So, I've been sleeping an average of about 3-4 hours a night for the last three weeks. I don't see anyone who can rx a sleeping pill for another 2 weeks or so.

I feel like I'm dying. I'm also not losing weight. It's just bouncing around.

I feel like my resolve for staying within my calorie allotment is slipping a little.. the reasons being, I'm overly emotional from lack of sleep and also trying to stretch 1400 calories throughout a 20-21 hour day leaves me pretty hungry. If I were sleeping more, I would have less time to be hungry.

AUGH!

Also, I take melatonin every so often. I took two last night. I slept 4.5 hours.

Are you tired during the day? Your circadian rhythm may be off. I wouldn't just go straight to sleeping pills because not sleeping is a sign of something else, stress or another issue. If it's your CR then there is medication to help correct it I believe.

I wouldn't say I'm going "straight" to sleeping pills since it's been about three weeks.

I have other problems that my sleep affects that are too important for me to let this slide, especially for as long as I have. Also, these other problems could be CAUSING my sleep issues altogether. (I'm bipolar and not on any medication, though doing well. but how long I can keep that up not sleeping, I honestly don't know.) and I have fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain) and not sleeping makes my pain worse. So I don't mean to be rude but I am really not interested in waiting and seeing how this pans out.

I have almost no stress in my life. It's actually pretty ideal at the moment.

also, melatonin IS a natural supplement that is supposed to correct CR problems. It's not working.

Time to move on.

I get off work today at 530, I think I'll come home and eat and then exercise a bit and go to bed around 7 or 8 pm. I figure if I take two zyprexa (an old anti psychotic I have left over that I used to take that I now take every so often for sleep) it will knock me out for a good 12 hours.

I'm hoping to wake up around 7 am the next day and then by 11 pm the next evening I will be good and tired and back on track. I've been avoiding doing this cuz it saps my personality for like almost an entire day after I wake up. Right now though I am so desperate I really don't care.

Do you know what helped me with insomnia??? It was the best remedy I could ever taken for it:
EXERCISE
I do a pretty intense exercise during any part of the day... and when it is time to go home I sleep like a baby!!! And I used to have problems sleeping... specialy with getting up during the night to go to the bathroom... Now it still happens, but it is only once in a while!
Good luck to you!

I do exercise, about 45 mins a day (except yesterday I was so tired and sick I felt like i might pass out). I have fibro so I can't really do more than I can do currently. Also, I am doing everything every single insomnia site says to do and nothing is helping.

I hate to be one of those people who say "nothing works!" but really, I seem to be there.

Hopefully tonight will be better.

Good luck- I hope you can figure out what is causing the lack of sleep- it could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency- do you take vitamins? My husband had the same problem until he started taking vitamins- now he sleeps much better

I hope the Zyprexa helps you out. Not sleeping is a real misery.

I've dealt with insomnia for most of my life. My brain just doesn't want to turn off and will sometimes keep me awake for hours thinking about stupid crap. Monotonous, but distracting things sometimes help. Playing alphabetical word games in my head or seeing how many four-legged animals I can think of is monotonous, yet intriguing enough for my brain to focus on that stuff rather than on the weird and sometimes worrisome things it prefers to dredge up at night.

If your sleeplessness is a product of a hyperactive brain, that might be of some use to you along with the medication.

Wish I could help more. I just got sleeping pills and mine was from stress. But you've probably already tried things like a good dose of fresh air, no tv or computer for at least an hour before bed. Reading used to help me but I find my brain fights it sometimes to keep reading. I hope you find something that helps soon.

I think you like the natural stuff first so Herbal supplement - VALERIAN. I found it at my local Walgreen's/CVS or whatever. And if not there, then Whole Foods, Sunflower or any health store. It really stinks like bad dirty gym locker sweaty socks but it works well.

haha, thanks dixc, I have tried natural (melatonin) and it usually DOES work, so the fact that it's not leads me to believe I need a kick in the @$$ from some zyprexa. ha.

I"m taking it now and going to bed. Will hopefully be out for a good 12 hours.

See you all in the morning!

(p.s I stayed on plan and drank my water. didn't get the exercise in but I just feel too sick to do it.)

Lottie, my MIL can't sleep when she's slightly manic. Are you swinging into a manic state? If so, the Zyprexa might be just the ticket. Hope you find some rest soon. I can totally understand. We are the peak season for my job and the stress is unbelievable! What little sleep I had last night was taken up with dreams of work. I worked on a report all night long. The darn thing should have been finished when I woke up this morning! LOL

yeah I'm there with ya.
i have serious dental issues that keep me awake some nights.

i take midnite, you can get regular or with pain reliever.
its at walgreens and is all natural
its a dissovable tablet that has no groggyness the next day.
even if you take it in the middle of the night!

give it a try, its only 10.00 or so.

its melatonin, lemon balm, lavander and chamomile. (the cherry tastes really good too)

EAT MORE. Hunger causes all the symptoms you are describing. Go up to 2000 healthy calories a day--at 270 lbs, you'll still lose weight. If that works, stay there a week or two and then cut back 50-100 calories every other week or so until you find the lowest level that you can lose weight on in a sustainable way, without going insane.