by Bobby Watson

Created on: February 06, 2009   Last Updated: February 19, 2009

Well just about everyone knows the value of sleep, but it seems that the stress and chaos of life just won't let most of us get what we need for downtime these days. Sleep is different for everyone too. I know quite a few people that are fine and able to function on four hours a night. Well maybe they are just special, because physicians still agree that eight hours of sleep is what each of us need to get for maximum benefit. It seems to be enough time for our body's and mind's to recharge so we can do it all over again the next day.

I myself have had some serious issues with sleep for about the last five years because of bad insomnia. In the beginning, I didn't think there was much I could do about it. I thought maybe it was just a phase for me and maybe it would go away. I love sleep just as much as the next person when I can get it, and I found my patience in trying to get a good night's sleep grew thin real quick. A friend of mine had told me about a supplement available over the counter called Melatonin, and he suggested that I give it a try. I really didn't want to go see a Dr., so I went out and bought a bottle the next day. Unfortunately, it takes most people a week or more to feel the effects, and for me it never worked.

Well I knew it was time for me to do something more drastic when my roommate told me I had been "sleep eating" during the night, yet I honestly had no recollection of it what so ever. I would lay there in bed and toss and turn all night, longing for sleep, and then when I finally drifted off I would end up pigging out unaware somewhere in the house. Well, I had crappy insurance but I went to the Dr. for some help anyway. When I left her office, I had a prescription for a month's supply of Lunesta. I will never know if it would have helped me or not because the co-pay was a hundred bucks and I guess they had no generic available so I walked right on out.

My sleep patterns were especially annoying because I would finally fall asleep late at night and then wake up as early as a rooster. I knew that medication was the only thing that was gonna help me. I went back to see a different Dr. this time. She heard my story and really made a difference in the quality of my life that very day. She prescribed me some Rozerem and Trazadone, and I have had the best sleep of my entire life since. It allows me to stick to a schedule that is always the same. I wake up happy, refreshed, and ready to face the day. The quality of my life has significantly improved. I never knew how much I missed sleep until I finally got it back.

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