Too anxious to sleep?

[mint]

Please... I need some help.

Sometimes I am too anxious (& paranoid & fearful) to sleep.
All I do is think, think, think.
I feel like I'm just holding my breath.
And the more I dwell on my thoughts, the more anxious/ paranoid/ and fearful I feel.
I know that my thoughts are a lost cause.
My thoughts just feed a growing monster inside of me.
I must remember that I only have the power to change myself.
This really makes me sad.

I really need to sleep. :(

Any ideas? I know there are things that I can do to prevent this from getting worse before bedtime, but I'm asking about things I can do during the ordeal... In the middle of the night.

[astoria]

Magnesium works really well for helping me to sleep. I just tried this powdered form of magnesium called Natural Calm and it works really well. You can get it at most health food stores. You put it in warm water, wait until it stops fizzing, and drink it like tea.

You could also get Epsom Salts from any grocery store and take a bath in it. It will really relax you and help you fall asleep. The kind I have comes in a cardboard milk-carton-looking container. I found it in the same section in the grocery store that had bandaids and stuff like that. It was only 3-4 dollars.

There's a whole thread on using amino acids plus magnesium to cure anxiety. It really works!

The thread is called "Amino Acids and Magnesium Cured My Anxiety". I can't post a link, but you could do a forum search for it.

[Miss Worry Wart]

Mint, I also experience sleepless nights. I will wake up in a panic feeling closed in and I quickly jump out of bed feeling terrified.
I have thoughts that its dark out, I have no where to run , everyone is sleeping and I pray for the daylight to arrive. My fear is so intense at times. I feel as though I am never going to come out of this. I want a new head because this head/brain is defective. I feel your pain. But there is some hope and this is what (I think ) has started to work for me.
What I have just begun doing last week is "write". I have a book that I have dedicated to my sleepless nights. In it, I write down exactly what it is I am feeling at that moment. I have reversed my role to being the observer of what I am experiencing as opposed to being the victim. The focus to sit and write will actually calm me down. As I feel my body relax, I begin to get tired. I will make an attempt to go back to bed and I find I'm falling back to sleep. I have also been reading my diary when I am not in a panic state and I find it pretty interesting to read how much of an impact these emotions are having on me. I'm discovering so much about myself.
I would like to recommend you try this. You have nothing to lose, you're already awake so give it a try.

[AliasEQ]

Please... I need some help.

Sometimes I am too anxious (& paranoid & fearful) to sleep.
All I do is think, think, think.
I feel like I'm just holding my breath.
And the more I dwell on my thoughts, the more anxious/ paranoid/ and fearful I feel.
I know that my thoughts are a lost cause.
My thoughts just feed a growing monster inside of me.
I must remember that I only have the power to change myself.
This really makes me sad.

I really need to sleep. :(

Any ideas? I know there are things that I can do to prevent this from getting worse before bedtime, but I'm asking about things I can do during the ordeal... In the middle of the night.

I had the exact same problem 2 weeks ago. Couldn't sleep and couldn't stay asleep. What you need to do:

1. Exercise. It'll burn your stress hormones and you won't have enough energy to worry.

2. Magnesium and B-vitamins. Magnesium helps to balance your nervous system and B-vitamins, like B6 or B12, will make you sleep like a baby. It will also make you feel really good in the morning.

3. Chamomile tea will also relax your central nervous system.

4. If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep, then do something else. Watch TV, go for a walk, take a bath etc.

Try to not worry about it too much. When you're going to sleep, think of something you love or like to do. I hope this helps!

[mint]

I have reversed my role to being the observer of what I am experiencing as opposed to being the victim.

I do enjoy writing. I also like this perspective. I will try writing in this way. Thanks so much! :)

[mint]

Thanks! All of your tips are helpful and much appreciated. This forum gives me so much hope in feeling better.

[mint]

Magnesium works really well for helping me to sleep. I just tried this powdered form of magnesium called Natural Calm and it works really well. You can get it at most health food stores. You put it in warm water, wait until it stops fizzing, and drink it like tea.

You could also get Epsom Salts from any grocery store and take a bath in it. It will really relax you and help you fall asleep. The kind I have comes in a cardboard milk-carton-looking container. I found it in the same section in the grocery store that had bandaids and stuff like that. It was only 3-4 dollars.

There's a whole thread on using amino acids plus magnesium to cure anxiety. It really works!

The thread is called "Amino Acids and Magnesium Cured My Anxiety". I can't post a link, but you could do a forum search for it.

Thanks, I found the forum. This is really interesting and I've never heard of it before. I have started giving this a try as of today. Do you know if the combined vitamin "Cal-Mag" or calcium-magnesium vitamin has sufficient enough mag? On the bottle it says it has 175 mg of magnesium. I will try to do more research in this.