Can’t sleep on my own without taking something

My brain is fried I can’t sleep without taking something for sleep (antipsychotics), I tried to fall asleep without them at least for a few minutes, happened to anyone else? Also on antipsychotic I get only few minutes of light sleep. I totally lost ability to sleep without meds

That's good news because that means you DON'T have SFI as it doesn't respond to any type of drug.

 

That happened to me too.  I had to take Seroquel or I couldn't get any sleep.  But that stopped working rather quickly, so I just toughed it out.

 

You'll get there, but it just takes time and more time.

That's good news because that means you DON'T have SFI as it doesn't respond to any type of drug.

 

That happened to me too.  I had to take Seroquel or I couldn't get any sleep.  But that stopped working rather quickly, so I just toughed it out.

 

You'll get there, but it just takes time and more time.

 

But even on APs I get less light sleep every night, I don’t even feel that I was asleep, it’s crazy, it’s progressively getting worse and worse. A month ago I still had some night where I slept some and I knew I slept, now I lost so much sleep that I don’t even know I was asleep I get just a few minutes of light sleep and iodising APs only works for a night or two but then it stop working, I’m on the maximum doses of APs. My sleep is getting worse instead of getting better. I don’t understand that meds are less effective every night, and losing of sleep is progressing really fast, every night is worse every night less sleep, I don’t understand why is it still getting worse after 2 months and a half.

That's how it works for many.  Everything I took only worked for a night or 2 and then stopped working.

 

The best thing you can do, is to ignore your lack of sleep.  I know, way easier said than done.

 

Seroquel worked better for me at a lower dose - 50mg, but as I said only worked for a few nights

 

All medications stop working and since you temporarily fried your GABA receptors, nothing is going to help you sleep until you stop taking drugs and let them heal.

 

Wish I had better news, but that's the reality.

 

As I said, many have gone a year or 2 with very little sleep and survived and now they get a decent amount of sleep each night.

That's how it works for many.  Everything I took only worked for a night or 2 and then stopped working.

 

The best thing you can do, is to ignore your lack of sleep.  I know, way easier said than done.

 

Seroquel worked better for me at a lower dose - 50mg, but as I said only worked for a few nights

 

All medications stop working and since you temporarily fried your GABA receptors, nothing is going to help you sleep until you stop taking drugs and let them heal.

 

Wish I had better news, but that's the reality.

 

As I said, many have gone a year or 2 with very little sleep and survived and now they get a decent amount of sleep each night.

But my cognitive impairment is everyday worse from that insomnia my brain is numb and blank.

For me, my brain hated being forced to sleep before it was ready. Taking a sleeping pill got me maybe 2 hours of sleep but then afterwards I wouldn’t feel rested and I felt like I had dementia. I followed ThEwAy2’s advice, got off all meds, suffered many nights of zero sleep, micro sleeps, and 1-3 hours sleep and then my sleep started improving. Now I get 6.5-8.5 hours of sleep a night consistently. Yesterday I even took a nap for the first time in forever.

 

The hardest part will be to believe that you will improve. Even if you don’t believe it, try saying “I am healing every day” as a positive affirmation to yourself.

 

We believe you when you say your brain is blank and you get zero sleep. But you won’t die from this even if it feels like you will.

I am aware of ppl who didn’t really sleep at all for a year or two in this.

Eventually the sleep returned.

For me, my brain hated being forced to sleep before it was ready. Taking a sleeping pill got me maybe 2 hours of sleep but then afterwards I wouldn’t feel rested and I felt like I had dementia. I followed ThEwAy2’s advice, got off all meds, suffered many nights of zero sleep, micro sleeps, and 1-3 hours sleep and then my sleep started improving. Now I get 6.5-8.5 hours of sleep a night consistently. Yesterday I even took a nap for the first time in forever.

 

The hardest part will be to believe that you will improve. Even if you don’t believe it, try saying “I am healing every day” as a positive affirmation to yourself.

 

We believe you when you say your brain is blank and you get zero sleep. But you won’t die from this even if it feels like you will.

