Anyone else have terrible trouble sleeping?

[pamn]

I have severe anxiety. AGAIN! Have gone back on Lexapro, 10 mg, but am having terrible trouble sleeping. I can go to sleep with .25 mg of Xanax but I wake up every night at right around 3 am. Sometimes I can go back to sleep on my own, sometimes I need another piece of Xanax, but regardless I can only sleep another hour or two & then I can't go back to sleep at all.

I am so tried & shaky & that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach just won't go away. I wake up with it.

Any help on sleeping would be much appreciated.

Pam

[northstar]

not being able to get to sleep or waking up in the middle of the night for no reason, or waking up feeling anxious and panicky can be down to low blood sugar, it's that simple :) what you need to do is to eat, nothing big, not a meal and nothing that's unhealthy or full of sugar. bananas work really really well! i always keep bananas in the house as they are great for giving you a blood sugar boost as well as the fact that they contain tryptophan which is a natural chemical that will help you to sleep.

so if you find yourself unable to sleep eat a banana or another piece of fruit, peanut butter on toast (brown bread, not white) is another great blood sugar booster. this should help you get back to sleep. also make sure that you're getting exercise in during the week as lack of it will leave you with unspent energy and keep you up at night too.

low blood sugar is a major cause of anxiety. if you're suffering with anxeity it's very important that you keep to a healthy diet with lots of complex carbohydrates, avoid irritants like sugar, coffee, tea, alcohol, sodas and junk foods. for more information take a look here: http://www.anxietyforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4087

[rejanette]

I used to have big problem sleeping to the point where i used to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep.
I' m drinking camomille tea before to go to bed and do relaxing exercices that is helping me a lot...
So I finally getting some sleep at last...
Also I know that during season changes your ody clock is changing to and It can be a little difficult to adjust...
Get a soothing tea and put yourself into bed... I also tried aromatherapy relaxing oils and it does helped a lot.
Hope you get to sleep.
Rejane

[pamn]

Northstar, I so appreciate your long reply with all the sources. I have looked at some of the links & taken some notes. I do think that my shakiness & extreme fatigue may well be due to hypoglycemia as I have had very little appetite & often have only a bowl of oatmeal in the morning & then basically nothing until evening. I guess that's a sure recipe for hypoG!

I am a firm believer in the role of diet in health & should be doing that sort of thing but I've been so tired, so unenergetic & so utterly blah that eating is something I've had to force myself to do. Today I took some granola to work & also half a banana (I only worked half a day today), had a tuna sandwich for lunch, & then a handful of carrots & some fresh strawberries in the middle of the afternoon. And I don't have the shakes today!

Now if I could only get a whole night's sleep for a change & get rid of the overall anxiety. Last night I got only 4 hours - the Xanax wore off at 3 am & even taking more did not help the anxiety. I think I will ask my doctor tomorrow about a real sleeping med.

Thank you so much again!

Pam

[northstar]

pam i am glad to hear you found the information helpful and also that already you're finding that just simply eating can really have such a major effect :)

i think you'll find that as you improve your diet and lifestyle (like getting in exercise etc) that you'll find yourself less tired and groggy (sugar is a killer for making us feel bad and exhausted!) and also that you will start sleeping better.

personally i wouldn't rush to the doctor about sleeping pills, a natural sleep is so much better for you. but that decision is up to you and if you feel you need some help to get some rest then that's fine as long as you don't start to depend on the pills to get you to sleep. when your body is feeling happy and properly worn out in the evenings you will sleep naturally. so make sure you're exercising and being as active as you can, as well as avoiding things like caffinated drinks (tea, coffee, coke) after 12pm and not going to sleep with too much sugar or not enough food in your system.

please make sure and let us know how you're getting on :)

[pamn]

Today was several steps back. Lots of anxiety despite eating better. I even had a banana in the middle of the night when I woke up when the xanax wore off but it didn't seem to help & eventually I took another xanax which gave me about 2 more hours.

I have been reading Claire Weeks old book, "Hope & Help for Your Nerves", in which she advises acceptance of the anxiety while you go about your ordinary things. I try but it's so hard to do when I'm so tired & so unmotivated.

This is as bad as it's been in years. And this shouldn't be happneing to a senior citizen like me.

Pam

[Robbed]

Remember also that Lexapro (and other SSRIs) can cause insomnia as a side effect.

[(HAWK)]

Pamn,not to be mean or anything, so don't take this the wrong way,but I see this same post on other sites too,and it seems like this sleeping problem is really bothering you!I have anxiety up the you know what and I have had all of what you said about your sleep probloms,you should see your doctor and just talk to him/her about whats going on in your life.Doctors can sometimes make you feel better just by seeing them and letting them know whats going on.I know that you probaly feel like hell but atleast try to go to bed earlyer or start exersizing some.I have had months were I can't sleep at all and my mind feels like its about to explode from thinking so dang much,and i feel like i cant even eat!I found that if you fight it you wont win,so just let your mind or whatever ealse that is bottering you GO,just let it Go.Thats the key to help your self relaxe,so next time you feel horriable just tell your self that your not going to die,and your not going crazy! And if your mind starts racing don't try to NOT think about some of the thoughts that might be scareing you,instead just see them as what they are Thughts! the can't kill you or make you go carzy! Hope this helps!


