Still Dealing with Severe Insomnia

[Andrei90]

I'm about 3 months in with tinnitus and still sleeping less than an hour off meds. I took 5mg ambien for one month and got 3-4 hours on average.

Now it doesn't really work anymore and don't know what to do. I'm back to an hour a day and honestly feel like it is doing me serious harm. I'm sure it's responsible for continued hearing loss at this point. The ears are not getting proper blood flow when I get no sleep.

Anybody deal with insomnia this bad? Any advice or solutions?

 

[Helheim]

Ambien didn't do anything to help me after a few weeks, I got used to it extremely fast. Mirtazapine, while it was absolutely useless as an antidepressant, could be reliably counted on to knock me out. Maybe give it a try?

 

[fishbone]

I'm about 3 months in with tinnitus and still sleeping less than an hour off meds. I took 5mg ambien for one month and got 3-4 hours on average.

Now it doesn't really work anymore and don't know what to do. I'm back to an hour a day and honestly feel like it is doing me serious harm. I'm sure it's responsible for continued hearing loss at this point. The ears are not getting proper blood flow when I get no sleep.

Anybody deal with insomnia this bad? Any advice or solutions?

Unfortunately some of these sleeping meds can lose their effectiveness, if they are taken consistently. So people sometimes take higher dosages to keep them from not working. Exercise has been very helpful for me, I either go to the gym or do my martial arts. I said it in one of my posts, having a comfortable sleeping area has been very helpful for me.


Having a comfy bed
Your room/environment being comfortable. I have very low dimmed lights.

Do whatever you can to have a comfortable environment.

I know how bad it feels to have 1 hour of sleep, I have been there myself and I have empathy for your suffering. I hope you find a solution

 

[glynis]

Sleeping tablets are adictive and only ment for a short while.
For long term help for sleep a low antidepressant is best and its finding the dose for you.
I take 50mg Nortriptyline and sleep most nights .
Have a talk with your doctor about long term treatment.
Love glynis

 

[MBH]

Sleep is important and this is my plan I start by taking an evening shower, no media, I use fan, sound machine, eye mask, I only take 2 Tylenol pm. Keep to a routine. And I hope you start sleeping.

 

[Starthrower]

Anybody deal with insomnia this bad? Any advice or solutions?

Have you talked with your doctor about the different prescription sleep medications?

I could never get into a deep sleep even for an hour with Ambien or the other like prescriptions.

I use Nighty Night and Cup of Calm teas by Traditional Medicinal. Two tea bags each in a mug of hot water.

Three months is still so new to tinnitus and the sleep problem. Back then I did a lot of meditation and hypnosis therapy and that seemed to help a little. I also turn off the computer and cell phone very early to relax my brain. Turn the lights down. Anything that would help with relaxing.

 

[Andrei90]

Have you talked with your doctor about the different prescription sleep medications?

I could never get into a deep sleep even for an hour with Ambien or the other like prescriptions.

I use Nighty Night and Cup of Calm teas by Traditional Medicinal. Two tea bags each in a mug of hot water.

Three months is still so new to tinnitus and the sleep problem. Back then I did a lot of meditation and hypnosis therapy and that seemed to help a little. I also turn off the computer and cell phone very early to relax my brain. Turn the lights down. Anything that would help with relaxing.

I have progressive hearing loss. Even though my results looked normal 2 weeks after trauma and 8 after, the sounds around me are slowly going quiet. I can barely hear noises outside the home anymore. Birds sound far away and soft sounds are almost gone. I went to a Christmas party and remembering talking to people with earplugs and not having much issue in a group of people. Can't do that anymore. I used to listen to my cellphone speakers at three notches with good clarity. I don't get that anymore. And I've dropped earbud use at the onset.

Tinnitus at first was bad because I treated it like danger. I calmed down after but I've had numerous spikes since my hearing keeps slipping. It is way too loud now. I can't remain calm even if I tried. I sleep 30 minutes a night and I'm completely falling apart. My memory is gone as a combination of poor sleep and ingesting benzos by the gallon. I figure the loss keeps happening because I've caused too much damage and I'm getting delayed cell death. Or my threshold has dropped so much that even exposing myself to less than 60db at home is killing off my cells. Or my sleep deprivation/ stress is destroying my ear. Or I've caused serious vestibular damage and the inner ear is falling apart considering I now experience dizziness with head movement. No vertigo so no meniere's diagnosis. I just don't know.

