things are getting weird in my head

So, I guess I'm looking to vent a little and/or get some suggestions. I've been having some serious trouble sleeping lately which I think is stress related. I have headaches all the time due to my teeth grinding (which is a new development). I also seem to be doing things I don't remember doing.

Some of you may have read a post I put in another thread that may have seemed a bit out of character for me. I have deleted it so don't bother going to read it. I didn't remember writing it. I wrote it after taking some ambien. Long story short, I won't be taking that stuff anymore. Last night about 2 am I woke up standing across the room from my girlfriend and she was crying. Apparently I had been fighting with her and telling her I wanted her out! It's a scary thing to enter a conversation that you were already in while you were unconcious. It took alot of convincing to prove to her that I wasn't awake and I did in fact love her. Apparently the conversation had been going on for about two hours. I don't remember any of it.

I've also been tossing and turning alot in bed. Sometimes I can't get to sleep because I'm anxious about possibly having to deal with another sleepless night. I also often wake up feeling completely unrested even if I slept all night. I had a small history of sleep walking when I was a child, and I'm worried that if I'm capable of arguing with my gf in my sleep what else I might have been doing that I'm unaware of? Which would explain why I feel unrested if I've been staying up all night doing stuff while I'm sleeping. I'm worried that I'm about to have a real life Fight Club situation if I don't get it under control.

When I do sleep my dreams have often been lucid and twisted but I am powerless to do anything about it. Although sometimes I realize that I'm dreaming and I try to take control of it and I violently wake up with a huge headache. It's almost like my brain kicked me out, or like I'm being unplugged from the matrix.

Here's what I've tried: stopped drinking coffee, took a muscle relaxer to stop the teeth grinding, tried valarian root (allows me to sleep but causes CRAZY dreams and it's a roll of the dice as to weather I will wake up rested or not), melatonin has the most positive result but is much less effective if effective at all, and as of twice this week I took some ambien (I will not try that again)

I tried all of the above things separately with the exception of limiting the caffeine intake. I don't know what to do at this point. So I'm doing what I usually do when I have a question about something. I ask you guys. I'm pretty worried about the sleep walking. I live about 4 houses down from a major street. Short of handcuffing myself to the bed I'm out of ideas. Anyone else with similar problems or am I really just going crazy like I think I am?

Hess where y'at?

Edit:

I am surprised Ambien isn't the new date rape drug. It isn't uncommon at all for people to answer phone calls and have no memory of them, have conversations with no memory, etc... Melatonin helps you get to sleep but only works for about 4 hours and completely mangles your dreams. No caffeine, no naps, no stimulants whatsoever (including nicotine), no naps, etc... That's all I've got for you.

If the question comes up I do have health insurance, but I've found the best answers to questions like this are usually non medication related. I haven't had much with melatonin. Maybe I'm not taking enough. I seem to recall the doctor telling me when I was younger that taking it in high doses is relatively safe. Can someone confirm or deny this? I wouldn't want to find out the hard way. I would love a good nights sleep but I'd like to get to wake up from it at some point.

Sounds to me like you need to give the various OTC solutions a rest for a while and try to reset your sleep schedule naturally.

Check out this Lifehacker post for some ideas (read the whole post, but pay attention to this section in particular).

A sleep specialist may be in your future if things don't get under control quickly. Sleep is an incredibly important element of your overall health.

Do you work out? Maybe some kind of aerobic thing- running, biking, basketball- whatever. Help? dunno.

Naw, I don't really "work out" but I do alot of "work" thats aerobic. I'm doing a big leaf cleanup tomorrow maybe that'll get my blood pumping. I've been painting alot lately and that doesn't really give me the cardio I'm used to just alot of soreness due to the awkward positions. I'm a landscaper so I sleep like a baby during the summer. Relaxing isn't really in my future. I started my last semester at college this week (thank god it's only taken me 8 years for a 4 year degree), and I'm looking at trying to get a house remodeled with minimal help by March. I would start running again but my knees are too shot. Maybe I should just get off my duff talking to you guys and go play kinect sports with my kiddo.

Sounds similar to situations that I, my girlfriend, and my ex (and future) roommate have been in. Actually, if you cross all three of our situations you get almost yours exactly.

