Insomnia killing me

[Dappy777]

Does anyone have any tips for overcoming insomnia. It's caused by stress/anxiety/tension.

In general, the only advice I can find is so obvious it's bloody infuriating. I mean obviously I'm avoiding caffeine, and obviously my bedroom is "cool and dark" (do they think I try and sleep with a flippin spotlight on me?). I hate taking meds, but the only things that work are sleeping pills and tranquilizers. The problem is they leave me groggy and headachy the next day.

Are you getting any help with the anxiety?

I went through a period of insomnia for the same reasons last year. Things that helped me were doing some somatic yoga in the evening (YouTube) and taking magnesium. Some nights were a write off and I just had to get comfortable and let my body rest without worrying too much about sleep, and other nights I had to take diazepam.

I did get help with the underlying causes, but it took a long time and the above did help in the short term.

Lots of magnesium and melatonin. Not perfect but helped.

Melatonin can be bought online for pennies. It works well for me most of the time and doesn’t make me groggy or anything.

What’s the cause of the stress/anxiety/tension? I’d address that before I started on medication.

Magnesium. Eye mask is a must otherwise I'm just awake staring at eff all.
Reading - sometimes helps sometimes hinders.
But like others have said, sometimes you just have to ride it out.
Nights like those I don't try to "force" myself back to sleep because it seems to have the opposite effect, but just accept that I'm awake but can just lay down and chill out.
Absolutely stay clear of doom scrolling though 😅

I had debilitating insomnia as a young adult, and the sleeping tavlets, meditation etc did nothing. The only thing that helped honestly was changing my job to one that didn't cripple me with stress. Also, sertraline. I don't really suffer any more but recently someone sent me an article that I find really helpful. It basically said that lack of sleep has been proven not to cause longterm harm in women, and to try and think of sleepless time as precious time to think. I'll see if I can find it.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/16/wake-up-call-six-ways-to-change-your-attitude-to-insomnia?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I went to the GP as i was getting desperate. I'd tried everything. She prescribed mirtazapine & it's been a life changer. I take it around an hour before bed & it makes me nicely drowsy. I used to wake a couple of times a night but don't really wake any more & I'm refreshed the next day

I suffer with it sometimes. Listening to a guided meditation when I’m trying to sleep can help to relax me enough to drift off. Otherwise listening to some sort of white noise like rain and thunder on YouTube can help settle my mind from overthinking. I take magneisum glycinate and also a magenesium body cream which help a bit

Insomnia is pure torture had it for 9 long months. Tried everything , herbal, decaffeinated, routines, exercise, including prescription meds and alcohol (separately and combined - not recommended). The last two items helped on the nights I indulged, but it still wasn’t proper restful sleep and didn’t ’cure’ the insomnia. The one thing that did was therapy for the underlying cause.

I still struggle (night waking) but I’ve recently gone on a mission to do what my Fitbit tells me in terms of cardio exercise and got sleep headphones in a headband with Balance app for guided meditations, and hours and hours of meditation while lying awake have started helping a bit. I didn’t get on with Fitbit meditations but Balance has this guy Ofosu with the best voice ever and now hearing his voice often makes me relax and drift off.

I finally got amitriptyline prescribed after telling my GP that I'd seriously considered driving into a motorway bridge at speed because I was so very sick of not being able to sleep.

Benzos had had no effect. Mirtazipine didn't agree with me. I'd tried all the teas and magnesium etc in the world.

I also did a CBT course for sleep which helped.

Currently going through this. Gp gave me a few days of sleeping tablets to get back on track. Didn’t think I needed anxiety meds because it’s all very situational. My job, DH being away, teenage kid worries, health worries.

its debilitating. I feel like im in constant panic attack mode tbh.

im trying to change my job, have an interview on wed.

the others I have no control over.. so not sure how I will change them.

what is causing you stress? Can you whittle that down?

What sort of insomnia do you have? Do you struggle with getting to sleep, night waking or early waking?

Depending on where you live, your GP may be able to refer you to a specialist insomnia treatment clinic. You can also ask the GP for a referral to the Sleepio programme which is an online personalised insomnia treatment. I've had lifelong insomnia and it's the only thing that helped me.

Something that I find really helpful and a few friends have too…
Google ‘Jason Stephenson talk down’ he’s on you tube, there are quite a few different sleep stories/meditations. I’m not at all alternative I just stumbled across him. Something about his reassuring voice and the way he helps you to disengage a frantic mind.. it’s amazing. Hope it works for you too

Taking Promethazine for week helped me. You can buy it OTC and it worked better than prescribed sleeping pills. Melatonin also helps if having trouble falling asleep. I’ve also tried magnesium at various points but not convinced it has much effect.

I suffered from insomnia for 10 years. The only thing that helped was having a baby.

I've no idea why (maybe the 9 months off work).... but he's 20 months old now and I still sleep better than I ever did before I had him. I tried everything under the sun too when I suffered.

Ah, it's awful, I sympathise with anyone suffering with insomnia, especially when it's filled with anxiety.
What helped me (other than sleeping tablets when I was desperate) were - of course implementing a good sleep hygiene routine: exercise, calming baths, reading, no alcohol, absolutely NO PHONES before bed (like at least two hours with no screens). I found the Twinings Sleep teas really helped.

I also tried meditation and lavender tablets, which I think also helped.

But the main thing that helped was taking the fear out of it and remembering that my bed is a safe space for me. Enjoying the feeling of being somewhere warm and comfortable, dark,cool and quiet. It doesn't matter if you don't sleep, rest is almost as good for you and you can feel revitalised after a good rest too. The minute you stop worrying about sleep, it will come.

Audiobooks on Spotify have been a game changer. I put on a sleep timer and as the time approaches the end, the voice gets softer and softer…

I would agree that tackling the source of the anxiety / stress should be a priority, if at all possible.

Other than that - I take a cocktail of magnesium glycinate, ashwaghanda and progesterone every night before bed. Wear thin socks as cold feet will always stop me sleeping. Always have a window open. And ASMR helps too.

It varies. Sometimes I struggle to get to sleep, other nights I wake up at one or two and then toss and turn.

I became so desperate that I joined a gym so as to exhaust my body. I would go for a long run and then spend an hour lifting weights etc. It worked in that I was physically exhausted and did go to sleep quickly. But the sleep was so light and troubled that I woke up feeling wretched - as if I hadn’t had any deep, nourishing, proper sleep.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Quite a few recommendations for magnesium. Is there an ideal time to take it? Is it best taken in the morning or at night?

Take the magnesium at night. I take capsules but some people swear by magnesium 'butter' that you rub into your feet before bed.

And not to be 'that person' but how old are you? Perimenopause was a major cause of increased anxiety and poor sleep for me.

I use the calm app, sleep stories, meditation and see if that will work. I can do almost anything hour and feel myself getting frustrated and then wake up at 6am as I’ve zonked out.

other times it doesn’t work so I get up get a drink have a wee and try again. But if it’s stress and anxiety over work or a life event then is there anything you can change? Sorry about this as well I know how awful it can feel.

In also take magnesium.