The muscles behind my ears spasm violently with internal burps or yawns and I constantly get fullness for some reason. It seems to be associated with facial muscle movement. I'm going to get another audiogram soon and visit a chiro because I understand they can promote proper blood flow to the head. Long shot but worth a try. I'll also try someone for TMJ treatment. But I'll probably just end up pissing away all my money like with all the doctors I've seen so far.

Sorry for the negative post. I rather keep this stuff to myself but I needed to vent.

 

[Andrei90]

Have you talked with your doctor about the different prescription sleep medications?

I could never get into a deep sleep even for an hour with Ambien or the other like prescriptions.

I use Nighty Night and Cup of Calm teas by Traditional Medicinal. Two tea bags each in a mug of hot water.

Three months is still so new to tinnitus and the sleep problem. Back then I did a lot of meditation and hypnosis therapy and that seemed to help a little. I also turn off the computer and cell phone very early to relax my brain. Turn the lights down. Anything that would help with relaxing.

Sorry. I realized I didn't even address your question in my post. Just too frustated and sleep deprived to answer anything correctly. I am seeing a sleep doctor. He gave me ambien at 5mg. Works for 3 hours then I'm up for the rest of the night. I tried taking 10mg at once. Still 3 hours. I tried taking one after the other to get 6 hours. 2nd won't work. Clonazepam doesn't do anything. The SSRI's I tried are Amitriptyline and Trazodone. They don't do anything. Also taking many of the supplements mentioned here. Nothing. After doing a fair amount of reading, I can tell you my symptoms are the equivalent of being stuck in fight or flight mode. I even get the anxiety burning skin sensation on my back a lot. Have tried to get out of it and I can't. It's permanent.

I assume it's because of three things. I perceive the tinnitus as a threat, especially now since it's louder. I perceive the lack of sound from my hearing loss as a danger. And of course loud sounds as danger to what's left of my hearing. It might as well be a PTSD reaction at this point. I just can't deal with it.

 

[parsky]

Sleep is important and this is my plan I start by taking an evening shower, no media, I use fan, sound machine, eye mask, I only take 2 Tylenol pm. Keep to a routine. And I hope you start sleeping.

Tylenol(acetaminophen) is hard on your liver. You might want to keep that in mind as you evaluate you treatment options.

 

[Robert18]

Hi Andrei,
I've been experienced that lack of sleep before and I depend on sleeping pills and the time passed by
I became habituated with t for 4 to 5 months and I can now fall sleep with out any meds and I do a long walks everyday and it helps me a lot.
Try to eat more fruits and vegetables, fish or chicken and 3 hrs before bedtime of taking foods.
And pray at night before going to bed and ask the lord jesus to give you peace of mind.

Robert

 

[devonlee]

@Andrei90

First of all, deep breath in through your nose, out through your mouth.
It sounds as though you are extremely stressed. You are definitely stuck in a very common circle of tinnitus sufferers which is tinnitus causes anxiety causes insomnia causes tinnitus ect.
I agree with the others who are mentioning routine. There are maybe too many tips here to start all at once though. Maybe try whichever technique sounds the most complimentary to your personality (whether it be exercise, diet changes, lifestyle changes ect.)
Severe insomnia can be beyond frustrating, I'm sure (I can't speak from personal experience). My bit of advice would be to stay in bed even if you can't sleep, for at least 4 or 5 hours per night. Even if you can't get to sleep, your body will get some rest and you're still telling your body that it's time to relax (even if you don't feel relaxed)
You may also benefit from a sleep study.

 

[Starthrower]

I figure the loss keeps happening because I've caused too much damage and I'm getting delayed cell death. Or my threshold has dropped so much that even exposing myself to less than 60db at home is killing off my cells. Or my sleep deprivation/ stress is destroying my ear. Or I've caused serious vestibular damage and the inner ear is falling apart considering I now experience dizziness with head movement. No vertigo so no meniere's diagnosis. I just don't know.

The continued lack of sleep can be associated with many of the fears you are experiencing. However, I do not believe this is a cause of further hearing loss. Have hearing aids been suggested yet? That may help first with the inability to hear normal sounds and in some cases helps deal with the tinnitus noise(s).

I assume it's because of three things. I perceive the tinnitus as a threat, especially now since it's louder. I perceive the lack of sound from my hearing loss as a danger. And of course loud sounds as danger to what's left of my hearing. It might as well be a PTSD reaction at this point. I just can't deal with it.

If you are able to address the "lack of sound from my hearing loos as a danger" with the proper hearing aids that is one less issue to deal with for you.

I understand PTSD very well.

 

[TuneOut]

ingesting benzos by the gallon

What doses have you been taking and for how long?