Newfound insomnia due to those freakin' bugs! « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe

Newfound insomnia due to those freakin' bugs!

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esoo7

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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Jun 10 2008 6:58:02
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Well its almost 4 am on the west coast and I can't sleep out of fear of being bitten. I recently discovered I had bb after finding a big one hanging around an electrical outlet in my bedroom. I smashed the living daylights out of it, went on the internet to try to figure out what I had, then cried, called a PCO who came out the next day to confirm my infestation. When they came out for their initial investigation, we found one guy hiding out under my bed and nothing else. After they came (for the free estimate but no treatment yet) I hadn't been bitten for 4 days of so. I read what feels like EVERYTHING on this site which has been incredibly useful, but its slowly driving me insane (like everyone else). The PCO is coming in two weeks from now, but in the meantime, I'm afraid to sleep, have lost my appetite (haha which is VERY unusual for me under any circumstance) and I feel like such a freak because of all this. Part of me feels like my infestation is "new" and caught early so I don' know if I'm just delusional or being realistic.

Everyday I walk through the door of my apt, I see my entire life in gigantic ziplock storage bags and feel like my life has been reduced to being a "bag lady." Its claustrophobic to see and particularly to feel like you can't go anywhere out of fear that you will infest someone else. I've alerted my friends and family whose homes I visited before I realized I had bb and pray that I didn't transfer to them.

The success stories are promising but frustrating to hear that so many people seem to get re-hit by the bb or know that they'll never truly be gone. I've only been going through this for the last 3 weeks, but already I feel inclined to throw everything I own away and start over out of pure fear of getting reinfested. It frightens me that people can do everything right, down to the "t' and still treatment doesn't work or bugs are found in rooms where nobody goes or sleeps.

Thank you for this forum though, its brought me comfort, paranoia, comfort, understanding and a lot of help. Thanks for reading my account...
bedbugvictimperthaustralia

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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Jun 10 2008 7:08:08
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I know how you feel.
I'm living under my desk at work while I've been waiting 2 weeks for the PCO to come.
I'll be suing my landlord. It's the only thing that keeps me going.
lieutenantdan

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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Jun 10 2008 10:18:54
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After your treatment time expires I suggest buying a steamer. A steamer is another tactic that can render success in the bed bug war. Steaming is satisfying in that you are that much more pro-active. I do suggest that you do a little research on steaming like you would anything else. Also do not steam until the chemical life expectancy has expired.
Also I have treated and still occasionally treat with BEDLAM for cracks and crevices in furniture and baseboards also research DE. You want to use the Food Grade Fresh Water DE
and apply it lightly to cracks and crevices doing your best not to breathe in dust or get dust on your body for it can dry out your skin for a few weeks. Plenty of tips on this site if you spend a little time checking and then ask us your questions.
fightorflight

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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Jun 10 2008 12:34:08
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Sorry for your situation. Geez, yes, I know the bag lady feeling. Carrying what few belongings I had (don't follow my example; you can beat them at home, but it might require hard work) in multiple Ziplocs in the trunk of a rental car during my bedbug refugee stage, sealing, sealing and sealing a third time, at stores and such. What a freak.

Just make sure you develop a procedure, asap, for leaving and entering the home, so you don't spread them to anyone else. Best of luck.
esoo7

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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Jun 11 2008 3:59:20
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Thanks everyone for your support, I really appreciate (and needed) it!
disgustedbythem

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Joined: Apr '09
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Posted 4 years ago
Sun Apr 19 2009 5:04:37
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My husband is so pist at me right now. It's 2:02AM PST and he says my insomnia and paranoia is keeping him awake. He is yelling at me and telling me to suck it up and get in bed. Some part of me just feels that no one should have to knowingly get into a bed where they know they will be feasted on.

This sucks.
ChicagoBedBugs

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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Apr 25 2009 15:31:28
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I feel your pain!! I too can not sleep. I wake up scratching the bites that I got 2 weeks ago that aren't even there anymore. These things are making me crazy!! I have become obsessive compulsive with vaccuming and spraying. I can't wait until the weather is nicer in Chicago so I can go lay out in the sun and sleep. The only problem is I have huge bug bite welts all over my body which make me look like I have disease!! Another part of me wishes it was winter so I could open my windows and freeze the SOB's to death!!!
I am a flight attendant so even when I over night in other cities, I have the paranoia of bed bugs being in the hotels!! I swear, I am gonna go insane over these things!!!
parakeets

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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Apr 25 2009 17:48:07
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I have bedbugs and I have sleep problems. I went to a sleep health center. They wouldn't let me do the sleep study in their center because I have bedbugs. I go for help with my anxiety-related sleep disorders because I have bedbugs -- to a sleep health center that won't treat me in their center because I have bedbugs! Is this Kafkaesque or what? Just wanted to add my story to the posters here.
bbsbegone

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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 29 2009 19:48:31
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parakeets,

I certainly know how you feel. Sometimes, I just want to convince myself that bedbugs are just sucking a few drops of blood from me and that's it and I should just go to sleep. Then again, knowing they are there waiting to come out just sucked the joy out of life from me and I can't get past it.
hoo2677

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Posted 4 years ago
Thu Apr 30 2009 2:22:17
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There are some very nice herbal sleep aids. I'm not aware if personal allergies would be a factor, but i used a couple, both with california poppy along with other typical sleep herbs and they helped. What helped more, after a few treatments was isolating my bed in bowls of murphy's oil. No more bites in bed. Blissful sleep. I hope this helps. I think one of the remedies that helped was called "Deep Sleep."
ad88

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Posted 4 years ago
Thu Apr 30 2009 14:12:11
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i had AWFUL insomnia when i went through the worst of my BB experience (i'm now starting to lose it again b/c i think they're back - in a new apt). i went to my DR at my wits end and she prescribed me doxepin, which is an antihistamine & treats anxiety/depression & knocked me out. it made me feel pretty drowsy the next day but after itching and staring at the ceiling for hours weeks, i didnt really care. i also had decent luck with a natural sleep aid called alluna.
bedbugsmakemesad

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Posted 4 years ago
Sat May 2 2009 13:07:38
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The insomnia is the worst part of the whole bedbug ordeal. If you're like me, it will be with you long after the bedbugs are gone. Even on nights when I do manage to get a good night's sleep, it still usually includes uncomfortable bedbug dreams and the ocassional mid-night wakeup.

But it gets better.

In the meantime, Ambien is your friend.