BP2: I can't sleep.

Despite all the sleeping medications I've tried, I cannot wind myself down in the evenings. It's like I become hypo once the clock strikes midnight. A couple nights a week, I won't sleep at all. I know how awful this is for me, and it certainly affects my BP2, triggering manic behavior. The day after I stay up all night, I am WIRED and super productive. Then I feel awful for the next few days.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to implement a sleep schedule in my life? I don't know why I do this. I would appreciate any help and/or advice.

I have trouble sleeping as well... I take 300 mg Trazadone at night, along with 10 mg Melatonin, 5 pills of Valerian Root and Chamomile tea. When I take all of these I can normally sleep. It's a lot, but it really does help. I'm kinda hypomanic right now and I got 7 hours of sleep. Set a time each day to take your sleep meds and turn off your phone. I use an eye mask to block out light and minimize distractions. If you lie down at the same time every night your body might get used to it and you can go to sleep easier. I take my meds at 11 pm and normally fall asleep between midnight and 1 am. It does take me a while to go to sleep, but it helps that I have a set schedule. I hope this helps! *hugs*

I take 100 mg Seroquel for sleep. Works great for me.

I find myself with the opposite problem.' I can go to sleep but wake up a couple hours later, and can't fall asleep afterwards

Also, better sleep hygiene could help you. Try to "wind down" few hours (2-3) before going to bed. For example, no music or just some ambient. No exciting movies. Switching off your phone is important. No Facebook, Twitter etc.
Try not to start any new stimulating activity or project in the evening.
Nice relaxing tea (peppermint or smth else that does not have coffeine in if), warm bath, incense stick. I do relaxing yoga and mindfulness meditation before going to sleep (if I can; it can be difficult while hypomanic) and it has a significant effect. There are some good programmes in youtube, for example Yoga TX series.
And yes, try taking your medicines at the same time every day and go to sleep at the same time to make your body get used to it.

Tea helps me too. I have Chammomille tea, mint tea, blueberry tea and sleepytime tea that I like to drink at night. A warm bath can help- but not a shower. If you must use a computer or device, limit the blue light using a filter. I use BlueShade to block the blue light from my Kindle. I have listened to YouTube meditation and sleep videos but if I'm even slightly hypomanic they don't work.

Truth is, I never really liked to sleep, so I need to take medicine to compel me to sleep. Otherwise, by self-will I would stay up until the sun comes up.

So, I go to bed by 11:00 pm, take 2mg alprazolam with 20mg quetiapine and wait in bed until that takes care of me.

I was driven out of sleep many many many nights in a row. I had a serious need to sleep. Sleep deprivation was changing my physical appearance. I was heading into a nervous breakdown. No preaching of little yoga suggestions tea or device turn off could heal my disease.

I have a new friend, 20, who was driven mad (breaking thing, attacking people) by going four or five days with ZERO sleep.

A doctor prescribed Clopixol, a strong anti-psychotic, to make him sleep for four or five days straight, waking up only to take more Clopixol.

He tells me that his mother stopped the Clopixol continuous deep sleep before instructed and he woke up crazy again.

So, his mother followed the prescribed treatment, using enough Clopixol to keep him asleep for several days straight. Then he woke up in his right mind again.

Over time, he has gone from taking an entire tablet before bed to taking one quarter of a tablet and that makes him sleep. But, he is just like me in terms of sleep: unless he is medicated into sleep, he does not fall asleep at all.

For people like us, it takes a strong medicine to make us sleep. I now use 12.5mg (half tablet) of quetiapine plus 2mg of alprazolam to get to sleep. Once I take them, even w/ the television on and my cellphone in hand, I fall asleep within an hour after taking the medicine.

The alprazolam (stronger than lorazapam) helps me get to sleep and the quetiapine KEEPS me asleep until and even THROUGH the morning.

I am taking less quetiapine over the last days to avoid spending the following daytime asleep.

