How do you prepare yourself for a good nights sleep?

[flinthills]

Reading all these discussions about chest pains, heart fluttering, tingling, and just general worrying, how do you prepare yourself to go to sleep and to stay asleep? I am one of those, when I am having issues, that become almost afraid to fall asleep, or just do not look forward to laying down and trying to go to sleep? Even after back to back restless nights, being so tired, I still start thinking during the day about what I might be facing at bedtime? Help?

[nicole123x]

Wow this is me so much, I fear each day from the moment of going to sleep, to waking up. Anxiety sucks and does some horrific things to us :(

[mw0929]

Night time is the worst for me. I exercise to get myself exhausted and sometimes take melatonin but sometimes neither work and i just lay there. It really does suck.

[flinthills]

I have Xanax that the doctor prescribed, but I have a fear of taking it! Just like most medications now. Recently, I had gone over a month without an episode. I actually looked forward to going to bed, and would sleep all night. Then, Thanksgiving night, I started to get the heart flutters, and since then, like tonight, trying to figure out how to get excited about going to bed? I am totally exhausted, and would do fine if I were to sit in my chair, napping for 1-2 hours, but when it is actually time to go to bed in the evening, some kind of change takes place? I can handle all anxiety can dish out during the day, but I would give anything to have at least my nights back!!!!!! If anyone has any good pre going to bed prep, let us know!

[Sigur]

I used to dread going to sleep but my anxiety has got better/changed since then. I still don't look forward to bed though - I miss feeling excited to sleep haha. This may sound stupid but sometimes whenever I get a bad thought or feeling I just repeat a song in my head over and over, one that I love or that is happy and it pushes the thoughts away. It doesn't allow me to listen to them, and eventually I do actually fall asleep fine. I know it sounds lame but it just makes things seem much less scary :)

[becki]

I have started to limit my caffeine intakes. I don't nap during the day because I work full time and have a family. I shower and start to relax 2 hours or so prior to bedtime. I limit what I read before bed nothing having anything to do with anxiety as that gets me round up. I have a few CDs of relaxation music that I listen to. This combination usually does the trick.

[flinthills]

I also sing my favorite songs in my head, read articles or books that put me in a good place, but the anxiety always wins over. Part of my problem with winding down in the evening, are my kids. I am not saying they are perfect angels, but they are well behaved, and do listen well. However, my son has recently turned 8, and my daughter will be 6 in two weeks! Our evenings are like everyone elses with you kids, stressful. So, I get wound down after dinner, then fired up again before bedtime. Besides the trick of falling asleep and staying asleep, or getting back to sleep after an "episode", I still would like to figure out how I can go weeks, or even months, sleeping, eating, somewhat regular bathroom visits, less frequent IBS, or stomach pains, and good moods, to crash!! I have had almost two full months of normal, then Thanksgiving night, it went to living with anxiety again?

[Audrey00]

Tylenol pm or melatonin ! :) I use melatonin more it calms me down so if my daughter wakes up I can hear her :)

[trinidiva]

A big cup of cammomile tea.

[AceParadox]

Melatonin. Like right now.
Play a few games of League of Legends with friends.. Have a cup of tea. Play the piano a bit...Then collapse and think about my wants, dreams, that sort of thing. :]

[jfletch]

I just posted the same issue before seeing this. Glad I am not alone. I will just read through the threads and get some ideas.

[natuhhleee]

Reading all these discussions about chest pains, heart fluttering, tingling, and just general worrying, how do you prepare yourself to go to sleep and to stay asleep? I am one of those, when I am having issues, that become almost afraid to fall asleep, or just do not look forward to laying down and trying to go to sleep? Even after back to back restless nights, being so tired, I still start thinking during the day about what I might be facing at bedtime? Help?

Sleepy time tea and a happy show :)

[stjlynn]

I'm scared to fall asleep but love to sleep its the only time my mind stfu!!

[MLeFay]

I fear each day from the moment of waking up til the moment of going to sleep too. It's horrible isn't it.

[AceParadox]

I fear each day from the moment of waking up til the moment of going to sleep too. It's horrible isn't it.

Aye, I've been there before - and the fear of sleep led to insomnia, until I managed to be able to just sleep during the day. Vampire schedule. But that got me very pale and convinced my little cousin (Who is 6) that I was actually a vampire, because of my rather pointy Kanine teeth -_- ofcourse she thought it was the coolest thing ever being into Twilight like most girls.

No worries though... The further you get into recovery, it get's better. Have hope ;]

[Aprilmay4482]

I downloaded my favorite anxiety book "hope and help for your nerves" audiobook and put it on my iPod and listen to it in bed. The narrator has an awesome soothing voice. Also I take a calcium magnesium vitamin before bed. I also load my iPod with sleep meditations targeted towards anxiety.