Sleep anxiety !

[Andy999]

Hey so i used to suffer a lot of sleep anxiety a few years back, this lasted quite some years, basically the more I’d try to push myself to sleep the harder it was.

it was always worse when I knew I had to be up early (ofcourse) but at the time of my life I didn’t have to be often.

It’s suddenly all kind of come rushing back to me, last night I was lucky to get maybe 2-3 hours sleep before I was up for work at 5am, and tonight it’s happening again. it’s really bothering me now because I’m up at 5am 6 days a week for work. what used to work for me best was just kind of telling myself I’ll close my eyes and rest it’s better then nothing, and it would work eventually, but I’m just pretty stuck atm. Nothing seems to be helping much and leading into sleep time I’m just thinking about it which definitely doesn’t help. I may notice myself dozing off at times because I am tired ! But I’ll like catch myself and Continuously keep myself awake. I’ve been through all the helping mechanisms, breathing techniques, meditation, turning of technology and so on, not having a lot of luck I just seem to have been sucked back into the cycle and yeh I just don’t know what to do, I work a physical job and have quite a bit of responsibility so I’m really worried about this happening again. I have a pretty structured sleep schedule and usually in the past I’ll get into bed, put Netflix on and im out like a light and before I know it I’m up at 5am ready for another day but now that falling asleeps on my mind it’s not that simple, anyway I see what the problem is but I can’t really work out how the break out of the viscous cycle so if anyone has any recommendations that would be great, thankyou !

[Ggrand]

Hello Andy999,

Im sorry it’s taken a while for you to receive a reply...Through bust times on the forums some posts seem to get pushed back really quickly..

I have had times when I worry about getting a good nights sleep...

I tried full body meditation...white noise on tube, music and watching tv....Sometimes the music would help me...

As I was looking around on you tube for soft music...I came across sleep stories by Dan Jones...and started listening to them...I put all my concentration into listening to the story..sometimes my mind does wander..but I pull myself up and return listening to the story...The stories are from 30 minutes to an hour or longer depending on which one you select....This has been working for me now over 12 months....maybe this is something that you could try and do..,

My kindest thoughts dear Andy...

Grandy..

[Sophia16]

Hi Andy,

That sounds extremely difficult and exhausting. You must be feeling so tired and annoyed. I am truly sorry about that.

Personally, i have also struggled with sleep anxiety but what really helped me was melatonin supplements/inhalers. Your body is lacking melatonin which makes it hard to sleep and creates a routine. I also stopped using my phone before bed due to the blue light which stops melatonin from producing. I started reading books that inspired me to sleep and wake up in the mornings. I also do this thing where I blink 100 times until my eyes get tired AND think about different words that are not similar to each other.

Seeing a psychologist can really help you with advice on how to sleep and get out of your routine.

Please stay safe and i am here to chat i you need me.

[mmMekitty]

Hello Andy999,

I was given some pointers, such as establishing a bed-time routine. It might start at the time when you are finished yor dinner, and want now to begin to relax.

First, prepare what you can for the next day.

If there is anything you can finish tomorrow, remind yourself of that fact. Most thing fit this category.

tidy up, perhaps sit with a book, or just further away from your screen/s or turn them off. The blue emanating from apparently is a stimulation to the brain. We want to relax.

If you want to put some music or an audobook on, choose carefully. Nothing jarring or loud, No screaming voices or electric guitar. As far as audiobooks goes, I prefer a reader who keeps their voice at a regular volume. NO sudden loud speaking, or whispering. It is jars me awake when I am drifting off. I don't want it to be so interesting that I want to keep listening. A timer is useful, but it can be difficult to guess how long you might still be awake. Don't have any sound turned up loud. Loud enough to hear, enough for a background sound. You miss anything, you can listen again another time.

Any thoughts intruding? I would write them down. (I try to do do this earlier now, because I can't use pen and paper. A small bed light, or if you like, you might use a voice recorder. Ok, you say, thoughts are there now, I don't need to hear them repeat over and over.

Any physical discomfort you can eliminate, is a good thing. I just have to wait for mine to settle. & listen to my book.

It really annoys me, being so tired sometimes, I think I could fall asleep while siting up, with the tv on, but when I go to my bed, I might be awake for two hours. Sometimes, I get up, pace a bit, have a litle snack, (nothing big or heavy.) and go back. that usually helps.

Very hot nights, I have had a cool shower. Feel much better after that.

I have mostly not been able to establish regular habits for anything, and I have heard that would be the most helpful thing I could do. *sigh* Somewhere inside that naughty mmMekitten is rebelling.

Regulate times for eating, getting up, going to bed, pretty much other routine activities as well. & bed is only for two activities, one is sleeping....least that's what I was told.

mmMekitty

[The_Bro]

Gidday Andy999 and thanks for your post!

Others have given you some pretty good pointers which is great. I am not qualified at all to give you advice, but would like to relate two methods that have worked for me in falling asleep.