Hope you feel better and get some sleep! ;)

[pamn]

Hawk, I appreciate your reply.

Believe me, I know enough about all of this to know I'm not going to go crazy or die or anything like that. Going to be earlier doesn't help because no matter what time I go to bed, I get that 4 hours of sleep that Xanax allows & then it's over & I'm awake & can't go back to sleep. If I take another Xanax, the anxiety breaks through in about 2 hours & I'm awake & feeling like hell.

I have been trying to just accept it & let it go & go on with what I have to do, but I am getting so tired that it's getting increasingly harder to do that. I am supposed to get on a plane to California on Saturday & the thought of all that effort - getting to the airport by 5 am, all the airport hassle, the connection, & then doing it again a few days later to get back, just exhausts me & ramps up the anxiety.

I'm going to my regular doctor today & a therapist tomorrow.

P

[baddabingtim]

I went 2 weeks straight once without sleeping 1 hour - thats right - I was a zombie - I still worked during this period and even went on vacation and nothing - I had to get knocked out with trazadone, klonopin and prozac...


So if you need help I can help

[(HAWK)]

Hawk, I appreciate your reply.

Believe me, I know enough about all of this to know I'm not going to go crazy or die or anything like that. Going to be earlier doesn't help because no matter what time I go to bed, I get that 4 hours of sleep that Xanax allows & then it's over & I'm awake & can't go back to sleep. If I take another Xanax, the anxiety breaks through in about 2 hours & I'm awake & feeling like hell.

I have been trying to just accept it & let it go & go on with what I have to do, but I am getting so tired that it's getting increasingly harder to do that. I am supposed to get on a plane to California on Saturday & the thought of all that effort - getting to the airport by 5 am, all the airport hassle, the connection, & then doing it again a few days later to get back, just exhausts me & ramps up the anxiety.

I'm going to my regular doctor today & a therapist tomorrow.

PHave you tried getting drunk? No i'm not joking,beers or achols can help you fall and stay asleep.I don't mean drink it all the time and become a ahcolic either just when you really can't sleep.I use ahcole some times and it helps your mind from worriing.

[pamn]

I don't think that would work very well with Lexapro. Otherwise it's a great idea. I miss my nightly Scotch ale!

P

[(HAWK)]

I don't think that would work very well with Lexapro. Otherwise it's a great idea. I miss my nightly Scotch ale!

PHA! Hey I took meds while drinking and it didn't hurt me! ;) :tongue: :shock:

[baddabingtim]

alcohol will not help you sleep - just the opposite - keeps you restless -

[northstar]

Have you tried getting drunk? No i'm not joking,beers or achols can help you fall and stay asleep.I don't mean drink it all the time and become a ahcolic either just when you really can't sleep.I use ahcole some times and it helps your mind from worriing.

hi hawk, just to let you know that alcohol is absolutely the last thing someone with anxiety should use to help them sleep! it will mess with your blood sugars and while it may help you feel sleepy the resulting blood sugar crash can have you feeling anxious again in a couple of hours or when you wake up the next morning. i have seen countless people on here wondering why they have panic attacks the day after a night out! it's all down to the alcohol. it also dehydrates you and strips your body of the B vitamins which are incredibly important to good mental health. so stay away from the booze if you want to feel good ;)

[(HAWK)]

Have you tried getting drunk? No i'm not joking,beers or achols can help you fall and stay asleep.I don't mean drink it all the time and become a ahcolic either just when you really can't sleep.I use ahcole some times and it helps your mind from worriing.

hi hawk, just to let you know that alcohol is absolutely the last thing someone with anxiety should use to help them sleep! it will mess with your blood sugars and while it may help you feel sleepy the resulting blood sugar crash can have you feeling anxious again in a couple of hours or when you wake up the next morning. i have seen countless people on here wondering why they have panic attacks the day after a night out! it's all down to the alcohol. it also dehydrates you and strips your body of the B vitamins which are incredibly important to good mental health. so stay away from the booze if you want to feel good ;)Just an idea.It helps me some times. :D

[dtrotter]

Well, some wine usually help alot! Or camomile's tea i always drink it whenever i have anxiety or trouble getting in to sleep.

[coops025]

I have trouble sleeping too even before i started to suffer from Anxiety.

For some reason i always selpt well ofer a night on the beer but due to my illness i dont drink anymore as it makes it worse.

What i now is make sure i dont do anything mind taxing before i go to bed so that your mind is in a calm state, also a nice cup of camomile tea helps your body relax.

[pamn]

The only problem with the tea is that it goes right through me & then I wake up to go to the john. So that's counterproductive! Doesn't it do that to you?

