racing thoughts and insomnia

What have you found helps you stay asleep?

My main issue, off and on for over a decade now, has been that I can't stay asleep. I'll wake up at 3 or 4 am after I go to be around 11 or 12 at night and am just WIRED. My brain is racing with a million thoughts and I can't go back to sleep.

I took Remeron for years and added some medical marijuana. That worked for a good while, but I quite weed for good about six months ago.

So far, I've tried Ambien and Seroquel. Ambien, even at the highest dosage and with the controlled release, doesn't keep me asleep.

Seroquel does seem to keep me asleep better than Ambien, but I feel like shit the next day. Poor mood, exhausted and lethargic...

What have people found that helps with this particular type of insomnia (waking up with racing thoughts)?

I just started lamictal, so it's early days. My NP also mentioned Abilify.

in cyclothymiaby The12thparsec

88%

17d

sixweheelskitcher

17d

Sounds like it might be related to histamine issues. Antihistamines and a low histamine diet might be worth trying if the cyclothymia medication doesn’t help.

https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/histamine-early-morning-insomnia/

The12thparsec

17d

Thanks! This is the first time I'm hearing about that link.

I'm not sure it's that. I've tried Hydroxyzine at high doses and it does almost nothing for me unfortunately.

sixweheelskitcher

17d

You’re welcome! And yeah it definitely could just be cyclothymia… the insomnia is so awful, I hope the new drugs help!

smogmire

16d

OMG I relate to this post SO MUCH. I’m so sick of weed. I can’t go to bed before midnight because I’ll have the same problem & wake up way too early. For me, the only thing that works is just accepting it, getting up, and reading. It helps ease the mind. I try to pick something really boring, like a finance book

Shy_Isopod

17d

Trazedone one has helped more than other things but there are still some nights that a little weed before bed helps. I still wake up at 5/6am and can’t go back to sleep but it’s all an improvement compared to 2 months straight of 1-2 hours at best.

Hope you find something that helps!

Kitchen_Society_3114

16d

I've been navigating similar sleep troubles, waking up in the early hours filled with racing thoughts. It's such a frustrating experience.

For me, alongside traditional treatments, I've found that integrating mindfulness and meditation techniques specifically tailored to my needs has been beneficial. I chat with a website that generates personalized guided meditations based on my current issues. For concrete problems, like managing the immediate anxiety that comes with waking up at 3 AM, these meditations work unexpectedly well. They utilize 'deconstruct' and 'reframe' techniques that help me see my problems from a new perspective and link them to different emotional responses.

While these methods are great for specific issues, I'm still working on the bigger picture—consistent, restful sleep. The personalized audio meditations generated by the website after our chats focus on calming my mind and preparing me for a deeper sleep. This approach feels more attuned to what I need at the moment rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

If you're exploring options beyond medication, it might be worth looking into personalized guided meditation. It's not a cure-all, but it offers a unique way to tackle insomnia by calming the mind and managing those intrusive thoughts that can keep us awake. The tailored approach makes it feel like a more direct way to address what keeps us up at night.

WHar1590

17d

Have you tried melatonin?

The12thparsec

17d

Been taking melatonin and valerian since 2005 😵‍💫

WHar1590

17d

Try Alteril. They sell it at cvs or rite aid it has melatonin tryptophan and valerian root in it. Might knock you out lol

sabotourAssociate

17d

Well my solution is your first two weed and mirtazapine but my problem isn't staying a sleep but more like falling in to it.

Sleep is a rally tricky thing are you on any mood stabilisers do they affect your sleep, have you tried magnesium other supplements recommended for sleep, doing a full blood work might help to determent if you lack a vitamin or minerals etc.w

Atxlvr

11d

lithium makes my sleep way more normal

The12thparsec

Seroquel 50mg and 6.25mg of Ambien have gotten me stabilized. Thanks, everyone, for your input!

stufftcrust

Doxepine and magnesium about an hour before bed