Insomnia

Insomnia, amIright?

It looks like there are at least two types of insomnia.  The one where you can't fall asleep, and the other one I just discovered the existence of.  It involves waking at 2-3am, no matter when you went to bed, and being unable to go back to sleep.

I already take a fair dose of melatonin each night.  12mg.  Sometimes that is joined by other meds as needed. 

This 'maintenance insomnia' truly does sucketh.  One never gets enough sleep, and that is cumulative.  After a few weeks of living like an exhausted pigeon, I started doing research.

My blood sugar often drops a bit low, as checked at 2am.  But, sometimes on nights I sleep well it does the same thing.  I'm already juggling to my blood sugar balance again after starting an eating change, so working on that.  A better explanation is a cortisol jump that naturally occurs in the wee hours for most people.  It's suggested that it's the bodies way of preparing for waking up.  Perhaps my cortisol stress hormone whatsis is wonky, because I certainly do wake up stressed.  Usually my brain flings a totally loathsome dream at me right around 2am, and I wake breathing hard and heart thumping.   Weeeee.

I decided this needs pro help, so I messaged our lovely and competent Doc, who is a friend as well.  She came back with two suggestion that were right in line with my thinking.

1. On waking at 2am, take a small dose of melatonin (1-5mg) and see if that helps going back to sleep.  I tried it, and it didn't.
2. Trazadone, starting at 25 mg and fiddling upwards to find the right dose.  She explained how it's safe and non-addictive.  Okay, we have that in the house for other people, at 50mg and 100mg dosages and Doc knows that.  Herself said the girl child has been at 100mg since she was 9 years old, taking it when needed.  Huh.  I guess I can do that to try it.

On a night I had already planned to sleep in the recliner keeping Herself company, who was sleeping in the other recliner for reasons.  I took 100mg of Trazadone and 10 minutes later I died... or something like that.  The next morning I found out 3 other people had gone through the room and I has spoken to them.  Also, I got up twice to pee, once more than usual.  The thing is, this was all news to me.  I didn't recall any of it.

Waking up groggy is an understatement.  Sleep is good, unconscious is not.  Someone packed my skull with old gym socks, and that someone was me.  Never again.

Last night I tried half that much, 50mg.  Better.  Woke once to pee and this time I remember it.  Slept from 10:30 pm till 6 am and woke refreshed for the first time in months.  Here is the sleep record my watch tracks:

Typically, if I get any deep sleep at all it's 5% or less.  13% is miraculous to me.  Also notice the significant lack of awake time.  I'm usually awake 6-8 times a night, not counting the 2am demons.  Only twice is also miraculous.

Tonight I will back the dosage down to 25mg, and if that works as I guess it will, I'll petition Doc for a scrip at that dosage.  Once that is a stable dose I will move it to the 'as needed' category.  Save it for those times I am on day 2-3 of too little sleep.  Not every night.

So, my friends who join me in old fogeyness, maybe this info will help you if you get what I got.