Terrible insomnia and sleep anxiety, what will GP do?

[Xenomoth]

I’m suffering from terrible insomnia at the moment and associated sleep anxiety. I literally can’t sleep and last night was awake all night.

I am an anxious person anyway, and this has triggered panic attacks and worsening anxiety. I’ve had to call in sick to work today as I can’t face it.

I’m not sure really where to turn and am getting increasingly desperate. I have a GP phone appointment in a week and am wondering what they will suggest. Heavy duty sleeping pills aren’t going to be any good as I must be able to get up and go to work the next day.

has anyone experienced similar and have any words of wisdom?!

I know magnesium is supposed to be really good, the two times I took it (magnesium glycinate) I slept really badly, apparently in some people it can have the opposite effect, so maybe that was me or maybe just coincidence.

I will look up the kind patches, I’ve not heard of them. I know it’s bad but I do wish I had more diazepam. I can see why people end up hooked on it, it just melts worries away.

Another vote for a course of sleep restriction. It worked for me (for a few months) - taught my body to fill itself fit to bursting with the need to sleep.

I think I need to do it again tbh.

I take the occasional Stugeron, or travel sickness tablet, which really helps. Prob not supposed to! But since kids can have them for their desired purpose I feel it's prob not to bad. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

@charitynamechange interested to know what time you got up and went to bed? The only thing that puts me off it is that I am extremely anxious about sleep and I am worried that the anxiety will build the longer I am waiting to go to bed.

You said you wanted someone to 'talk sense to you' - someone on another thread recently recommended the Paul David website. I found it really helpful, so a link it case it helps you.

https://anxietynomore.co.uk/

Yes I do work. Like I say I’m groggy on 20mg but 10 is ok. I buy the phenerghan from online pharmacies @Floofydawg you can also get children’s liquid phenerghan which you can alter the dose more easily on and it absorbs really fast. Sometimes I can get away with just 5mls of that

@Xenomoth went to bed around d 1am.. lots of Netflix and crochet and late night yoga!
You have to get up at normal time - so I'd wake and get up between 6.30 and 7.

I’ve had horrible insomnia and sleep anxiety in the past. I feel your pain.

I took mirtazapine when I was at one of the lowest points and that did help.

Also did a Cbt course through the DRs surgery. Other things that worked was headspace… especially the stories. They were very calming. Relaxation/ meditation before bed helps with the anxiety and it’s really finding something that will reduce that which is key.

I have also found getting up and watching TV and making a snack helps because it just distracts me. And sometimes sominex or melatonin.

It will get better! If you can tell yourself it’s just the anxiety talking and anxiety is a liar…then you can begin to feel reassured that you will sleep normally again!

My GP prescribes zopiclone and is fine about it because one box literally lasts me about 6 months and it really does work for me .Just half a dose every 6-7days gets me in the right zone .

P

I'd be seeking some support for anxiety, whether that's a prescription drug, counselling or CBT (or combo), sounds like that's the issue causing the insomnia. What do you do during the night, do you just lie there? Better to get up and read or listen to a podcast or audio book - try and take your mind off not being able to sleep.

@Shellingbynight thanks for that link, it looks really interesting and I will proper look later.

I do tend to just lie there, probably the worst thing to do but I fear seeing the time if I get up. Interestingly, last night I was taking a long time to get to sleep. My DH happened to be awake and I complained to him about it and he told me I’d been asleep by that point for about an hour prior to waking. I found that somewhat reassuring and managed to sleep again after a while. So perhaps when I think I am awake all night I am actually getting some sleep.

I’ve booked to see a psychotherapist and am still waiting to hear from the doctor. Anyway, tonight I will have a glass of wine and try and relax a little. I don’t stress about sleeping at the weekend as I know I don’t have work the next day. So feeling a little more positive (at least until Sunday night!)

Sleepio is recommended by the NHS (NICE) as evdience based treatment for insomnia. It’s an app with CBT for insomnia, it is free in some areas so worth a look.

I’ve got the Sleepio app, it seems good and is making me aware that I am probably spending far too much time in bed and should probably go to bed later.

Still can’t sleep! Has anyone tried Melatonin?

I have done the Sleepio course and tried melatonin. Sleepio was good for knowledge and "tools" that I use and sometimes work. Melatonin - I have the jury out on. I have managed to sleep sometimes after taking one but that might be down to coincidence!

Melatonin gives me a really bad headache next day

It's the worst feeling to be lying awake all night, especially when you have work the next day. I've definitely been in similar situations before. When my anxiety was at its peak, it took a toll on my sleep too. Waking up after a night of barely any rest and then having to face work was brutal.

Here's what helped me:

Talking to my doctor: They were able to rule out any underlying medical conditions and suggested some natural sleep aids like melatonin. It wasn't a magic cure, but it did help take the edge off.
Relaxation techniques: Deep breathing exercises and meditation before bed helped calm my mind and ease me into sleep. It takes some practice, but it can be really effective.
Healthy sleep hygiene: Creating a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and screens before bed, and making sure my bedroom was cool and dark all made a big difference.

Honestly dealing with Primary school children when you have had barely any sleep is hellish. I’ve spoken to the doctor. He has recommended a low dose of an antidepressant of which I can’t remember the name. Think it began with an M. He says he doesn’t think I have insomnia so much as an anxiety problem which I think is entirely true, I could almost cope with missing sleep if it didn’t bring crippling anxiety the next day.

