I need help falling asleep
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Hi everyone, I need some help. I’ve been having insomnia all week, and tomorrow is the 2 year anniversary of my friend’s murder, so I know it’s only going to get worse from here. I was having anxiety and “nightmares” while I was awake last night. I fell asleep around 4:30 am last night and had to be up at 7 am for work, but I’m wide awake right now. I can deal with the crying and the lows I’ve been going through the past few days, and I’ve been doing better than I anticipated, but it’s the panic I have that is stopping me from sleeping–and it’s just harder to want to go to bed. I drank a lot of wine last night because that usually gets me tired, but it didn’t help, except for me being in a hilariously good mood. I’ve been staying with my boyfriend this week because I don’t want to be by myself at night. I convinced him to sleep with the lights on last night because I was anxious–yeah I know, lights don’t help. I’m physically exhausted, and I feel like I’ve tried everything (though melatonin is not an option for me). I don’t normally have insomnia–although it has happened before. So what are some ways to help fall asleep and getting over this type of insomnia?
JKParticipant
Maybe some meditation techniques? It might help relieve a bit of anxiety, thus helping you sleep.
Kristina I’m so sorry for what happened to your friend 
I hope this anniversary goes by as well as can be expected for you and just know we’re all hear for you in whatever aspect you need us!
In regards to the insomnia, have you ever tried hypnosis cds? I find myself drifting off to sleep often times to the sound of a soothing radio announcer whose podcast I really like most nights, but occasionally I also like to listen to some anxiety reducing or positive thinking hypnosis type cds on really stressful nights.
qmParticipant
I’m so sorry for your loss. It might help to do something that I sometimes do when my anxiety is really bad. Make a list of everything on your mind. And just keep writing until it doesn’t even look like a list anymore. Then go back and really examine everything. In my case, it’s usually going back through and organizing everything in to-do lists, but you might look at things to see what anxieties are rational, what aren’t, etc. Hopefully, your insomnia is only being triggered by the anniversary, and it’ll go away afterwards.
I was going to say melatonin but you can’t use that. Self-hypnosis like suggested by Lili and if you don’t have any you can find youtube videos that do self-hypnosis or try theta brain wave videos on youtube or videos that have the ocean or running water sounds in them. Also, you can try Tylenol pm. One other thing is to take a shower as warm as you can stand just before bed and you will naturally relax as you cool down. A combination of hot shower followed by laying in bed listening to a self-hypnosis video would probably put you to sleep.
Sleeping pills? (unless all of them have melatonin, I have no idea)
Make sure all lights are off, have no electronics turned on near you, don’t watch tv or use the computer or the cellphone before going to bed.
Uhm idk, sometimes having sex before going to sleep helps me fall asleep, yet sometimes it wakes me up so you can try that maybe, if you are in the mood at all.
Make sure you tire your brain, when I have insomnia my brain is super active and starts thinking about all sorts kinds of stuff. So maybe read something.
I am really sorry for what happened to your friend and that you are going through all of this, I hope maybe some of our suggestions work for you.
A woman I know knows a woman whose husband committed suicide after taking ambien. And now they are in the middle of a wrongful death suit on account of something something. If you’re at all depressed, don’t take ambien. That’s what this woman told me. She recommended taking 1/2 a pill for starters I took a whole pill and two glasses of wine on accident (I drank the wine first and then took the pill not thinking that I just had two glasses of wine). I didn’t automatically pass out though. i was still wide awake for awhile I slept 9 hours that night which, for me, is a shit ton. But I didn’t wake up feeling rested. I woke up feeling like I had *just* gone to bed and then BAM 9 hours had passed but I didn’t notice it. …. Eh, I’m not a fan of pills. I’ve heard too many horror stories about the effects they’ve had on some, and then other stories about them not really working well at all. I say they’re not the risk. What is keeping you up? Are you stressed? Nervous about something? I think you should try to pin point what is keeping you up. Stress keeps me up. It helps to do yoga or exercise heavily right before bed. And it helps for me to try to play mind games and convince myself that there is nothing I can do about it for the next 10 hours so I may as well use that time to SLEEP. … It doesn’t always work but I try.
Nothing knocks my ass out better than a stiff drink. A full stomach can also work for me too. Sorry about your friend.
wow, that’s a rough situation.
Maybe this is a weird question but: do you *need* to get a certain amount of sleep? Like are you going to be driving or doing schoolwork? If you know that the insomnia will fix itself once the anniversary has passed, waiting it out might be an option. (especially if you’re hesitant to use any sort of sleep aid). I know not being able to sleep is hella frustrating, but you also know that there is a good (temporary) reason for your inability to sleep.
If I really can’t sleep and need to get sleep (I’ve also been having some weird insomnia lately) I will take regular strength Benadryl or nighttime cold medication. Both have me basically comatose in half an hour! But you do need to take them early enough that you get a full night’s sleep, or you might be too stoned to function the next day.
And yeah, stay away from Ambien and other sleep aids. That shit is cray.
I really suggest a relaxation or guided imagery CD or mp3. This one is amazing, and it really works! I was a skeptic too, but it won me over. I use the Help with OCD guided imagery, because OCD is more than just actions, it happens with thoughts you don’t want to have, and that sounds like what you are doing. I would really consider trying this, I have the mp3 on my ipod. She has a bunch though, you can read the descriptions. I’m very, very sorry about your friend, and I’m sending some relaxing feelings your way.
Here is the link: http://www.healthjourneys.com/Product_Detail.aspx?id=411&mcid=1&catid=
Thanks y’all. I am going to try some hypnosis and relaxation tapes..I’m such a skeptic but I will try!
Have you tried reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being? That book *always* put me to sleep. I recommend it. And if that fails, well then you can tell me what happened because I couldn’t get through it – I kept falling asleep.
@caitie: Oh and unfortunately I have no choice but to be at work at 9 am. I think Benadryl might be my last resort if the hypnosis and meditation stuff doesn’t work. Don’t worry I don’t have to drive to for, haha.
Good luck Kristina. The best one I have , I bought. They’re by Dick Sutphen. but these seem easily available :http://www.freehypnosistreatment.com/hypnosistreatment.html
Wishing you a peaceful night!
I can’t relate to why you’re having insomnia, but I have it more and more lately. One thing that has really helped me — is to watch old movies or to put them on at least in the background as semi-white noise. It has to be movies I know so well as I have seen them a bazillion times… The original STAR WARS, for instance, works wonders for me. I love this movie, but it is so ingrained in my psyche that I am usually knocked out by the time the Jawas nab Artoo…
Another trick is podcasts that I have already listened to.
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