Sleeping pill nightmare-when will it get better

[ocean5]

I have had trouble with sleeping issues basically my entire life.  I started taking something for sleep at the age of 12 and now I am 33.  3 years ago, I did have a stunt in treatment to try and get me off of all the pills I was on. I was taking a massive of amount of benzos and ambien, and then to counter act the sedation feeling I would take adderal the next day.  I got off of everything.  But still struggled with sleep.  So after treatment I started to take either lunesta, unisom, zzzquil.  The problem is that none of these pills really worked anymore.  I am not ever really rested and so often I was taking them and not sleeping on them and there is nothing worse in my opinion. Not sleeping and being drugged on a sleeping pill the entire next day.  10 days ago I took my last sleeping pill.  The last 10 days have been truly miserable in sleeping though.  The most I have gotten of sleep is 4 hours but usually it is around 2 hours.  I am drinking either sleepytime tea or valerian tea.  Does anyone have any idea when this is going to improve for me?  How long will my body take to readjust? I know it will be a process but it will not be forever, right? I am tired but do not want to give in or give up. I need to beat this final addiction to sleep aids.   I want to get back on a normal sleep pattern without pills.  Just frustrating waking up with no sleep and going to work but if I know there will eventually be a silver lining, it will be so worth it to me to not be dependent on a sleeping aid ever again. Please let me know any experiences people might have.Thank you for any feedback and just listening to me.  Please also forgive me if there are any errors on this, all do to lack of sleep!

[lulu747]

Hey there-
I had similar problems to you and was on sleeping pills (zoplicone) and oxazepam for many, many years (20 to be exact and I'm 36)  I started tapering about a year ago and then when I got down low I started taking tryptophan (yes the stuff in turkey) I got it prescribed and take 2000 mg a night.  I started it while I was still taking the zoplicone and then after about a week I stopped the zoplicone.  I switched my benzo to a longer acting one (valium) and have been tapering that nice and slow.  I also take 20-30 mg of melatonin every night.  The melatonin helps regulate your sleep/wake schedule, the tryptophan is a natural seratonin booster and mood stabilizer that helps lengthen and deepen your sleep.  I am sleeping better now than ever before.  I do feel pretty groggy in the morning and whenever I drop the benzo dose I have a couple of days of interrupted sleep but I feel WAY better.
I would ask your doc about the tryptophan.  I had never heard of it and it's made the world of difference.
Being on those meds for that long really messes with you and if you stopped them abruptly it could be awhile before anything works for you but it's worth a try.
I know how hard it is not to sleep and I feel for you.
Cut the sugar if you can.  Don't eat any within 5-6 hours of bed time.
Keep posting...
Lu

[ocean5]

Hey there.  Thank you for responding!  I have tried melatonin and valerian, it is kind of strange but since I got off of all these pills.  My body now physically rejects pills, even supplements.  Over the last couple years, I am so much more sensitive to any kind of pills including natural remedies. I get terrible headaches now when I take anything.  I do exercise frequently, probably 3-4 x a week.  I do not drink any caffeine but I do consume probably too much sugar.  I think it is probably going to just take a little time for my body to readjust naturally.  I just want to sleep again!

[rush2112]

I don't have experience with sleeping pill addiction, but i do have sleep issues.  

Have you tried melatonin?  It is a natural sleep aide, non-addictive...

do you exercise at all?  what's your caffeine intake?  etc...things to think about