I have severe insomnia. I am on 20mg of Valium a day for anxiety and I still can't sleep. What can I do?
by 
Jeff Eerie
ANSWERS: 7
-
You can stay away from chocolate, caramel colored soda like coke and pepsi,caffeine, and exercise 3 hours before bedtime.If you find yourself twisting and turning get out of bed and do something boring like rading a book then if you find yourself nodding out on sofa immediately go back into the bed.You must train yourself into thinking the bedroom is for recuperative sleep only.Also taking meds like valium unfortunately one needs more and more to get the same effect.If you are taking other meds as well alert your physician as a a dosage adjustment or switch of meds may all that is needed.The old cliche warm milk l5 minutes before bed is true.Milk when heated contains a natural amino acid called tryptophan that induces sleep.Try mellow soft music or deep breathing exercise.If after this one still cant sleep consider an evaluation at a sleep center.You can go to the website sleepnet.com click on disorders,then insomnia ,it also will give you a list of sleep centers,.You should give the above tips at least 2-4 weeks before giving up on it as it takes awhile to retrain ones brain.Good luck,
-
Maybe you are giving the insomnia way too much power. Maybe you are worrying about not sleeping and then you probaby wont. Did you ever worry about something that you thought would happen and then after all was said and done, you worried for nothing, because it didnt happen. The fact that it didnt happen means nothing because when you are worrying about it the power then has all the control. Maybe dont sweat it so much. If you sleep ok, if you dont ok. It seems you are worrying about not sleeping when it isnt sleep time yet. It seems to me it has all the power. Have a drink or a shot before you go to bed and then you wont care if you can sleep or not. You will be mellow and relaxed. Ok. not rocket science, but hey, so what., but I bet you sleep. Sweet dreams. Clyde (janet- san diego)
-
Poor thing. I certainly can sympathize. First of all, the valium tells me you have other underlying problems. When you are an anxious person you tend to have racing thoughts. This means your body is tired but your mind continously is in fast motion. You need to see your doctor about having a sleep study. This is where you go to the hospital for a assigned evening. They have a certain area of the hosp. that strictly does sleep studies. You will be hooked up to leeds on your scalp and heart area. You are given a comfortable bed with all the comforts of home. When you do fall asleep, you are monitored by a camera in your room by a tech. that will give all the brain waives and cardiac strips to the specialist to interput. He or she can then tell you what the problem is and how possibly to remmedy the situation. Insurance usually pays for these studies. Being so deprived of sleep as you are could be the reason you are anxious and need medication as valium. Good luck. Sharon
-
Insomnia is usually a symptom of another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or periodic limb movement disorder. Very seldom does a person have insomnia for no reason. Taking Valium or a sleep aide does not treat what is actually causing your insomnia. Get a sleep study.
-
always make sure you take a big fuckin shit before you go to bed, i can never sleep wen i got a big fuckin shit in my ass
-
Sell the valium pills and do something fun late at night while you cant sleep... your body will go to sleep when its time to go to sleep.
-
Karel's advice is first rate. First thing, please re-read her answer. Then read my answer. 20 mgs of Valium is a hefty dosage, not the tops but not inconsequential. Have you been tried on other meds than benzos yet (Valium is a benzo)? Benzos are kind of a last ditch. If you are going to be med dependent, there are better meds to use than benzos if at all possible. Valium is also not one of the better benzos for this particular problem. I know a LOT about this problem. I am a severe enough insomniac that in the mid 2000's the docs were concerned that I had Fatal Familial Insomnia. I am still alive and one med does allow me to get some sleep so, obviously, I do not have FFI. Are you absolutely certain that your insomnia is only related to your anxiety? If not, I would suggest asking for a referral to a sleep clinic. If it is ONLY related to anxiety they are going to send you back to your psychiatrist but if there are other potential causes they shall run sleep studies on you.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC