Sleep trouble

[missanxious]

Anyone get really worried about sleep, to the point where you don't sleep because you're so worried? I get like this rush of anxiety and it keeps me alert all night. Anyone have any suggestions?

[bettys814]

Anyone get really worried about sleep, to the point where you don't sleep because you're so worried? I get like this rush of anxiety and it keeps me alert all night. Anyone have any suggestions?

Absolutely, I'm sure most  of us have sleep issues.  And the more nights you have trouble sleeping, the more you worry about it     I wish I had a good suggestion for you.  For me, I needed medication.  I'm not happy about that, but it was more important that I sleep!
Perhaps reading a nice book when you go into bed?  Something you could get lost in, so to speak?  Until you fall asleep.  I tried lavender oil in the pillow, herbal teas, magnesium.  There is a tea called bedtime by yogi tea.  I get it at the vitamin shoppe, but I'm sure some supermarkets carry Yogi tea.  It has valerian, and some other herbs, and it does calm a little.  You could even make it with 2 tea bags to add to the effect.  If u don't have a middle of the night peepee issue  LOL  you could try that before you go to bed. 

[yikes87]

Hello, I'm new! This site is looking like its going to be really helpful. I'm very new to the world of anxiety and I've just started really working on making life better for myself through counseling.

I have been having trouble sleeping. It was a few days in a row last week, and then my anxiety was under control for a few days. Now that I'm feeling anxious again(my anxiety creeps in and out) I can't help but to think that I might have trouble sleeping again. Reading books is helpful sometimes, but usually I can't fall asleep with a light on anyways.

With medication, did you end up taking a sleeping pill or something for the anxiety? I'm definitely considering medication because I can't keep going on worrying about such a simple thing as sleeping.

I agree that for me, I used to think that if I had to use medication to conquer my anxiety that I was failing(I'm a perfectionist if you can't tell). Now I feel like if I don't get medication to help me then I am not utilizing all the options I have at helping myself feel better. I'm still young, and anxiety is new for me, so right now I am determined to stop this from being a life long battle. I appreciate knowing that there are so many other people with symptoms like me.

[AmInormal?]

i don't have trouble falling asleep.  But I wake up several times a night and toss and turn.  It's not my be either for thats brand new, expensive, with a mattress to match.  I wake up in the middle of the night and think OMG, i'm late for work or something rediculous at 2 in the morning.  It's hard to tell yourself to relax and go to sleep.  It just doesn't happen like that.  But, oh well, you have to play the hand that your dealt right?  So, I'll just keep going on.  It's helpful to talk to all the other people in here with the same problems. 

[bettys814]

Hello, I'm new! This site is looking like its going to be really helpful. I'm very new to the world of anxiety and I've just started really working on making life better for myself through counseling.

I have been having trouble sleeping. It was a few days in a row last week, and then my anxiety was under control for a few days. Now that I'm feeling anxious again(my anxiety creeps in and out) I can't help but to think that I might have trouble sleeping again. Reading books is helpful sometimes, but usually I can't fall asleep with a light on anyways.

With medication, did you end up taking a sleeping pill or something for the anxiety? I'm definitely considering medication because I can't keep going on worrying about such a simple thing as sleeping.

I agree that for me, I used to think that if I had to use medication to conquer my anxiety that I was failing(I'm a perfectionist if you can't tell). Now I feel like if I don't get medication to help me then I am not utilizing all the options I have at helping myself feel better. I'm still young, and anxiety is new for me, so right now I am determined to stop this from being a life long battle. I appreciate knowing that there are so many other people with symptoms like me.

Hi
Welcome to the forum    Lots of good info here.
 I started out trying xanax.  It helped me fall asleep but I would still wake after a couple of hours and could not fall back to sleep. 
Then doc gave me lunesta.  It felt so gooooood when it kicked in after a few minutes.  I was completely calm, it was great!  Went right to sleep with high hopes, and again, woke after two hours and could not fall back to sleep.  I gave the lunesta 4 nights.  Then I gave up on it.  My problem was more staying asleep than falling asleep.  And I have to add, my anxiety was out of control at that time. 
Next med, ambien...did absolutely nothing for me.  Went to a psychiatrist, he prescribed me seroquel in a low dose.  It is a bipolar/antipsychotic med, used in low doses for sleep disorders.  I really had no hope that it would work, but it did!  I slept 8 hours that night and every night for a month.  Only problem was I was getting lightheaded in the day, so we switched to trazodone last week, which is an older antidepressant.  It also works well for me.  Not druggy feeling at all...Just normal fall asleep and sleep 6-8 hours.   

[hopelessromantic]

When I went through my sleep thing, I would wake up too, and then my mind would race and I would have trouble getting back to sleep. Ambien did good to make me fall asleep but since it was not extended release I would wake up in 4-5 hours. Xanax just works better to make me fall and keep me asleep. If you want to go the non-med route:

1. Keep caffeine to a minimum, esp. 1-3 hrs. before bedtime
2. Darken your room and/or get a white noise source to drown out sounds if that helps
3. Melatonin at Walmart works to a point, you may want to try that....

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous8]

I second the melatonin suggestion. It works quite well at the beginning to get you tired however your body can become tolerant to it if you use it continuously but if I don't take it on weekends I find it works again the following week. Ask your doctor about Ativan which is a mild benzo. It didn't work for me but I was extremely anxious at the time but my doctor also said it doesn't work for everyone. My two bits...:)

[missanxious]

That's strange because Trazadone makes me feel hung over in the morning. I guess everyone reacts differently, Im looking for something to caml me down. Im on Zopiclone (ie Lunesta)- Ive only had one night it didn't work, other than that it works well. Im afraid to take ativan because of its dependency element. I wanna take something to make me calm before bed, but not to continue on and make me groggy all day,

[aeydownlow]

hi,

I actually had the same problem before, it's really hard but soon as the meds started doing its thing I was sleeping ok.
You just need to wait for it you'll be fine 

[scared748]

i go through periods when i get like that im up most of the night worrying and thinking about everything and anything...i tried the sleeping pills/tylenol pm etc and it would help me fall asleep but then i would wake up in the middle of the night still so the next day i would just feel like crap because i wouldnt get the recommended 8 hours i needed...look at the post   The relaxation response from april 10  I tried that and it seemed to help because unfortunate ly im having trouble with sleep myself...

hopelessromantic- those are great suggestions!

[tigerpaw]

Been there done that for over a year finally a simple dose of .5mg of Lorazepam gave me my good night sleeps back.

[hopelessromantic]

I thought of another thing....don't mean to offend any fans, but my Celine Dion CDs would put me to sleep at night! I think it was because I was giving my brain something to do instead of think about a certain person, listening close to the lyrics as I relaxed put me right out....and I had it at such a low volume that straining to hear it I guess "wore me out", too.......