The first is very simple - simply focus on slowing down your breathing and count upwards very gently everytime you breathe out. This works a treat for me and I rarely get to more than 50 or so. Don't rush it.

The second it to work on relaxing body parts one at a time. There is a term for this which I can't remember. Start with your toes, tense and relax them a few times and really focus on that. Then your ankle - same again, move and relax - focus on your ankle and nothing else and take your time, there's no rush. Then your calf muscle, tense, relax and focus. By now you have got it. Up to quads, glutes, back, core, abs, pecs, shoulders, fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, bicepts, tricepts, neck, ears and scalp.

There's about 19 parts at least to focus on. I don't think I have ever got through my complete body before falling asleep!

Very simple I know, but I find these so very effective. I suspect its all about calming the mind and short circuiting the brain waves that are making you anxious about staying awake.

All the very best with these, assuming you haven't tried them before.

Happy to chat anytime.

The Bro

[mmMekitty]

Hi, The Bro,

I forgot, I used to do the body thing, (I don't know if I ever had a name for the exercise), when I was younger. I seem to be too easily distracted by what I am physically feeling these days.

*

Another thing I do, if I don't have music or a book playing, is to make up a story in my own head, make up characters and their appearance and name and age, all that, then what clothes, where they live, other characters to interact with, and so forth. You could base some characters around those from tv, books, wherever you like. I wonder what sort of storyteller I am, because I often fall asleep trying to move my story along....it's a never-ending story for sure! The idea is to distract myself away from thinking those things which would keep me awake.

I have also used soundscape recordings, but I would advise to find gentle - no thunderous waves, or storms, unless you particularly like these things.

Those of gentle water you might visualise being on a boat, raft, or simply floating on your back, warm and bobbing about.

I learned I had to be careful about imagining I was walking, because I might 'trip' on something!

Often these types of imagining develops into a dream-like state, which can lead directly into proper sleep, if you let it, don't be startled realising what is happening, & just let it happen. That's the tricky bit. It can take some practice, as with all the suggested methods for getting to sleep.

So, Andy999, would you let us know how you are doing?

mmMekitty

[The_Bro]

Wow mmMekitty that's good stuff!

Write down your ideas as they come into your head so that creativity can be harnessed!

I just wonder if that method is a little complicated - but Hey if it works thats great!

All the best, The Bro

[mmMekitty]

Hello The Bro,

I've managed to hang onto a few, not so complicated musings, or only parts, and have expanded upon those later.

I can't see well enough to use pen and paper, but I used to keep a notebook beside my bed, and a small lamp. Even doing that much was risking having to begin all over again.

Being awake for an hour or two didn't used to bother me. I enjoyed the quiet around me, and being in my head with almost dreams, and forgetting all about my body. I sometimes think I forgot to breathe. Time would draw out and I was fine with that.

I guess I'm getting older, I feel more bodily discomfort, I have tinnitus and my poor eyesight has messed up how my brain interprets much of what I see, so I have colours, kind of like a visual tinnitus, & I shoved my unpleasant thoughts away better than I can do now, (which isn't far at all anymore).

What I do can be simplified. At first, you might think up a person, and begin with themost obvious features. You may be surprised how your subconscious brain will fill in many bits for you.

Have you been reading a book, and the author gives you very little by way of description of a character, but you seem to have a clear idea in your head about what the character looks and sounds like? Or a scene,? You don't need to be told every little detail to conjure up a visual representation of the scene, well enough to enhance your reading.

I haven't managed to write a whole story, let alone a novel, based entirely upon such imaginings. That's way beyond what I can do, 'cause I keep falling asleep, or I don't and have to get up to go to the loo! (That's when I am awake for more than1.5 hours.

I can still wake early, too early for my comfort, but not be able to go back to sleep, any night. I haven't found anything which helps with that.

mmMekitty

[Mk2692]

Hi Andy999,

Thank you for reaching out here. It sounds like you have a bit of anxiety, have you seen someone about it? If you have not I would recommend to see your GP to ask for a referral to a psychologist or counsellor to help you with your current situation. You might find it useful to talk to someone about your feelings and why you are having them at night time. It could be also from the pandemic and its uncertainty. Have you realised it happened recently or during the start of the lockdowns? I personally have trouble sleeping sometimes and I usually would put on calming music to help me sleep or read a book, i'm not sure if you tried that. There are also natural supplements and herbal teas for sleep, if you haven't tried them already. If you find that this is an ongoing problem, then it might be useful to see a doctor for a medication to use on the days you can't sleep. Hope this helps.

[The_Bro]

Gidday again mmMekitty

Your descriptions certainly paint a very vivid word picture - pretty impressive and amazing.

I wonder of your mind is over active, racing visually when it should be emptying ready to rejuvenate with a good nights sleep? I am not at all sure what might help apart from the calming suggestions I have previously given. Perhaps there is a meditation style that might help, or even an expert in mind calming to help with sleep that you could talk with?

All the very best, The Bro