cliaz Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 As many of you well know, I suffer for horrible insomnia. It is primarily related to my RLS but I can go through periods of insomnia without it being related to my legs. Anyone that suffers with it knows it isn't fun what so ever and it is down right miserable to say the least. Edward Norton nailed it in fight club when he said you're not really asleep and you're not really awake. I'm on a run right now. I haven't slept since Thursday morning at 4am and I can tell there will be no sleep for me tonight. I can do 24 hours standing on my head. When I hit around 36 hours I start to get the burning, dry eyes and my concentration level drops to that of someone with a six pack in them. When I hit the 2 day mark that is usually when speckles of auto hallucinations start. Just weird, quick sounds just outside of my ear range or what sounds like a bunch of people having a conversation all mumbly and distant. At around 60 to 62 hours (about 2 1/2 days) is when I zone out and just stare at things but don't realize I'm doing it and I'll get presence hallucinations. What i mean by that is for example one time i was trying to type and my dog sparky was sitting on the floor next to me and reached down to pet him and he wasn't there. Sparky was my dog when i was like 3 or 4 years old. Midgets. Anyways, there is this one minor thing I like about insomnia and its around the 36 hour mark it starts to happen. I start thinking about how really funny or weird or sobering some things are in life. And that is the whole point of this posst. Since I'm sitting on a con-call that i have no reason to be on, I'm going to the list of weird, odd or funny things and most of it is about our bodies. For example: I think it is hilarious that people's armpits stink if we don't put on B.O.-D.O. I know there once was a biological reason for it but it's just such a weird place to smell like, well arm pits. And it's so funny that we grow hair in the pits to trap all of whatever is making our pits smell. I know the reason why men have nipples but wouldn't it be weird looking if we didn't? I think it is a very sobering (no pun intended) thought that the brain uses roughly 20% of the oxygen we take in. When people want to talk about the pinnacle of biological evolution (or ancient alien theory, no judgements here) on this planet it has to be the human brain. It is an amazing thing and I'll prove it to you right now. When you have a chance, find something to cover your eyes completely with like a cut in half ping pong ball. Don't tie something around your face because you need to reduce as much stimuli as possible. Then lay down, turn a radio station to a static channel and cover your eyes and lie still. In about 5 minutes you will begin to hear faint sounds and see things. That is because our brains are addicted to stimuli and if it doesn't get it, it produces it to some degree. I think it is weird that some males still have that spine of skin that runs up their sack and shaft. Some don't. It's something in the genes but that spine is like our appendix or pink toes -- something left over from way back in the day when we were still not really human looking and Athena. I think people with detached earlobes look weird. Something about it just doesn't look right. I have detached earlobes. I think it's weird that some people are born with webbed toes or fingers. Why does our balloon knot have to be so uber sensitive? I don't understand by fingernails grow faster than toenails I have to poop now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peepinmofo Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 And a +1 ont the last item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peepinmofo Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Curious... How many hours are you currently at now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) Curious... How many hours are you currently at now? I haven't slept since Thursday morning at 4am Almost 36 hours Edited January 6, 2012 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Okaaaay, you get some sleep now chief. Seriously, that sucks, there are only a couple things I like more than sleeping. Hope you're able to get a handle on it. Personally I swear by Ambien, love that stuff. I'm sure you've already tried all the meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Just watch the Redskins offense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Just watch the Redskins offense hope he lives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Cliaz I feel for you. I have insomnia due to RLS, but that is only half the cause. I have the luxury of sleeping in most times being semi retired, I don't take any appts. before 10:00 am. I have had this since grade school and I missed a lot of school because I was exhausted. I would fake being sick. You feel like you have the flu. When I was under stress as a sales rep, it was really bad. I would go and drive hundreds of miles and see accounts and work for 12-14 hours on no sleep. It is never so bad that I have hallucinated, thank God. As you probably know the ingredients in over the counter sleeping pills and antihistamines makes RLS worse. The thing is I can be dead tired, and I hit the bed and have a panic that I won't be able to sleep. I can't shut my mind off, and just think about everything once I hit the pillow. For RLS it can be in my calves, quads or rear end. If I have worked out that day and have sore muscles it often is worse. After lifting weights I have had restless arm syndrome, if there is such a thing. I told my husband the other day I had restless butt syndrome last night I have various stretches I do and sometimes that works. One stretch