Insomnia

bellaxanthe · September 2010

So I have always had mild insomnia issues when I am stressed out. Lately though - it is just exploding. If I have anything WR in the evenings, I find myself tossing and turning in bed until 5 am. As I am getting closer to our date, most nights are WR. 3 out of 7 this week alone. Not a wink of sleep. I'm running on fumes and it's taking it's toll. I feel like my head just keeps going over detail after detail. I know better than to let myself do this, but this is uncontrollable right now. I'm ready to give in and hit the drugstore at this point. Anyone have any other advice? Anyone else in this boat?
Last night we met the djay (Jake Rudh- AWESOME!) and all night I kept thinking, OMG I don't want that song played. FOR HOURS. The worst part is that my migraines have tripled over the past few months on top of this. My body is rejecting this wedding! Hahaha. Not really, but somedays it feels like it.

wittyschaffy · September 2010

I didn't experience this but when I've flown overseas, I've taken "simply sleep" to help get on the right timezone. Might be worth a shot just to catch up a little.

Enchanted616 · September 2010

I did that last night. I realized the date we booked will NOT work with my school schedule, and just obsessed until like one am. Finally took some simply sleep, and ditto wittyschaffy, it really works. I find I have to take like four though for it to really work.

Enchanted616 · September 2010

Oh, and I'm sure you already know this if you are a migraine sufferer, but caffiene is really the only thing that helps, when taken in combination with advil and excedrine.

That could contribute to the sleep problems, though. Hope you feel better!

tpender13 · September 2010

I don't really have any suggestions, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for you, Bella. I get tired and crabby when I get less than six hours a night; I can't imagine not sleeping at all...

ef7310 · September 2010

Insomnia is a common problem and can be exacerbated by stressful events. There are several different options for treatment. The 2 that would likely be helpful for you in the short term would be practicing "Sleep Hygiene" and/or an OTC medicine to help.

Sleep hygiene is about getting your body and mind ready for a restful night of sleep. Most of it is common sense, but it's worth checking out since some of the suggestions can make a huge difference with very little effort. It sounds like you might really benefit from having a "Worry time", which is where you take maybe 10 minutes and just focus on worrying about things. Write down anything you have to worry about and try to make a plan if you can to deal with those things. This usually works best when done 2 or more hours before bed, but you might want to keep paper and a pen next to your bed so you could write down a worry that comes to you in the middle of the night. Having it written down can help get it out of your head. For more info on sleep hygiene, check out http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm

For medications, you could try diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl). I'm not a huge fan of this as studies have shown that it doesn't actually improve sleep (at least in hospitalized patients), and like any medicine it has side effects. Some people find it works great, though. I would not recommend melatonin, as that is more useful for readjusting your sleep patterns (like if you are a night shift worker and need to change your sleep cycle to the daytime). It does NOT cause drowsiness in the way a normal insomnia medicine does, and should be taken about 5 hrs prior to desired bedtime. If it's really bad you could always visit your primary care doc to discuss a short term prescription medication.

Aside from that, a couple other bits of advice: If you can, avoid caffeine, even in the morning. Also, drinking alcohol right before bed may make you sleepy, but ultimately the sleep you get is less restful.

Ok, that was a novel. I hope something works for you. Being sleep-deprived is awful. Good luck!

bellaxanthe · September 2010

You guys rock. I especially like this last bit of advice about the worry journal. That seems like such a perfect idea. I'm a huge worrier inadvance of something, but I am pretty mellow when it comes down to the moment. This may make me feel more in control of what's going on. Thanks all!

shan87 · September 2010

I find that tyenol or advil PM works well for me when I have a couple nights of waking up a lot. I have never felt drowsy the next day but did allow for about 8 hrs of sleep time. Warm Milk helps become sleepy. I also use Relaxing Music to go to bed.. like waves of the ocean or rain. Usually works like a charm for me but i don't have serious insomia like yours sounds to me.

esmurphy · September 2010

I feel you! I have been struggling for the past week to get to sleep. I have always struggled with anxiety/night time panic attacks so I knew this would eventually come but I hate loosing sleep. Here are some things that I have found helpful over the years...

- Agree 100% with PP about the sleep hygiene. Find a calming routine and stick with it no matter how tempted you are to skip things. I set a bedtime for myself (11pm) and stick to it no matter how much stuff I have I always stop at 10:30 and begin my night time routine. I brush my teeth, wash my face, put on lotion, read for a few minutes, and then working on deep breathing.

- Pen and paper by your bed is a must! I actually use post its and then stick them on the wall next to the bed. FI thinks it's super funny.

- I do a lot of breathing/relaxation exercises. It takes time to get use to these but once you get the hang of them they are really effective. Google abdominal breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. They are my favs.

- I am not a fan of any sleep aids. For the most part they knock you out like alcohol does - you aren't really getting the restorative sleep that you really need. When the above things don't work I do use Xanax. It's a prescription anti-anxiety medication that doesn't knock you out but can help you calm down and stop the racing thoughts. If the other relaxation things don't work you may want to talk to your doctor since it seems like the racing thoughts are what's leading to the insomnia.

Insomnia

Re: Insomnia

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