Anxiety since teen years

[NoFoulPlay]

Not sure how it started, I'm now into my 50s, not sleeping well, mostly 2 hours straight then wakes up and can't sleep anymore. 

It has something to do with my life, being a divorce dad, my pressures at work and how I feel like an impostor in my chosen career.

I haven't slept for 2 days now, not taking any drugs. But tonight I'm having some alcohol just to keep me relax and sleep for maybe a few hours.

I look like a zombie from not sleeping, but I still do my job the best I could, to pay the bills.

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear NoFoulPlay,

A very warm and caring welcome to our forums,

I am sorry your struggling so much to get a good nights sleep..

I don’t think anyone really know how or when our anxiety started..I mean boom all of a sudden we realise that we are struggling with our anxiety…which makes in a way question every decision or move we make..Feeling like an imposter at your job could be one of those anxiety thoughts….maybe ask yourself…are you doing good at your job, carrying  out all the work given to you correctly, has your boss told you he/she isn’t happy with your work?  Instead of what your anxiety is trying to make you believe…

Sleeping is essential to help our mental health in all areas and I’m sorry your finding it hard to sleep…We do have a thread on these wonderful forums titled “Sleep” written by Doolholf, if you search for it in the search bar, there are so many great suggestions to help us get the sleep we need…when I find my thoughts are running wild when I’m trying to sleep, I put on a sleep story and listen intently to the story, my mind does wander but I pull myself up and again start listening to the story, you can find them on YouTube…This works for me, maybe it will work for you, maybe not…but it’s worth a try..I think.

Going to sleep with an over active mind, doesn’t make for a good sleep and more then not, waking up through the night will happen…falling asleep with a calm mind, helps to stay asleep…

Please Dear NoFoulPlay, talk here whenever you feel up to it, we are here for you..

My kindest thoughts with my care,

l Grandy..

[Bob_22]

Hi NoFoulPlay,

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been sleeping well. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. It is actually very common to feel like an imposter at work and is something many people, especially with mental health issues, struggle with. Hopefully some good sleep will help with your work performance. 

I've had issues with sleep on the other side of the spectrum in that I sleep too much unfortunately. Someone linked me this handy tip sheet when it came to having good sleeping habits here: https://headspace.org.au/assets/Factsheets/HSP225-Sleep-Fact-Sheet-DP3.pdf 

Hope this helps a bit. 💙

Bob

[sbella02]

NoFoulPlay,

Thank you for sharing your experience here, we warmly welcome you to the forums. I'm sorry to hear that you've been struggling, I hear you. I know so many people who struggle with sleep, myself included. Sleep plays such an integral role in our mental health and wellbeing that it's important to maintain it, but it can be affected by so many factors including stress, anxiety, feeling low, etc. 

Have you had a chat to your GP about your difficulties with sleeping? They may be able to refer you onto a sleep specialist or psychologist, as there are many different remedies and techniques for improving sleep quantity and quality. 

I'm not sure if you've heard of ASMR, but there's a community of relaxing videos on YouTube designed to help you fall asleep. Even on the days where I feel like I'll never get to sleep, putting on my headphones and listening to a relaxing video can be really helpful. Exercising or being really active throughout the day can also help, as can having a consistent wake-up time, and continual exposure in the morning and afternoon to bright sunlight.

I'm wishing you all the best, and please feel free to keep chatting with us if you'd like, we're here for you.

Take care, SB