Extreme Insomnia...need help!

[GirlAfraid23]

I'm suffering with lots of emotional stress from my current relationship and personal issues.
Every night for the last few days, I have gone to bed and not been able to fall asleep, I am trying to hold down a job and go about my daily life but this is becoming a constant struggle.
Last night hit a peak, I was tossing and turning until 4am and then I had to get up at 6.30am. I don't know how I am still functioning after a full day at work...I have an eye twitch and my face feels weird. I'm scared of having a stroke or seizure or dropping down dead.
Last night my heart was racing and I was sweating...all through panic I assume. I just don't know what to do anymore.
Any tips would be useful. Thanks everyone.

[Female healthanxiety]

Horrible isn't it!

It is like a vicious circle!

Have you tried Yoga? How about a class in the evening.

Do you have a smart phone? I downloaded a free AP called 'The Calm' and it works wonders getting me off to sleep now - and I am a very restless sleeper.

xxx

[GirlAfraid23]

I can't find that app :( sounds good though.

[Female healthanxiety]

Sorry! Just had a look; it's called Calm x

[Round in circles]

Hey, it's horrible when insomnia kicks in. I had a really bad spell of it last year. I find it helps not to stay laying in bed if you just can't drift off. Try getting up for a little bit, waiting to get tired and going back. I also found it was helpful to do things that my brain associated with sleeping. For me it was reading. I like to read in bed before I sleep, so that helped a little.

I also find guided relaxation and mindfulness relaxation apps/mp3s to help too. Hope you find something that works.

[anthrokid]

Insomnia is awful. But it won't cause a stroke or seizure, so try not to worry about that. All it's going to do is make you really really tired, reduce your concentration, and increase your anxiety. I know someone suggested yoga, but you could also consider meditation of an evening. Like yoga, you can find tutorials online and apps for meditation that can be really helpful. It may also be that due to the stress and anxiety you are feeling, your body is on 'high alert' and is releasing too much adrenalin which is keeping you wide awake. It might be helpful to try a bit of light exercise of an evening to use some of that energy up - perhaps a walk of an evening or some dancing around the lounge to music. Anything to try and make you a little more tired before hopping into bed. Also avoid using electronics (i.e. computer, mobile phone, television) in the hour before you are going to bed. This things increase activity in your brain which again makes it difficult for it to 'shut off' and go to sleep. Someone suggested reading as well which isn't a bad idea.

[GirlAfraid23]

Insomnia is awful. But it won't cause a stroke or seizure, so try not to worry about that. All it's going to do is make you really really tired, reduce your concentration, and increase your anxiety. I know someone suggested yoga, but you could also consider meditation of an evening. Like yoga, you can find tutorials online and apps for meditation that can be really helpful. It may also be that due to the stress and anxiety you are feeling, your body is on 'high alert' and is releasing too much adrenalin which is keeping you wide awake. It might be helpful to try a bit of light exercise of an evening to use some of that energy up - perhaps a walk of an evening or some dancing around the lounge to music. Anything to try and make you a little more tired before hopping into bed. Also avoid using electronics (i.e. computer, mobile phone, television) in the hour before you are going to bed. This things increase activity in your brain which again makes it difficult for it to 'shut off' and go to sleep. Someone suggested reading as well which isn't a bad idea.

Thanks everyone...isn't reading the same because it's stimulating though?
Last night was another rough one...I knew it would be because I was worrying about getting enough sleep. I'm hoping tonight that I'll be so tired I will just collapse...but you never know. Been feeling close to passing out all day. Do bananas really help?

[Serenity1990]

I was like this for years, is this really an anxiety thing?

[GirlAfraid23]

I was like this for years, is this really an anxiety thing?

I think insomnia and anxiety go hand in hand surely?

[Fishmanpa]

While insomnia certainly can be caused by anxiety and worry, I believe in this case it's the underlying personal issue you're facing that is causing the additional stress/anxiety and thus the insomnia. Address the issue and you address the insomnia.

