Hi Everyone,

It’s Barnaby, and unfortunately I have returned. Not that I didn’t miss all the wonderful feedback from the readers of CantSleep.com — but I had thought I had put my trouble sleeping to bed once and for all (no pun intended). For around two weeks, Valerian was working perfectly — but, to my dismay, last weekend I once again had trouble sleeping. I at first chalked it up to a temporary relapse into insomnia, but after tossing and turning the entirety of last night I realized my trouble sleeping has returned with a vengeance. I’ve previously enumerated here at CantSleep my search for the root cause of my insomnia — to no avail. My sleep apnea test came back negative, I don’t suffer from depression and I’ve severely limited my consumption of caffeine and alcohol since my trouble sleeping began several months ago.

I thought I had found the magic bullet to cure my trouble sleeping with Valerian — but alas, that was too good to be true. Well, I’m going to have to delve back into my insomnia research and unfortunately start again appointments with specialists in my seemingly never-ending quest for a good night’s sleep. I shall keep everyone updated on my sleep (or lack thereof).

Cheers,

Barnaby

Hi Everyone,

Barnaby here. On a sour note, my sleep travails remain unabated. The past week has only allowed me one decent night’s sleep in between quite a few nights of tossing and turning. Instead of complaining about my own sleep issues, I wanted to start an important discussion about clinical depression. Once you recognize the signs of clinical depression, what are the best depression treatments? The answer to that question depends upon the nature of your individual case, and a full diagnosis and treatment regimen can only be devised by a qualified mental health care provider. Some who are diagnosed with clinical depression receive depression treatments including psychotherapy and group therapy as opposed to medications. As the above video illustrates, the future might hold gene treatment which can treat — or even prevent — clinical depression. However, for now, therapy and pharmaceuticals remain the salient depression treatments.

The majority of those with the disorder receive depression treatments including anti-depressants and/or mood stabilizers. These pharmacological depression treatments have been shown to be highly effective, and today’s depression treatment drugs have far fewer side effects than those of past times. It is important to remain cognizant that none of these treatment solutions provide for an overnight cure. It is paramount to stay the course with your prescribed depression treatments, and retain hope that there will be sunnier days. I’ll be back here at CantSleep again soon. I’d like to thank everyone who has sent in suggestions, tips and sympathies regarding my nagging insomnia. Hopefully I’ll have good news to post soon!

Barnaby

Just got an email today from Rachel Davis, of Radiology Degree. She’s written a great article about the wonderful and weird things people do in their sleep, which we’re happy to link to here. Click through and enjoy!

Clinical depression is a serious condition which afflicts a substantial number of us, yet many are unable to recognize the symptoms of clinical depression. Everyone has occasion to feel “depressed” or sad — that is a part of the human condition. However, those afflicted with clinical depression experience these emotions with severe intensity and for extended periods of time. This often leads to dysfunction, and in the worst circumstances to suicide. There are effective treatments for clinical depression, but without first recognizing the symptoms of clinical depression they can not be used.

Clinical depression expresses itself differently within various people. Common symptoms of clinical depression include extended feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. More subtle symptoms of clinical depression include the inability to make decisions, forgetfulness and lack of concentration. Obviously, many of us experience these symptoms occasionally as a part of everyday life, however, when they become pronounced and chronic it might point to a diagnosis of clinical depression. Another facet within symptoms of clinical depression is a loss of interest in hobbies, work — or even sex.

Clinical depression has been tied to insomnia, and the inability to fall asleep could be a symptom of clinical depression. Your appetite can also be a telltale when it comes to clinical depression. Either sudden weight loss, or alternatively weight gain, can both be symptoms of clinical depression. Most all of these symptoms can also be associated with other conditions — or just be a phase not relating to any disease at all. In the end, only a qualified professional can make an accurate diagnosis of clinical depression. However, it is up to you to notice the initial signs and know when possible symptoms of clinical depression are present warranting further examination.

Narcolepsy is an insidious condition which embodies itself in the form of excessive daytime sleepiness. This can entail drowsiness throughout the day, or even falling asleep at the most inappropriate of times. Those afflicted with narcolepsy can suddenly fall asleep even when in the middle of a conversation. Just like with insomniacs, those with narcolepsy have trouble getting a full night’s sleep. Consequently, many times narcolepsy is erroneously diagnosed as insomnia upon initial examinations. Although much about narcolepsy is not yet understood, scientists do know that those suffering from it enter REM sleep much faster than does the typical person.

REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it is associated with the deepest stages of sleep. Most dreams that you are able to recall with detail occur during REM sleep. Normally, a person enters REM sleep approximately 90 minutes after first falling asleep. Those with narcolepsy enter REM within 10 minutes of falling asleep. Research has definitively shown that narcolepsy is not a mental illness nor a psychological condition. It is a neurological ailment which can wreck havoc within the lives of those who suffer from it. However, research has quantified that those with narcolepsy do not have shorter life spans as a result.

