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Original poster

Chronic insomnia

27 replies

Ittybittytittycomittee · 12/07/2023 15:29

Seriously struggling with insomnia. I have tried everything and nothing. I have a good bedtime routine, no screens, no TV in my room, no caffeine after 2pm, no drinks, no alcohol (god I sound boring). I just cannot get to sleep. I'll be reading and get the sleepy cues, yawning, tired eyes, etc but when I lay my head down my brain starts whirring. I've tried pillow mist, scented candles, melatonin, sleeping tablets (sometimes together) and nothing. I'm on about 2 months of less than 2 hours per night and feel like I'm slowly dying. I'm self employed with a very physical job and work full time. I'm struggling to even get out of bed let alone get through a day. I've had to finish early today s I could barely see straight.
Please can someone recommend something they have tried? I'm now looking into hypnotherapy as a last resort.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ittybittytittycomittee · 19/07/2023 15:01

@Annaishere gosh Im so sorry to hear this. It is indeed the most awful condition to cope with, it affects everything. I'm sleeping much better again after 2 months of nothing. I have just accepted that some days I might not sleep and that seems to have taken the pressure off. I hope you find some clarity and are bale to get some decent sleep xx

OP posts:
Tolkienista · 25/02/2025 19:54

Eyesopenwideawake · 12/07/2023 19:05

OK, so what's happening here is that your subconscious mind is scared of allowing your conscious mind to shut down in case it's needed during the night - primarily for your mother I would guess.

When insomnia hits we can get so stressed about not sleeping that it becomes a vicious cycle and we lay there worrying about how much sleep we're missing.

When we go to bed at night, if we simply accept that it’s more important that we are resting and treating ourselves to some relaxation than that we are actually unconscious, we take the pressure off the process of sleeping and reduce any anxiety about sleep.

Try accepting that when you go to bed that you may well be awake all night, but that you will be doing absolutely nothing other than resting and relaxing, then the resulting reduction in your cortisol (stress) levels more often than not will allow you to naturally fall asleep.

I know this post is really old, but I think what you said is really useful for anyone (myself included) who suffers from insomnia.
My mantra after a bad night's sleep is to let it go and move on, it's not the end of the world.

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