To ask what you’re doing awake post-midnight? Part 3: Return of the Insomnia

[5YearsLeft]

Hey all - We’ve made it to the third thread. Whether you’ve posted before or you’re brand new, if you’re stuck awake, then you’re welcome here. We’ve had people facing it all on the last few threads: grief (loss of DPs, DHs, parents, children, and pets), illness of every sort (cancer, COVID, post COVID, sciatica, antidepressant withdrawals, stomach bugs of every sort, cold/flu, autoimmune problems, and even more diagnoses), ill children and partners (vomiting, crying, unable to sleep… and that’s just the adult family members! Ok I’m kidding, that was mostly the kids), women in labor, women with surgery fears, fears of all other sizes, anxiety, work anxiety, and of course insomnia caused by myriad things (LOTS of peri and postmenopausal insomnia).

Whatever is keeping you awake, you’re always welcome to share it here.

If you’re following in from our last thread, it’s:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4473171-To-ask-what-you-re-doing-awake-post-midnight-Part-2-Insomnia-Strikes-Back

Panic attack

12 days late for my period and though I've been having the tell tale signs it's on its way the last 3 weeks there's been nothing!
Plagued by night sweats, hunger and period pains.
I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant. I had covid in April and then had a longer than usual period. Since then it's not come back. Feeling a bit exasperated and sick of the hormonal headaches.

Have a stomach bug at 32 weeks pregnant. Hoping I’m not strapping myself in for an all nighter! Proper have the shakes with it.

good luck to everyone else! Xx

Post Covid and forgot to take a 25mg Nytol last night. It makes all the difference for me at mo, apparently covid messes with a hormone that the antihistamine in Nytol sorts out. Too late to take it now.

Hello. I’ve been awake since 1am. I gave up on sleep 40 minutes ago and came downstairs. I hope this if not the start of a bout of insomnia as it sometimes is…..

Sympathies to the 32 week pg lady with stomach bug. I feel for ya'

I was dreaming a lot less night so probably didn't need much sleep. Probably due to no cardio exercise yesterday. Cat woke me at 4:29 & I gave up then. Need to leave house in 15 minutes anyway.

@Tallisimo Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that your MRI didn’t show a clear way forward and now you’re facing more of the waiting game. I’ve been to a lot of pain clinics over the last nine years and some have been great and some haven’t been fit for purpose, so it’s difficult to say. I do hope you get a helpful one.

@Lndnmummy Everyone is always welcome! And those who need the board The most - it’s here for you. Biopsy waiting is one of life’s most difficult forms of waiting. If it comes back fine, this time will have been no big deal. But if it’s not fine, it’s true that it’s the beginning of a life-changing journey. But it’s neither a life-ending journey, if you’re at first biopsy, or life-ending news. That doesn’t mean it’s not scary as hell! Because it is. Just that sometimes we have to tell ourselves, whatever happens, I will live through tomorrow. Good news or bad news, you will love through tomorrow. Good news or bad news, you’ll still have a birthday to celebrate. And believe me, if it is bad news, there will be plenty of time to grieve, because grieving is healthy too, after your birthday.

@cubangal Oh no. Panic attacks are just terrible. I know so many people who mistook their first panic attack for an actual heart attack. And have since realized a heart attack might have stopped faster than the panic attack, ha. They’re complete buggers for attacking the way they do, and it’s not fair at all. I hope you’re all right now.

@misscrowley I do know quite a few people have mentioned COVID messing up their cycle, so maybe you’re experiencing this? And of course there’s that old chestnut of HOW “pretty sure” you’re not pregnant are you? You’d be surprised how quickly it can happen, especially if you’re not trying or you’ve given up. I do hope the period comes soon though, if it’ll relieve you of the hormonal headaches and such.

@Passanotherjaffacake That sounds absolutely nightmarish. I can handle being sick, up or down, until I reach the point where I feel so weak and cold from it that I’m shaking. Then I start to feel REALLY unwell, ha. I do hope you’re feeling a bit better and that you made it safely to bed for some rest!

@CorsicaDreaming Some nights you get the Nytol and some nights, the Nytol gets you. I do know what you mean though; seems everyone got insomnia after COVID and half of us still have it.

@lljkk I hope you survive the day on slightly less sleep (thanks to the cat for her help!) and that it’s not too painful.

I'm sitting in a private room in hospital with my dad. I would like to tell the world about this incredible man. How he would plait my hair in the mornings for school, always make something out of nothing in the kitchen, always call me Toodles, sing along to The King and I which we would watch over and over again when I was younger. How he always put others first, went without, sacrificed his own happiness to raise his children, worked all the hours God gave to bring money to the table. How he never gave up, how he never lost hope, and just how much I love him 💐💚. Green is his favourite colour

@SistersRdoingit4themselves - your Dad sounds like a great man. I hope you're both doing okay this morning 💐🍀

@SistersRdoingit4themselves He sounds like a truly thoughtful, amazing, selfless man, and the kind they broke the mold when they made, so the world only ever got one exactly like him. I’m sorry your time with him right now is in a hospital room, but I’m so glad you’re with him, as it sounds like that’s where you’d both want to be - together, wherever that is. I do hope whatever the situation, maybe things look a but brighter now that the sun has risen. 🌾☘

(If you want a small, funnier little moment, I thought that emoji looked like some lovely wheat blowing in the breeze; now I’m afraid it’s pampas grass and I’ve marked that we’re all swingers on the thread. Crikey.)

