Those who had Insomnia during their setbacks, how did it improve?

[[Buddie]]

Hi all, I was an active member from 2016-2017. I had insomnia from my first WD but I managed to recover by 2 years. I had the Covid vaccine an had the setback and it's been 3 months.

I would like to know all those with insomnia from their setbacks, how long did they last and how did it recover for you? Was it relatively rapid considering you have gone through Benzo WD? Did improvement start with a " sleepy feeling" and you felt tired and wanting to go to bed?

Thank you!

[[Buddie]]

I had insomnia setbacks at 18, 32 and 52 months off after I jumped CT.
All of them came after long periods of sleeping well--7 months to over 2 years!

The first one lasted about a month and I had a few zero nights and a bunch of 1-4 hour nights
The second one lasted about 10 days with a zero night and some 1-4 hour nights
The last one lasted 6 weeks or so with 3 zero nights and a lot of 1-4 hour nights

They all faded and ended the same way they arrived...out of the blue but gradually like over 4-7 days.

It wasn't like they just stopped one day and never came back...they slowly faded during the length of the setback!

I'm not sure if I'll have any more.  No one knows for sure, but I do know that I am in a much better position to deal with them now.

Good luck...

[[Buddie]]

Oh wow! Did you feel wired when the setback happened and then sleepy again when it went away?

I've been in this setback for almost 3.5 months after the Covid vaccine, I know this is not normal because I'm wired all the time and don't feel sleepy.

[[Buddie]]

I had absolutely terrible insomnia for the first year after letting clonazepam go.  It improved gradually but I think several things helped:  time (most important thing), a low dose trazodone at bedtime (12.5mg), and getting my blood pressure under control with metoprolol (again, low dose 12.5mg).  I've had a few minor setbacks but they have only lasted for a few days and I think they were related to seasonal allergies.  Exhausting generally catches up with me when I have several bad nights and if I don't panic, I return to good sleep in just a few days.  I'm pretty much over the phobia/anxiety I had in regard to insomnia and looking back, that was at least a bit of the problem.  I am diligent about sleep hygiene these days - no napping, exercise daily, and no caffeine late in the day.

[[Buddie]]

I wish I had the energy to exercise regularly. I am just too tired. I went back to the gym in August 2021 and, if I had kept going, I would be in decent shape right now, but I quit after a month because of my insomnia.

I started having insomnia at the end of April 2021, when I started to build up tolerance to Xanax. It stopped working for me to help me sleep. I started my taper and my sleep got horrible. Very bad, for several months. I got 0 to 3 hours a night for 3 straight months. I got my first 8-hour night in August 2021 and began to have several 4-to-6-hour nights even while I was still tapering. I jumped on 10-28-2021 and my sleep seemed to be getting better gradually. From January to the end of February, I averaged 5 hours a night. This last 2 weeks, in March of 2022, I have had several 0-to-3-hour nights, so I am having a setback. From all I have read, it is typical to have a pattern like mine. Back and forth, up and down until your sleep finally stabilizes as it, apparently, has for many people on here.

Hang in there! Me too!

[...]

[[Buddie]]

no napping, exercise daily, and no caffeine late in the day.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things [...]. What kind of exercise do you do? I have not been going to the gym, but I do have exercise equipment at home that I have been using.

[[Buddie]]

no napping, exercise daily, and no caffeine late in the day.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things [...]. What kind of exercise do you do? I have not been going to the gym, but I do have exercise equipment at home that I have been using.

I do a 30 minute aerobic thing in the morning and then I go for a long walk in the evening - weather permitting.  I don't like gyms for some reason -I prefer to do my exercising at home.

[[Buddie]]

Oh wow! Did you feel wired when the setback happened and then sleepy again when it went away?

I've been in this setback for almost 3.5 months after the Covid vaccine, I know this is not normal because I'm wired all the time and don't feel sleepy.

Yes, I was amazed at how I get get a zero night, but feel tired yet "wired" at the same time just like in the bad old days of my WD.  It eventually evened out and that sleepy feeling started to come back.