Anyone up? So anxious I can’t sleep

[Eminybob]

I’m a lifelong anxiety sufferer, have been medicated over the years but not currently as I’ve been great for a few years. Until now. It’s circumstantial, I have a lot going on right now and it’s all just got on top of me. The last few nights I’ve been unable to sleep, just keep overthinking everything that is going on.
Any advice to help me get some rest?

I’m up, cramp 🙄.

It may help to write down a list and then you know you won't forget anything, and maybe once it's out it won't be as worrying

I could write and feel the exact same several nights worrying non stop, I've actually got an appointment with Dr to see about going back on meds short term since I've been fine for a few years but family things and other problems are weighing me down right now

Apps eg headspace or calm. BBC mindful mix
herbal tea.
resources

Up because I have babies

I have problems with my adult son. It keeps me awake A LOT!

I’m up for similar reasons. These might not work for you but I do anything I can to make my brain be active but not have the anxiety take over.

Counting is a good one. Or thinking of different things in a subject that start with each letter of the alphabet. I also watch quiz shows on TV or via my phone until I fall asleep. It’s enough to make my brain think, but also enough to make it shut off from the anxiety and let me sleep.

Write it down. Talk it out (chatgpt is amazing for this), play games that require enough concentration to stop you thinking but not too much.

I’ve actually got a pack of sertraline in the cupboard but I won’t take them as the side effects when first going on them are horrific. Really reluctant to go back on meds tbh as that first 2 weeks doesn’t seem worth the long term benefits.

Starting a new job on Tuesday and I wonder if this is what has triggered this. It’s not the what’s playing most heavily on my mind though (money worries, house related, DC stuff, health)
But all that stuff was there before but didn’t make me feel this bad. So it must be the job move. I’m actually really excited about the new role but am missing my wonderful colleagues from my previous job already. I had a 3 month notice period and had so many wobbles that I was making a terrible mistake. But again, no anxiety until now. I guess it’s just because it’s now so close.

Apologies for the stream of consciousness. Just getting it all out helps.

Thanks I do the counting and alphabet game too! Not working for me tonight though.

I also like to listen to Nothing Much Happens podcast but to do so now would involve turning on the light, looking for my headband headphones, hoping they are charged and likely waking DH in the process.

I need to be more prepared with my headphones before I go to bed. I will do that tomorrow. I fall asleep dead easily when I first go to bed then wake up around midnight, at which point it’s too late to be faffing about.

Aww I can’t say I miss those days but at least you get snuggles.

Ouch, I hope it eases up soon

Ho OP. I find lying in bed in the dark willing myself to sleep and thinking about how long I've been awake makes my anxiety worse. I often get up and go to another room, maybe lie on the couch and put something on the TV you're over familiar with so you don't need to concentrate and can just relax. I then find I dose off and get a few hours sleep.

I have a day of admin planned tomorrow to tackle a couple of the issues.

Annoyingly, the biggest issue causing the most amount of anxiety I delegated to DH to resolve. I specifically asked him to as I knew that dealing with it myself would trigger stress and anxiety and he agreed as he understood and wanted to shield me from that. This was months ago and he has done precisely fuck all about it. So now I know that I am going to have to step in. And have the added pressure of dealing with a fucking useless husband.

Thanks I may give this a try.

Mumsnetting certainly isn’t going to get me to sleep any quicker and yet here I am! I need to step away from the phone I think.

I’m wide awake! I’m trying to get off Mirtazapine. I’ve lowered the dose but the insomnia is brutal.

@Eminybob funnily enough, there are certain boards I read when I can't sleep because they don't really interest me and that also helps but agree, probably best to put the phone away.

Just woke up, like pp say get a soothing hot drink and sit in living room or similar. I sometimes put on a film or documentary when restless at night.

I know you've said finding your headphones will disturb DH but better that he's awake 5 minutes than you're awake all night.

Listening to an audiobook (something calming rather than a thriller!) never fails to get me to sleep.

Sorry this is happening to you I wouldn't wish anxiety on my worst enemy it's horrendous.
I'm up due to anxiety nightmares it's been going on a couple of weeks now on and off but I do have quite a lot going on at the moment and trying to explain and express to one of my supposed best friends that ADHD dyslexia and autism is REAL and my son doesn't respond to "normal" discipline or situations the way "normal" children his age do.
It's so hard trying to get through to some people when they really have no idea what goes on in my home and the emotional toll it takes on me as a single mum to three boys...she expects me to be upbeat happy and just thinks it's a case of me being "soft" with him 😞.
Why does everything seem so much worse at night time ....I hope you all get some relief and help soon as sleep deprivation is a kind of torture too.

I'm up with restless leg syndrome. I usually find if I lie in bed awake, I toss and turn and that makes the head-noise worse (thinking of anything and everything). I usually get up, go make myself a decaf coffee and either read my phone (Mumsnet usually) or watch TV and take half an hour to an hour downstairs, then come back to bed. I also feel getting cold helps as you start to feel all nice and warm once back in bed which helps me to sleep.

Here's hoping you are asleep now and not reading this 🤞

I'm.awake.....brain going 100mph. So you know you shouldn't be on your phone for a start (says me...) one trick i was given from a EMDR therapist was get up and clean a cupboard. Try go back to bed. Get up again do another cupboard. I remember one horrendous insomniac period (lasted 7 days of no sleep) downstairs of my house was literally sparkling inside and out. Including the oven.

Get out of bed if you can’t sleep.
My favorite doctor gave me that bit of advice years ago. She said the only thing you should be doing in bed is sleeping - so if you can’t sleep, get up, go in the other room and read for awhile or watch tv (if you must) or eat a little snack and drink something like milk or water.
I also have a back-up pill I take - the generic is called Zaleplon. It’s very safe and not habit forming and I love that when I get bad insomnia I can take one and be bright eyed in the morning.
My mum suffered from insomnia - so did my grandmother & great-grandmother. I can remember my granny reading late into the night, but Mum said the town pharmacist prepared “powders” for gr granny that they mixed in Ovaltine every night for her.
I hope you fell asleep reading this, @Eminybob

Physical exercise during the day, double the steps, no caffine, talking, bath, book, nightol tablets (the strongest one). Getting some sc peep will help the anxiety.