Insomnia friends - I will sleep well tonight because I have told my unconscious I will

[BeckyBendyLegs]

And here it is!

Actually DH is coming around to the idea of ADs as he sees that I need a bit of a break from this stress I am putting myself under. But I've been skepitcal about them too for ages and ages (partly because I felt so crap taking fluoxitine). I've learnt a lot more about them though and recently found out my niece has taken and is back on the same sort you and CountryLover take as she says she has had big anxiety and insomnia issues. She also said, interestingly, she's never had any problems coming off them (one of my worries).

terrible night for me Still awake at 2am. Kept thinking "oh no, now the MOST I can get is 6 hours, now it's 5 hours etc.etc."

I need some PSTs!

We had DH's sister and new husband over last night. I felt really sleepy around 10pm (when I normally go to bed) but they stayed until 11pm (much later than I'd have liked!) and by then I was a bit anxious about going to bed and instead of falling asleep I just lay there.

Also I was worrying about a stupid little thing - SIL asked me if I would do their wedding album for them. Of course I said yes because I am too unassertive to say no! But she is such a perfectionist and I was panicking all last night about it! Stupid, hey?

Why can't my brain just let me switch off and not worry about things?? We have friends coming to stay this weekend, I haven't got any food shopping yet and need to blitz the whole house

Hope your appt goes well today becky I am seeing my CPN later too. Don't want her to think I am going downhill

also becky I don't think we are technically insomniacs anymore! You need to be taking more than half an hour to get to sleep or being awake for more than half an hour in the night something like three times a week for six months to be diagnosed as such according to this book I have!

Hello ladies - can I gatecrash briefly for a moan?

I'm not strictly an insomniac, but every month a week before I'm due on I cannot sleep It takes me ages to get to sleep, then I wake up at least two or three times and then struggle to drop back off and I'm exhausted I also have anxiety and am currently planning my wedding so I think maybe these stresses are having an effect too, but mainly I think it is hormones. It isn't too bad as I generally catch up on sleep once hormones have settled, but now I'm starting to worry about it, it is lasting longer each time.

Any tips on how to drop back off once I wake up in the night?

piggymad welcome! congrats on your forthcoming wedding!

yes do have some tips for dropping back off.
first is progressive relaxation slowly starting with your toes working up your body. If you get all the way through your body you simply start again at the bottom and work up. it's a nice feeling even if you don't drop off. can couple this with saying to yourself in a sleepy monotonous internal voice 'now I'm relaxing my xxx' etc.
If this doesn't work can also try just counting your outbreaths up to 10 then starting back at 1.
If you still feel very awake or increasingly stressed by being awake get up go to different room and have warm milk/banana or something (but keep lighting low) and do crossword or read something boring for ten minutes or so then go back to bed. Try not to count how many hours sleep have had or will get.
This usually works for me!

Sorry only just spotted your post GetDown sorry you had a bad night. Sounds like evening 'stimulation' is a bit of a trigger for you which is understandable. I think once you have children you can't so much think that you'll catch up in the morning, like usual. But it is the weekend and now you will sleep even better than usual and DH will be around to help!
Nice that you have been asked to do that for your SIL and ties in well with the scrapbooking doesn't it?
I've started doing cross stitch! It's to relax me in the evenings!

Hi arcadia,
thanks for the tips - I do get really annoyed and frustrated counting how long I've been awake and how many hours sleep I'm going to get I sometimes have a camomile tea if I can't sleep but it's the active mind that stops me even when I'm feeling exhausted I've got a couple of cross stitch on the go (same ones for the past 4 or 5 years )
GetDown I was thinking of asking my DB and SIL to do my wedding albums - you can get online ones that come made as books that look really nice. I'm sure she asked you as she knew you would do a good job of it and even if it isn't how she'd imagined (unlikely) then they will get plenty of digital pics from everyone and can print out their own favourites anyway!

Getdown sorry you had a bad night

Remember if they are friends they won't want you to go mad scrubbing your house - they just want to enjoy your company.

And you will sleep well as you will be all relaxed after catching up with them x

thanks guys and welcome piggymad - it's rubbish isn't it? I thought I had it sussed as have been sleeping so well lately, and then bang, another bad night.

Feeling really grotty.

I sunk to a new all time low - I bought a Greggs sausage roll for my lunch

Saw my CPN, she wasn't particularly bothered. About to go off on her summer holiday so I won't be her problem for a few weeks anyway.

thanks willsurvive - you're right, they're not the kind of friends that would want us slogging away cleaning like made before they come. I would just feel really bad though if they arrive to a messy house.

I suppose with the wedding album thing - I am flattered, but know it will be so time consuming, and SIL is such a perfectionist, I just have feelings of inadequacy

PiggyMad my problems are always worse the week before my period. I now keep my clock covered up so I don't know how long / how many hours at all.

GetDown big hug to you... I am the same, I get so worked up when there's lots going on and my sleep gets effected easily.

PST: you will sleep tonight because it is Friday night so you'll feel more relaxed tonight, and you will have a lovely time this weekend with your friends.

have you seen lavendar woman yet becky?

Hello everyone. [waves shyly]. So glad I've found you. I was starting to think it was just me. I've had 3 nights in the last couple of weeks where I've only had 2 hours sleep and a maximum of 6 on all the others. I'm starting to feel like I'm going mad.

