Anxiety and sleep

[MS1612]

Hello, my names Michelle.

I have never posted on here before and am quite surprised I'm not overthinking this.

I have over the last 6 months or so felt a spike in Anxiety to the point I am unable to sleep properly. I don't want to resort to sleep medications or really medication in general as I try to avoid it if I am able, this is really just a personal preference of mine. I feel constantly exhausted but the moment my head hits the pillow I feel an increase in my heart rate and I'm unable to stop my brain from overthinking situations that are quite frankly are not worth loosing sleep over. I know I need to find better ways to deal with the anxious feelings that seem to take over, but I seem to struggle to overcome this. To be honest, I really want to just feel happy, well rested and not constantly in fear of something bad happening (I suppose a lot of people would feel the same)

My question is, does anyone struggle to sleep during peek Anxiety times? If so what avenues have you found helpful to enable a good nights sleep?

thank you for taking the time to read.

[Zeal]

Hi Michelle,

Welcome to the forum!

I've also had sleep difficulties because of anxiety. It's a vicious cycle, because anxiety can cause sleep problems, and poor sleep tends to enhance anxiety. I have nights where I wake up at say 3 or 4am, and don't return to bed for hours, because I feel keyed-up. I can have periods of weeks in a row without major sleep disturbances though - it all depends on my anxiety levels and other factors, such as whether I've done enough general activity during the day.

Switching off technology at least 30 minutes before bed is helpful, as the blue light emitted from computer screens and tablets has been biologically proven to interfere with the body's melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that is associated with sleep regulation. Reading scenes from a book I've already read before can help me to relax. If I am reading a new book, I have stayed up hours later than intended because I wanted to see what happened next! This is why I don't start new books in bed, or read cliff-hangers!

Writing down tasks and concerns to deal with the next day is also useful. Once things are written down, the thoughts are less likely to circulate and overwhelm you. I get anxious about forgetting things, so jotting things down is beneficial. I always have a small list of things I need to do or remember, for this reason. My diary serves a similar purpose during the day. Limiting caffeine after 5pm is useful. If you are a tea drinker, decaffeinated versions or herbal teas can be consumed at night.

Making a habit of napping can perpetuate night-time sleep difficulties, so keep this in mind. Exercising at night can also make getting to sleep harder, for biological reasons. I find dimming my bedroom lights gradually can help prepare me for sleep. Having a warm shower before bed can help with relaxation. I like getting into bed feeling clean. This can be part of what some people call 'sleep hygiene'. Putting calming music on can help encourage relaxation in bed. Try Earth Healer by Medwyn Goodall, or Dido songs.

This online anxiety resource is worth keeping for reference: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=46

If you haven't received professional support for the anxiety, this is worth considering too. Going to your doctor (GP) is often a good place to start.

I hope something I've said has been helpful 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

[azarrah]

Hi Michelle,

I'm sorry to hear about your sleeping trouble. I've been experiencing something similar in the last few months. I found two ideas which can help.

The first (and more achievable) suggestion is to create a clear and comforting routine. Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and have a set sequence of events which occur beforehand. For example, "First I have dinner. Then I take a shower and get into my pyjamas. Then I have a cup of tea and read a book/go on the internet. Then I brush my teeth. Then I get into bed and turn out the light." Make sure it's a routine that is actually sort of calming. Don't leave household chores or schoolwork until late evening, don't watch intense videos or read depressing novels. If you have to take any medication with side effects, take it an hour before bed if you possibly can, so they can wear off.

My second suggestion is to work out when you naturally go to sleep. The way you work this out is basically, stay up (doing quiet activities) until you start to feel sleepy. Wait until that feeling is slightly stronger, then go to bed. If you fall asleep very quickly, you've find the right time. For me, it's about midnight. Since I, like you, stress before I fall asleep, the best way to fix that is to turn my light out and naturally go to sleep immediately. It doesn't solve everything if I'm super panicked, but it has worked remarkably well in most cases. It's also taught my body that dark = sleep, not stress. However, this suggestion could be difficult to carry out. If you naturally fall asleep very late, or very early, it's not really feasible, especially if you have to get up early for school. If you can do it, though, I've found it a useful strategy.

