Still on meds but struggling with insomnia - Help please

[[Buddie]]

Hi all
I have reduced my meds but still not off. I wondered if there are others out there like me who even when holding appear to be going through waves and windows.
In my wave I manage about 2-3 hours sleep then am awake for the rest of the night super anxious with horrible thoughts.
Are you the same? Can you advise?
Thank you

[[Buddie]]

Please read through this entire post...

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

[[Buddie]]

Thank you for sharing [...]. It is really useful.
Does anyone have experience of losing their sleep during withdrawal or sticking at a certain amount of benzos?

[[Buddie]]

I’m sorry your not getting any responses. I quit ct 5 months ago and have had very little sleep since then. I hope yours comes back soon.

[[Buddie]]

Thank you [...]. It is the sheer loneliness of being awake on your own with your low mood thoughts that I am struggling with most this time. How do you manage?

[[Buddie]]

At the moment I don’t manage very well. I haven’t accepted it yet. The older buddies say it gets better when you finally reach acceptance. I know what you mean about the loneliness. I lay in bed and have to listen to my wife, 4 kids, and 2 dogs all sleeping. It really does make you lonely. I’ve had this for 5 months now and I have managed to work my up to to 2 to 3 hours a night. They say it gets better and I trust God so I have to believe and have faith that it will get better for us. I don’t know what time zone your in but I’m in the central U.S. if you’re up and need someone to talk to you can PM me. Chances are I’ll be awake as well.

[[Buddie]]

[...], I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

[[Buddie]]

Thank you [...].
Did you suffer from insomnia during your taper?
Did you have a smooth taper? I am really struggling to find my positive pants here.

[...], I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

[[Buddie]]

Is there anyone who is still in the process of reducing your meds (eg. Not off them yet) and struggling with insomnia? Also the real lack of hopelessness.

[[Buddie]]

Thank you [...].
Did you suffer from insomnia during your taper?
Did you have a smooth taper? I am really struggling to find my positive pants here.

[...], I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

Insomnia began for me toward the end of my taper and it really blossomed when i finished tapering.  It took about a year for my sleep to get straightened out and to be conistent.  My taper was relatively smooth with the exception that I jumped too soon at 0.25mg and didn't do well with that.  I reinstated after a couple of days, updosed to 0.5mg, and tapered off of that for another nearly two months.

I think the vast majority of us have times of struggle along our benzo journey [...].  Like others here say, healing isn't linear.  I'm sorry you are in a slump but keep posting and sharing because it does help.