Sleep problems

[Sofia99]

Hi, I’ve had on and off anxiety related insomnia for years. It has been great but lately it has come back, I can fall asleep but I just keep dreaming all night and wake up feeling exhausted. Dream after dream, I’m sure it will pass but how can i get a more restful sleep? It’s been going on for about 1 week and a half.

[Guest_4643]

Hey Sofia99, welcome.

I also have Insomnia, I know how hard it is. I think it's common with those who have mental illnesses, unfortunately.

What I do is count things to 100, so I start with Sheep, then other things, and sometimes that helps. I can never turn my brain off and relax however.

Or watch funny videos maybe, or listen to soft, relaxing music, or noises like the Ocean?

Sorry I can't offer much help, I struggle with it myself and wake up basically every hour and can't get back to sleep, no matter what time I sleep, and I sleep in because of it. I also wake up from nightmares & weird dreams.

I hope you can find something that helps you. I've also heard that Lavender, if you like the smell, can help, or some essential oil blends.

- Tayla

[Sofia99]

Thank you for your reply . I definitely think it’s Anxiety related which in itself is a mental illness I guess. It comes and goes and it can be completely gone for ages. I will try some lavender and maybe an unwinding routine. Ocean music actually makes me quite anxious, I prefer something like talkative or guided breathing.

[Ggrand]

Hello Sofia,

A warm welcome to our forums..

Im sorry your struggling with anxiety related insomnia..

Its really hard to get a good nights sleep when our minds are constantly chatting away to us..

I think that unless our mind and thoughts are not in a quiet and calm state...uninterrupted sleep is hard to get..

One thing that works for me is listening to sleep stories..they are read in a gentle soft voice and the stories are designed to calm our minds before sleep....

I listen to mainly Dan Jones..he takes our minds on some beautiful calming adventures...If you concentrate on his voice and the story more likely you will fall asleep before he finished..,Our mind still can wander off the story, but once you notice this happening..gently bring yourself back to the story...

Maybe Dear Sofia, this is something that you might want to try...I hope it works for you...

My kindest and most caring thoughts..

Grandy..

[Guest_4643]

You're welcome Sofia99. I hope you find something that works for you. Sometimes reading can help, if that's your thing, or writing. Or even brain games, like word search games. I have a word search game on my iPad from Wordscapes, they have a few different games, and I try to play that late at night when I can't sleep.

- Tayla