modified sleep restriction

HI everyone. Well I went to sleep a clinical sleep psychologist after 2 months of no sleep. She is making it easier on me than I expected. I go to bed at 11 and get up at 5:30. Wish I was actually sleeping that long. I can read in bed for 20-30 min which most sleep restriction doesn't allow. She says it's because reading is relaxing for me and takes my mind off my thoughts. After reading for 20 min or so, if I feel sleepy then lights off. If not asleep in 1/2 hr, get up till sleepy.

The first two nites I was so exhausted from zero sleep that I slept 5 hrs and 6.5 hrs. Last nite even tho I exercised for 1/2 hr, I still had trouble falling asleep and had to get up till 12:30. Oh, she is also letting me take a 1/4 of a unisom. I normally take 1/2 a pill 3 times a week.

She said my sleeping zero one nite and taking a unisom the next and sleeping for 9 hrs is really bad for your sleep. I guess the idea is to limit your sleep to make you sleepy enuf to fall asleep, spend less time in bed. Trying to get consistent sleep, even if it isn't a lot is better than zero and nine. So today was only 4 hrs of sleep and now I'm really tired again. Fell asleep meditating. Meditating is really good for sleep. Usually my mind is so busy I don't do very well. Now, I fall asleep because I'm so tired. Time to get going and start my day. Sure hope this works. I'm glad this doctor is more flexible. I like her.

She explained you have two mechanisms for sleep, one is the sleep drive, meaning being tired from lack of sleep and lot of exercise during the day to make you tired. My sleep drive seems to be ok. The other is your arousal system. Mine and most benzo people's are messed up. We need to learn to self soothe and keep our arousal down. That means if you have a stressful, emotional day, you probably will have trouble sleeping. Also, multitasking all day is not good for sleep. Physical pain also causes stress, which causes inability to sleep. Often we don't realize we are aroused or hyper vigilant, but we are. Most worriers are hyper vigilant and have trouble sleeping. Sleep restriction does help alot of us. I think for me, I needed the sleep coach. She is very expensive tho. I like her a lot and she really explains things. She has done lots of studies on sleep and worked with hundreds of people with insomnia. If I can be helped, I think she is best qualified to do it.

Hi malt, my name is mark.  I'm about 7 months off of Xanax. I am doing very similar sr. Go to bed at 11 and up at 530.  It was 12 but now I'm at 11. I'm getting 5-6 hrs fairly consistently with a few bumps in the road.  Does ur doc hav experience with benzo users and what does she say about sleep and getting off Benzos.  Thanks.  Mark

Hi Maltesmom Are you able to feel tired now? It sounds like you do feel tired now when you should be. I remember you saying in the past that you weren't able to feel tired. Do you remember how long you were like that for? Were you just like that off and on? I am like that and I am always like that. I have been unable to feel tired for a long time now and it really depresses me. I feel abnormal.

Thanks for posting.  Keep us updated on your progress.  I've been at it for 3 weeks and still only sleep every 2nd night. 

I've only had one meeting so I don't know her feeling about Benzos yet. I know she is not in favor of sleeping pills and helps people get off them.

Kara, yes I am feeling tired now. I don't know what happened to me 2 mos ago but I just stopped sleeping period. I could only sleep with unisom. I was so desperate I decided to try this doctor. I am on day 5, and yes I am sleepy. I have never fallen asleep while meditating until this week. It is really hard to force yourself to get up in the morning when you know you could sleep longer. The only thing that scares me is that I am taking 1/4 of a unisom each nite. I usually take 1/2 a pill and only 3 maybe 4 times a week. So this makes me wonder if I will be sleepy and go to sleep without the unisom. Guess I will wait to find out.

I have been a horrible sleeper for so long that I wondered if I could sleep naturally at all. I can honestly saw I am sleepy now. This morning after I meditated I was so tired I laid on the couch and fell asleep. Not supposed to do that. It just shows me how exhausted I am.

One of the nites I could not fall asleep and had to get up and go back to the couch for 1/2 an hour. I still didn't feel sleepy when I got back in bed, but did fall asleep. Maybe part of this is building your confidence in your ability to sleep. With only 5 hrs of sleep you are pretty sleepy. Normally being that tired I would take a unisom the next nite to make sure I slept. The doctor says that only makes you worse in relearning how to sleep. But, I knew taking unisom every day would be bad too.

