it is the wee hours of the morning and I am still awake. I have struggled with Insomnia since I was a teenager along with having severe fibromyalgia. Some nights are just harder than others. Tonight I am exhausted, my body is killing me, I feel dizzy and sick because of how tired I am and yet I still cannot sleep. Is there anyone else out there that struggles with insomnia? What do you do to cope or, even better, is there anything that you do that helps you fall asleep?
I am so sick of this constant struggle.
Hi Dodi, I wake up every morning between 2am and 3am. I don’t know why I just do. I lay in bed and try to relax. My suggestion to you is to try concentrating on your breathing. Breathe in for the count of 3, hold for the count of 4 then exhale for the count of 8. If that doesn’t work just breath in as deep as you can through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Concentrating on your breathing will relax you hopefully enough to let you fall back to sleep. I went to a pain clinic once a long time ago and they taught me how to mediate with the awareness technique. I can give you more info if you would like but half way through my mediating I would fall asleep. Try it you never know.
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. It means a lot to me, I was starting to wonder if posting was a waste of time. I will definitely give this a try. Do you think about anything in particular while you meditate? Does a white sound machine help? Sorry I am just desperate to get sleep.
Keep your mind blank and concentrate on your breathing. Trust me you will fall asleep before you know it. Let me know if it works for you. Posting here is not a waste of time at least I hope not. If you ever need someone to talk to I’m here for you. Don’t give up just relax and breathe. If the breathing doesn’t help how about some aromatherapy. I heard lavender is very soothing and my help you to relax. Good luck!!!
Hi Dodi I have the same problem I don’t know if you have tried any CBD oil or marijuana products but I do the candy with the marijuana in it it will help with the pain and sleep but I don’t want to be high never liked the high so I take it right before I fall asleep sometimes I even forget to take it and end up waking up at 1 until 5 in the morning it’s so lonely I hate it but it’s a fight but last night I remember to take it and slepted all night and the pain was gone I got up at 630 and now it’s 8 and now the pain is coming back but I hope this might help with the CBD oil has no thc in it so u won’t get high and I have to find which CBD oil works for me cuz right now nothing has helped me and I will be there for you also I have two friends left and they are pretty busy and my family doesn’t support me I do have a supportive husband thank goodness but it’s so lonely so please don’t feel like you are alone I’m here for you
Hi Dodi,
Definitely not a waste of time to post- it helps to know others are in the same boat (even if we only read the posts). I found mediation helps, but I cannot just focus on my breathing as 9/10 times it makes me more anxious. I found guided meditations, particularly visualisation based ones work well. There are Cds you can buy, as well as a number of channels on Youtube. The Honest Guys channel has been my sanity saver- such a variety of meditations to choose from, I can vary it all the time, which I need.
My pain specialist also recommended I read “The Brain’s Way of Healing” by Norman Doidge. I barely started it, but I’m really keen to continue when I have the brain power to spare (work takes it all at the moment), as it sounded very promising. Not for sleep specifically, but for pain, which might help with sleep.
I also found I had to remove all clocks from my room, as knowing the time increased the stress.
The usual tricks like lavender oil have also helped and I use salt lamps in my room before I want to sleep as well, as negative ionisation has helped me feel calmer.
Sorry for the long post.
Best of luck with a good nights sleep soon!
Hello fellow insomniacs, so there’s a whole world of us out there! It’s so hard to sleep with pain, I found that damping that down to tolerable levels was my first step.
I also do the meditation and the breathing trick, what I learned was breathe in for 4 long counts, hold it for 7 long counts, breathe out for 8 long counts. Works like a charm. You may not STAY asleep but you will fall asleep!
