It’s Barnaby, and I’d like to share some interesting tidbits I learned from my hypnotherapist, Sharon. Sleep disorders insomnia, narcolepsy and others are among the most intriguing ailments suffered by us. Very little is known about the human brain, and even more mysterious are our sleep and dreams. Although much remains unknown about sleep, it is known that without it, we can not live. Sleep — and dreams, too — are necessary for a person to live. Sadly, in some of the severest sleep disorders insomnia people who can not sleep for long durations can entail a fatal result. These cases are extremely rare, and the vast majority of sleep disorders insomnia cases are relatively mild. Nonetheless, I can attest from personal experience that even moderate insomnia can truly impinge upon one’s life.
I have been experiencing sleep issues for several months now, and I have tried sleep aids, changing my sleep environment and a whole list of other potential sleep treatments. My test ruled out sleep apnea, and a professional ruled out the possibility of clinical depression. Recently, I turned to hypnotherapy for help, and my therapist Sharon has been great. Today she was telling me about a patient who suffers from narcolepsy. She advised him that hypnotherapy has not been shown to help narcolepsy at all, and that it was a medical condition requiring serious treatment. He knew this, but was so desperate that he was willing to try anything no matter how remote the chances of it helping. Sharon figured that no harm could come from hypnotherapy, and it might serve to just relax him if not help his sleep condition.
When she was describing to me how much he suffers, I felt almost lucky to have the opposite condition of insomnia. Those with narcolepsy can fall asleep immediately — even if driving or doing other dangerous activities. This presents far more danger than frustrating nights tossing and turning in bed. Hopefully, science makes some inroads and gains insight into sleep disorders, insomnia and narcolepsy — many of us truly need the help.
It’s Barnaby stopping by in order to share my initial thoughts about sleeping help based upon hypnotherapy. I located a certified hypnotherapist near me, and yesterday I had my first session. Sharon was very kind and professional, and she explained to me that the goal of our sessions was to allow the stress to escape from my subconscious enabling me to fall asleep. Sleeping help such as this is quite appealing to me seeing I can’t use typical sleep aids nor has anything else I’ve tried been successful. Sharon warned me that hypnotherapy was not an overnight solution for insomnia, and that its effects are not immediate. I am willing to be patient and let the effects of the therapy accrue hopefully providing me with much needed sleeping help.
I actually did feel quite refreshed after my session — this was the first time I have ever experienced anything like this. Sharon relayed to me that many have her patients have benefited from hypnosis in their quest to quit smoking, lose weight, overcome their fears — and for sleeping help. I found this especially encouraging that others have found a solution to their insomnia by using hypnotherapy. Sharon said it was impossible to predict exactly when I would experience tangible results from the hypnotherapy — different patients have varying response times. Hopefully for me it is soon — if I don’t get sleeping help quickly I fear turning into a walking zombie! I will keep everyone updated, and I want to thank you all again for your kind words of encouragement and advice.
It is Barnaby here. I’ve previously discussed why I can’t use common sleep aids, but I went against my own rules out of desperation for some sleep the other night. Once again, the sleep aid I used caused me to be quite out of it the following day — even more so than I usually am after tossing and turning all night. For those of you using either prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, I’d like to enumerate the potential hazards from these drugs. Although many can use common sleep aids without any adverse effects, some (including myself) can experience one or several of the following events:
– Increasing drug tolerance forcing you to continually step up your dosage
– Possible withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of use
– Some sleep aids can result in dependency
– Some experience “rebound insomnia” after discontinuing sleep aid use
– Sleep aids can have unforeseen interactions with other drugs you may be taking
– Side effects can be present with many common over the counter sleep aids
When used for occasional insomnia, sleep aids can be quite helpful and are generally safe. However, those who use sleep aids for extended periods are often just masking the underlying condition which is causing the insomnia. Failure to recognize some possible causes — including sleep apnea — can lead to even more severe adverse health conditions. If you find yourself continually using sleep aids, then it is advised you seek the opinion of a qualified health care provider in order to ascertain whether sleep aid use can be safely continued. Unfortunately, my insomnia is unable to be solved with simple sleep aids — but hopefully I find my magic sleep bullet soon.
