after realizing that Unisom, other sleep agents, and basically anything over the counter is diphenhydramine. This is by far the cheapest option:

http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Benadryl-Allergy-Diphenhydramine-Capsules/dp/B001X45QII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452141881&sr=8-2&keywords=diphenhydramine

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1848319509/ref=yo_pop_ma_swf_nodl

Non-mobile: Here's

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

http://www.amazon.com/Diphenhydramine-HCI-AntihistamineCompare-Ingredient-Benadryl%C2%AE/dp/B000OTAJTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452166596&sr=8-1&keywords=kirkland+diphenhydramine

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1572246359/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495932998&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=insomnia+workbook&dpPl=1&dpID=51i5y1HPeeL&ref=plSrch

i have fibromyalgia. (It's the cause of my insomnia). And it has taught me that normal doctors know very little about a lot of things. Alternative therapies have helped a lot. Researching their ideas, I consider working with the health model exposed in this book to be more fruitful: https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Health-Hoax-Disease-Free/dp/0757318495

(Disease are cells working innapropiately or toxins. Making cells work properly and exliminating toxins cures disease).

there must be something in our bodies making us not be able to sleep. I'm wating to remove my root canals. I think that ccould be the hidden cause of my fibromyalgia and insomnia.

You're not alone. You will absolutely beat this.

1. If you can't sleep, don't fight it. Simply embrace it. An opportunity to read an Archie comic or Calvin and Hobbes? Something easy on the mind but takes up time, just not too stimulating.
   
   
2. Get out of your bed and room if you can't sleep. Move to the living room you must train your mind that the bedroom is for sleep, sex, and sickness.
   
   
3. A lack of sleep can be troubling. But what are you worried about deep down? No sleep - long commute - tired at new job - poor performance? I'm sure you could make many of these chains. It would be good to explore your thoughts deep down.
   
   
4. Support. Doctor is a good start but there are some good books too. https://www.amazon.com/More-Sleepless-Nights-Peter-Hauri/dp/0471149047
   
   That one took me out of insomnia. I still have bad nights here and there but I laugh them off.
   
   
5. Consider looking into anxiety treatment too
   
   With a little patience everything will return to normal soon. Don't be hard on yourself.
   
   

Hey /u/Vlad_is_love, something to consider: There's been studies recently indicating that meditation can damage sleep and actually contribute to mental distress. Don't get me wrong, I've been a practitioner for 7 years and have practice / receive instruction from a monk who studied with Ajahn Chah along with Jack Kornfield in Thailand - but need to keep in mind that it isn't a cure-all.

I'd recommend reading - https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Sensitive-Mindfulness-Practices-Transformative-Healing/dp/0393709787

My tips on earplugs.

If silence and isolation from the loud world around you is your thing, Moldex Pura-Fit is your ear plug. They are not the largest nor the densest plugs out of the foam plugs. I found them to block the most sound.

Product | Price | Type | Comfort | Noise Blocking | DB blocking |
---------|----------|----------|---------|----------|----------|
Moldex 6800 | Cheap | Memory foam | 3/5 | 5/5 | 27 DB|
Macks-Silicone-Putty | Cheap | Putty | 5/5 | 3/5 | 32 DB|
Hearos Xtreme | Cheap | Memory Foam | 3/5 | 4/5 | 33 DB
DuraPlugs | Cheap | Memory Foam | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 32 DB |
Mack's ultrasoft foam | Cheap | Memory Foam | 4/5 | 3/5 | 32 DB |
Howard Leight | Cheap | Memory Foam | 2/5 | 4/5 | 32 DB|
Etymotic Research, ETY Plugs | Medium | Flanges | 3/5 | 4/5 | 19 DB |
Crioxen Earplugs | Medium | Flanges | 4/5 | 5/5 | 21DB|
Eargasm Earplugs | High | Flanges | 3/5 | 3/5 | 22DB |
Surefire Defenders | Medium | Flanges | 3/5 | 5/5 | 20 DB |




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Depends on your sensitivity. Some people can live in a moldy environment with no apparent problem (though I've read it increases cancer risk); some get very sick; others: somewhere inbetween.

The insidious problem is the mycotoxins mold gives off. My understanding is that dead mold continues to be toxic.

Since you can't sleep, how about listening to some podcasts?

• Heal From Mold is good for mold. Ep. 3 discusses mold assessment and remediation.
  
• Not Just Paleo Podcast covers a broad range of health topics. Functional medicine in general is good for tackling mild / chronic health problems.
  
  Another possibility that just came to mind is activities; do you do anything different at home? Do you use LED lights in the evening? Or use screens more? Might be worth buying some blue blocking glasses.

I consider myself relatively cured of sleep issues. Not perfect but livable.

