Random nights of zero sleep?

1mg Klonopin 5 years

 

Jumped from 1mg Valium August 20th 2020

 

Things have been pretty decent this month. Had a massive wave in December but it subsided

 

However nights like last night I was applying for jobs, feeling really good. Then realized I was not tired the least bit and have been up for 24 hours again

 

I’ll most likely sleep tonight but insomnia has been my biggest symptom because it brings on so many other nasty feelings

 

Anyone else far out of withdrawal but still get surprised with insomnia episodes? I don’t know how I’m going to work full time like this

You're right, insomnia makes everything worse, what I hate is how tired I'll feel during the day after little sleep but as bedtime approaches I feel wide awake. 

 

Does this happen often, do you attribute it to benzo's or have you had this issue all your life?

Never had issues sleeping even before benzos

 

I was put on them due to dizzy spells

 

Never had a panic attack before I was on them either.

 

They really messed me up for the better part of 6 years

This member has helped quite a few members with his comprehensive list of sleep suggestions. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

I think it’s pretty normal for wd. I know exactly how u feel, I’m in the 0-3 hr category. I want to go back to work too but don’t know how I will cope. But pretty soon I’ll just bite the bullet coz life is passing me by.

 

I’m not even off yet so can’t wait to see what happens once I am!

 

If u read some of theway2 posts u will see he had trouble for 9 months after he jumped. It takes time x

So good news! After such a depressed day and being up for 36 hours I slept a good 8 hours last night!

 

My body was shot and my depressed thoughts needed to rest

 

It’s crazy what sleep deprivation does to your brain. It feels like I’m back to square 1 with my thoughts

 

But very happy that I slept! I think what happened is that I had some sort of manic episode where I got really stoked on feeling like I could get back to work so I was applying for jobs later into the evening and then my brain just didn’t shut off.

 

Left my phone out of my bedroom and put it down an hour before I wanted to just rest.

 

TheWay posts I’ve found extremely helpful when I read those back in December when I had 8 hrs sleep for the whole week. Very inspiring stuff from them!

Wonderful to hear you got some sleep, you know I'm fully recovered but if I break my sleep hygiene routine I don't sleep well.  Good for you for recognizing the importance of taking the steps you needed. 

Well here I am again.

 

3 am wide awake. Been a good few nights . I didn’t get a full workout in, and ate rice and chicken past 8 I clock so Idk which is doing it but this sucks. I really hope I can doze off but it’s not looking good

I don't want to throw gasoline on your "sleeping issues fire," but you have only been off 6 months.  My worst sleep was around 6 months off.  In WD timelines that's very early considering you were on Benzos for 5 years!

 

Getting sleep back is a real roller coaster ride for most.  It's very up and down.

 

I had close to 70 zero nights or nights of no perceived sleep over a 9-10 month period.

 

I was averaging 5-10 hours per week, so I know how you feel and how bad not sleeping truly sucks!

 

Working out only made my sleep worse, so I stopped lifting weights or doing any strenuous exercise until after I recovered .  I'd walk a few miles a day instead.

 

Eating past 8 probably has nothing to do with getting sleep or not?

 

I spent months and months trying to "connect the dots" as to why I would get some sleep one night and not another night.  It will drive you mad.

 

It's pretty simply actually.  Sleep is based on 2 things:  Sleep Drive/Circadian Rhythm

 

Like hunger, sleep drive normally increases the longer you've been awake, however Benzos remove the ability of your body to have a "normal" sleep drive by down regulating Gaba receptors.

 

Gaba receptors are like your body's brake pedal or what help you to be calm and relaxed so you can sleep.

 

On the other side is Glutamate receptors.  They are like your body's gas pedal and make you active and alert or even "fight or flight" reactions,

 

Normally Gaba and Glutamate are in a balancing act so one doesn't overpower the other.

 

However, the Benzos temporarily removed Gaba from the picture, so Glutamate rules the day and night!

 

That's why you might feel super tired but wired at the same time and can't sleep, nap etc.  Your Circadian Rhythm is probably fine, but your sleep drive is gone and remember you need both to be in balance in order to sleep!