I am considering trying Cloxipil as an alternative to quetiapine, to see if it inhibits my negative thinking and constant thoughts of suicide.

The difference I see between the quetiapine and Cloxipil is that my friend, who has stayed over at my house the last five days, wakes up st seven in the morning, well-disposed to start an active day by e.g. eashing the dishes and preparing breakfast.

On quetiapine, I am not even fully awake until 11:00 AM. That's why I'm reducing it.

Whether you take quetiapine or Cloxipil, get your blood tested for diabetes. BOTH of these drugs are known to potentially cause diabetes.

I once took 800mg of Quetiapine per day. My blood sugar became pre-diabetic. I stopped taking quetiapine and my blood sugar went back to normal.

A combination of quetiapine and e.g. alprazolam might be more effective for sleep than either of them alone because they "potentiate" each other.

Love how I can count on your responses. Thanks again Persistence (let go of the ignorant and hold on to your own reality in order to be happy and take care of monitoring yourself.) I did yoga today. I feel more grounded like time is at a livable pace. My mind is quieter. I usually have my feet going to zumba. I have such wonderful support from my husband. Who believes me and takes the time to be there grounding me in the midst of a world who just keeps denying my personal struggles with mental illness. Including family close, but yet. Only a severe breakdown and peaceful hospital stay where I am acknowledged as sick. With boundaries placed upon them would truly give me the space and respect and relief I often need. I am practicing personal boundaries with my husband's support to show me that is my need and his repeated strength on showing me and speaking this in terms I understand is giving me a healthy space. That depressing people or even too happy people don't eat away at my happiness while leaving their presence as they feed my illness I get sicker. I am currently, glory to God, taking clonazepam at 1 mg. It is working with my chemistry and I want to say this in a low profile whisper because I don't ever want it to stop. I am currently getting normal sleep. Trazadone was completely ineffective for me. The nurse asked me if I had any ideas of what she might use from her own draws of med arsenal possibilities. I would have been hospitalized if not been saved at the point I was at. For some reason no coincidence, I believe. As I prayed God help me, God help me. Clonazepam, came out of my mouth! I agree with your reporting of seroquel at high doses. My nurse changed that to Lamictal. Talk about opiod addiction- she was instrumental in straightening out my medications. I have my feet on the ground and a 30 pound weight loss from all the sugar. With support from my husband's doctor telling me sugar is like cocaine to me and he has faith I can change it. Also my prayers while in a bind with sugar for temperance and self control concerning sugar. I am down 3o pounds and feel much more my regular self weight wise. Happy to report the sugar is not in control any longer. Positive progress. Fellow fighter for disease control. A dog is a great non judgmental and quiet friend as well. Smiles to everyone. Seroquel is the cause behind the constant night and day carb eating. How addicting is my point of view. I went off a little more quickly as I did not want to be chewing too many meds. Wanted to start a new med purged of the other crap out of my system. Lamictal I read was a good choice for those with bipolar 2 as it deals with those with more depression and also hypomania, and well I need not explain here of those rapid changing. And my God is what is coming out of me true or sick when I think and speak. This is complicated stuff. Isn't it? Those pretty ill right now won't even handle this long a post or want to. I read something horrible that happened to someone going cold turkey from seroquel. Never do this she said. And I'd like to point out I was face down in the bathroom with suicide coming out of my head. Coming off quicker was making me sicker. But it was faster than her suggestion. Just wanted to inform I am not or was not exactly compliant with my choice in this. Don't need to follow me here. I am only being honest of my choice and experience.

