Sleep

[lolfeg123]

Hi

On a daily basis, it roughly takes me about 5-6 hrs to fall asleep, and was wondering if this is common among anxiety sufferers... How long does it take you?

Also, any thoughts on IBD being linked to anxiety ?

Thanks

[jon mike]

Hi

On a daily basis, it roughly takes me about 5-6 hrs to fall asleep, and was wondering if this is common among anxiety sufferers... How long does it take you?

Also, any thoughts on IBD being linked to anxiety ?

Thanks


Sleep was once a problem for me to. It's easily managed, cut out caffeine, do exercise, try mindfulness? Notice your mind wandering towards worries and thoughts that are only going to keep you awake and let them go.
I used to play head games such as thinking of maybe capital cities/authors/football teams starting from a-z. That kind of thing. Good luck

[Kirk]

I would try Melatonin.

[gypsylee]

Hey lolfeg,

Absolutely. I've had insomnia since I was a kid and it terrified me. My alcoholism started at around 17 because of it - I preferred to be hung over than not sleep.

I'm 43 now and I get bursts of it. At the moment I'm not bad at all but it can strike at any time, especially with stress. It's horrible but normal. Basically your body is protecting you from getting eaten by a bear lol.. It doesn't realise there are no bears!

When I can't stand it or I have to be up early I take benzos or antihystamines (they're over-the-counter). I'm a bit of a pill popper though and the best thing is to not worry. I've been awake non-stop for a week coming off drugs and nothing bad happened except massive anxiety.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[Ponder]

It's common with today's humans full stop. Lifestyle related issue also impacted by social and environmental conditioning. IBD can be greatly improved by eliminating 90% of processed and packaged foods combined with stress reduced lifestyle including a little healthy outdoor exposure + mildly integrated psychical activity. The true healing effects of Mindfulness practice like meditation will only work if adopted under a committed and regular practice over a long period of time. The problem is that people are conditioned to go the route of the quick fix mentality with high expectations and doubt alternative methods. I found chemical aids were helpful in the beginning however they soon become hard core dependable crutches that ended up more like hooks that later required more aids to counter bla bla and bla.

Once I worked out I not only needed to change, but also that I needed to stay changed ... I've pretty much nailed my physical health bar the damage that's permanently been done. None the less an alternative life style that's based on the least damaging choices I can afford and a reduction in consumption is helping to reduce that pain of what I can not change. Research circadian rhythm sleep and reassess how important your health really is when it comes to making prioritizing ones routine and preferences.

I recommend eating a couple of raw onions with ground up ginger to start with. LMOA - just kidding ... Onions are actually pungent like garlic ... but make great drugs/flavanoids to hook people with. OH PLEASE just shut the *&^% up all ready! You could go vegan and eat a whole heap of processed foods but that will also *&^% up your patterns as well. I just like to eat plants. :) Sometimes I drink them too. But I am a nutter ... but be sure to soak and dry those too ... otherwise the phytic acid and antinutrients will stop you from absorbing .... bla bla bla bla bla

Lots of practice - one mindfulness class and an apple with a quick lemon juice won't cut it.

That said ... go make some changes that will last.

Cheers
~Ponder

[lolfeg123]

Whenever u go off on a tangent - is that your OCD manifesting? I've been noticing this when you comment

[josh0745]

Last night it took me about an hour, but that was mainly due to I have a big project coming into work that I was nervous about along with I had caffeine last night before bed. My usual routine - no blue light for at least 15 minutes or so before I try to fall asleep along with trying to workout everyday usually does the trick when it comes to falling asleep. Back when it was really bad I had to meditate to fall asleep every single night with guided meditations from placing like Headspace, etc.

Josh

[jjh333]

Hey lolfeg,

Absolutely. I've had insomnia since I was a kid and it terrified me. My alcoholism started at around 17 because of it - I preferred to be hung over than not sleep.

I'm 43 now and I get bursts of it. At the moment I'm not bad at all but it can strike at any time, especially with stress. It's horrible but normal. Basically your body is protecting you from getting eaten by a bear lol.. It doesn't realise there are no bears!

When I can't stand it or I have to be up early I take benzos or antihystamines (they're over-the-counter). I'm a bit of a pill popper though and the best thing is to not worry. I've been awake non-stop for a week coming off drugs and nothing bad happened except massive anxiety.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

Haha! Really like the bear analogy. I'm going to remember this for my super anxious moments.

[Ponder]

Whenever u go off on a tangent - is that your OCD manifesting? I've been noticing this when you comment

Could you please be more specific?

