Trazodone - I took trazadone for 15 years for sleep. It's been 6 months of slowly coming off it. My?

Here is how Trazodone works for me. When I turned 60 (and happened to be up late several evenings on computer) I began 2 years of insomnia. Saw Dr. after one year, he tried 3 things didn't work. Then tried Trazodone, didn't work at first. Happened to take it with an OTC sleep aid (doxylamine succinate) and it WORKED.
Been taking Trazodone 100 (plus 1/4 that I chew) and it works. Often gives me vivid dreams, but I SLEEP. After 2 years, trying to cut back on it a bit. Watched my Mom go through (over decades) from distrust to paranoia to paranoid delusions, to schizophrenia, caused from sleeping about only 4 hours a night. So taking a pill to avoid that is not so bad. I still take half a doxy each night, too. Hope this info helps someone.
I, too, would LOVE to SLEEP without taking a pill, and have been slowly trying to cut it back, a bit each week. But I wake up around 6am, an hour early.

I totally understand. I am 64 and absolutely cannot sleep without taking something. I have tried so many times to be "normal", but it never worked for me. I now take 100 mg of trazodone, and a 4mg muscle relaxer, and I sleep quite well. I have no desire to come off of it. I too suffer from anxiety, and depression. I like trazodone as it also helps with chronic pain, and depression.
Good Luck to you,
Karen

Is this coming off it part of your Dr's plan for your well being or is this something you undertook on your own?

There are some basic things you can do for sleep. Is your mattress comfortable? How about your pillow? Is your room totally dark. How about sounds? Maybe you need a recording of ocean or waves. Going to bed the same time every night. Taking a hot bath/shower. Having a glass of milk before bed. And above all else, you can't go to bed with sleep being the enemy. You have to drop those messages that say, I'll never sleep without a medication. And no clock watching. No more well if I fell asleep now, I'd still get 3 hrs of sleep, etc.
I used to be a terrible insomniac, so I know what you tell yourself.