Anxiety and extreme insomnia ...who else suffers from this?!

[charlosa]

Hi guys,

I suffer from all the usual anxiety symptoms and I'm trying my best to handle them the best I can...however one thing I REALLY struggle with is sleep. My anxiety actually started with insomnia, despite being a great sleeper for my 24 years I suddenly out of the blue one night couldn't sleep and my anxiety has spiralled from there. I haven't had a good nights sleep in I don't know how long!

Its almost like I can't switch my mind off at night, and if I'm not asleep in like half an hour I start to panic and feel like I'm going to go all night without sleeping (which has happened) and that only increases the anxiety.

GP put me on Zopiclone sleeping tablets and these did work initially but now its hit or miss and I'm actually pretty much addicted to them now regardless of whether I get any sleep or not. I feel so ill when I try and come off that my DR is having to structure a really gentle tapering off schedule which is something else to worry about.

I guess I just would like to know I'm not alone in this battle for sleep, every night its an issue and I just wonder when its ever going to go away! and I can actually look forward to a good nights sleep again.

Has anyone got any tips? I've tried the usual milky drinks, hot baths, reading, nothing seems to work really. Even the sleeping tablets.

I'm trying to hold down a job as well you know which I can't afford to lose so its all well and good these doctors telling me to be patient but I can't go working on like this with so very little sleep.

HELP!

[charlosa]

Hi Forwells, I did try yoga and that but I find no matter how relaxed I can make myself before bed the minute I have to lay my head down on the pillow and actually sleep my mind starts racing and my heart pounds out of its chest for no good reason at all. Its so horrible, I hate the feeling of being sleep deprived. With the job I do and the hours I work its not even possible for me to have time to have a nap, so its either sleep during the night or nothing. I'm so stuck in a rut right now, I can only hope my CBT when it comes round helps...time will tell...

[sleepy]

Hey, I also have a worry about not being able to get a good nights sleep like you do, its has been going on for about 3 years now, but I never really did anything about it but mask the problem with medication. Sleeping pills I feel are not going to help your situation what so ever, your problem is that your afraid that you cant go to sleep or get enough sleep because you know how much a good nights rest means.

First you need to do some important things because the brain is very tricky and hard to control. Ill give you some pointers that helped me get to my current stand off. First remember that the cause of your anxiety and panic is due to that fact that your worried about sleep, dont think about important things that you have to do or events that are coming up because the brain will remember that memory and link that release of hormones to that memory and will thus create anxiety out of situtations that would other wise mean nothing.....

Now that you know what the root of your problem is your ready to confront your fear so you can get over it. But sometimes it isnt easy, first you need to establish a schedual, lets say you wake up at 5:30 am every morning, regardless of the quailty of sleep you had the night before. Make sure you work out or run in the morning even if your tired, and NO NAPS PERIOD..... Than establish a time in which your going to try and go to sleep but keep it short, your only shooting for about 6 hours a night to work you back into a healthy schedual. Also do not do any activities in your bed, dont read, watch tv, or anything at all. Keep your bed for its purpose sleep, let your body know that the only time your getting in it is to sleep, and if you cant find sleep get up and get out of it and dont get back in until your ready to sleep. This will aid you further in the long run.

Now that you have your schedual down, lets work on (PILLS). Now I know that i previusly stated that all they do is mask the problem, which is definitly the case, I believe that the best way to use them is as a kick start so to say. Try melaonin, its a OTC hormone that is released into your body telling you body that its time to sleep, you know yawning, teary eyes ect. Because your body is going without sleep for so long its throwing your hormones out of wack...So i say take 3-6mgs a night for no more than 4 weeks about an hour before your intended time to sleep. Which should going along with your schedual. if you feel the need to take something keep it herbal....try to do without PX meds. All these have found to reduce anxiety...follow bottle directions.
Valerain...
5-htp...
Camo. tea...
CoQ10...
Melatonin..


Now here the most important part of the whole thing so pay attention......Youve got your schedual which is ment to exhaust you all day long, than you have your pills which will help your body get into sleep mode. Now its time for brain training. (if your like me youll always find distractions during the day to avoid anxiety), but at night when the tv is off and the lights are out you lose control of your thoughts, even though your tired right? The biggest thing is to have an imagination. Yes that thing we all had when we were 5 years old playing by ourselves. Dont try to focus on meditation or do if that works for you. But for me the best thing is to try and picture something that isnt real, whether it be your superwoman or your a famous actor....Try and focus all your brain power on false thoughts that dont relate to your current life, so hopefully this will distract you from the thought of not being able to sleep.

Now this isnt going to cure you immediatly, but with time youll see that you do have control of your thoughts and soon youll be able to routinly sleep becuase you know you have nothing to fear about sleeping. IT REALLY IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...something youve created and something you can destroy.

Also side note, CBT might not help your current problem, I went they probe around your past looking for reasons why your having anxiety and they will give you a brand like GAD, which means nothing because you know you have anxiety and you dont need a PHD to tell you something you already know. Though it did help me to express my feelings more I felt it to be a major waste of time, because I'm the one in control not them. But Im also looking into Hypnothearpy to see if they can help me control my subconscious thoughts to give me a better nights sleep. I hope this long response helps you or atleast puts you on the right track...