Insomnia wave ~15 months off Klonopin.

Mini-panic attacks every time I begin drifting off to sleep is the only way I can describe what I’m experiencing.

I’ve had “insomnia” where I’m just not sleepy at the time I’m supposed to be sleepy my entire life. This isn’t that. As I drift into hypnotic sleep, whatever I’m thinking about turns nightmarish, I can’t breathe, and I wake up in a panic.

If I work at it for 12-15 hours, I can maybe sleep a total of 4-5ish, with several 30-40 minute bursts of sleep, but it’s a hellish 12-15 hours.

When I stepped off Klonopin after a 10.5-month taper, I immediately felt better. I’ve healed a lot each month. I still deal with choppy sleep when I’m doing well, but every so often, I get hit with one of these waves, and my entire life is put on hold.

Does anyone else have this type of insomnia? I also had a 10-year run with Zolpidem that I cold-Turkied back in October 2019, when I began my Klonopin taper. I hope C/Ting Zolpidem didn’t make problems for me that I didn’t see because of the Klonopin slow taper I was battling through.

I know the wave is temporary, and the window is inevitable, but being sleepy, and unable to do what your body is begging yo to do takes its toll. Also, this has been going on since Monday, October 25th, and usually this doesn’t last longer than a week for me, unless I’m talking antibiotics, or something.

Sorry to ramble. My brain is loopy.

Looking for any help, advice, words of encouragement, etc.

Sending light and love ❤️ 💕

It's somewhat common to have setbacks with insomnia after you have been doing well for some time.

I had a 29 day setback at 18 months off after sleeping pretty well for 6 months and another at 30 months and still another at 52 months off that lasted 6 weeks.

It should even out over time...

Sweet, fancy Moses.

My wave finally broke, and I was able to get 3 hours of restorative sleep, waking up twice during. Tomorrow night, I will take melatonin, or Zyrtec, and see if I can get some uninterrupted sleep.

For the last three weeks, I’ve worked hard on my sleep hygiene: bought a sleep wedge pillow to elevate my head and torso, because I realized I’ve been clearing my throat a lot, which I now believe is a reflux problem (because the sleep wedge helped it); I’ve cut out electronics immediately before bed; I’ve started taking magnesium citrate; I’ve been journaling and meditating, and all of these thing helped in their own ways, but didn’t bring me out of the wave.

I’m not religious, but tonight before bed, I had a brief conversation, out loud, with “God,” “my Higher Self,” “The Universe,” or whatever you want to call it, and just said that I needed this to be done for now. I have been fighting like hell, and I’m grateful for the healing that is happening in my brain/CNS while I’m going through this wave, but this is all I can take, and I need it to be done for now.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but it’s five hours later, and I felt everything click back into place for the time being.

I’m going to enjoy this window, and live every minute of it that I can.

Here's the thing.  You can't "force" or "make" yourself sleep.

Spending 12-15 hours in bed to only get 4-5 hours of sleep really isn't good sleep hygiene...just saying..not bashing you 

I'd be careful with supplements.  Melatonin is designed to reset your circadian rhythm, not induce sleep, although many claim it helps them to fall asleep?

Your sleep will even out over time.  As I already mentioned I've had several post jump insomnia only "waves" or "setbacks" or whatever you want to call them.  They always evened out given enough time.

Good luck.

PS...God is real!

The most wonderful thing has happened. I’m not just back to normal; I’m better than I was before this latest wave started.

Thursday night, I slept from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm without any supplements, but I had an important work day in the morning, so I took 1/2 a Unisom, and slept again from 12:00 am to 7:00 am, waking up every two hours, but with none of the breathing problems, drowning sensations, etc. I know using Unisom at any dosage isn’t ideal, but I panicked.

Friday night, I used 0 supplements or OTC meds, and slept from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am only waking up briefly to use the bathroom every 2 hours.

It’s important for me to remember in the future that, at least for me, every wave I have had during withdrawal has been a period of time when my mind and body shut down for repairs, and each time I have come out on the other side noticeably more healed.

Thank you for your responses, wAy2. I appreciate you being here when I needed to hear from someone.

 

Spending 12-15 hours in bed to only get 4-5 hours of sleep really isn't good sleep hygiene...just saying..not bashing you 

 

While tapering from Klonopin, staying in bed 10 – 12 hours through the night is pretty much my strategy to get any kind of shut eye – usually around 3 to 5 hours a night.

Specifically I get into bed around 9pm after putting the three year old to bed. Usually wide awake around anywhere from midnight to 4AM. Hearing husband and toddler waking up around 6AM. Husband out the door before 7AM, after the toddle is fed breakfast and situated with me in bed where she’ll watch kid’s shows if all goes well and she doesn’t need too much attention. Husband calls around 9am to make sure I’m out of bed.

Waiting for the day sleep productivity improves.

Please take the time to provide a signature that shows what you were on and for how long.

Are you still tapering?

If so, sleep is usually hard to come by towards the end of your taper and for some time after

Sleep probably won't improve at all until you're complete off and then it typically takes 6-12 months for sleep to even out for most...?  Some take less time, some take more time.