Insomnia

[str8trippin]

Anyone have suggestions for insomnia? I've been doing really good lately in general, but the night time is the worst for me by far. I lay down to go to sleep and end up just laying there for hours. It's also when my head starts to feel weird...when I close my eyes I feel like my head is jittering back and forth and my brain is swimming...and I get weird twinges in my head that totally freak me out...and the progressively I have an even more difficult time relaxing. Last night it was almost quarter to four in the morning before I finally fell asleep and then I had to get up to be at work at eight, so I'm definitely not getting the proper amount of sleep and being tired triggers my anxiety. I was reading that a suggested remedy is to accept the fact that you can't sleep and just get up and do something, but I don't know what I could do...I don't want to look at my computer or phone screen, or put on lights, because it strains my eyes and makes my tension headaches worse...I can't wander around making a bunch of noise or putting on the TV because I have a five year old who is asleep, and my Mom, to consider and the TV is the same eye strain problem as the computer...so is reading, which I can't concentrate on. During those times, nothing feels relaxing to me anymore! Anyone else have trouble sleeping like this and does anything help?

[sparkling]

Hi, I know exactly how you feel :) I have tried almost anything there is to try to help me fight insomnia (except medicine, I still think I can manage without it): herbal teas, meditation, relaxation exercises.. you name it. One of my recent activities when I can't fall asleep is listening to audiobooks. Something easy, calming, preferable not a horror/thriller story :D I wouldn't say it's ideal because I still don't fall asleep instantly but it keeps me relaxed, I can rest my eyes and my body. This also lets my husband sleep because I don't turn on TV or lights anymore. Also, it keeps all the thoughts away until after two or three hours I slowly drift to sleep. Hope this will help!

[str8trippin]

Hi, I know exactly how you feel :) I have tried almost anything there is to try to help me fight insomnia (except medicine, I still think I can manage without it): herbal teas, meditation, relaxation exercises.. you name it. One of my recent activities when I can't fall asleep is listening to audiobooks. Something easy, calming, preferable not a horror/thriller story :D I wouldn't say it's ideal because I still don't fall asleep instantly but it keeps me relaxed, I can rest my eyes and my body. This also lets my husband sleep because I don't turn on TV or lights anymore. Also, it keeps all the thoughts away until after two or three hours I slowly drift to sleep. Hope this will help!

Thank you for the suggestion! I also don't really want to resort to taking some kind of medication to help me sleep...I don't want to get reliant on that. I've gotten so stuck in the random things that trigger my anxiety...health anxiety in particular...I tried to read a darn Nicholas Sparks book one night and there was one sentence about the characters father having a heart attack and I was done...I couldn't read any more because that was all I could focus on! Maybe I can find something really lighthearted to listen to...I had also thought of some audio of just positive meditations or something...maybe music with no words. Anway...I'll definitely try it!

[starlightbliss]

Insomnia is the worst symptom of my social anxiety I would say, and not sure how to deal with it. What kinds of medications are best?