Sudden insomnia, advice needed.

[buddyy]

Hi,

 

First of all, prior to this i never really had any sleep problems. Sure there is a bad nights sleep now again but nothing like this.

 

All started about 6 days ago when i had a really bad toothache (got it fixed 2 days ago, dont have pain anymore)and could not sleep all night. The next day got some good medicine and i got an amazing 8 hours of sleep (woke up 1 time).

The next day was like this, sometimes when i eat too much is hard to sleep, so i made a critical mistake of eating too late too much meat at muukataa gril. Was a hard night i i slept about 5 hours.

 

Now the past 3 days have been really hard, sleeping about 3 hours a night at best, yesterday slept maybe 1 hour deep sleep. Feeling not well.

 

Last night i also prepared well for the sleep, did not touch phone, however i did watch tv (all life fall sleep with tv), i smoke cigarettes but did not smoke some hours before bed, took a shower, ate enough as to not feel hungry but also not full. I also went to pharmacy and got a pack of circadin 2mg (melotonin).

I took melatonin about 1.5h before i knew i was going to sleep. When the effect came it was good feeling, its like i was not sleep, but also not awake, hard dreams etc, i was feeling positive. But sure enough, i did not fall sleep after 2 hours, surely anxiety kicks in next moment for another sleepless night and thats how it went. Tried relax, listen to medidation etc, i think i dozed off for about an hour at some point but then was back up.

 

I feel really tired, i dont know what my options are. Surely i can go to hospital and get some good medicine, but honestly i would rather avoid it, dont want to get addicted. Never really taken anything above ibuprofen or tylenol.

Or i could up the melatonin dosage, not sure.

 

Im desperate at this point, surely this is a short period in grand scheme of things what i experience, but for me its new and very frustrating.

 

Thank you.

Edited October 22, 2022 by buddyy

[BangkokReady]

What do you do when you cannot sleep?  Do you just lay there or get up again?  Apparently if you cannot sleep, after a while you should get up and do something like read a book for a while to kind of reset the sleep hormones.

 

What time are you waking up?  Should be the same time every morning.  If you start waking later, this can disrupt sleep more.

[buddyy]

5 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

What do you do when you cannot sleep?  Do you just lay there or get up again?  Apparently if you cannot sleep, after a while you should get up and do something like read a book for a while to kind of reset the sleep hormones.

 

What time are you waking up?  Should be the same time every morning.  If you start waking later, this can disrupt sleep more.

Most of the time just lay in bed and try some breathing tehniques for relax and not overthinking, or just get up and walk around condo. I have also made a big mistake sometimes to go for a cigarette when feeling frustrated, of course that distrups sleep.

 

If all is normal, i fall sleep about 12-1 and wake up around 9.

 

I surely have made mistakes regarding going to bed and waking up same time. Last 3 days just feeling sleepy all day, it just makes me anxious.

Edited October 22, 2022 by buddyy

[scubascuba3]

Sounds like you are making a big issue out of it leading to anxiety which makes the problem worse, vicious cycle.

 

Maybe don't make a big deal, in fact make it a small deal, relax about it, if tired ok, you'll catch up eventually 

[buddyy]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Sounds like you are making a big issue out of it leading to anxiety which makes the problem worse, vicious cycle.

 

Maybe don't make a big deal, in fact make it a small deal, relax about it, if tired ok, you'll catch up eventually 

That is absolutely true yes.

 

I guess im just paranoid about the consequences of sleeping so little.

 

When flying to Thailand i often skip a day and i was always fine. But this feels different.

 

I dont know if this matters but, i used to drink 1-2 beers a day before in rather late hours. But i was also dealing with panic attacks some time ago and decided drastically reduce the amount of alcohol i drink, in fact i was completely sober about 3 weeks in the past month.

