Insomnia

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My problem seems a bit odd. I'm not sure I'd say I'm an insomniac, but I'll go a few days where I can't sleep for more than a few hours in a 2 or 3 day period and then as if by exhaustion go into sleeping for 16-18 hour periods for the next few days. I also have a hard time getting tired at the same time of day so I have no sleeping pattern.

Something I have found though on accident... although I don't know how safe it is, is that if I'm tired (I'm usually tired and just can't sleep), a heating pad close to my face puts me to sleep. I had a sore neck a few nights ago and the electric heating pad against my neck and face put me to sleep in less than 30 minutes. I've been doing this for the last few nights now and I still have been falling asleep. I set the electric heating pad to medium heat and it has a 2 hour auto off so I think it's fairly safe

The heat is nice though. It makes me feel cozy, happy, and safe... so I'm guessing that is a reason it's putting me to sleep quicker. The only thing is I can imagine if it was hot at night this would just make me feel uncomfortable and miserable, but since I have my fan on high and it's cool in my apartment I don't notice an unbearable heat even though it feels very warm.

I'm still experimenting with this, but it has been working when I should be staring at the ceiling for hours

I'm on my computer at 3:45 AM, so yeah. I'd say I have insomnia.

I have exactly the same thing, usually just as I drift off my body goes to sleep but I'm still awake and it's quite scary (especially because I sometimes hallucinate, and I can't move away from what I'm seeing). I didn't know it wasn't just me though I've always had problems sleeping, last night I woke up with a bleeding tongue because I bit it very hard whilst I was asleep. God knows why?

For me, this is problem is so bad, I feel less than human.

I always had trouble, but it's gotten progressively worse as I've gotten older. At this point, my brain cannot shut off, ever, and I never get tired the way you're supposed to late at night, where you "can't keep your eyes open."

I cannot sleep at all for more than about thirty minutes at a time without chemical help, and lots of it. My doc prescribes up to 20 MG of Ambien (zolpidem) per night but it's just not enough. In order for me to sleep deeply I have to take two. But then if I do that for a full night's sleep I end up taking four or even six and I'm short for the month and I have to stay up an entire night to make up for it.

I have used and will continue to use alcohol and benzos (Valium and Klonopin) when I can get my hands on them. They might not be good for me, but they get the job done. Lying around stressing out about falling asleep for the whole night (or day) doesn't.

I am desperate, each and every day, for a good sleep. I feel like crap always.

I really don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm scared for my future.

This problem of a complete lack of circadian rhythm has been documented in autistic people and needs to be researched more.

I do, but Melatonin has been my savior. Eight bucks over-the-counter at Wal-mart. Knocks me out in a half hour.

I have had occasional bouts of insomnia when depressed (waking up every couple of hours) but have not answered the poll as I think usually I do not have true insomnia but rather some problems with my natural sleep cycles being out of phase with the world. I think I would be perfectly OK if I could stay up late and get up late, but I have commitments that make this impossible. At the moment I also take zolpidem in an effort to sync my sleep patterns with what is expected of me.

I have also experienced sleep paralysis. I seem to go through phases of it - it will happen repeatedly for a while and then it won't happen again for months or even years. When I was in my teens I can remember having some quite frightening experiences associated with it - sensing an evil presence in the room, feeling as if something was pinning me to the bed, extreme fear etc. These days I don't experience any of that, although I quite often get a spinning sensation. I am not sure whether maybe this is because I am now aware of sleep paralysis so subconsciously I know it is nothing to be afraid of.

I voted no because I don't have insomnia anymore, but I had it for many years as a child and adolescent.