What do you do to be able to sleep? Or, are you one of those young perfect people that fall asleep as soon as they hit the pillow?


Over the last 5 years my sleep habits have become worse and worse. I blamed it on everything and anything and eventually I'd get back to my old pattern of perfect sleep. Then, I'd have a period where I wouldn't be able to sleep and eventually revert again.

Now, I am afraid, my sleep is totally ****ed. And I don't know what to do about it.

I used to drink alcohol at nights to help me relax and get tired. Getting older, those extra calories are really not helping matters and I do worry about my alcohol consumption. Not from a dependency perspective (though it doesn't seem right to having to drink alcohol in order to be able to sleep) but more from a health perspective. A body shouldn't have to put up with the additional burden of daily alcohol and abuse like that will eventually have consequences.

Anyway, earlier this year I was prescribed Ambien - a sleep medication. I don't like chemical drugs and am quite afraid of them. I did take one at one point and the side effects were frightening. I put them in my medicine cabinet. Eventually, I got used to the side effects of narcotics due to other meds I am taking and I have tried the Ambiens again. Now, I am in love with them. In love doesn't even come close. I worship my Ambien. I have one left and I am deathly afraid of taking it cause that would mean I am out of them and I know I can't get a prescription for more. Doctors suck.

My sleep is horrible. I can't fall asleep even though my eyes are so tired I can hardly keep them open. Finally, I fall asleep only to wake up 2 hours later fully awake. I lay awake till about 5am and then fall asleep again. Then, I can't get up when I have to, or I stay up but am horribly tired but have to work, etc. When I come home, the same thing happens all over. I can't fall asleep nor stay asleep. I am terribly terribly tired until I reach a state of utter and total exhaustion. Then I get two nights of good sleep and the whole thing starts all over again.

I am tired of it.

It is annoying and can't be healthy.

Ideally, I'd have an endless supply of Ambien. That way, I'd get some sleep every night, but I found that my tolerance to medication, even narcotics is scary. At times I need 3 Ambien (one is the regular dose) to fall asleep and I know over time my tolerance will just increase. Also, I don't want to have to take sleeping pills, a couple of cocktails, or smoke some pot only to be able to SLEEP!!!

Certainly, I wouldn't mind not having to sleep if only I wasn't so freaking tired without it.


So, what is it that you do to get a good nights rest? Is it easy? Do you slip in and out of insomnia periodically? What causes it? Stress? Worry?