Thank you for the lovely words. Hes now recieving End of Life care and is as comfortable as possible. He can hear us so ive been talking to him and this morning i read him the poem Spring morning. Hes just sleeping all the time and recieving pain relief. I will miss him so much.

Well it looks like this thread has been tumble weed for a few months but anyone else awake?
Had a really traumatic day with DD, teenagers!! And now I am awake on a hospital cot while she dreams the night away. Will make sure to get to bed early tomorrow night.
Hi if you are awake and it's 03.27 am on the 23rd of July 2022.
Stating the bleeding obvious.

Awake because I am manoeuvring a house move, while trying to conceal the existence of my cat around our life piled in boxes around me so I have to abseil everywhere, along with the imminent arrival of my family the day before my wedding, who think they’re being helpful but will actually stress me out further. And knackered because pregnant and prone to depression.

wishing I could tell everyone to fuck off, me and DH to be could run off to elope, and have someone else sort the move (in 2 days) for us. And then I might be able to sleep.

oh and the smoke alarm is dying and emitting beeps and clangs

@IdiotCreatures sorry to hear you’re in hospital with DD, hope nothing too serious?

Oh no I hope she’s been treated okay and it’s just a case of waiting it out. Sleeping in hospitals is always a nightmare anyway.

Im having my worst night of insomnia in ages. Think it might be the weather affecting my joint pain. I can’t actually find my sleeping tablets. I just woke up the dogs looking, so I’ve given up for the time being and put the kettle on. I’ve still got a third of my book to get through.

OMG @icedcoffeeplease you’re packing a lot into a shirt space of time. No wonder you’re not sleeping.

She's had two ECG's done 12 hours apart and I've been told they were both fine.
She will need to talk to the CAMH's team in the morning and we'll go from there I guess.
Was meant to do a flotation tank session today and then there was a party for some friends anniversary that we were meant to be going to yesterday evening.
Qué Sera but I am seriously contemplating never planning something to look forward to again. Just two many incidents of not getting to do the stuff, because life meh...
It sucks you can't find your sleeping tablets, for me at home it's more a case of where won't they be.
Though obviously that will now have to be rethought, sigh. Not that it was my meds she took.

Nope they those things were both meant to happen yesterday my brain is tirrrrreeeedddd.

@icedcoffeeplease a house move and pregnancy...

That would probably break me.

Sorry to hear of others struggling to sleep. Personally im awake because I left my the home I share with DP yesterday on a "temporary" basis and back in with my parents for a while. I think hes struggling massively with depression and wont let me in to help and says he wants to be alone. I love him so much and just hope he (and we) can find a way through this

Well that sounds hopeful @IdiotCreatures Was the flotation tank supposed to be for her it for you? They’re very relaxing.

Sorry to hear that @heidihigh Maybe you going will give him a small jolt to address things?

I hope things get better for all of you.

It was meant to be for both of us. We were meant to do at the beginning of July but then we both had COVID, so had already rescheduled twice. Darn.
@heidihigh depression is a bitch, has he tried to talk to his GP about it? How long has he been down for?

sorry to hear what you guys are going through! Haven’t quite worked out how to respond to individual posts on here - but sending 💐 and mugs of warm milk!

i woke up in a panic, sweating - and couldn’t get back to sleep.

I’ve had a strange few days, had a migraine episode that’s triggered my anxiety - I’ve been crying hysterically on/off for the last few days. It’s been quite horrible feeling I keep losing control of myself. To bring more context, I’ve been struggling with a traumatic bereavement, issues at work, other stuff too I guess, and just feel overwhelmed this week I guess - struggling to get a grip !

thank you for listening - it made me feel better that people were lending their sympathetic ears at this time

@Jibbajabba1 was it someone you were very close with?
Bereavement can really mess with your head. Have you got anyone close to you that you can share your grief with? Hugs are very good in this context, they show you that the overwhelming pain does have a physical boundary. Or something like that. Also they help with the release of endorphins.
Got to love those endorphins.

Thank you for being kind 💐

I have my family, but live quite far away from most of them. I was on a good path getting back on track with things, learning to process and live with it, but it’s been a series of bad days in a row this week - kinda felt like I fell off the edge a bit. Aim for tomorrow is to be kind to myself, and take the day very slowly. Maybe even just hide in bed until the feeling of dread eases up a bit.

for some reason I keep thinking my neighbours must have heard me crying and I keep worrying they’ll think I’m weird - prob just lack-of-sleep paranoia!

Sorry to hear you had a traumatic day with your daughter - glad to hear she’s resting peacefully. I bet she really appreciates having you as a mum to look after her. Hope someone is helping and supporting you too? 💐