Great reaffirmation Persistence.
Also I had to sort out did I see the principality or devil at the end of my driveway at night. Or was it an actual hallucination. He was holding a knife at the end of his dark robed cloak, dressed in black. I could see him from the feet first. Holy #@$%&* I ran into the home. It's presence was coming to get me. For me it was going to come through the door and kill me. It was there so real. I was petrified. Glued in fright. I called my husband and told my mom. He immediately came home from work to reassure me and make me feel safe. Checking all of the outdoors for me. I have come to terms that it was an hallucination, I decided. I have had unwanted thoughts coming off seroquel of snapping my neighbors dog at the neck while passing him in my car. My reflexes in driving were slowed down completely. I also had angry thoughts of smashing my neighbor up against the wall very violently until I killed him and then shot myself. By impulse I took scissors and cut my hair. And thought I'd like to slam my head against the wall repeatedly. My prayer on my knees is more of what I don't see than what I do. As I have physically attacked. That is vital to me, that I do not do that. It is such a set back. I am vigilant to keep my eye on myself. When I have done that, I have had no premeditated thought of doing that. It just happened from out of nowhere. That is what I mean by what I don't see ever coming.

I also have problems with sleep. I take 200mg of Trazadone and I will fall asleep for roughly an hour or so and then I am up rest of the night until around 5am and then I get another hour of sleep. By 6am I'm awake and in manic mode for the day. I have tried several additional things to help get solid hours of sleep but haven't found "the one" that will work. I take lamictal 300mg 2 times a day and also take Wellbutrin. I was first subscribed Wellbutrin XR 150mg but just this week I seen Dr and he changed Wellbutrin from XR to SR. He said that he has been finding the extended release is causing patients to stay manic longer. I don't know what meds you take but that might be an issue. Its only been 2 days since the change of meds so I haven't seen difference but know that it make take a couple weeks. I try to wind down about an hour or so before going to bed with meditation. I hope you find something that helps you. :)

I have problems sleeping as well, currently take 300mg of Trazodone and 400mg of Seroquel. This helps me get to sleep, but sometimes I still wake up 4-5 times. I set an alarm to get up at 10am and to go to bed at 10pm. I also set alarms for my meds, I make sure to take my evening meds 2 hours before I go to bed. Sticking to this schedule is the key and it's something I'm still working out the kinks on. Also don't take naps

I need to call my doctors office, I've had a horrible time sleeping this week and wonder if they have suggestions. Having a bedtime ritual would definitely help. It's all a pain in the butt

I don't know why but I rarely see people posting about gabapentin. I take 600 mg of it at bedtime to help me sleep, especially to keep from waking in the wee hours. I take 300 mg during waking hours for anxiety and that doesn't put me to sleep. It is really a fantastic medication.

I also don't drink coffee or anything caffeinated after about 10:00 am.

cass1dyt~I take 400mg of Seroquel about 2 hrs before I go to bed. I also keep the same bedtime each night. I was taking 5mg of Ambien, but decided to discontinue it because I had been taking it for about 18 months. For the few nights it took me a little while to really back into a good sleep rhythm. I took SeroquelXR a few years back but switched regular Seroquel because it was making me personally to dopey in the mornings. Communication with your doc is SO important.

We are screwed guys. It seems all my logic to fight. I still can't stop the force driving against me to do what's right. I am discouraged measuring myself cause I feel others. Have their shot together. Better control butting to push against their urges. My head hangs down. I feel like I keep getting straight Fs. I'm tired of it. I know you guys are to. Sick of me. Not knowing how to fight to get to baseline.

I read a book of recent and I keep picking it up. Dennis Heil I think is author. Title is what they don't tell you. I really liked it. He gave me a much closers mirror to base what is real situations. I've searched and couldn't really see me from a lot of things I have tried to relate to on my mental illness. He seemed to open my eyes to more reality or real answers rather than crap, I guess is right but I could not relate it to me.