On the not getting to sleep thing, what worked for me is probably not healthy, but I'm sleeping on a normal schedule again. First of all, to explain my situation, I wouldn't be able to get to sleep until 4:30 or 5:00 AM. Didn't matter what I did. What fixed it was
1) eating really really healthy (whole grain, fruits, veggies, etc) and having almost no sugar past 3:00PM.
2) working out on day one
3) staying up all night the night after day one
4) working out day two
5) NO NAPS at all. If you are tired, eat an apple.

This made me need to sleep the second night, and it actually worked. I doubt it would work for most folks though, and it probably is extremely unhealthy.

As for the ambien thing--that was my roommate. He finally figured out what he needed to do: As soon as he popped the pill, he would lock himself in his bedroom. There would only be an alarm clock, tv, and some books in there. No phone, no internet. He was in the same girlfriend predicament as you, although luckily she had seen this before and knew that he wasn't serious, but he wanted to be sure it wasn't going to happen again. This might not be logical though.

On the shot knees--well, get in the pool.

Consider finding a sleep specialist/do a sleep study in a more controlled environment and see what's up. Could be stress or could be physiological.

I'm thinkin it's stress. Working out is my plan. Gotta go get in on this volleyball game little man started be back in a bit.

As far as depriving myself of sleep in order to get sleep. That just sounds illogical to me.

a few thoughts pop in my head
1. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. 8-9 hours of sleep per night
2. Mix the valerian and melatonin together. There is actually a drink for that (Drank) and it helps people relax alot.
3. I've had the issue for YEARS that I talk to people in my sleep, but I rarely if ever dream.
4. If your insurance covers it a sleep study may have some answers

TuffWork wrote: As far as depriving myself of sleep in order to get sleep. That just sounds illogical to me.

Yeah, like I said I doubt it will work for most people and it is probably very unhealthy, but it worked for me. Basically the idea was get myself so tired that I would sleep whenever I put my head down on the pillow, instead of at 4:00-5:00AM.

mtn wrote:

TuffWork wrote: As far as depriving myself of sleep in order to get sleep. That just sounds illogical to me.

Yeah, like I said I doubt it will work for most people and it is probably very unhealthy, but it worked for me. Basically the idea was get myself so tired that I would sleep whenever I put my head down on the pillow, instead of at 4:00-5:00AM.

It actually does work. Once a month or so I have to reset my internal clock. Otherwise bed time keeps drifting later and later. Stay up as late as possible usually 3-4 am. Get up at 6 am and go to work. Get home and be in bed by 8 for 10 hours of true sleep. Then I'm good for another month or two.

I feel your pain brother. One one hand, my lack of sleep means that the magazine that you love frequently gets done on time when it probably should be late, but on the other, crazier hand, it also sucks and makes crazy. Also, crazy.

I'm lucky in that Ambien works great for me‚ if I use it properly. Basically, I take one and in 30 minutes my brain is asleep. I just need to make sure to put my body in bed so it isn't walking around doing stupid crap while my brain has checked out.

The other thing that works for me is NOT adhering to a sleep schedule too rigidly when it comes to bedtime. On nights when I'm not swamped with something, if I happen to get tired at 930, I take advantage of it and go to bed.

Working out or physical exertion tends to have the opposite effect on me. That jolt of adrenaline stays with me for a while and I have a tough time sleeping on nights where I've gone fencing or something.

I may also suggest spending a night in a hotel. For some people, being removed from the environment where they don't sleep and being dropped into a "neutral" environment woks quite well.

A sleep specialist may be a near-future option, though. Being wired up while you sleep can tell them a lot about what's going on.

jg

I think being "wired up" might be the issue. I've been extremely stressed. The pressure of the big life changes that are about to happen is driving me crazy. It probably doesn't help that my alcohol consumption has gone up as well as a result of said stress.

Doing a clock reset would be an option, but unfortunately for me I don't trust me after a night of intentionally getting no sleep. My job is a situation in which I have to make major decisions that tend to effect my life in a big way on a moments notice. (the plight of a business owner) I get very few days off. Usually one every 3 or 4 months or so, and I have totally gotten screwed before by not being mentally ready. That's one of the big reasons that this worries me so much. It could really kill me if it continues.

