Anxiety & Insomnia - how do you cope?

[flyingcarpet3]

Hi...I've been struggling with stress and anxiety for a few months now, which results in poor sleep quality and affects my daily life. I'd like to try a more natural solution instead of the heavy sleeping medications, at least initially. Has anyone had similar issues, and is there something that has helped you naturally? (I've seen a therapist before, but I can't say it has significantly helped, and it's currently way out of my budget).

I'm following, also interested in this...my husband has similar issues (specifically anxiety with occasional panic attacks), and those who have never experienced it have no idea how lucky they actually are. I think it's crucial to find the cause of the problem first, and then try to focus on a solution.

I've been dealing with anxiety and insomnia for years. There is still not enough discussion on this topic, and believe me, a lot of people are struggling with this problem, more than you might think….

I've tried all sorts of supplements, , but the only thing I can say has helped me are natural patches for sleep and relaxation. Personally, I use the ones from the Lasomnium brand because they have a MHRA health safety certificate,…. and if you decide to buy them, avoid Amazon and buy from their official website (lasomnium.com) because I noticed there are many copies on Amazon. The price is in dollars, but they deliver to the UK. They helped me, but I can't guarantee they will help you.. I'm just sharing my experience..

anxiety and insomnia stem from different causes, and if you've been struggling with them for a long time, I definitely recommend seeing a psychologist (there are many online options at more affordable prices). They won't magically remove your anxiety, but through conversation, they can help you understand how to cope with stressful situations, etc. But definitely give these natural patches a try; they've helped me a lot. I even use the ones for focus and energy, they're great. Good luck!

A low dose of mirtazapine is helping me. Not perfect, but better than it was

I agree with you, but the cause is the question here. Everyday life and responsibilities just don't allow for it, and its impossible to function normally due to lack of sleep. Those who don't understand what I'm talking about are fortunate for sure. But I hope this won’t last forever…

Mirtazapine has been a life saver for me also

Thank you for sharing this. I will definitely give it a try!

I've never tried it before, I'm afraid. I don't know if it causes addiction?

How does it work?

I have had brilliant results from taking magnesium. I have understood from a nutritionist that it needs to be in the form of Magnesium bisglycinate to make it bio available and you need at least 200mg elemental Mg - so it's not enough to buy some supermarket supplements and it's not cheap but it really works. I saw improvements in 2 days (fewer wakings, lower anxiety when I did wake and easier to get back to sleep) and in a week I was sleeping though (might get up to wee but I can go back to sleep). Might not be for everyone but surely worth a try.

I have tried it before, but no results. Thank you for sharing, anyway..

Have you tried listening to a guided meditation for sleep? There's loads on YouTube and some specifically targeted at anxiety - I find them really useful though I do have to be strict with my mind - as soon as it starts wandering I make myself come back to listening to the meditation.

Some things that I try and do.
Yoga
Walking
Swimming
Cut out caffeine and reduced alcohol
Delegated more at home
Lowered my cleaning standards
Got more organised ie timetree app/weekly tesco delivery/
Bought every gadget to help me dishwasher/robot hoover/slow cooker/airfryer etc.

I've had anxiety and insomnia for years and really don't want to take antidepressants. I've tried them before and they don't agree with me.

Also a meditation app called balance is really good.

I've not done all these things at once this has been over the years. Hope you feel better soon op 💐

Thank you so much for sharing this!

This is really common and also really personal in that what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone. For me there is no one thing - there are lots of little things that help, but sometimes I am still awake at 4am with a racing heart and cycling doom thoughts. I’ve had some improvement with magnesium, white noise (you need to find the sound that works for you, but this has really helped when I wake at 3am), sleep meditation, cutting out food and alcohol in evening, adherence to wanker ‘sleep hygiene’ guidelines, and rigid attention to bedroom conditions (good bedding icebox temperature). I will also use full on sleep meds when I get stuck in a rut over multiple weeks and just need a night or two where I conk out.

Thank you!