[acb-hsp] Sleep

[Osmond Kwan]

Hi Carmella,

I was debating on whether or not to reply to you off list but at the
same time recognize that there are possibly others who wrestle with
insomnia as it is a problem that impacts an estimated one out of three
Americans.

In my clinical mental health internship, there were two clients in my
CBT groups who fell asleep a few minutes into the class and it would
happen quite regularly. I had never known how pervasive insomnia is
until now.

I had good sleep most of my life up until about 3 or four years ago. I
almost always got eight to ten hours and woke up late morning as a
college student. All of a sudden I struggle going to sleep, then
waking up two or three times in the middle of the night and struggling
to go back to sleep. I haven’t felt rested in years.

I just began looking at melatonin and wasn’t sure about its side
effects and long term use. I too am interested in a natural remedy. I
was looking at vitamins and just last night randomly was looking for
an organic form of calcium and the product reviews say that it helps
with sleep. A google search with the words insomnia and calcium brings
up articles on the use of calcium for insomnia and a product called
sleep mineral. I too have read several books on insomnia which include
medical and herbal products. I have never heard of calcium and
magnesium as a sleep aid.

I have not personally tried using this specific product or calcium as
a sleep aid. I was wondering if anyone has tried using calcium for
their insomnia.

I apologize if this is off topic for the list and welcome any
suggestion as to where this discussion can be better fitted.

Thanks,
Osmond





On 8/26/12, Sharon <mt281820 at comcast.net> wrote:
> I've found naturalhypnosis.com Insomnia mp3 quite helpful.
>
> Sharon
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of
> Carmella D Broome
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 12:02 AM
> To: acb-hsp at acb.org
> Subject: [acb-hsp] Sleep
>
>
>
> I've struggled with insomnia for years. I can vividly remember having
> problems with it since elementary school. I do have light perception and
> have to wear sunglasses outdoors when the sun is out due to    light
> sensitivity so its not like I have no awareness of day vs night due to lack
> of ability to discern light.  I'd like tohave a sleep study done at some
> point, although  a lot of people  say they feel those are a waste of time.
> I know it couldn't hurt, though, and maybe they'd  come up with something.
> I
> know that anxiety and depression due fun things to sleep, too, and I have
> problems with both.
>
>
>
> I know my sleep habits aren't good.  As in, I  don't  keep a great routine,
> go to sleep with the TV on, don't get enough exercise, and so on.  I've
> taken OTC, herbal, and prescription meds  for years.
>
>
>
> OTC stuff has little to no impact on me now because I took it so often
> during college. It might work  for one night once in a great while, but
> that's about it.  That includes Tylenol PM,Benodryl, and Ni-quyl. OTC stuff
> is okay for occasional short term use,  a few days maybe.  That's what's
> recommended on the  labels, too.  I definitely  overused them when I was
> younger. They're not recommended for long-term use and  lots of them
> contain
> antihystamines or other agents, such as pain relievers and are being taken
> just for sleep when there's more in them than that.
>
>
>
> I have taken mellatonin. It helped for a while, but  my Dad got me
> concerned
> about  lack of long-term studies and lack of  FDA regulation.   I also read
> that  mellatonin could contribute to depression, which I've dealt with on a
> clinical level, so I stopped taking it.
>
>
>
> I took it for a while (as in several weeks at least) before I  felt like it
> was helping me at all. I found that it  helped promote more natural sleep.
> As in,  if I   was relaxing and  being still  and reading or other  wind
> down before sleep behaviors, I would start to feel  sleepy naturally. It
> didn't feel like a drugged sleep and  I didn't feel sleepy the next day. I
> did find that I would wake up in the   middle of the night still, so I
> would
> take  another one right before going to sleep to  delay that. I did find
> that I had  some vivid dreams while taking it. That may have been because I
> was getting deeper sleep but it was kind of weird. I had a lot of night
> sweats when I was taking it. I don't  know if that was the mellatonin or
> for
> other reasons, but at the time, I felt it was the mellatonin.
>
>
>
> I've also tried that flower  essence   spray on your tongue stuff. I think
> its called Rescue Remedy.  It was  supposed to help anxiety and sleep.  No
> results of any kind. No side effects that I know of either.  Nothing.  I've
> done the camamille and Sleepy Time teas. They're  relaxing in that drinking
> hot tea sort of way, but that's about it. I tried some other herbal thing
> that was supposed to be  a combination of sleep promoting natural
> ingredients.  I want to say it was called Sleep MD, but I'm not positive
> about that.  It was these big pills like vitamins. They smelled and tasted
> funny and  I didn't find that they helped me sleep.
>
>
>
> I've taken the older meds like Trazedone and  another similar old med.  No
> results.  I tried Vistoril, which I think is sort of similar to Benodryl.
> No  help there either. I took ambien. It  gave me  vivid psychadelic type
> hallucinations.  Totaly trippy and entertaining, but it didn't help me
> sleep. I take Lunesta now.  It does okay.  Some nights better than others.
> I haven't tried any other newer prescription  stuff.
>
>
>
> I know one of my problems is that I often fight sleep.  I don't know if its
> a control thing or what, but my brain   doesn't like to shut off and let me
> relax.   I've gotten to where, for something beyond a nap, I have to
> almost
> feel  unable to stay awake I'm so drowsy.  I have to take something that
> will pretty muchh "knock me out." I know that's not natural  nor is it
> healthy.
>
>
>
> I know a fair number of my clients use alcohol to help them sleep.  We all
> know why that's generally a bad idea. Personally, it makes me more
> restless.
> Others use  Xanax or adavan on a regular basis for sleep.  With any of
> those, addiction issues can be a concern.
>
>
>
> I  think breathing and relaxation exercises can be of some help. I also
> have heard of an  ap for the IPhone for insomnia that varies the   script
> and  music or  relaxing sounds so the  user doesn't  get bored or able to
> predict what's coming next.  Its supposedly able to tap into brain  waves
> to
> get to the ones that help promote sleep.  I haven't used it so I don't know
> if its helpful or not.
>
>
>
> I wrote a paper on insomnia in college and did a presentation on it that
> was
> basically an update on that paper last year at a lunch and learn CEU thing
> for other  MH professionals.   I read an interesting book on the subject a
> little while back called "Wide Awake."  I downloaded it from BookShare. It
> was a journalist's memoir of  trying  to findhelp for her own insomnia. She
> investigated some related sleep stuff, as well, went to conferences,
> talked
> to experts, interviewed other people with sleep issues, and so on. It was
> interesting and informative, too.  Pretty sure I posted  info from both on
> my blog
>
> http://CounselorCarmella.WordPress.com
>
>
>
> Carmella Broome EdS LPC LMFT
> Crossroads Counseling Center, Lexington SC
> http://CounselorCarmella.WordPress.com
> Author of Carmella's Quest:  Taking On College Sight Unseen (Red Letter
> Press 2009)
> http://CarmellasQuest.LiveJournal.com
>
>