 

Your sleep drive switch is temporarily broken or has been taken off line by the Benzo.

 

Unless your Sleep Drive and Circadian Rhythm are in balance, it's hard to sleep even without Benzo WD.

 

That's why millions have sleep issues that never took Benzos or any other drug for sleep.

 

Many people take melatonin for sleep, but melatonin does not induce sleep or keep you sleeping.  It regulates your Circadian rhythm and normally is used to reset it if you moved to a different time zone or worked the night shift and now are on the day shift, etc.  It's a hormone that is sold OTC in the US but requires a prescription in other countries.

 

I say that as Benzos affect the sleep drive side of sleep and melatonin affects the Circadian Rhythm side.

 

Again, both must be in balance for sleep to occur.  Time will heal the sleep drive side of your sleep and sleep will slowly return, but it will most likely be all over the map and bad nights will still come after days or weeks of good sleep.

 

Hang in there, time is the healer!

 

 

Thank you so much

 

You’re original post on sleep really helped me when I was experiencing PAWS like symptoms for 3 weeks back in December.

 

It’s just so frustrating. I was able to drive in the city yesterday for the first time since August. I was feeling so good and confident... then was up all night... like man why?!?

 

But as you said before. Accept it, don’t try to fight it.

 

Time will heal.. eventually

 

 

Edit: Profanity

Same thing happened to me yesterday. Had a great day, was super chilled out. Didn’t matter had a rough night. And like the way said, I gave up trying to connect the dots. I experimented for a while doing the exact same things at the same time. Eating the same foods. Made no difference whatsoever.

Well here we are.

 

Been sleeping great bit now that I have a job interview my body decided to stay awake all night

 

 

I’m getting so sick of this 

 

Edit: Profanity

Here we are again. I’m well over 40hrs of no sleep whatsoever

 

These waves are so gnarly

It’s horrible isn’t it. I just went 3 days on 1.5 hrs.

Sorry Tubthumpin.  Your UN-Is that your favorite song? 

Haha no I liked it as a kid and it’s a funny name so it always just stuck around

 

 

Got some sleep last night after taking a unisom... I never take them but felt like sleep was not coming had I not taken one

Zero again for me. That’s 5 this week x 9 hrs sleep for the week.

Hang in there...it's terrible, but I did several months averaging 5-10 hours per week. 

 

It will slowly get better. 

Praying 🙏🏼

There is a song called Tubthumping and it was a hit here in the US.

Hang in there...it's terrible, but I did several months averaging 5-10 hours per week. 

 

It will slowly get better.

 

I’m really hoping so. The weird thing is that I thought I was passed this! I had thought “I finally beat this thing”

 

Then after a couple weeks of sleeping good BAM. Hit with crippling insomnia and my mind just goes to the darkest places which causes me to ruminate and I think that doesn’t help me sleep either ... but I try not to pin point

 

This sucks

I was hit with crippling insomnia at 18 months off after sleeping really well for 6 months.  Then I got hit again at 32 months off and again at 53 months off.  This last episode of very poor sleep with zero nights and 1-2 hour nights lasted almost 7 weeks and that was after sleeping pretty well for 2 years!  It will even out for you too.  You're not that far out/off so expect the unexpected.

 

You can do well for weeks or months only to have it crop up again.  But the KEY is to not go back on a Benzo or Z-drug.  It will even out on it's own.

 

 

The thought of being back on Benzos isn’t even there.

 

Never again. I rather deal with insomnia every now and again

 

Something interesting happened last night that has to do with the supplement Glycine

 

So I have been taking 3g of Glycine every night and I been sleeping really well up until I ran out and didn’t order any a week ago now

 

Ever since I ran out I went from waking up at 2-4 am not able to get back to sleep to almost 3 sleepless nights

 

Yesterday my bottle came and I took 3g before bed and I almost fell asleep on the couch in the most relaxed state I’ve ever been in.

 

I really think this supplement helps a ton and I encourage anyone to at least look into it

Interesting, you might want to start a thread on the Alternative Therapies & Supplements board with your find.