I know I have been one of the worst cases on this site as far as returning sleep. I think its because I was a horrible sleeper before the benzos. I don't think I really knew how to sleep. Also, I've learned my arousal system is hyper vigilant, which makes total sense to me. The trick is how to self soothe, stop multi tasking and settle my home environment down. My husband is very hard to get along with and the dr. said that is a factor in my not sleeping too.

I think some of us just need more help in getting natural sleep....just wish it wasn't so expensive. I also think you have to be at least partially healed from the benzos before sleep restriction can really work. For many of you, you just need more time off the benzos. Many people have had success with sleep restriction but it sure is not easy. I am dreading what will happen when I have to stop the unisom and sleep totally on my own. I have never heard of anyone using a drug while doing sleep restriction but I have to trust this dr. and do what she recommends.

Will keep you posted. Last nite was 5 1/4 hrs and I went to sleep pretty quickly. Also no wine for 3 nites. I think the wine may be causing the hot flashes.

Maltesmom  how long were you unable to feel tired for or don't you remember? Were you only unable to feel tired off and on? Did you go through periods when you felt tired when you should and did you also go through periods when you didn't feel tired? Were you able to feel tired when you started this sleep restriction or not? How long have you been feeling tired for? You aren't in as bad as shape as you think if you only take Unisom. Unisom is a very minor over the counter drug, which would do absolutely nothing for me . I tried Unisom before I took any stronger prescription drugs back when this all started and it did absolutely nothing for me. I can't say for sure but I think you will be ok without even Unisom eventually, even if it takes awhile. After all, as I've already said, I look at Unisom as a very minor over the counter drug so you're not really far from being drug free, unlike me who takes strong prescription sedatives . I take very high doses also.

Hi Kara. As I said, I have always been a problem sleeper. That's how I ended up on Ambien and Temazapam. I would have 3 week periods where I barely slept, and then I'd be ok. Eventually I was taking pills every nite for 12+ years.

It took really a long time for me to get the sleepy feeling. It would come and go after more than a year off. I took Benadryl in the early days after my taper and it really helped but I was careful not to use every nite. I think it was at  1.5-2 yrs off that I discovered unisom(doxy succlinate) wrong spelling. I used a full unisom in the early days and was able to reduce to 1/2 a tablet. Not exactly sure of the timing on this. Then I only used unisom 3-4 days a week. On the other nites I used melatonin, tryptophan, theanine, glycine, rescue remedy sleep, Flora Sleep Spray, several homeopathic remedies, epsom salts baths, brain wave entrainment (Sleep Tracks, Dr. Amen, Insight) and used amber glasses to block the blue light at nite. They all helped somewhat. Some things help for a couple days, then didn't anymore.

I struggled along with minimal sleep for over 2 yrs post benzos. Never had any natural sleep without some supplement. Oh, forgot magnesium oil. Then 2 months ago I stopped sleeping. I had countless nites of zero sleep. Then the next night I would sleep 9 hrs. Dr. said that was very bad.

I still am worried about getting that sleepy feeling without unisom, even tho my dose is small now. Don't know if I can sleep naturally. Last nite was awful. I couldn't get to sleep, had to get up till 1:30 and got to sleep about 2. Then alarm went off at 5:30. So this was my worst nite. It was nite #5 with only 3.5 hrs sleep.

I know you are worried about getting that sleepy feeling back. Sometimes I would get sleepy, and yawn a lot, but couldn't transition into real sleep. That was the worst.

NOt sure how long you have been off, but for most people that sleepy feeling will come back. As I said, I do have it sometimes, but I've been off for 2.5 yrs. I know I am one of the worst sleep cases, but I was bad before benzos. Right now I guess with sleep restriction I am trying to relearn how to sleep. How it works.

The Dr. calls it the tired but wired problem. Many people have this, especially those of us getting off benzos. I don't think the benzos are my problem with this much time off. I sure hope this sleep restriction works. I expected to get better with each day, not worse. 3 Hrs of sleep is just not enuf. Feel a bit discouraged today.

Time is the best healer for most of us. Try to be patient. That feeling should come back for you the longer you are off the pills.

 

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