Just a little scared now of potential side effects but if it helps the anxiety and that in turn helps the sleep then it will be worth it I guess. Thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread, it’s really helped.

Has he given you mirtazapine?
Good . I'm glad he listened.
Did you take it last night?

@Xenomoth I don’t think anyone’s suggested melatonin. This is our own sleep hormone, it doesn’t put you to sleep but gets your body ready for sleep and allows you to sleep.

You can but it over the counter offshore from Biovea. It’s perfectly safe and legal to go so, you used to be able to buy it in the uk and it’s sold in US much like a vitamin is here.

Its non addictive and when the dose is right there’s no groggy after effect and no other side effects.
You can choose short acting (helps you get to sleep) slow release (helps you stay asleep) or combine both which what I do.

Daily dose 1mg-10mg depending what you need.
You need to take it daily for best effect, same with magnesium. Neither of these are sleeping pills, so you take them daily at the same time to get your body where it needs to be.

I would also add daily cbd oil this can be very effective for anxiety and sleep with no other effects. This is best taken as divided doses throughout the day. Healthspan is a reputable brand. If you are a lucky person who cbd is effective for, you would see some benefit before the 3 weeks is up.

In your place I’d order all of it and probably try it before or with the prescribed meds, these options I’ve mentioned are gentler on the body than anti anxiety meds (which you may or may not still need).

@Mynewnameis I think that was the name of it, have you taken it? Unfortunately due to the pharmacy I can’t get it until Tuesday. Just need to try and take it without reading the long list of side effects as I will think I have all of them.

This episode of insomnia has made me realise how much anxiety and obsessive negative thoughts control my life. It’s forced me to take a long hard look at my behaviour and I’ve had a realisation that if I don’t sort this now, it’s going to get worse and worse. Even if I sort the sleep it’ll be something else, just like it has been in the past. Hoping some therapy and medication might help. I was always so against medication but I’m really just not sure what else to do.

My husband had it for a while and that's why I know of it. He was very unwell and the crisis team said it was very good for sleep. Once he was more stable he switched to another drug. It did help with the sleep.

I went for amitriptyline instead. A similar drug in some ways.

All have side effects. Some people get different ones so I'd just try not to read what might happen as it might not, or something different.
I couldn't take sertraline for example as I got night sweats. No-one else I know taking it got them.

Thanks @Mynewnameis I hope your husband is better now.

I suffered from severe insomnia like you are describing (many nights of absolutely no sleep) and honestly, the only thing that helped me was Mirtazapine. It’s good that the GP has prescribed this because it honestly is the best drug out there for severe sleep issues.

I have always had bouts of insomnia, that were very unpleasant and would resolve themselves eventually. A few years ago, I started what I thought was a “bout”. But it never stopped. Days and days with no sleep, and when I did get sleep, it was only an hour or two, and then days with nothing again. I was an exhausted, anxious wreck.

I was so resistant to Mirtazapine, because it can make you gain weight. But I had tried so many things (Zopiclone, Zolpidem, trazadone, amitriptyline) and I was getting so desperate.

Honestly, once I started taking Mirtazapine, I felt like a new woman. I slept every night, and it helped so much with the anxiety I was experiencing. I’ve been taking it for nearly 7 years now, and my life has improved drastically in that time. In fact, I improved massively in the first month of taking it. It’s amazing how much better life is once you can sleep!

I really hope it helps you too. Honestly, I am living proof that this can get better ❤

@Killerpinkflamingo thank you for sharing your experience, I am so glad it worked for you. I have had bouts of insomnia before this too, but never to this extent. In the past I would at least be getting a few hours sleep which I could cope with. Whole nights spent lying awake with racing thoughts and a pounding heart are new to me and so much harder to cope with.

I think that unless you have experienced them repeatedly, it’s hard to convey the utter sense of despair and isolation you feel when you see the sun coming up, knowing you haven’t slept, knowing you have work and wondering how you will get through the day. Then to not know if you will even sleep the following night. Keeping everything crossed the medication works for me.

How are you OP ? Did the dr suggest having some time off work as it does sound like anxiety is the root of your problem
I also suffered with severe insomnia for months it was pure hell. I would be drifting off to sleep and at the point I would have a panic attack.
i had issues with medications and kept swapping due to being scared as my dad got addicted to tranquillisers . In the end I think it was Promethazine that helped me get back to sleeping.
Magnesium and sleep gummies from Holland and Barrett are me sleep well at the moment but if I ever go how I went before I wouldn’t hesitate to take promethazine.

I too suffer from insomnia - it can take ages for me to fall asleep.
A pharmacist terrified me by telling me that an ingredient in Nytol One A Night ( which helps me ) had been linked to dementia and I have read articles about this.
I decided to try Magnesium Glycinate as this is the magnesium that is supposed to help with sleep.
I took 2 tablets at night but didn't find them as effective as I would like. Some nights were ok.
The recommended dosage is 3 tablets per night.
I decided to try 3 tablets last night and had a good nights sleep.
I was prescribed Amytriptyline by my GP but found it useless.
Likewise Piriton.
A previous GP had prescribed sleeping tablets but my present GP is not a fan.