1: How long did you have Insomnia and how bad was it?
I had it for a year

2. How much hours sleep did you get a night when you had Insomnia? 0-5

3. What's the longest time you haven't been without any sleep?
1 week

4. How long is your Insomnia cured right now? Since June this year. I considered myself cured because I have never had a single sleepless night since. However, my sleep is not perfect still. I would get a good run of 7-8 hours/night of sleep for two weeks, then a bad patch of 3-5 hours/night of sleep for a few days.

5. Do you sleep like a normal person now? I do when I'm in a good run. In bad patches, I up my game and bring out all the props, lol.

6. Are you still worried you'll get Insomnia again? Yes. Still trying to wean off the horrors that I experienced from catastrophizing for a year, but the worry is getting less and less each day.

7. How did you cure your Insomnia? I tried a lot of things, but the following worked the best:

1. Self-administered treatments of CBTI with some SRT and ACT thrown in.
   
2. light therapy (30 min of lightbox in the morning + avoid bright blue lights in the evening)
   
3. walks early in the evening to suppress anxiety
   
4. eating graham crackers and some water before going to bed has reduced nighttime awakenings
   
5. listening to Sleep With Me (podcast) allows me to distract myself from worrisome thoughts when I'm in bed
   
   8. What were your worst experiences with Insomnia? After a week without sleep everything hurts and it's hard to perform at work. Before I discovered CBTI I was catastrophizing eveyday and I would have suicidal thoughts.
   
   9. Any extra tips you want to give to everybody with Insomnia?
   
   

• Sleep issues are different for everyone, if something that somebody else is raving about does not work for you, it doesn't mean your issues are worse or that the other guy is lying, you just have to keep trying other things until you find something that works for you.
  
  
• It seems CBTI and light therapy will help the vast majority of people regardless of their unique condition. Note, I said help, not directly address the root cause. At some point in my search for a cure, I realized that it was futile to look for a root cause (unless you do have a medical condition that could be diagnosed, but my doctor could not find any with me), and realized that whatever triggered my initial sleeplessness was irrelevant and I was just making it worse by worrying too much about it. With CBTI, I have learned to realize that I cannot force myself to sleep. The best I can do is to be ready for sleep when it comes. When sleep comes and I am not relaxed or am anxious, then I will not be able to go to sleep. So I must do everything I can to be ready to catch sleep when it comes.
  
  
• I realized that my sleep issues started happening when I lost the ability to sleep out of my ideal sleep window. Everybody has a Circadian Rhythm, where the sleep pressure is strongest in the late afternoon and in the evening (the "ideal sleep window"). After I figured this out I stopped trying to sleep outside of this window. Doing so for me would induce insomnia. There is a good article that explains this: https://www.supermemo.com/en/articles/sleep#Curing_DSPS_and_insomnia
  
  
  
• As much as possible, avoid labeling yourself as an insomniac, you have to believe that you are normal (and you most likely are) and you're only suffering sleep issues. Do not underestimate the power of the human mind - if you believe in something it will eventually come true, so be careful what you believe in. Being through so many forums, I met one guy who successfully cured his 20 yr insomnia and the advice he gave was probably the one that inspired me the most: after a bad night or even a row of bad nights, do everything in your power to feel good all the time, and good sleep will eventually follow, even if you have to fake it until you make it. There are only a handful of people in the world who truly cannot sleep, and those are the ones who suffer from Fatal Familial Insomnia. So unless you have that, you will eventually conk out at some point, so just try to be positive until that happens. Put sleep in the right perspective - pay no attention to it and just trust that it will take care of itself - and put your waking life on center stage.
  
  
• I think one of the reasons why people who got cured never get back here is that completely blocking out the thought of insomnia also helps in keeping it from happening again. Forums such as this can act as "triggers" for relapse. I know I'm guilty of coming back here, but only because I'm in a bad patch right now :-). So try to avoid articles about sleep when you can, especially if your sleep is getting better already. Also, avoid blog posts about "the dangers of sleep deprivation" etc. Those are the worst triggers. And the literature is probably nonsense anyway, the writers just try to make the stories as dramatic as possible to attract people.
  
  
• Here are the books that helped me:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_24?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=desperately+seeking+snoozing&sprefix=desperately+seeking+snoo%2Cmobile%2C180&crid=37RG1MR1JC6XM
  A book written by a fellow sufferer and how he used Sleep Restriction Therapy to improve his condition.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free-ebook/dp/B005CW6T8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511820975&sr=8-1&keywords=say+goodnight+to+insomnia
  The official book on CBTI.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Book-Well-Every-Night/dp/1499250533/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511821229&sr=8-2&keywords=the+sleep+book
  A book that helped me address the sleep anxiety that was confounding my sleep issues.