works one night, but not the next. I will even go outside in the dead of winter and run up the street and back and that often works. I have found stretching before I go to bed doesn't help. When I was a kid what worked was a change of scenery. I would go to the bed in the attic, with no heat up there, but just changing beds worked. I think going outside and running for 10 minutes almost does the same thing. I have tried reading but I am so dead tired I can't even comprehend what I am reading. It pisses me off that my husband hits the pillow and in 5 minutes he's asleep. I have thought about seeing a sleep specialist but our insurance doesn't cover it. I have a $2500 deductible so sometimes I think what the heck. I may go to my reg. doc and see if prescription sleeping pills work, but I worry about addiction. I am thinking about you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I think people with detached earlobes look weird. Something about it just doesn't look right. I have detached earlobes. I think it's weird that some people are born with webbed toes or fingers. Why does our balloon knot have to be so uber sensitive? I don't understand by fingernails grow faster than toenails I have to poop now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Okaaaay, you get some sleep now chief. Seriously, that sucks, there are only a couple things I like more than sleeping. Hope you're able to get a handle on it. Personally I swear by Ambien, love that stuff. I'm sure you've already tried all the meds. this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Cliaz I feel for you. I have insomnia due to RLS, but that is only half the cause. I have the luxury of sleeping in most times being semi retired, I don't take any appts. before 10:00 am. I have had this since grade school and I missed a lot of school because I was exhausted. I would fake being sick. You feel like you have the flu. When I was under stress as a sales rep, it was really bad. I would go and drive hundreds of miles and see accounts and work for 12-14 hours on no sleep. It is never so bad that I have hallucinated, thank God. As you probably know the ingredients in over the counter sleeping pills and antihistamines makes RLS worse. The thing is I can be dead tired, and I hit the bed and have a panic that I won't be able to sleep. I can't shut my mind off, and just think about everything once I hit the pillow. For RLS it can be in my calves, quads or rear end. If I have worked out that day and have sore muscles it often is worse. After lifting weights I have had restless arm syndrome, if there is such a thing. I told my husband the other day I had restless butt syndrome last night I have various stretches I do and sometimes that works. One stretch works one night, but not the next. I will even go outside in the dead of winter and run up the street and back and that often works. I have found stretching before I go to bed doesn't help. When I was a kid what worked was a change of scenery. I would go to the bed in the attic, with no heat up there, but just changing beds worked. I think going outside and running for 10 minutes almost does the same thing. I have tried reading but I am so dead tired I can't even comprehend what I am reading. It pisses me off that my husband hits the pillow and in 5 minutes he's asleep. I have thought about seeing a sleep specialist but our insurance doesn't cover it. I have a $2500 deductible so sometimes I think what the heck. I may go to my reg. doc and see if prescription sleeping pills work, but I worry about addiction. I am thinking about you. Don't take this the wrong way but it is nice to have others on this site that go through this as well. Last night mine was in both arms, across my chest, my calfs and my ankles. I got about 3 hours of broken sleep last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Don't take this the wrong way but it is nice to have others on this site that go through this as well. Last night mine was in both arms, across my chest, my calfs and my ankles. I got about 3 hours of broken sleep last night. It sure is--'cause you have saved me for many hours of sleeplessness, especially when traveling, by introducing me to the white noise machine I am sorry you are going through this, as it sounds much worse than what I have, and I thought I was pretty bad. I got a doc to prescribe xanex, which my rule of thumb was, if I was not asleep my 1:30 am, I would take one (.25 mg). I took one about 3 night a week, and it really worked--sometimes I would even cut them in half. She gave me three refills of 30 pills which lasted a little over a year. But she wouldn't re-prescribe them thinking I would get addicted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Wifey and I have been getting into essential oils for health. We have no personal experience with oils for treating insomnia, but have been genuinely amazed how well others work for asthma, muscle cramps, anxiety and other ailments. Try finding some quality lavender and chamomile oils and use in a bath and or rub on your feet. Sounds odd, but these are fairly inexpensive compared to modern spam - what do you have to lose? Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC94 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I don't have RLS but I have always had trouble sleeping. I have gone 48+ hours without sleep many times. It's a miserable experience. I don't know why I have so much trouble getting to sleep but I now take an over the counter sleep aid, which helps. I have migraine-types of headaches too so I have found Advil PM to work for me since it combines the sleep aid with the pain killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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