[degrub]

Sounds like what happens to me when i fly halfway around the world or get an anxiety attack.  What works for me to reset the body clock is get up with the sun no matter what and go for an hour walk in the bright light. Eat a good, big breakfast with protein, lots of fiber, and fruit. Stay in bright light as much as possible and stay active. No caffeine after about 11am, period, no matter how tired. Medium or light lunch. Stay active all day doing stuff.  No alcohol or spicy food at all.  Maybe an herbal or chamomile tea in the afternoon.
light dinner and no eating after 8 pm. Ginger with meal can help digestion and help relax.  Read a boring book on paper, not tablet, phone, etc. Melatonin if that works . It never did for me. Lie down for sleep. If after 15- 20 minutes, pull out the book again.   Next morning, up with the sun doing the same routine. Usually takes 2-3 days to reset the body clock with light and routine.

best of luck.

[Tarteso]

My advice:
 

STOP to smoke, an early and soft food for dinner, take a walk before go to the bed. Avoid any stress situation, read a book then try to meet with Morfeo.. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Tarteso

[buddyy]

5 minutes ago, degrub said:

Sounds like what happens to me when i fly halfway around the world or get an anxiety attack.  What works for me to reset the body clock is get up with the sun no matter what and go for an hour walk in the bright light. Eat a good, big breakfast with protein, lots of fiber, and fruit. Stay in bright light as much as possible and stay active. No caffeine after about 11am, period, no matter how tired. Medium or light lunch. Stay active all day doing stuff.  No alcohol or spicy food at all.  Maybe an herbal or chamomile tea in the afternoon.
light dinner and no eating after 8 pm. Ginger with meal can help digestion and help relax.  Read a boring book on paper, not tablet, phone, etc. Melatonin if that works . It never did for me. Lie down for sleep. If after 15- 20 minutes, pull out the book again.   Next morning, up with the sun doing the same routine. Usually takes 2-3 days to reset the body clock with light and routine.

best of luck.

That sounds good yes.

 

I would choose a natural route over medicine for sure.

[2baht]

1 hour ago, buddyy said:

Im desperate at this point

Let me sleep on it, I'll give you an answer in the morning.

[degrub]

If you are normally drinking a few, the older i get, the more i find it disturbs my sleep. Once you quit, it takes a while for  the body to adjust. Could be the anxiety is from that change alone or the alcohol was masking the anxiety all along. Your sleep will come back once the mind body goes through the change. The transition can be up and down for a while. You might try yoga or other meditation that helps deal with the thought patterns that go with anxiety. Exercise usually helps lower the stress and seems to be pretty effective long term.

[buddyy]

2 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

My advice:
 

STOP to smoke, an early and soft food for dinner, take a walk before go to the bed. Read a book then try to meet with Morfeo.. 

Thank you for the advice.

 

I been actually smoking more during this period, seems like the cravings are more strong when sleeping.

 

But maybe im wrong, before this i can smoke in the middle of the night and still sleep well.

 

Of course this is bad and i know it. Been trying to quit over the years.

[buddyy]

3 minutes ago, degrub said:

If you are normally drinking a few, the older i get, the more i find it disturbs my sleep. Once you quit, it takes a while for  the body to adjust. Could be the anxiety is from that change alone or the alcohol was masking the anxiety all along. Your sleep will come back once the mind body goes through the change. The transition can be up and down for a while. You might try yoga or other meditation that helps deal with the thought patterns that go with anxiety. Exercise usually helps lower the stress and seems to be pretty effective long term.

That can be the case yes, its hard to pinpoint specific reason. All i know is that the first sleepless nights were because of a toothache, which is now fixed and overeating (been a problem before, but just a 1 day thing).

 

[LosLobo]

Only those who don't wish too much for sleep will find it easily.

 

Embrace the sleeplessness as a blessing and use the time for that project you never had time for or do some studying, maybe learn Thai language online.

 

Try to exercise or walk everyday together with a little meditation.

 

Give up drinking excessive alcohol, sometimes it can have a negative effect and avoid sleep medication except for maybe melatonin.

 

Set up a routine of going to bed same time every night. and try listening to one of those rain or ocean videos from Youtube.

