Help please! sleep anxiety?

Question

i haven't been able to sleep at night. when the problem first developed i was just not able to fall asleep, the next night i was uncomfortable so i didn't sleep again. on the third night i was exhausted but now feeling pressured and nervous about sleeping, i didn't fall asleep until 5am. Now since then i have anxiety that i am not going to be able to sleep. when i lay down at night i start to drift off and then i become conscious again, the cycle happens all night long. i recently went to the doctor and he prescribed me kolonopin, i have been sleeping well for two night s but in the morning i am still sleepy and i am then unable because i become nervous about the thought of sleeping. i am desperate for natural sleep, i am tired and i know i can sleep but i become nervous and my chest starts to feel tight and i cant seem to get past the first part of sleep before my body wakes me up or i drift back to consciousness. does anyone have any medical suggestions? Has anyone ever suffered from this? Please help i am in college and i am desperate for sleep. any suggestions are appreciated, thank you!

Answer 1

Exercise, but not within 2 hours of bedtime. Have a warm bath, or shower, an hour before bedtime, then a glass of very warm milk, possibly with Horlicks, or one of the herbal teas, below, and use dimmer lighting. Put your mind in a position where it wants to shut itself off, and sleep. See insomnia treatments, in much more detail than can be included here, in section 3, at ezy build, below. Use one of the relaxation methods, in bed, after lights out, on pages 2, 11, 2.c, or 2.i, but they can take some time to learn, (progressive muscular relaxation excepted) so learn and become proficient in their use during the day.

An alternative is to use the EFT, in section 53, and pages 2.q, and 2.o, saying to yourself: "Even though I currently have a sleep disorder, I deeply and completely accept myself." (or choose your own wording) while you use the acupressure tapping. Some more; quick, and easy to learn, are at http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm The progressive muscle relaxation, (most easily learned) guided imagery, and mindfulness breathing are known to be effective.

Find out which works best for you, in the daylight hours, so you will be prepared, come bedtime. For many people, a good idea is to develop a set "wind down" routine for the last hour before bedtime, so your subconscious mind learns that it is time to put thinking aside, and prepare for mindfulness, (awareness, without cogitation/purposeful thought) or the EFT, in preparation for sleep, but the idea with mindfulness is to not even think about sleeping: just drift off, naturally, during exercising those techniques.

Avoid TV, computer, or anything exciting in this hour, although reading a BORING! book is a good idea. I suggest that you try using the EMDR variant, below, prior to the mindfulness, or the progressive muscular relaxation, but after the EFT, if that method is chosen. Experiment, to find which combination works best for you.

In section 3: INSOMNIA: PAGE O - INSOMNIA: A COMPREHENSIVE POST a variant of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing therapy is shown, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from insomnia, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and anxiety. It is easily learned, quick to use, yet can be very effective; although it is easy to be dismissive of such a seemingly unusual technique, give it a good tryout, for at least a few weeks, to see if it is effective in your case. I learned it from a book by a published clinical psychologist, and now use it every night, and find it works well.

Usually, I have a cup of chamomile herbal tea, an hour before bedtime, and employ many of the techniques in section 3. Others may prefer Sleepytime, by Celestial Seasonings, Relax, Be Sleepy, or valerian root, from supermarket tea, or health food aisles. Milk, or cream should not be used with herbal tea. http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris and anxiety is addressed in section 6: view page N first. I'd discontinue the Klonopin now.

Answer 2

i have helped one person. stop caffine(soda,coffe,chocolate,etc)stop drugs like alergy meds or any that say wont make you sleepy,some anxiety meds have this. get music cd of nature like rivers,wind, rain.

scalp massages and foot rubs. no electronics 3 hrs before bed.

be your alpha dog dont let others command you, like. partying, per pressure, small talk girls do, politic between pers.

good luck.

examine the cause wite it down and bust it up, go girl you can do it.

Answer 3

Do you have a good night routine? An hour or 2 before bed, don't watch any tv or use the computer or do anything else stimulating. Have a warm shower or bath, drink warm milk (this is a natural sedative) or try a few drops of rescue remedy. Listen to soft, soothing music. Practice meditating and just lie in bed focusing on your breathing, not caring whether you fall asleep or not. Or try listening to a relaxation CD or download a podcast, there are specific ones for sleeping.

Also, a huge thing is avoid caffeine at all costs. Drink decaf coffee only, or herbal tea only, and no cola that has caffeine in it. And, dare I say it, limit chocolate.  

Answer 4

hey. get rescue remedy from the pharmacist or chemist. its natural.

there is one for night time to aid a restful nights sleep. what i have to do when i get like that is turn on the telly and watch something rubbish and it will be that rubbish you will want to fall asleep. bach rescue remedy.