Not sure what is causing it. I can usually get to sleep easily enough, but then I wake up (or am woken up by DS) and can't get back to sleep. It's a nightmare and I am running out of ideas

Hi there MrsJT - welcome

We like to commiserate and encourage on this thread, you are most welcome!

poor you. How old is your DS?

Several of us on here have struggled a lot with sleep since birth of our children.

I went through a particularly bad patch where I hardly slept at all and developed very bad anxiety as a result.

Am now kind of recovering but still have bad nights (like last night) and I feel so low and anxious again.

What have you tried?

A few of us have bought the Paul McKenna book "I can make you sleep" - it has lots of good ideas in there, plus a CD to help you as you go to bed.

Oh dear I am feeling really low.

Just soooo tired. Can't muster up enthusiasm for anything. Poor DD is sat in front of the TV

Can't tell anyone in RL as they will think it's because I am reducing my AD. Just have to carry on "looking ok".

My DS is 2 and 4 months - has slept through once in that time. We are currently working on controlled crying so DD (4.5) is sleeping on the floor in our room, so he doesn't disturb her (normally they share).

I've only been really bad in the last couple of months, so haven't really tried much. Went to see GP who suggested going to bed later and not reading in bed - keep it for sleeping, but while going to bed later stops me waking up by myself after an hour or 2, if DS wakes me up I'm scuppered, and then have less time to get back to sleep and still get a decent amount of time IYSWIM.

I am having issues with self esteem at the moment and when I wake up I just beat myself up about what I have/have not done during the day and end up getting really stressed and upset. Getting up seems to be much better, but only if I can get back to sleep when I return to bed.

Suggestions welcome

GetDown you will be ok. You are just tired. Your DD will be ok with a bit of TV time. She'll probably see it as a bit of a treat.

You've just had one bad night because you were up late and you've got a lot going around your head at the mo. This is ENTIRELY NORMAL. I think we forget that that 'normal' people in the RL have bad nights when their minds are busy. I get reality checks when I see someone at DS1's school who moans about lack of sleep and I think 'oh yeah, it's not just me then'. It's nothing to do with your mental health on a larger scale - it's just a one-off.

MrsJT Paul McKenna has helped me soooooo much I recommend him!!

thanks becky you talk a lot of sense

How was lavendar woman

This will cheer you up. She had me sitting in a chair relaxing my muscles one by one and then doing breathing exercises. I nearly fell asleep . Seriously I couldn't stop yawning.

I feel bad for dissing her because she's only doing her job but I think she thinks she has really helped me and can now 'tick' me as nearly better, when really any improvement I've made has been down to you guys, encouragement from DH, and myself, not her. The next time I see her will be a month from now.

How are you feeling now GetDown?

Well, the fact she nearly got you to sleep... impressive! Maybe there's more to this woman than the faint wiff of lavendar after all...

Am feeling a bit better than earlier. DD ate a piece of carrot at dinner which cheered me up no end! (she never eats vegetables).

Also DH has been totally lovely and said I am to relax tonight and do whatever I want. He is putting DD to bed right now and will then do the washing up I love him.

Ha ha ha! That matches what I've just put on your facebook status. Your DH sounds lovely - he knows just what you need.

GetDown I hope you slept well last night... I didn't

I just felt funny not having DS1 in the house and it happens every time he's away. I eventually fell asleep about half midnight at a guess (try not to look at clock). Then woke at 5am full of knotted anxiety - HORRIBLE. Ah well. Another day, eh? I don't feel too bad, just tired zzzz.

Hi ladies,
Sorry you had a bad night Becky - totally empathise with the knotted stomach anxiety I had a bit better night than the past week - got to sleep just after midnight and woke once at about half four (forgot to cover the clock...) but think I dropped off not too long after thanks to those counting the breaths tips.
Hope everyone else had a good night

Hi everyone, sorry you had a bad night becky

Glad you got enough sleep piggymad even if not perfect

I started to feel a bit anxious last night and was toying with the idea of taking a zopiclone

But then I thought "no, I'm not going to let this stupid insomnia beat me!" so I decided not to take one.

Went to bed about 10pm feeling a bit funny and nervous (we've got friends staying all weekend so I really needed a good night).

Listed to our friend mr. Paul Mckenna, and then dropped off naturally! DD woke up at 6am, DH saw to her then she went back to sleep so we all had a lie in till about 8:30am!!! Amazing!

Feel so refreshed. Ahhh.

Good old Paul Mckenna

Oh GetDown that is fantastic. Well done!!!!!

Piggymad really glad my tip worked for you!
I didn't have a very good night .
I tried to go without a nytol as I knew I could have lie in this morning etc. dropped off OK but woke up at 1am and went and took one, but turned out that it was noise that had woken me (DP was awake too and said neighbours were having noisy sex - bit of a prob at the mo and not something you can complain about to them ! - and there was a noise in the street or something too) so was a bit about the noise.
Then tried to sleep in DDs room but she was also a bit noisy, just grumbling in her sleep etc.
In the end went back to our bed but overall probably got around 7 or 8 hours which is fine, just a stressful night though.
Dreamt I met you becky!
Well done getDown that's great! every time that happens you should be more confident the next time.

Hope you have a lovely time with your friends getdown. We have DPs parents coming for the day and are going out for a picnic at the botanic gardens. should be lovely .

Getdown so glad you slept - was a bit worried when you were still putting stressy posts on fb last night (so much to do etc).

Sorry about the others who had stressy nights.