Sometimes I don't like what my therapist has to say and today was one of those days.

I still have a hard time falling asleep no matter how early I take my trazodone. Once I fall asleep though I sleep very well. According to my therapist, because I am still fighting with depression, I should not be in bed for anything other than sleeping at night. No resting, no naps, nothing but sleep at night. If I can't fall asleep in 15 minutes or less, then I should get out of bed and do something for a while until I am falling asleep doing whatever it is I am doing. If I go by that, then I will never fall asleep, never get any rest and it takes the one spot that I can comfortably elevate my leg when I have problems. I let her know this but she still stands by what she told me.

I know I am depressed and need to do more things to try to get out of it but if I don't have a place to relax then I think I will likely be more depressed and just want to do less than I already am.

Sounds like you need to set a time at night to go to bed. And
not go to bed earlier than this. You of course can go later.

I would figure out some things you can do while relaxing in bed.
Like reading to get ready for sleep.

Donna

I think the melatonin helps me....
sorry that sleep is so hard to get to sleep.
bizi

so far the only thing that helps me sleep is xanax. I have tried everything else.

Alaina, I'm sorry that you're still having a hard time falling asleep after you take the Trazodone

Your pdoc's "advice" is the same as what most doctors recommend... but you don't have to adhere to those guidelines, especially if you know that doing things that way will not work out for you.

Getting out of bed after 15 minutes of sleeplessness doesn't work for everyone (I know it makes things worse for me). I think it takes most people longer than that to fall asleep anyway. I wouldn't worry about following that "rule."

I would try to take the Trazodone at the same every night, or within the same time frame most nights, and get into bed about 30-45min after, once it has had some time to work. I think that will help. Going to bed too soon after you take it is going to leave you tossing and turning.

If you feel like you really need to rest or nap, then do it, but keep it brief. Most doctors recommend about 20 minutes, but I find that laughable... just don't sleep the day away.

I hope that you start having an easier time falling asleep soon

PurpleFoot721,

That's something that my Cognitive Behavioral Therapist tried to teach me decades ago -- getting out of bed if I am not sleeping.

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Maybe it works for some people in the studies.

What works for me is belly breathing sometimes -- versions of this:

Asleep in 6 seconds: 4-7-8 breathing technique claims to help you nod off in just a minute - YouTube

Ask for Evidence | Breathe deeply and nod off

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I also listen to music in bed at low volume as a way to kind of distract me
from trying to fall asleep.


By any chance are you taking hot showers near-ish bed time?
A pdoc explained that raising the body temperature near bed time can interfere with sleep.


Good luck to you.
I hope you get restful sleep.


M

We listen to the fan at night.noise helps black out other sounds and the hum is hypnotic.
mari gave some great advice.
Belly breathing is great!
In fact it is a great way to deal with stress during the day.
bizi

Thank you everyone for the advice. I already have set myself a bedtime that I strictly stick to, in fact it drives my parents crazy that I refuse to go to bed at any other time and won't deviate even 1 minute from my set bedtime except on rare occasions. This may be part of my problem but I have tried going to bed at a different time and it seems to make no difference in the amount of time it takes for me to fall asleep. It has just always taken me anywhere from 1-3 hours to fall asleep. I always take my trazodone 1 hour before going to bed and it makes no difference other than it helps me stay asleep.

Mari, thank you for your advice on the breathing exercises. That is something that I completely forgot about and will have to try again. I never heard of the 4 7 8 technique and will have to give it a try.

I've been told that staying on a regular sleep schedule is important/therapeutic for BP people. So, I commend you for trying so hard to adhere to your bedtime. I'm just afraid that by being so rigid about it that you may bee causing yourself unnecessary stress right before bedtime that could possibly interfere with you falling asleep quickly

Has school started yet? I'm sorry I can't remember when you told us you would start. Are you looking forward to it/how is it going?

Kay, school has not yet started. Online classes begin the week of the 17th and I am super anxious about starting. I keep thinking about dropping all of my classes and just forgetting about going this year, but then again it's a perfect time for me to be back in school. I have nothing better to do and I have a great amount of support this time around from my family, therapist, pdoc, and of course the members here on NT. I just hope I can do it this time without too much stress.