Ways to deal with insomnia

[cookie26]

I've been really struggling with sleep lately ... 4 out of the 7 days in the week, I'll wake up at 2am and can't get back to sleep (like, tonight...)... sometimes I'll have a panic attack, but most of the time it's general anxiety OR racing thoughts of negativity. When I'm really desperate I'll take xanax and it will knock me out like a light. But I don't want to get addicted to xanax as a regular sleeping pill, so it's really only in panic attack mode or deparation that I take it!!

Any one else struggle with anxiety induced insomnia? What are some natural ways you fought it off and went back to sleep?

[aims86]

I know how you feel, I'm so anxious at night that I don't go to sleep properly and wake up exhausted! I e been given citalopram to take but I'm scared it's gonna make me feel more out of it.

[SunnieDebris]

Cookie,

I understand that you don't want to rely on the Xanax, and I commend you for that. I think what you need to do is take the next step in your recovery. I would recommend 2 things to try to address 2 parts of your symptoms. 1. Learn a progressive relaxation or guided imagery on YouTube or an app, so that when you wake up at 2am, you can use this to try to relax and get back to sleep without the Xanax. You can even try 1/2 a Xanax and the relaxation some nights to ease into it. 2. Start journaling your thoughts and feelings that are racing in your mind, so that the worries feel heard. Sometimes that will quiet down the brain that gets amped up with anxiety. I hope this helps some. Good luck!