[Snufkin]

wow its funny you mention that you wake up at 3 oclock, thats exactly my wake up schedule! its scary i wake up every night at the same time... when it first started happening i couldnt go back to sleep cuz i was constantly worried about it but after a while i went back to sleep almost instantly. i still wake up at 3 oclock and around 6-7 oclock pretty much everytime. but sometimes i wake up more with the same panicky feeling... i just try to change position and think of a nice story and eventually i pass out.
but i remember when i went several days with no sleep. the only thing that helped was having someone to sleep with me (so get a guy if you can) other than that im still suffering from it so i can be that much of help. sorry.

[lea2009]

I know exactly what your going through and it is hell, It took me about a week and half to overcome this insominia and i did eventually go docs who suggested sleeping pills for which did knock me out but not in a good way, as i didnt feel asleep even though i was and it was very strange. In the end i stopped taking them and i realised my problem, i was constantly thinking about going to sleep and ways to goto sleep and my mind was working overtime! which is what keeps you awake...

You need to stop worrying about the effects off not sleeping and start doing normal things, eat healthy, goto the gym or do some real exercise, make sure your sweating after! and whilst your doing this dont even think about sleep. Its hard i know but if you find yourself thinking about it try and think of something else. I can imagine starting to do this method now when your feeling completly exhausted will be hard, but i bet if you did it you will sleep no probs all the way through.

I also took some Calms Natural Rememdy sleep helpers before just to make sure. They contain alot of the ingrediants like Yeast and Hops which you find in beer, you will sleep like a baby all the way through and these are safe to take even with meds.

Hope this helped...

Lea

[Georgec]

Pam, this seems like a really difficult problem... one that requires a lot of thinking... I'm not an expert on sleep in any sense.

When I had anxiety I would stay up, but that was really caused by my racing thoughts.

These days I don't suffer from anxiety, but many nights I do wake up... it happens. I can tell you that if I was more aware of it, I probably wouldn't be able to get back to bed either. I would be like, "I'm awake again... well I know I usually can't go to bed...".

There are so many elements here at play... Maybe it's caused by diet, maybe it's caused by medication... maybe medication helps...

Here's a suggestion: go back to the days when you slept soundly. Was there any difference? Think about medication, living situation, diet, activity level.

Did anything change?

I agree, a senior citizen should not have to deal with this... but then again, maybe you do... it makes us stronger no?

[pamn]

In going back to the days when I did sleep well, I think that was when I didn't worry so much about so many things. I know that is something that I do to excess & with some things I get all wound up in bad knots about. And I do have problems with anxiety. Sometimes it's focused & sometimes it's not. Sometimes it just is there, without an apparent reason.

I am trying to work through this with help & reading & hope I can banish the anxiety & therefore regain the sleep.

Pam

[koolaid86]

I had a lot of trouble falling asleep. Once I was asleep, I was out for the count (most of the time) but I was terrified to even try to sleep. It got to the point where I was rarely sleeping at all (not fun).

I used to work in a Vitamin Shoppe and the manager recommended I try time-released melatonin 3mg. The time released makes sure that you don't wake up in the middle of the night and the melatonin is a natural chemical released by your body that triggers sleep.

It works great for me so I just thought I'd share.

[louisrapisarda]

Hello, you should try magnesium tablets, they will put you asleep as the special chemical inside will take that tension from your body and make you able to fall alseep with ease.

Trying taking 3 a night, No one has ever died from a magnesium over dose.




Any queeries please feel free to pm me.

[wantofeelbetter]

my attacks seem to come right before bed. ill get to thinking about all sorts of things. heres what my sleeping symptoms:
weird sensations in limbs -
sometimes its a feeling of numbness, or a feeling that my limbs arnt there, bu can always feel them when i go to touch. another sensation in my limbs only resides in my left side, and is hard to explain, but feels kind of like the way it tastes to lick a penny. and almost subtle metallic feeling runs up and down my left leg and arm. also get weak and wobbly limbs. sometimes feel like they wont work, but always do and can always walk, ect.

dizzy and falling feeling-
i get these dizzy attacks, not sure how to describe, its not the same kind of dizzy as spinning around, and almost hits me at random. very fast coming on. usually when im falling asleep i get this feeling in my head which is similar to falling, like that feeling you get when you jerk yourself away from a dream of falling, but this isnt during a dream, and can happen again and again

[coops025]

While we are on the subject of sleeping, i dont appear to remember having many frequent dreams since i started to suffer with Anxiety, does anyone else have trouble remembering if you had a dream or not?

[MindPieces]

The sleeping issue has been giving me hell for the past month. Some nights I'll jolt awake with my heart racing after about 30 minutes of sleep, and other nights I jolt awake at 3 or 4 AM with the same problem. Even before the anxiety I would naturally wake up at about 4 and have to go back to sleep, but now I wake up and immediately work myself into a mental meltdown. Maddening!

Anyway, so far I've tried regular melatonin (not time released) and valerian root. They both help me fall asleep, but I can't get past 3 or 4 AM for some reason. :x