Also, if you don't want to give up technology half an hour befored bed, you can download programmes such as Flux, which turn the screen red-toned and allow melatonin to be produced.

I hope these suggestions help you.

[Blue_Jane]

Hi Michelle

Your post is very close to my heart, and not in a good way! Yes I used to struggle to sleep during peak anxiety times, but now I have turned a corner and have only had about five 'bad nights' in the past year.

About four years ago I had a lot of change in my life, all of it positive, but it was too much for me and I felt overwhelmed and anxious all the time. I started to have nights where I only got about 3 hours of sleep then it got to nights where I was having only 45 mins of sleep then having to go to work. This went on for nearly three years. In that time it got worse and more frequent. I tried everything with mixed success. I think that you need to try different things to see what works for you. I tried sleep therapy with a sleep psychologist, flotation tanks, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, sleeping pills, massage, yoga etc. I even did a meditation course with my best friend.

I now focus on a routine (especially during the week days), eat well, try to minimise alcohol and exercise most days. I also take medication which was a game changer for me- but I initially resisted going on it. I was lucky enough not to get any side effects and I will stay on it for my life.

One thing that I have if feeling a bit wound up in the evening: teaspoon of honey, teaspoon of turmeric, a cup of milk and slowly heat it up/mix it up on the stove top. The turmeric calms my nervous system.

Happy to expand on any of the above if it will help. Lack of sleep is a form of torture.

Blue Jane

[AnxiousAndy]

Hi Michelle,

Story of my life right now. I take SSRI medication too, which only makes my insomnia worse. While it helps with my everyday functioning, it unfortunately does not help with my "in the moment" anxiety.

I installed f.lux on my computer. It is a app that dims your computer automatically as the sun sets in the evening. It blocks all blue light. I have done this to ensure my computer activity leading to bedtime is not interfering with my body producing the sleep hormone. Speaking of which, you can buy melatonin at a chemist and chew a few tablets before bed. It is all natural and worked for an ex-boyfriend of mine. I found it did not help a significant amount for me though.

Other things I might do is write out any thoughts that bother me and put them away. This was an idea recommended by my psychologist. You may find mindfulness or meditation helpful. I often enjoy listening to relaxing music as it gives me something to focus on. I can struggle with mindfulness if my overthinking at the time is in an extreme phase. Psychologists also recommend having a bedtime routine. So do the same thing every night in the hour leading to bed such as shower, cleanse face, moisturise body, brush teeth, get in bed and read. Research in establishing a routine shows the body starts to prepare itself for sleep so that it does not take much time to fall asleep (also why going to bed the same time every night is a big help). I am no angel when it comes to routine, however often find myself in bed by 9:30pm each night. I wake up throughout the night. It is recommended to actually remove yourself from bed when this happens. Go read (or do something relaxing/non-stimulating) in another room and then try to return to bed. Do not watch TV. Although again... I am no angel in this area.

[thesedaysarenotfun]

Hi Michelle,

I know what you are going through. I’m currently suffering from this myself to the point where I’ve resorted to sleep meds and anti depressants to try and combat my anxiety, depression and insomnia. Everyone’s experiences will differ of course and I’m right in the middle of it myself so I can only suggest something not drug related that I am trying. CBT therapy with a trained psychologist is a way to retrain your brain in how it thinks and reacts to personal stressors and triggers that can result in a variety of anxiety related problems including panic attacks and insomnia. It’s early days for me and I’m still hoping for solid results, but already my therapist has helped me uncover some pretty major stuff that I’ve been dealing with since childhood. Always remember that anxiety passes. Sure it will come back, but even in its darkest hour it won’t stick around. Be brave and have confidence in yourself and your remarkable brain. If our minds can hold this much power over us, imagine what retraining its wiring could achieve for us. You will always encounter people who don’t understand these things because they don’t suffer from them and they’ll never know how lucky they are. That’s why I’ve joined up here really, because I’m not alone and neither are you. Best of luck.

[Ult1mat3X86]

Have you found any good pillows yourself then? I mean any recommendations

For example I advice to check here

https://wisepick.org/best-pillow-for-stomach-sleepers/