Insomnia? You Again?

Things were going well for so long. My insomnia had all but withered away, but I feel like I am on a downhill slide lately. Unlike many of the other times I have dealt with it, I know what is causing it.

I have been here before, and it scares me. Two of the roughest years of my life were spent battling a disorder that I had to all but self-diagnose. Unfortunately, in my case at least, insomnia goes hand-in-hand with it. I truly don't think I can go a second round.

A new health issue

In 2019, I began having symptoms of Meniere's disease. The symptoms crept up fairly slowly at first and were masked as a head cold. It didn't take long to realize that I was dealing with much more than a simple virus.

One of the first issues I had was difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Insomnia was a problem for me anyway, but this new health issue only exacerbated the problem. My ears felt full, my hearing was muffled, I had ringing and humming in my ears, and my voice and any noises around me reverberated in my head.

Falling asleep was nearly impossible.

Recurrent insomnia coupled with a mysterious illness

Fast forward 2 years and through many doctor visits, no one could tell me definitively what was going on, literally, in my head. Whatever it was, I was determined not to let it get the better of me, but the sleep loss was devastating.

When I wasn't lying awake trying not to hear the sounds inside my ears, I was lying awake worrying about how I was going to make it through the next day. I finally began to see some improvements after a lengthy stint with supplements, a contour pillow, and a change to a low-salt diet.

I still don't know if I am on the way to developing Meniere's or if there is something entirely different going on with my body.

Insomnia reigns

Fast forward through a pleasant year and a half of very few head and ear issues and reduced insomnia. I have been on the upswing for quite a while, and it has been really nice. I have been able to sleep relatively well. Things are changing, though.

Three out of the last 5 nights I have heard my heart beating in my ear again, lots of humming and pressure in my head, and some signs of hyperacusis. The tossing and turning is back with a vengeance. Insomnia reigns.

It was nice while it lasted. I had almost forgotten how miserable I was for 2 years. I am not in the least ready to face the long nights of misery again, and I plan to do everything in my power to find my way back to square one and head things off before it gets into high gear.

Starting over means trying to remember everything I tried in the order I tried it over a year ago. I have enjoyed sleeping – it's the best. I don't want to lose my way again.