Anxiety and Insomnia - Help!

[Darius5691]

Does anyone who suffers with anxiety have a difficult time staying asleep? I don't so much have trouble falling asleep, but after 1-1/2 - 2 hours, I'm up and not the least bit tired. My anxiety has heightened (unexplainably) in the past month, and since then I haven't been able to sleep more than 2-3 hours on my own. I've been taking sleep aids since June 17, with some success. Currently taking Trazodone (just started taking 50-75 mg per night. I started with 12.5 and 25 mg doses, which initially worked and allowed me to sleep 5-6 hours, but now I seem to require more). I take the Trazodone together with .5 mg Xanax, per my psychiatrist (note: he actually prescribed 50-100 mg Trazodone, and I'm trying to stay on the lower end of that, not exactly sure why - could be my fear of medications. Phobias, go figure!). Anyway, I'm not sure if it's the Xanax or the Trazodone that is actually helping me to get any sleep at all. One night I took the Trazodone without the Xanax to see what would happen, and I was up 1-1/2 hours later, with my body telling me "take a Xanax!" Which I did, but it didn't do anything and I was up for the duration. Then the other night I took 50mg Trazodone (my highest dose yet) with .5 mg Xanax, and also woke up 2 hours later - frustrating! I decided to take another 25 mg Trazodone about 45 minutes later, but then didn't fall back asleep, and 2 hours after that I was desperate and took another .25 mg Xanax. I slept another 2 hours. The good thing about the Trazodone is that it seems to help with my daytime anxiety (as did the Restoril I was taking a few weeks back, but that only gave me 3-4 hours of sleep each night, so I decided to switch to Trazodone - also because Restoril is a benzo, and I am already on Xanax, so I thought it'd be best not to be one two in the same habit-forming family). I still take Xanax during the day (usually a total of .75 mg), but while on Trazodone I don't seem to require as much. For instance, I tried Ambien CR the other night, and on top of not being able to fall asleep, I tossed and turned most of the night, vaguely aware of not sleeping, but not exactly being awake.And the next day I was ultra-jittery. Even the Xanax wasn't helping all that much.

Sorry, rambling here - it's hard to be organized and coherent on such little sleep. :-)

I'm just wondering what everyone thinks about the combination of Trazodone and Xanax. I'm unsure if it's one or the other that actually helps me sleep, or is the combination key. Also, since I'm not really able to get a full night's sleep on Trazodone/Xanax (the most has been 6 hours, and that was one time a week ago), what are my other choices? Rozerem didn't work, but I'm wondering if I could take some natural Melatonin together with the Trazodone/Xanax combo? I see my psych next week, but that's sooo far off. He's new to me and doesn't give me the impression that he likes to receive phone calls with these types of questions, either. I'm trying to switch to another pych, and my appt isn't until mid-August. ugh.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Lack of sleep really makes my anxiety worse! And with a 4-year old, this past month has been hell.

[Raine9]

Wow, I don't understand why the Xanax alone wouldn't help you sleep.  I took Xanax 3 times and I slept like a baby.  Now I take Klonopin on occasion and it also helps me sleep.  Maybe you're just taking too many things.  Why not try just one?  Yeah, with small kids, it's especially hard.  I have a 1 yr old and a 3 yr old.  

Difficulty sleeping is a very common symptom of anxiety.  I have it.  Either I have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep or I wake up very early and can't go back to sleep.  

Other than that I can't really help you.  Ryan a.k.a RCA7591 is the drug guru on this board.  He would be able to help you out much more than I.  RYAN!  Where are you?!

Sorry you are going through such a hard time...