PS Thanks for those late nights on the mag. It is appreciated.

You know, staying in a hotel works for me. It works even if I have my laptop, my cell phone, and TV and a DVD player and an awesome party going on outside.

Ambien is hit or miss with me. I only take it if I absolutely need it to sleep.

I used to be able to go for about 48 hours without sleep and not feel tired. I can't so much anymore, and that makes me a sad Keanu. I can still go for about 36 hours with only an hour or two of sleep to do it all over again.

The only thing that helps me is Klonipin. It shuts my mind off so I can actually sleep, instead of just laying there thinking about how awesome an LSx in x car would be.

With that being said, I did just remember that I stayed up until 2 the other day cause I figured what's the point when I can't sleep anyway. Then went ahead and got up at 5 cause I had stuff to do. It didn't help. That was Saturday. Saturday night I still only squeaked in about 4 hours sleep tossing the whole time.

I feel for you. The ex had horrendous problems trying to sleep, it got really bad for her and it was painful to watch. She tried all the OTC pills, got prescription stuff etc. but never really found a fix. I bugged her about going to a sleep specialist, but she never has done it. I really wish she would. I can add one other thing: along with ditching coffee, stay away from soft drinks. The caffeine in those is as bad as coffee.

EDIT: You mentioned increased alcohol intake. One of my brothers was drinking beer every night and felt awful (and I don't mean hangover type awful) all the time. The doc told him the problem was he wasn't going to sleep, he was passing out and that's not the same thing. He cut his beer consumption to about 20% of his previous rate and started sleeping normally.

Derick Freese wrote: Ambien is hit or miss with me. I only take it if I absolutely need it to sleep. The only thing that helps me is Klonipin. It shuts my mind off so I can actually sleep, instead of just laying there thinking about how awesome an LSx in x car would be.

Ditto on the ambien story. The stuff just worries me.

Tried Klonipin about a year ago to help with this stress stuff I've been talking about. In the short run I felt great. No anxiety at all. In the long run I was a shakey mess and had panic attacks. I hate being addicted to things. So kicked it and dealt with the pain for a month or two and moved on.

Curmudgeon wrote: I feel for you. The ex had horrendous problems trying to sleep, it got really bad for her and it was painful to watch. She tried all the OTC pills, got prescription stuff etc. but never really found a fix. I bugged her about going to a sleep specialist, but she never has done it. I really wish she would. I can add one other thing: along with ditching coffee, stay away from soft drinks. The caffeine in those is as bad as coffee.

My tastes are pretty anti-sugar anyway. Usually not a sugary drink/ soft drink kinda guy. More of a beer and water kinda person. I don't usually eat junk food either. I cook dinner for the family every night.

One other thing to consider that I just thought of: Separate rooms and beds from the significant other. My girlfriend and I sometimes just can't sleep in the same bed, for no reason. Just a thought.

well. I think I'm gonna go sit down and watch something mindless for a minute then go enjoy the wonders of the written word. Reading usually sends me off pretty nicely. I'll throw some melatonin in there for good measure. I'll give ya'll an update tomorrow.

Pineapple and banana have natural sleep-inducers in them. Good luck, I've been there, it's hard.

I know that feeling. I had been sleeping on an aerobed for the past six months with no problems. It then got a four inch hole in it so I now I am waiting for an my bed to get here and I have basically been sleeping on the floor. That plus weening myself off caffeine and all the stress of school and etc. equals I feel like E36 M3 all the time.

One thing that has helped in the past, now that I think about it, is accomplishing something every day. Write down something you want to accomplish tomorrow right now. It can be something small, like doing a few sit-ups. You're looking for something to feel good about. That really helps reduce my stress.

And I really need to take a dose of my own medicine there...

Drinking alot + no exercise = crappy sleep.

Trust me, I've been there.

Like Curmudgeon pointed out, the alcohol does a number on your nervous system and doesn't let you sleep. Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to sleep apnea, hypertension, etc.

You say during the summer when your busting your butt all day you don't have a problem sleeping.

Sounds like you need to start hitting the gym and lifting weights, or go running.

And cut back on the booze.