 

Avoid too much TV or screen time close to bedtime. Read a book instead.

 

Periods of sleeplessness are a normal part of life, don't worry too much about it.

 

Edited October 22, 2022 by LosLobo

[2baht]

17 hours ago, 2baht said:

Let me sleep on it, I'll give you an answer in the morning.

I've slept on it...............................give up drinking and see a doctor!

[buddyy]

I have an unfortunate update.

 

Last night i went to to ER here in Bkk. I was at home and suddenly started to feel not well, dizzy, jelly legs, dry mouth, heart pounding etc. I might add this happened after smoking a cigarette, i havent had one since then.

 

I went downstairs of my condo and ordered taxi, as i was in taxi i started to feel worse and the traffic was crazy. I felt like passing out and not making it.

 

I paid the taxi and jumped out of the car in the middle of traffic, i walked up to a bunch of locals and asked for help to take me to hospital with motorbike.

They ordered grab for me which arrived quickly, guy was driving really fast and i got to the ER.

 

At that point i felt relieved i was there, feeling got only a little bit better.

Of course my pulse and bloodpressure were very high.

 

Was sent to a doctor who sent me to make all tests for me and just listened.

I made EKG, chest Xray, bloodtest with lots of information, finally i got to know my thyroid was all good too.

 

All the tests were good, doctor thought my body was just exhausted.

She prescribed me some sleep aid and i was on my way.

Last night went to bed and slept about 4h and some smaller half sleep naps, better than yesterday.

 

All in all, just a very scary experience. Especially being stuck in traffic with your mind racing and 20min from hospital.

 

[scubascuba3]

4 minutes ago, buddyy said:

I have an unfortunate update.

 

Last night i went to to ER here in Bkk. I was at home and suddenly started to feel not well, dizzy, jelly legs, dry mouth, heart pounding etc. I might add this happened after smoking a cigarette, i havent had one since then.

 

I went downstairs of my condo and ordered taxi, as i was in taxi i started to feel worse and the traffic was crazy. I felt like passing out and not making it.

 

I paid the taxi and jumped out of the car in the middle of traffic, i walked up to a bunch of locals and asked for help to take me to hospital with motorbike.

They ordered grab for me which arrived quickly, guy was driving really fast and i got to the ER.

 

At that point i felt relieved i was there, feeling got only a little bit better.

Of course my pulse and bloodpressure were very high.

 

Was sent to a doctor who sent me to make all tests for me and just listened.

I made EKG, chest Xray, bloodtest with lots of information, finally i got to know my thyroid was all good too.

 

All the tests were good, doctor thought my body was just exhausted.

She prescribed me some sleep aid and i was on my way.

Last night went to bed and slept about 4h and some smaller half sleep naps, better than yesterday.

 

All in all, just a very scary experience. Especially being stuck in traffic with your mind racing and 20min from hospital.

 

You've got an anxiety\panic attack issue which i thought after you'll first couple posts. You need to try and work out why, it won't be lack of sleep, it's before that problem

[buddyy]

10 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You've got an anxiety\panic attack issue which i thought after you'll first couple posts. You need to try and work out why, it won't be lack of sleep, it's before that problem

I have yes, but it got a lot better lately. Obvioisly i panicked a lot yesterday.

[mstevens]

If the issue is anxiety causing sleep issues, the best thing to do is to identify what the issues are causing the anxiety and deal with those. That is not always easy so you might like to look at some herbal supplements which can help. The most popular for anxiety is probably Ashwagandha. It's good, but I personally prefer the herb Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil. Take it about 30 minutes before you go to bed. It doesn't knock you out like sleeping pills do, but it has a very relaxing effect which results in a deep sleep. When I had sleeping issues, my problem was not in actually falling asleep but in waking up in the middle of the night. I found that taking one capsule of Holy Basil helped me sleep through the night. Google it if you think it might be for you.