Scientists aren’t certain, but they believe that narcolepsy is a genetic condition. Treatment regimens for narcolepsy are highly personalized — what works for one person might not work for another. Most treatments currently center on pharmaceuticals, and although there is no cure, many with narcolepsy are able to manage the condition using current treatment regimens.

So just how does Valerian work? It appears that science has not yet answered this question. “Mainstream” medicine was initially skeptical of Valerian as a treatment for insomnia, but several recent studies have shown that it can be effective in many cases. In the end, so long as it helps me get restful sleep without harming me, I really don’t care what “science” says about it. I was able to find Valerian at a nutritional store, and Joanne recommended that I start with a daily intake of 7 grams taken 3 hours before going to bed. For the past 2 nights I’ve fallen asleep within an hour after hitting the pillow. I haven’t experienced any side effects like I did before with sleeping pills, and my research so far hasn’t shown anyone who claims Valerian is addictive.

I’m quickly becoming a believer in Valerian. We’re off tomorrow on a trip for a few days to visit my wife’s sister and her family up in Wisconsin. Taking a few days off work should further help to reduce the stress which built up during my several weeks of not sleeping. Hopefully the Valerian continues to allow for restful sleep. I’ll give everyone an update when I return.

Sleeping once again,

Barnaby

Hi all, it’s Barnaby checking back in. When I last posted on CantSleep.com the other day I was about to have my sleep apnea test. My doctor just called and advised me that I do not have sleep apnea. I can’t help but feel relieved, but at the same time I am disappointed that a definitive reason for my insomnia can not be ascertained. For now, I’ve decided that I’ve had enough of doctors and so-called experts, and I’m going to try to find a solution for my sleep issues which doesn’t involve pills. If you remember, I’ve previously described on here my unpleasant experiences with over the counter sleep aids. I tried various types of over the counter sleep pills, and they left me with horrible nightmares and insatiable thirst. I’m also quite nervous about becoming addicted to sleeping pills.

Last night my wife had me call her friend Joanne who is really into alternative medicine. Joanne told me that there are several possible natural cures for insomnia, and that she personally has seen them used with success. She gave me a list of possible natural cures of insomnia, and I’m now researching them trying to decide which is best for me. I first ruled out Melatonin. Although it seems that many people are able to use Melatonin successfully, I read that it can cause nightmares — something which I have already shown a tendency towards when I tried over the counter sleep aids. Also out is Kava. Although I see it discussed online, Joanne told me to stay away from it — Kava is now thought to potentially cause liver damage.

The next possibility is Valerian. This seems interesting. It seems that Valerian is a really popular natural cure for insomnia in Europe, and it has been used to treat insomnia for hundreds of years. Joanne insisted that Valerian is not tied to nightmares, and most importantly it is not addictive. The downside is that she said that you have to take Valerian for two to three weeks before it becomes effective. I don’t know if I can make it another 3 weeks like this sleeping only a few hours a night — if that. Joanne also suggested Yoga and Feng Shui — but I really am not the Eastern mystic type. I guess Yoga can’t hurt, but Feng Shui just strikes me as silly.

I think Valerian is on the top of my list to try as a natural cure for insomnia. Has anyone out there had success with any other possible natural cures? I’d really love to hear if you have.

Pinning my hopes on Valerian,

Barnaby

Infographic by Insomnia.net

Hi everyone — Barnaby here again. It’s been a few days since I’ve shared my ongoing insomnia saga with you, my apologies for that. Suffice to say, things have not gotten any better. The other day when I lasted posted I was about to try sleeping pills one more time. As feared, that was a disaster. No nightmares this time, but after getting a few hour’s worth of sleep I was completely dysfunctional. I even had to stay home from work and miss and important staff meeting which didn’t go over well with my boss whatsoever. This prompted my wife to insist that I see yet another doctor, and this one wants me to have a sleep apnea test. My previous research led me to believe that sleep apnea was not the cause of my insomnia, but this doctor wants to rule it out for sure.

Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing for short (or sometimes longer up to 30 seconds) periods. This causes you to awaken while gasping for breath — obviously not conducive to a good night’s sleep. Last night I got around 3 hours of sleep in total — which is around average over the past several weeks since my insomnia first started. I am almost hoping that the sleep apnea test comes back positive — at least then I’ll know what the issue is. The doctor told me that the official name for this test is polysomnography. It involves monitoring my breathing and vital statistics while (if) I sleep. I have to spend tonight at the clinic where they’ll hook me up to this machine and record all of my movements.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to sleep at all while hooked up to all those wires. The doctor assured me that a sleep apnea test is completely painless, so I’m not worried. Suz offered to spend the night at the clinic, but they advised against it. She has been really supportive during my insomnia crisis, I really don’t know what I’d do without her. Well, I’m not sure whether to ask you to root for me to pass or fail the test. Sleep apnea sounds scary, but at least there are cures and I can solve my sleep issues once and for all. I’ll update everyone once I get the test results.

Tired yet hopeful,

Barnaby

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…..

Having hope in Doxylamine,

Barnaby