Still not sleeping - any help please ?

[Ladybelle]

I have now gone 4 nights with practically no sleep, I actually dont think I slept at all last night but I think I must have, but I am going (more) insane with worry about it. I cant take a sleeping pill, I am phobic about taking medications and worry about side effects, I have tried limited herbal stuff, swear by regular rescue remedy, tried the night rescue remedy but it didnt work at all, tried camomile tea, milk, lavender oil nothing works.
I am tired, I start to doze off as I always do, but then when try to settle properly it's as if my brain has gone wrong and it stops me falling asleep, I lay awake all night for hours with my eyes shut - quite relaxed - but without falling asleep. This is interspersed with some panicky feelings about how little I am sleeping, and with worry about having to get up for work at 5 am and if I'm asleep by x I'll have y amount of sleep etc ...

I dont know what to do, I dont know what is wrong with me - or how or why this has started. I have suffered with sleep problems for years, but never like this - usually I get to sleep no problems but just dont sleep through. Icant tell you how much I'd like to have that problem again !! I just dont think I have had any sleep at all, I never 'wake up' and know I've been asleep .....

Anyone got any advice or help for me ??

[joannap]

jemoo (see general anxiety) posted to say she had not slept for 4 nights but then last night did get 6 hours. i was up all night the other night with no sleep whatsoever - slept a bit better the night after but last night was bad too so i know how you feel. i have decided however that the worry over lack of sleep is worse than the actual lack of sleep so try not to stress over it - easier said than done but the more you worry - the more tense you will be. i remember saying to my mum that it was like my brain had forgotten to fall asleep - i could feel myself drifting off but my brain was not pushing the switch for me to go into sleep mode!

another thing is that even last night i was convinced i had not slept but then i did remember some dreams i had had so it may well be that you have had a few hours without realising!

have you tried going to sleep with the tv on in the background? or tried to work a problem out in your mind (i sometimes think about what i would spend lottery money on!). you WILL sleep eventually - many non anxiety sufferers go nights without sleep - my husband often does and although it annoys him - he doesn't let it panic him - we think it is something terrible because of our high anxiety to begin with xx

[Ladybelle]

jemoo (see general anxiety) posted to say she had not slept for 4 nights but then last night did get 6 hours. i was up all night the other night with no sleep whatsoever - slept a bit better the night after but last night was bad too so i know how you feel. i have decided however that the worry over lack of sleep is worse than the actual lack of sleep so try not to stress over it - easier said than done but the more you worry - the more tense you will be. i remember saying to my mum that it was like my brain had forgotten to fall asleep - i could feel myself drifting off but my brain was not pushing the switch for me to go into sleep mode!

another thing is that even last night i was convinced i had not slept but then i did remember some dreams i had had so it may well be that you have had a few hours without realising!

have you tried going to sleep with the tv on in the background? or tried to work a problem out in your mind (i sometimes think about what i would spend lottery money on!). you WILL sleep eventually - many non anxiety sufferers go nights without sleep - my husband often does and although it annoys him - he doesn't let it panic him - we think it is something terrible because of our high anxiety to begin with xx

I cant believe your comment there LOL that is exactly what I was saying to my daughter last night -
"it was like my brain had forgotten to fall asleep - i could feel myself drifting off but my brain was not pushing the switch for me to go into sleep mode!" this is how it feels !!! I also look for signs of dreams but had none last night - sometimes I think I am so tired I go into a deep dream but in like half a second I'm awake - because I suddenly have some weird 'vision' or something but my brain wont let myself fall asleep.
But - I am SOOOOO happy to have found this board, I suddenly feel so much better just knowing I am not alone !
Yes I've tried leaving the telly on, but that hasnt worked, I had initially thought it seemed to be helping but last couple nights it hasnt. It's been 4 nights for me now - seemed to just be Sundays and I blamed it on having lazy Sundays, but this has now spread into 4 nigthts and its getting worse because each night I worry more :(
I wont be 'so bad' tonight because I dont have to work tomorrow, it's always worse on work days because I have to get up at 5 am.

[Ladybelle]

Heya Ladybelle,

I have some terrible patches where I don't sleep for days at a time. I've made the connection that the more I worry about how much sleep I'm going to get and how tired I'm going to be the next day, the longer I stay awake! It's really annoying. And some nights it feels like every time I'm almost asleep my brain kind of lurches and I feel panicky and get scared to go to sleep in case the feeling happens again. I think it's mostly our thoughts that stop us from sleeping. Even when I feel completely relaxed, if my head keeps thinking I cannot sleep. I too am terrified of taking sleeping pills. My psychiatrist gave me some but I just can't bring myself to take them at all. I've found that one my horrible nights if I keep reading for aaaaages, a lot of the time I will eventually just fall asleep reading. Sometimes is takes hours, but at least I can get a couple of hours sleep instead of none. I also find that having music on is helpful to focus on instead of your thoughts. I also try to count my breathing too. The hardest part is to stop thinking. I've started mediation and that's really helping me.

I'm too scared to take medication :( My GP prescribed sleeping pills which I wont take (but have got 'just in case') but am considering taking kalms or something. But I'm scared even of that. I just cant get to sleep, I wish I could go back to getting sleep and waking up - at least I knew I had been asleep then and HAD some sleep, this way I dont think I've had any. I felt so dizzy at work yesterday - not so this morning - but I am at my wits end. I really am scared I will never ever sleep again :(

[lou72]

when i had trouble sleeping i took some herbal tablets called quiet life, i also hate taking medication, but no sleep makes me feel so terriable i had to. good luck:yesyes:

[Ladybelle]

thanks Lou, looked at quiet life in the chemist earlier. I'm just hopeless :( Looked up all the websites (via Dr Google :wacko:) but still end up too scared to take them because of worry over side effects.

[lou72]

im pretty sure there are none, i now dont read the labels i get my husband to do it, as if i read it i know ill get all of them,lol, it said to take 3 at night time but i only take 2, i too hate takeing medication but i just cant cope on no sleep,

[joannap]

hi ladybelle!

so pleased my comment helped you! we really do think we are the only ones when we experience something like this - we forget that others feel exactly the same way! I can almost smile about it now but a few nights ago i was in such a state over lack of sleep i imagined myself being taken off by men in white coats to be hospitalised to make me sleep! That is what high levels of anxiety can produce!:blush:

[Kermitfrog]

Hi Just letting you now I totally feel for you regarding the insomnia - you are not alone. When my anxiety was at it's worst I went for days without sleep - exactly as described on here - I would close my eyes but my brain would not switch off to make me fall asleep. I took OTC sleep aids for 6 months every night just so I could doze off. I've always had distuirbed sleep & would give anything to get a normal 8 hours that so many people are able to get.
I just accept that I am a terrible sleeper - the lack of sleep makes me feel irritable, nauseous & spaced out. I really hope that this is a short spell of insomnia for you :-) x

[Ladybelle]

hi ladybelle!

so pleased my comment helped you! we really do think we are the only ones when we experience something like this - we forget that others feel exactly the same way! I can almost smile about it now but a few nights ago i was in such a state over lack of sleep i imagined myself being taken off by men in white coats to be hospitalised to make me sleep! That is what high levels of anxiety can produce!:blush:

OMG I had visions of exactly the same thing !!!! I really almost wanted to go to hospital to be made to sleep .... !!