Frustrated beyond belief
I’ve suffered with chronic nightly insomnia for 11 months now. Ive never been a good sleeper, but this is severe. I’ve since been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, which I believe were triggered by my lack of rest and recovery. I’ve tried various pills, treatments, meditation, sleep restriction and nothing has worked. Some nights I accept it as it is, other nights I get so frustrated. This has put a strain on my relationship. And thanks to the the autoimmune diseases has made it (seem) impossible to conceive. I feel so sad. I’m still young but feel like my life is over. I’m tired all the time, dizzy, headachey, depressed, in pain. I am having counselling which does help my mood but if I could just get some consistent sleep I believe I would have such a different outlook on life. Has anyone managed to overcome insomnia?
Thank you Lori. I haven’t actually been put on any medication for it. Just been told I have the antibodies. I have begged to be referred to a sleep clinic but they seem very adverse to referring if I don’t meet certain criteria (seem to be based around sleep apnea conditions, which I don’t think I have) thank you for the link. I’ll keep persevering. I do feel hopeful that I will get there one day, but some nights it feels impossible.
I hope you keep advocating for yourself and keep trying to find answers,
. Sleep specialists are not just for people with sleep apnea, so I hope you eventually get a referral. Have you ever considered congitive behavioral therapy - insomnia (CBT-I). It has become the frontline treatment for insomnia with excellent success rates. Here is an article that might interest you: https://insomnia.sleep-disorders.net/cbt. - Lori (Team Member) thank you! I have tried an online course of it, but found it quite challenging as I was going through some health diagnoses at the time. I will pick it up again. It’s annoying as I just feel wide awake all the time, I miss that lovely sleepiness feeling I used to get in the evening. I will get it back I’m hopeful today
Hi
. My heart goes out to you. Many people eventually overcome insomnia or at least find treatments that help. The problem is that each case is different with different triggers and different factors that impact sleep. So it's hard to compare one case to another. Treating insomnia can require a lot of trial and error. You really have to keep advocating for yourself and keep trying different treatments until you finally get there. Has your insomnia worsened since you were diagnosed with the autoimmune diseases? Some medications for autoimmune diseases can cause insomnia, especially if they contain steroids. If you are taking any new medications, it might be worth checking with your pharmacist to see whether any of them are contributing. If so, maybe your doctor can prescribe something new. I am glad you are seeing a counselor, but I wish the visits helped more. Have you ever been referred to a sleep clinic? A sleep study might provide some clues to the cause of your insomnia. I hope others chime in here with more idea. I am sure you have already done some research in this community, but, in case you missed it, I wanted to share this article about treatment: https://insomnia.sleep-disorders.net/treatment. Maybe you will find something in the article you haven't tried yet. Wishing you the very best. - Lori (Team Member)