Well, it didn’t last long. After sleeping like a baby last night, here I am again at 1:45am sitting out on our deck. After almost 3 hours of tossing and turning I decided to let Suz sleep in peace. I’m pretty sure she woke up when I got out of bed, and it’ll cause her to worry once again. She was so elated after my full night’s sleep yesterday, I was tempted to pretend to sleep the night through just to avoid her concern. But I needed some fresh air — lying in that bed sleeplessly any longer was going to drive me crazy.
When insomnia first hit me several weeks ago I thought it was a temporary thing, and I turned to over the counter sleep aids. I’m not a big fan of taking pills, but I read up on them and for occasional use most every authoritative site I researched said that they were ok. However, for me — they weren’t. For some reason, over the counter sleep aids caused me horrific nightmares — so bad that I’d awake screaming scaring the heck out of my wife and kids. Also, for the entire next day after I took sleeping pills I was incredibly dazed, fatigued and confused. It was even worse than after being up the whole night without any sleep at all. Also, for almost a day after taking over the counter sleep aids I couldn’t drink enough water — no matter how much I drank my mouth remained bone dry.
I tried both types of over the counter sleep aids — those containing Diphenhydramine and ones containing Doxylamine. Neither were good, but the second type did not produce side effects as severe as the first. Right now, I’m so disappointed that my insomnia returned after a beautiful night’s sleep last night that I’m willing to try an over the counter sleep aid again. I’m going to try a different brand containing Doxylamine than I tried initially a few weeks ago, and I really hope it works. I really need at least a few hours of sleep tonight, or I’m going to be completely worthless at tomorrow’s (or today’s I should say now that it is 2:00am) staff meeting. There is a 24 hour drugstore a few blocks down the street — surely the over the counter sleep aids aisle will be a lively place at 2am. Maybe I can make some new insomniac friends.
Part of me is scared that pills will work ok for me — most of what I read warns about how addictive they can be. Assuming they can work for me — what road will that lead down? I really wanted to stay away from pills, but as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men…..
Research has shown that a majority of us have at least occasional trouble when attempting to fall asleep fast. Whether you have periodic or chronic insomnia, there are solutions available which prove far more effective than counting sheep. For those experiencing temporary bouts of insomnia, there are a plethora of over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids which can allow you to fall asleep fast. These pills do not require a prescription, and studies have shown that they can be used safely and effectively for limited duration. However, even the best OTC sleep aids can become addictive, and they should not be used to treat chronic insomnia.
Some have trouble falling asleep because they — or their partners — are afflicted by snoring. There are several easy fixes when it comes to snoring including strips which facilitate the flow of air through the nose and sleeping techniques which lower the odds of snores ensuing. Simple environmental issues can prove to be the culprits behind your failure to get to sleep. Noise, light and temperature can all prevent sleep, and the easiest first step for those desiring to fall asleep fast is to ensure a dark, quiet and cool setting within your sleep space.
There can be more serious causes behind the inability to fall asleep fast. One such example is sleep apnea which entails brief periods of breathing cessation which occur sporadically throughout the night. Not only does sleep apnea ensure a night of tossing and turning, but it also can lead to more serious adverse health effects including cardiovascular issues. Those suffering from sleep apnea can find relief via changing their sleeping position, losing weight or using a variety of devices on the market aimed at combating this condition.
No matter what the reason behind your inability to fall asleep fast, there is an effective treatment. The first requisite step is to identify the particular issue behind your sleep issues. With this knowledge you are better able to select the best solution geared for your particular sleep issue. There is no reason to continue tossing and turning each night — there is a cure out there which will allow you to fall asleep fast.
Hi everyone, 
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