[internationalism]

Top up melatonin. 
Those 2mg might be too low, even if you don't use this medicine regularly. Not all pharmacies do have melatonin and rather small potencies. On lazada 10mg for 100 pills and 420b. You can take up to 10mg, 30 minutes before sleep. 
 

[Lucky Bones]

New BG.

[peter zwart]

Smoke a good Joint and you will sleep like a baby

[BangkokReady]

3 hours ago, buddyy said:

I have an unfortunate update.

 

Last night i went to to ER here in Bkk. I was at home and suddenly started to feel not well, dizzy, jelly legs, dry mouth, heart pounding etc. I might add this happened after smoking a cigarette, i havent had one since then.

 

I went downstairs of my condo and ordered taxi, as i was in taxi i started to feel worse and the traffic was crazy. I felt like passing out and not making it.

 

I paid the taxi and jumped out of the car in the middle of traffic, i walked up to a bunch of locals and asked for help to take me to hospital with motorbike.

They ordered grab for me which arrived quickly, guy was driving really fast and i got to the ER.

 

At that point i felt relieved i was there, feeling got only a little bit better.

Of course my pulse and bloodpressure were very high.

 

Was sent to a doctor who sent me to make all tests for me and just listened.

I made EKG, chest Xray, bloodtest with lots of information, finally i got to know my thyroid was all good too.

 

All the tests were good, doctor thought my body was just exhausted.

She prescribed me some sleep aid and i was on my way.

Last night went to bed and slept about 4h and some smaller half sleep naps, better than yesterday.

 

All in all, just a very scary experience. Especially being stuck in traffic with your mind racing and 20min from hospital.

 

Sorry to hear about that.  That all sounds really scary.  Thank goodness there were some friendly locals to help you get to the hospital!

 

Bit of a random idea, but have you thought about rather than focussing on the sleep issue, trying to focus on your health in general?  So join a gym, exercise, eat healthy, drink lots of water, and cut out anything bad?

[connda]

Cannabis is legal now.  A couple of tokes before bed and The Sandman is your Uncle.

A week of insomnia isn't a problem.  Try a decade or so. 
Get some exercise, take you melatonin, puff a little ganja before bed and get your circadian rhythm back in sync. 

Or go see a doctor.  The problem with Thai doctors is that they'll hand out benzodiazapines like candy.  They work.  But even medium term use can cause you to experience withdrawal.  They are not a good option unless you have the self-control and knowledge of the drug's effects and can "use" them as opposed to "abuse" them.
Or they'll offer you generic Ambian (scary stuff unless you enjoy sleep walking) and you'll pay through the nose for even the generic version.

And don't consider this medical advice as I'm not a doctor.  Your body, your responsibility.
 

[buddyy]

9 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Sorry to hear about that.  That all sounds really scary.  Thank goodness there were some friendly locals to help you get to the hospital!

 

Bit of a random idea, but have you thought about rather than focussing on the sleep issue, trying to focus on your health in general?  So join a gym, exercise, eat healthy, drink lots of water, and cut out anything bad?

Was very scary yes, very grateful to these locals. 

 

All was kinda well before this, i did go swimming and walks etc. Ate good.

But you have good point yes.

[jak2002003]

Sounds like you were having a panic attack.

 

Are you stressed about something in your life, one on medication that can cause side effects like this or insomnia?

 

Like the other paired suggested, now you have all clear from the hospital, why not try  being healthy......daily exercise like long walks some jogging / cycling and swimming?  Also cut out alcohol for a while.

[jak2002003]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

Cannabis is legal now.  A couple of tokes before bed and The Sandman is your Uncle.

A week of insomnia isn't a problem.  Try a decade or so. 
Get some exercise, take you melatonin, puff a little ganja before bed and get your circadian rhythm back in sync. 

Or go see a doctor.  The problem with Thai doctors is that they'll hand out benzodiazapines like candy.  They work.  But even medium term use can cause you to experience withdrawal.  They are not a good option unless you have the self-control and knowledge of the drug's effects and can "use" them as opposed to "abuse" them.
Or they'll offer you generic Ambian (scary stuff unless you enjoy sleep walking) and you'll pay through the nose for even the generic version.