 

I can’t sleep on my own not even for a minute, I went off became almost catatonic because of lack of sleep and now I’m back on, it’s impossible for me to sleep, because my brain doesn’t function, it’s sleeping all the time, I don’t have a difference between a light sleep and being awake, you lucky people that can sleep on your own at least 1h, my brain is never ready for sleep I can stay awake weeks and I won’t crash to sleep. I was awake more than 2 weeks last time.

I am aware of ppl who didn’t really sleep at all for a year or two in this.

Eventually the sleep returned.

Problem is that I don’t get any deep or REM sleep.

I have this same issue. I can’t perceive any sleep at all.

I think I get around 0-4hrs but can’t perceive any of it. People say it takes time. I’m

2 yrs off and I’m still waiting for even slight improvements.

I’m not anxious or feeling tense at night either. There aren’t any thoughts keeping me up.

Hi I never know if I will sleep at night.

Last night should have been a good night

but it was so so at best. Often that means

tonight will be better but I never know.

That's how it works for many.  Everything I took only worked for a night or 2 and then stopped working.

 

The best thing you can do, is to ignore your lack of sleep.  I know, way easier said than done.

 

Seroquel worked better for me at a lower dose - 50mg, but as I said only worked for a few nights

 

All medications stop working and since you temporarily fried your GABA receptors, nothing is going to help you sleep until you stop taking drugs and let them heal.

 

Wish I had better news, but that's the reality.

 

As I said, many have gone a year or 2 with very little sleep and survived and now they get a decent amount of sleep each night.

 

Im over two years and I am never sleeping. I have had some patches where I get some sleep but for the most part my sleep is almost nonexistent. I take a small bit of remeron every couple nights of no sleep.

 

But right now I am just so mentally exhausted from not sleeping for 2 years.

 

 

I've just started taking very small amount zopiclone couple night week as sleep got awful last few weeks. Literally can't get to sleep can't cope with severe mental symptoms and depression if not getting any sleep as well. Think we just need to do whatever helps us get through this. Don't intent to reinstate just short gap measure.

I know how you feel.  I've had no trouble falling asleep, but wake up after a few hours and can't get back to sleep.  Total sleep maybe 1 - 4 hours a night for the last few months.  It's been horrible.

 

I tried 3 mg Melatonin and it could have been just coincidence, but my O2 level dropped, so I won't be taking it again.  Last week I tried Hydroxyzine HCL (Atarax) 25 mg and slept a good 6-7 hours, but felt groggy the next day.  And not the nice relaxed kind of drowsy but a depressed, dead-feeling state. 

 

Would Hydroxyzine pamoate 25 mg be better?

 

My best sleep has been from Benadryl.  Last night a full 8 hours sleep at last!  But I might need to alternate with something else and/or take nothing at all, or it will lose effectiveness?

 

ALSO while I woke up this morning relaxed and eerily "normal"........as the Benadryl wore off I had extremely severe headache and anxiety symptoms.  Now I'm torn between taking it again or trying the Hydroxyzine pamoate.

 

Any thoughts or advice?

Your sleep won't consistently improve until you are completely off the Benzos and I see you are still tapering K-pin.

 

If you want to know why this is happening, it has to do with your down regulated GABA and the lack of balance with Glutamate.  Both are nervous system receptors.  GABA is your body's "brake pedal" or what slows things down and makes you calm and relaxed.  Glutamate is your body's "gas pedal" or what makes you active and alert or even fight or flight.  Normally the two are in a "balancing act" so one doesn't overtake the other.  But when your GABA is temporarily taken off line by the Benzo, Glutamate rules the day and night.  That's why you might feel wired all the time, have racing thoughts and are never sleepy.  It takes some time for your body to repair the temporary damage.  No one knows how long that will be.  But your body knows exactly how to repair the damage and put your GABA and Glutamate back into balance.  However, it is a very nonlinear process...UP and DOWN, one step forward, 2 steps back for some time for most.

 

I like your memorable analogies!  Thank you.  I feel bad when my restlessness wakes my partner.  And its bad for me too as in the wee hours I sink into doom-and-gloom thinking.  But others with insomnia have worse problems than me.  Some have jobs.  Some have children to take care of.  With such responsibilities to others, they especially need sleep.  What can they do?