sleeping on and off all night for years

I am starting to believe that I have some type of disorder. I have tried the sleeping pills, melatonin, teas, sleep therapy and sleep hygiene over the years and nothing works. It is not complete insomnia because I sleep for a few hours at a time but I can never make it all night. Then in the morning I am awake and won't have a chance to sleep until the evening. I can't remember the last time I actually slept the whole night. Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep and other times it is a problem to stay asleep. I think that even after laying in bed 9 hours I only get 2 to 4 hours of sleep in a night.

Can anyone think of some option that I have not tried? I am starting to think there is no way I will ever sleep properly!

It does sound like you have tried many, many options. You did not mention but have you tried exercise or meditation? These work for some people. Have you been evaluated for an anxiety disorder? Have had your thyroid levels checked?

I have altered my diet, I exercise regularly and I use deep breathing therapies. I was taking anxiety medications for 6 months but my sleep did not get any better so I stopped taking the medications. I also had my thyroid levels checked and they are normal. Thank you for asking but I honestly think I have tried everything!

Something that I immediately noticed was that you are in bed for 9 hours but only sleeping 2 to 4. When you mentioned sleep hygiene were you associating that with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or have you ever tried CBT? My concern would be that you have unintentionally trained your brain that the bedroom is not where you sleep. If you easily fall asleep in front of the television or when you are outside of the bedroom, this would confirm the poor training of your brain.

Wow, it does sound like you have tried most everything, but I think that ???? has a good question around staying in bed so many hours. Usually to avoid associating the bedroom with being awake, sleep doctors and therapists recommend getting out of the bed and doing something else.

I know I really shouldn't stay in bed but I am so tired I can't even get up. I lay there hoping to sleep but it just never comes. How do you manage to get yourself out of the bed when your are this tired?

It certainly can be tough but I keep in my mind that if I stay in the bedroom awake, it is only going to get worse. I may be completely exhausted but I can read a book or even watch TV even though we shouldn't. This is at least better than laying there desperately trying to sleep. That just builds frustration and worry.

Being so fatigued and not wanting to get up is something I can relate to but you have to get yourself up. I usually try and do something like crafts where it is something I can enjoy and if I make a mistake, it is not a big deal.

My mother has been having problems sleeping on and off for a year. She had also tried everything she could think of and she's a doctor. Last week she finally saw a specialist and checked into a sleep clinic. She was diagnosed with sleep apnea and had to get a CPAP machine to help her sleep. You might want to try ruling sleep apnea out just in case.