And don't consider this medical advice as I'm not a doctor.  Your body, your responsibility.
 

I don't think using cannabis is a good idea. 

 

I tried some for the first time a few weeks ago and I actually got really fast heartbeat, started swearing like crazy and going dizzy, then passed out and fell on the floor at a friends house.  I was out for quite a long time and my partner was really worried.

 

The OP has had similar symptoms to this when he had to go to the hospital!

 

 

Apparently weed can cause these side effects if you have low blood pressure. 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by jak2002003

[connda]

3 hours ago, buddyy said:

I have an unfortunate update.

 

Last night i went to to ER here in Bkk. I was at home and suddenly started to feel not well, dizzy, jelly legs, dry mouth, heart pounding etc. I might add this happened after smoking a cigarette, i havent had one since then.

 

I went downstairs of my condo and ordered taxi, as i was in taxi i started to feel worse and the traffic was crazy. I felt like passing out and not making it.

 

I paid the taxi and jumped out of the car in the middle of traffic, i walked up to a bunch of locals and asked for help to take me to hospital with motorbike.

They ordered grab for me which arrived quickly, guy was driving really fast and i got to the ER.

 

At that point i felt relieved i was there, feeling got only a little bit better.

Of course my pulse and bloodpressure were very high.

 

Was sent to a doctor who sent me to make all tests for me and just listened.

I made EKG, chest Xray, bloodtest with lots of information, finally i got to know my thyroid was all good too.

 

All the tests were good, doctor thought my body was just exhausted.

She prescribed me some sleep aid and i was on my way.

Last night went to bed and slept about 4h and some smaller half sleep naps, better than yesterday.

 

All in all, just a very scary experience. Especially being stuck in traffic with your mind racing and 20min from hospital.

 

Have you had an mRNA shot?  Myocarditis and pericarditis are an unfortunate (rare we are told) side effect.  Ask your doctor to measure the levels of troponin in your blood as elevated levels of troponin is a signal of possible heart damage.

"Chest pain. Fatigue. Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) Shortness of breath, at rest or during activity. Light-headedness or feeling like you might faint. Flu-like symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, fever or sore throat."
Source: Mayo Clinic

Best of luck.

[buddyy]

6 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Sounds like you were having a panic attack.

 

Are you stressed about something in your life, one on medication that can cause side effects like this or insomnia?

 

Like the other paired suggested, now you have all clear from the hospital, why not try  being healthy......daily exercise like long walks some jogging / cycling and swimming?  Also cut out alcohol for a while.

There is some stress, but it was at the same level before this period.

Im not on any medication.

Aside from 1 day when i drinked some, havent drinked for a month or so.

 

Agree about exercise etc yes.

[connda]

8 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I don't think using cannabis is a good idea. 

 

I tried some for the first time a few weeks ago and I actually got really fast heartbeat, started swearing like crazy and going dizzy, then passed out and fell on the floor at a friends house.  I was out for quite a long time and my partner was really worried.

 

The OP has had similar symptoms to this when he had to go to the hospital!

 

 

Apparently weed can cause these side effects if you have low blood pressure. 

 

 

Perhaps you have an allergy.  I've never experienced anything like that nor do I know anyone in my past who had those issues. 

[buddyy]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Have you had an mRNA shot?  Myocarditis and pericarditis are an unfortunate (rare we are told) side effect.  Ask your doctor to measure the levels of troponin in your blood as elevated levels of troponin is a signal of possible heart damage.

"Chest pain. Fatigue. Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) Shortness of breath, at rest or during activity. Light-headedness or feeling like you might faint. Flu-like symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, fever or sore throat."
Source: Mayo Clinic

Best of luck.

You mean like a covid vaccine? Yes i have 2x pfizer, but i got that nearly a year ago.

 

Regarding heart, they made EKG and all looks good.

And the bloodtests results are about 5 pages long and good, they really went deep.