I am also highly nervous, anxious, even tho I’m retired and financially comfortable I find it hard to let go of the worries and stresses of working for a living and never quite making enough or being well long enough. So I have also found it helpful when trying to sleep to create a safe space in my mind. For me it is my grandparents’ house, where I visited a lot as a girl, the screened sleeping porch in hot weather, my uncle’s room in chilly weather, where my little brother and I slept in twin beds as kids. That may have been the last time I felt truly safe, cared for, protected. [Never thought about my poor uncle, turfed out to sleep in his old attic bedroom!] Anyway, hope these help a little too, next time I too wake up at 2-3 and just can’t get back to sleep I’ll be sending good thoughts to y’all! Diana C
Yes I struggle with insomnia,there are days I run on about 4 hrs. sleep my body feels so tired my thoughts r foggy,I try lay down and nap but still can not sleep.I push myself until my normal bed time.Tossing and turn most of the night,sometimes I fall asleep for maybe four hours,getting up feeling more tired.I to am at my wits end.Thank goodness for my pain meds they still work.I can sympathise with u.
Your family will support u when one of them fall to fibro.I am blessed I have friends that support me.I am thinking about going on medical MJ because I am sick of swallowing pills each day,they are still working but how much can my liver and everything else take.So I am asking does medical MJ work?
Yes I have been using medical grade marijuana for my pain in conjunction with lyrica 150mg 3 x a day and a muscle relaxant baclofen 10mg at bed and 5mg 2 x during the day . I don’t want to be on medications if I can. Im going son someday here I’ll be able to start coming off of them. I do not have a medical card yet due to waiting on Ohio to start up dispensaries still. But I do have friends and family who I can get stuff from until things get rolling around here. I am currently looking into getting a recommendation from a doctor for medical marijuana. I figure at least it’s is something until things get going here probably next year now. I’ll receive a letter of recommendation to allow me to go to medical states and Michigan is closest to me. This will allow me to purchase my medicine and bring it back legally until Ohio is in effect. So I would say at least give it a try. It’s been a blessing to help me get some relief.
This is good to know ported,does it also help u sleep,I do not sleep maybe three or four hrs a night.When I get up my body feels exhausted and tired from rolling around all night.
No worries Sassyfrace. Yes if you want to sleep you will want to use an indica type stain or indica hybrid dominant. There are 3 types indica, sativa, and hybrids which is a mix of both. If you google the best strains for fibro it’ll tell you the recommend strains/types that are the most effective for treatment. Indicas are more relaxing and a body type buzz which causes you to be more tired and at ease. Sativas are more for the daytime and give you a head, more focused, and energetic buzz. Then hybrids are the best of both worlds. I do get some sleep sometimes it just depends on how my day and everything went. Also I do know that edibles tend to last longer and can cause you to be more relaxed and overall better feeling for up to 4 - 8 hrs depending on the dosage. There is an app called Leafly which allows you to search different strains and gives you a total breakdown of all the info about it. There is a website called weedmaps.com which is neat. You can check out the dispensaries near you and doctors you can see too for a card or recommendation. If any other questions feel free to reach out.
If something will give me a goodnight sleep one happy camper will be me.A good night’s sleep will be welcomed,as it has been a long time since I have slept all night.
Hi Dodi, oooohhhh boy, this is a severe topic for me and I have struggled since I was a little girl, it is so hard to battle and I hope since your post you have got some rest. I have taken more medication for sleep than I can even count or think of. I do still however do the deep spinal breathing which I actually found on a yoga site, plus my sleep tea…(mainly in the winter for tea), but I wish I had more to give you on this one, if you ever want to just vent, feel free because this is a sensitive area for me that really hurts my daily activity, the tossing and turning thinking well if I just rest my body I will be okay… if you have a doctor maybe there is something he can suggest or recommend, but I wish you well.
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Melatonin, a fan or white noise, CBD oil, 5-http, and mindfulness breathing techniques. Sometimes there’s still insomnia issues but overall I get ok sleep. And I just got a new memory foam matress that is amazing! I’ve been sleeping through the night and waking up in very little pain. As with everything in fibro land it’s trial and error.
I feel your pain! My brain will not shut down and it triggers it’s own FM attack if I dont get enough sleep! As of now the only thing that makes me fall asleep is xanax! However I am an extreme case. I can not take pharmaceutical sleeping pills. Terrible reaction including agoraphobia, paranoia, anxiety. CBD full spectrum with terpenes or CBD with Terpenes. Many dont know of terpenes because the craze was all about CBD. Terpenes play a big medicinal role. Very expensive though but I feel it won’t be for to much longer