[Ponder]

Last night it took me about an hour, but that was mainly due to I have a big project coming into work that I was nervous about along with I had caffeine last night before bed. My usual routine - no blue light for at least 15 minutes or so before I try to fall asleep along with trying to workout everyday usually does the trick when it comes to falling asleep. Back when it was really bad I had to meditate to fall asleep every single night with guided meditations from placing like Headspace, etc.

Josh

Yea, cutting out the blue light has been a huge help to me. I am back to cutting out all forms of electronic devices before I go to bed regardless of blue light filters. Guided meditations are helpful, however I found the reliance factor as limiting as I did meds.

lolfeg123 ... you should consider putting a name to your criticisms (or quote) in order to receive a response. Perhaps consider getting more sleep?

[gypsylee]

Haha! Really like the bear analogy. I'm going to remember this for my super anxious moments.

You might like The Happiness Trap by Dr Russ Harris. The start of the book is about how humans have evolved to be SAFE not to be HAPPY. It's our culture that's out of whack not our bodies/minds, but it is good we won't get eaten by bears anymore and we can do more important things than just survive. So some of us with trigger-happy flight/fight responses need to teach our bodies there are no bears. Sometimes you won't be able to help being anxious but you can lessen the impact by not adding what Claire Weekes called the "second fear" - worrying about being anxious. The DARE Response by Barry McDonagh is another good book, and of course Claire Weekes own books.

:)

[lolfeg123]

lolfeg123 ... you should consider putting a name to your criticisms (or quote) in order to receive a response. Perhaps consider getting more sleep?

I thought that your tangent was diliberate because it's so apparent, and so I didn't bother quoting it. The third paragraph in your first post, almost in its entirety, evidences this. Strangely, at times you also seem to at answer your own questions in your own posts (lol). Couple this with the name of your account (ponder), not to mention you calling yourself a "nutter," it seems rational to deduce OCD?

What exactly am I criticising? I'd like to think if it as a friendly note (:

Edit: oh and if you sense any agitation coming from me, it has nothing to do with you. Heck i might even be wrong. I'm am simply just pondering...

[jjh333]

You might like The Happiness Trap by Dr Russ Harris. The start of the book is about how humans have evolved to be SAFE not to be HAPPY. It's our culture that's out of whack not our bodies/minds, but it is good we won't get eaten by bears anymore and we can do more important things than just survive. So some of us with trigger-happy flight/fight responses need to teach our bodies there are no bears. Sometimes you won't be able to help being anxious but you can lessen the impact by not adding what Claire Weekes called the "second fear" - worrying about being anxious. The DARE Response by Barry McDonagh is another good book, and of course Claire Weekes own books.

:)

I will definitely check those out! Logic behind my anxiety usually makes me feel more sane and way less heath conscious and nervous.

[gypsylee]

I will definitely check those out! Logic behind my anxiety usually makes me feel more sane and way less heath conscious and nervous.

Yeah for sure. Claire Weekes treated anxiety similar to a physical illness. I try to accept that my nervous system is very easily sensitised and it takes me a long time to wind down to sleep sometimes, for example. If I tell myself "rest your body" rather than "why can't I fall asleep like normal people?! OMG I'll be awake all night!" I remove that second fear :)

[Ponder]

I thought that your tangent was diliberate because it's so apparent, and so I didn't bother quoting it. The third paragraph in your first post, almost in its entirety, evidences this. Strangely, at times you also seem to at answer your own questions in your own posts (lol). Couple this with the name of your account (ponder), not to mention you calling yourself a "nutter," it seems rational to deduce OCD?

What exactly am I criticising? I'd like to think if it as a friendly note (:

Edit: oh and if you sense any agitation coming from me, it has nothing to do with you. Heck i might even be wrong. I'm am simply just pondering...

Try not to take me literally. I don't. Hence the term nutter. I appolize for the way I came across. I will continue as best I can. Your welcome to use the ignore feature. Thanks for the quote.

Hope your sleeping better.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz night peeps.

[lolfeg123]

Try not to take me literally. I don't. Hence the term nutter. I appolize for the way I came across. I will continue as best I can. Your welcome to use the ignore feature. Thanks for the quote.

Hope your sleeping better.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz night peeps.

no way would I ignore you. You always offer sound and comprehensive advice to everyone on this forum, even though your OCD, if you have it, may be at times tangenting your train of thought. To my mind this embellishes your comments, bringing humour to what would otherwise be dull. And for this I love you ❤️.