Positive thoughts

[harasgenster]

Additional advice: stop worrying about getting to sleep, being tired, or not being on top form.

I'm currently very sleep deprived (4 hours' sleep in the last 48) and working in a very new job. If this was a year ago, when I suffered from anxiety, I would have been panicking that I was not performing at my best, that I would come off badly at work, or that I wouldn't sleep tonight and things would get worse.

This time around I'm tired but not panicky. I got through work, and when I was too knackered to concentrate I just pretended to work and watched the clock. In some ways, you need to learn to care a lot less about things if you're going to get over anxiety.

Sleep deprivation is knackering, but sometimes you've got to ask yourself why you're so afraid or uncomfortable with insomnia - what is it you think is going to happen? When you realise that won't happen, there's no reason to stress about it.

Also, I agree with Fishmanpa. You need to solve the underlying problem. If that's not easy, you need to put that problem into perspective. How much does it really matter and why?

[spuder]

my be try lavender oil on your pillow or burn it in an oil burner or put a few drops into a warm bath. also hot chocolate can make u sleep better. listen to soothing music cd
hope ive helped u :hugs:

[Lilharry]

Try taking an epsom salt bath at night or get a magnesium supplement - some of your symptoms sound like a magnesium deficiency, possibly set off by your emotional distress - you may not be absorbing the nutrients from your food properly at this time.

[GirlAfraid23]

Only managed about 5 hours last night...but I was in pain because of the urinary infection :(

So it's about 9 hours sleep in 72 hours....enough?

---------- Post added at 17:17 ---------- Previous post was at 17:16 ----------


Additional advice: stop worrying about getting to sleep, being tired, or not being on top form.

I'm currently very sleep deprived (4 hours' sleep in the last 48) and working in a very new job. If this was a year ago, when I suffered from anxiety, I would have been panicking that I was not performing at my best, that I would come off badly at work, or that I wouldn't sleep tonight and things would get worse.

This time around I'm tired but not panicky. I got through work, and when I was too knackered to concentrate I just pretended to work and watched the clock. In some ways, you need to learn to care a lot less about things if you're going to get over anxiety.

Sleep deprivation is knackering, but sometimes you've got to ask yourself why you're so afraid or uncomfortable with insomnia - what is it you think is going to happen? When you realise that won't happen, there's no reason to stress about it.

Also, I agree with Fishmanpa. You need to solve the underlying problem. If that's not easy, you need to put that problem into perspective. How much does it really matter and why?

You sound just like me with your sleep issues...I know what you're saying but it's hard to put into perspective.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Nine hours sleep in three days isn't a lot and will make you miserable, but having had two preemie newborns and the detailed scheduling they entail…..I can guarantee you- it isn't going to cause you to drop over dead. I survived on FAR less sleep than I ever imagined possible…., but it wasn't pretty and definitely contributes to more anxiety.
Try to resist the "sleeping when you can during the day" thing as your goal is to regulate sleeping at night.

[anthrokid]

I study psychology, and as such have read a lot of research relating sleep and lack thereof. Here is something you may find interesting.

In 1965, 17 year old Randy Gardner stayed awake, WITHOUT ANY SLEEP for 11 days straight, as part of a research project. There have also been heaps of other sleep deprivation studies with people awake for similar periods of time.

"None of these individuals experienced serious medical, neurological, physiological or psychiatric problems. On the other hand, all of them showed progressive and significant deficits in concentration, motivation, perception and other higher mental processes as the duration of sleep deprivation increased. Nevertheless, all experimental subjects recovered to relative normality within one or two nights of recovery sleep. Other anecdotal reports describe soldiers staying awake for four days in battle, or unmedicated patients with mania going without sleep for three to four days." J. Christian Gillin, 2002

What I hope you get out of this is that your body WILL force you to sleep after enough time has gone by and you will recover.