sheila said:I've been struggling with insomnia for over a year now.
Things have improved slightly, I suppose, but the fallout remains.
I am chronically sleep-deprived, constantly exhausted, and my eyes just burn incessantly...
😢
but I think the real key might be your circadian rhythm. If you try to go to bed at the same time every single night—ideally by midnight—then eventually, maybe, things start to correct themselves.
It's a classic approach.
There was a period where I couldn't sleep at all, and after about a week, I actually started hallucinating.😱 But that's in the past, I guess.
Still, these sleep issues continue to plague me. I've tried various medications, but nothing seems to work. I've experimented with things like Valerian, various over-the-counter sleep aids, and even prescription options... and absolutely nothing! For instance, last night I went to bed at midnight—being a very good girl—only to wake up at 5 AM because I simply couldn't drift off anymore. And I am just completely wiped out.
Well, who really knows...☕
I actually dealt with the exact same thing a few years back, and honestly, it lasted much longer than yours did. It wasn't just my eyes burning, either; the entire area around my eyes and my cheeks felt terrible. It was awful! Not to mention the dark circles under my eyes. I'm not sure if you've seen a specialist yet, but in Washington, D.C., there is the Sleep Disorders Center. Perhaps there is a more effective therapy suited for you; there are so many different medications available, and I imagine it depends heavily on the specific dosage. They also tend to suggest psychotherapy, though I personally avoided that route.
In addition to everything else mentioned, they advised me to stay away from the TV and the radio in the evenings. Oh, and for those dealing with milder sleep disturbances, there are Valerian drops taken with sugar, or perhaps lemon balm tea. Those didn't do much for me, I guess, but I know plenty of people who swear by them.
Generally speaking, most of these issues seem to have a psychological foundation. Nothing provided lasting relief for me until I fell in love again and finally managed to resolve some deep-seated issues from my past; that's when things finally began to improve. I suspect that after such intense, difficult periods in life, one might need something beautiful to happen to truly calm down and recover. I don't know, maybe some people can manage it on their own, but I certainly couldn't do it by myself.