Blue kitty. We are all different in med reactions. Seroquel put me down to bed. But very poor quality of normal sleep. It was like surface sleeping. Not exactly restful average sleeping. I see you take insulin mess. Seroquel kept me addicted to carbs. Also kept me in a bubble zone. Like my feet off the reality zone where others were. Kinda like safely distanced. Like hidden in some forms of security. But it took me away from my true self. Weight and caring about not being 40 pounds overweight. I have always cared about my figure. That's how come I would classify it as an addictive drug.
I couldn't see what normally would matter to me. Robotic almost. Now I battle with my disease in its purer form of what it is. God it's hard. But I am more true to the reality of its real affects. I like it better now. Not the disease but the truth of the seriousness of this monster and it's severe. Sure their are worst things, and this sux for happening to us. Looking at it exhausts me. Being away from myself without it. Sux. Baseline healthy human me. I am missing very very much.

To give you I know and have just come out. Of insanity brink and it's pain. Naturally causes of what drives one insane is taking sleep away. I want to offer you a little window of h p E from my story. But not minimize your own personal severity if no help should come to you soon. I landed to sleep. Clonazepam was a tool cause it was the one tiny thing changed. I begged God to get me to sleep night and night turned to days still awake. I know this suffering. Tears of God help. I did find sleep.

Oliver,

I know what you mean. I have been sleeping nights regularly for a while by taking 25mg Seroquel plus 2mg Alprazolam.

The Seroquel calms my thoughts and makes me sleepy. With that alone, I would wake up after two or three hours and feel desperately frustrated not to be asleep.

It's the alprazolam that makes me continue sleeping until the morning after the Seroquel has calmed my mind enough to sleep.

If I took Seroquel alone to sleep, I would need 800mg instead of 25mg to keep me asleep until the morning.

Oliver,

To deal with the weight gain that Seroquel tends to cause, by increasing hunger and slowing metabolism, I have radically changed my diet.

I have no food in my house, literally. The gas for my stove ran out three weeks ago and I have not refilled it.

This is helping me to lose weight, because I cannot cook anything even if I want to.

I eat mostly by bringing food to my pastor's house and she cooks it for me and her family.

This is what I eat:

* Chicken in tomato and veggie sauce,
* Bolied Pumpkin with the skin and any kind of gourd,
* Whole milk
* Fresh, unsweetened Carrots
* Fresh, unsweetened Pineapple
* Any fresh, unsweetened fruit,
* Mangos, because they are litteraly falling off the trees with a thud.

I do not eat any canned food anymore because it all has absurd amounts of sugar and salt added. Even if it claims to be "unsweetened", but take a look at the sodium content!

I do not have any sugar and I do not accept anything with sugar if it is offered to me.

No more processed food of any sort, because it is all full of sugar and/or sodium.

People have noticed that I am gradually losing weight -- somewhere between 3-13 pounds over the last couple of months. I am still not thin, but I am "less fat".

Oliver,

I got to the point three weeks ago when NONE of my pants fit me -- not even the ones I bought when I was fattest.

So, I asked for someone at church who'd be willing to swim in the ocean with me.

Manuel volunteered, without knowingbfirst that I swim 200 yards out and stay in the water two and three hours at a time.

I swim in the waves because it helps me lose weight and because it's fun.

Under the influence of so many CNS tranquilizers, it's had to get out of bed before noon, bunoonmake the effort.

Dramatically less calories combined with increased swimming equals weight loss.

No more rice, no more spaghetti, no more bread, no more "unsweetened (but concentrated) orange juice...

Sleeping pills do nothing for me. Right now at 8pm I take 1gm Tryptophan, 500mg GABA, and a combination pill of Potassium, Magnesium, and Taurine. This starts me slowing down preparing for sleep. Then at 9pm I take 1mg Klonopin. When I'm ready to go to bed I take 10mg of fast acting Melatonin along with 5mg slow acting Melatonin. This puts me to sleep in less than 30 mins and gives me 5-6 good hours of sleep. When I wake up I take a second fast acting Melatonin and get another 2-4 hours of sleep depending on what I need. It's taken me months to work this formula out. Now I'm working on how far I can back it down and still get good results. Margot Kidder has posted her supplement formulas for keeping even. I found them to be very helpful as a starting point. All of these supplements are easy to find.