Bad Insomnia :(

Ok, so a little background history...

I've always been a light sleeper, and I've always had trouble sleeping. Usually, I just wake up multiple times during the night, or I'll wake up and not be able to fall back asleep for awhile. I can usually initially fall asleep pretty quickly.

But lately, things have gotten worse. Much worse. I'd say all of this started in November or so, but it was masked by my cannabis habit, heh. Whenever I would quit smoking it for a few days, it would be difficult for me to fall asleep and stay asleep, but it wasn't anything I worried about until recently, because it was annoying, but I always ended up sleeping after a night or two of tossing and turning. I've quit cannabis cold-turkey for a multitude of reasons, and ever since then, my anxiety has gotten worse, and, so have my sleeping problems. The problem, which used to be just staying asleep, has now turned into full-blown insomnia, similar to what I experienced during my second semester of college when I developed an eating disorder (which is all but gone now, though it's always something I think about).

I cannot fall asleep for the life of me. My body will be absolutely exhausted, but I can't fall asleep because my mind is wide awake. I'll be watching a movie in my room, feeling extremely groggy and ready to fall asleep. So I'll turn the TV off and lay down. I start feeling some anxiety, but I've accepted that it will be there, so I don't think that's really the problem anymore, but who knows. My eyes close and BAM, I'm awake. I've literally laid awake for the past few nights for hours on end, tired as Hell, with no relief. If I do fall asleep, I wake up within an hour or two. I've even cut out most of the caffeine in my diet, but that doesn't seem to be helping. Even melatonin won't help anymore, it makes me sleepy but I still can't fall asleep.

Anyone know how I can get some effing sleep? It's driving me bonkers, and classes are starting again next week. God knows that insomnia is the last thing I need this semester. :|

I think its because you have quited you;re Cannabis habit . You're body is backfire'ing .

I have no personal experience on the matter . I had a few nights of insomnia a few years ago , so I think i get the picture . If I were you I would recommend to try some meditation (void specificly) . If you are unable to clear youre mind , try watching documentarys and lets youre brain dose off .

Thank you, I think you're right. It's gotten a little better lately, thank goodness. I'll try the meditation. :)

Try taking melatonin before bed.

You can find it in health food stores and maybe walmart.

This should do the trick.

Dakotahnok-I actually have some melatonin, I used to take it to help me sleep quite often a few years ago, and I recently started trying to use it again. It makes me tired, but as of late it hasn't been helping me fall asleep. :/

My insomnia has actually subsided a bit for the past few nights, thank goodness, without any sort of sleep aid besides a very nice, comfy sleeping mask that I just got, and I think that's really helped.

Oh sorry I can't think of anything else.

Hopefully the insomnia will stay gone!!

Wow I can totally relate! My whole life I have been a light sleeper and for err..well a while I would ease myself into the green yonder with some herbal assistance. For me insomnia comes and goes, sometimes vanishing for months and sometimes lasting for weeks. Lately it's been bad enough that smoking cannabis does nothing. Over the years I've found several "solutions" which I thought were the final answer to this issue however inevitably it always comes back. Because of this I have a bunch of things I try, sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. My main problem is like yours, my body will be physically exhausted but my mind just can't power down. Sometimes I have racing thoughts and sometimes I can meditate until my mind is entirely clear of all thoughts and still be unable to nod off. It's perplexing. Lately I've slipped into a routine where I only fall asleep around 3,4,5am. This is okay if you're working evenings but the sense that you don't have control over you own sleeping schedule serves to unravel one's sense of confidence and mastery of one's life in general I find.

Here's my Anti Insomnia Arsenal.
Melatonin - Someone mentioned this already...lately this does nothing for me but in the past it's worked. I find if I take it I have to go to bed within a certain time frame otherwise it rebounds and actually keeps me up. Also I find that when I go to bed past midnight after taking melatonin I wake up feeling groggy. Taking it at 9 and going to bed around 10:30 would be ideal for me.
5 HTP - This is kind of like the precursor to melatonin, among other things.
Turn off all lights an hour before bed, try to avoid computer screens especially - Try this after taking melatonin.
Accomplish a wide variety of tasks during the day - This one's underrated. Sometimes my insomnia is related to generalized stress or anxiety about my accomplishments in life. To be satisfied with your achievements is to snuff out any lingering thoughts in your mind. Make a to do list and try to do everything on it, with that comes a sense of finality and accomplishment. Tie up as many loose ends as you can and plan for things in advance. Try not to procrastinate or avoid dealing with issues. Punch life in the face.
Stretch every muscle in your body for 60 seconds everyday - Count deliberately and focus only on the counting. I had a theory that not doing this caused energy blockages in my body and kept all the action up in my brain. Stretching creates a pathway for it to flow plus the counting serves as a kind of chill out.
Exercise - If you're already exhausted physically the mental benefits of exercise might be more suited to your situation.
Holy Basil Tea, Peppermint Tea, Valerian, St. John's Wort - Relaxing herbs.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Reading - A great way to focus one's attention and avoid a.d.d. style mental adventures under the moonlight.
Fish Oil - Or other sources of Omegas. Brains love these.
Maintaining a Healthy Diet - Kind of obvious. Variety, well balanced, pro and pre biotics, plenty of water.
B Vitamins - I have awful muscle spasms all over my body all the time. For over a year I had my ear drums audibly twitching and I damn near went mad. B vitamins were my saving grace. Don't take them too close to bed as they can energize you a tad.
and lastly...
Plenty of Social Interaction and Solid Relationships - We're kinda alienated in this digital world of texting and status updates. I find I sleep better if I call my friends and see them often.

Hope some of those helped you. If I think of anything else I'll add it in!