Almost everyone has problems sleeping now and then. Think about the times in your life when no matter what you tried – warm milk, soft music, counting sheep – you couldn’t fall asleep.
Now imagine doing this at least three times a week for 3 months or more. This is chronic insomnia. For the 10 to 30% of adults who live with the condition, it affects many areas of life. Persistent lack of sleep can lead to health problems ranging from forgetfulness to depression to a higher risk of heart disease.
“The hard thing is, you basically run out of steam all the time,” said Steven Binko, 33, a Milwaukee entertainer who was diagnosed with chronic insomnia 15 years ago. “People attribute insomnia to being high on caffeine. It’s not like that. It is really a disturbance. “
People who live with chronic insomnia say that others may not understand how their condition differs from short-term insomnia. They say that they are often given well-meaning but short-sighted suggestions on how to “solve” their sleep problems.
“That’s why I don’t talk about it too much, because I get all kinds of advice every time,” says LaShawn Wiltz, 45, a content creator who lives in Decatur, GA. “I’m 45. I think I heard everything.”
Wiltz has lived with chronic insomnia (which means she has trouble staying asleep) since high school. Even so, people still regularly suggest things like meditation or a relaxing bedtime.
“I am the queen of routines! I’ve always had a night routine, ”she says.
Medication suggestions aren’t helpful either, she says. Chances are that a person with long-term insomnia has already tried everything you recommend, be it a sleeping pill or an herbal remedy.
Over the years, Wiltz has tried sleeping pills as well as non-prescription allergy medication and sleeping pills. “But they always hung over me, so I don’t do it anymore,” she says.
Binko, whose attacks of insomnia and chronic fatigue syndrome can leave him without rest for days, has taken the same path.
“I’ve tried everything from Ambien to Tramadol, even just Benadryl and over-the-counter items, but none of them really have the sedative effects I need to fall asleep,” he says.
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