I have been really suffering recently (last week) from lack of sleep. I go 2 sleep and cant get off 2 sleep until really early in the morning. This wasnt a problem as it was half term, but now im back in college and am having worse problems. I know cant get into deep sleep. I go 2 sleep and very quickly wake up with very bad dreams. Some of the dreams are not scary or anything but everyone of them are so real. Its like i havent gone 2 sleep and it seems so real. Its getting really bad and today i didnt get much sleep at all. I kept waking up every 20 - 30 mins and it is really starting 2 take its toll on me. Sometimes i dont know whether im coming or going (know that is normal 4 us but this is worse!!). It is really bad now and i dont know what 2 do. Obviously the effects of sleep depravation are not very nice but they get worse and if this carrys on lack of REM sleep causes some nasty little side effects!! I feel like im losing my mind at night. I get waves of fear and stuff and will go 2 sleep only 2 wake up screaming or one time even crying in my sleep (and i never cry). A friend said this could be my medication but i cant speak 2 my pycologist because my appointments have run out and i have 2 wait about 2 weeks 2 see him again. My only hope is my GP, but they r never really sympathetic 2 teenagers with sleep difficulties. They say it natural 2 have a restless night or two. I know that but i am having this happen nigh after night after night. I dont know what 2 do anymore!!

Some week off this has been. Im back into full college days and operating on such little sleep my head feels like it will roll off. I know that this sounds stupid and it probably is nothing, but when u have it 4 over a week u soon find that it is a really big and nasty problem. This isnt just isomnia. I have had that before. This is really terryfing at times. I even had 2 turn my computer on at 2:00am and leave the monitor on with music playing so i could sleep. I was too afraid. I kept thinking i was seeing something or hearing something that wasnt even there. I am posting this because i dont know what 2 do. I know no one will know, but if anyone knows what might be going on here it might help. Im at a loss. This has never happened 2 me like this before. Please help.

I have a possible suggestion... my wife takes an herb called Kava Kava to help her sleep, I have tried it myself, and it does seem to help a bit. I would definitely consult a pharmacist before taking it with your medication, but it is supposed to relax the body... perhaps this might help? You don't need a prescription, and should be able to buy it in a GNC, health food/product store, or drugstore.

It might help. Just wondering about the waking up screaming thing!! kinda not condusive 2 ur health!! Dont like waking up screaming and crying 4 no real reason and being too scared 2 go 2 sleep and that lot!! I cant figure it out. I feel so tired ands my head is pounding away with a migrane that wont cease. It is so confusing.

Melatonin works well too, but check with the pharmacy first.

Also, try having an epson salt bath before going to bed. It makes your muscles relax so you just flop. Make sure that you soak in the hot water for at least half an hour for it to work properly.

Originally posted by tudorose
Melatonin works well too, but check with the pharmacy first.

The melatonin worked well fro me. I have problems staying asleep 2 weeks out of the month,even with my ADD meds. Without my meds. I have this sleep problem every night and have had it sense I was a kid.

Melatonin makes me even more tired than usual in the AM. I stopped using it even though I was sleeping much deeper. It is very hard to get up after taking even 1/3 of a pill.

Originally posted by Penultimate
Melatonin makes me even more tired than usual in the AM. I stopped using it even though I was sleeping much deeper. It is very hard to get up after taking even 1/3 of a pill.


That's too bad, I didn't have a hard time waking in the am and I took half the dose it says to take on the bottle.... I've heard others who also had troubles with it like you.....

I have had that before and it didnt work very well. I have been given another sleeping tablet now and it worked last night. Either that or it was the cups of whisky and coffee i had!! Very good at relaxing you!! I had 9 hours sleep and i think i will be fine in a few days.

I had headaches and crying binges with no sleep on Strattera.

Have you seen the ads on TV for that "stuf"? Geeze. They don't mention suicidal ideation, difficulty urinating, sexual side effects, sexual pain. Where is truth in advertizing?

talk to you pharmicists and your prescribing doctor.

Wheel - there was no mention of Strattera, and the original poster is from the UK. We don't get "tv ads for that stuff" here, nor is it commonly prescribed ;)

Strattera kept me awake as well as many other problems. Good riddance to it.

Sc@tterBr@in_UK is right. I havent mentioned, nor have i heard of Strattera. Wouldnt know what it is even.

Strattera is a non-stimulant medication for AD/HD manufactured by Eli-Lilly(sp?).

I think in the UK it's only prescribed for younger children although it was originally prescribed in the UK for something else (before it was used for AD/HD in the US).

From what I know it's a selective dopanie reuptake inhibiter and kind of works similar to Wellbutrin/Zyban or at least they reinforce their positive effects when used together.

(LOL see why I tried studying pharmacy - I'm good at accumulating uselessly vague pharmaceutical knowledge!!!)

Initially used for bladder weakness... it prevents urination or at least makes it harder.

Thanks Wheel I'd read about that a while back but never got round finding out what it was actually for. Should've known really as urinary tract side effects seem to be the most widespread!

take a couple ambien