Everynight I wake at 1-3am, I'm unable to return to sleep. I get around 3hrs sleep per night. In the day I feel terrible. On the rare occasion I slept better then I feel great (so it's within my reach!) have had this for 3 years. It can get worse, in the past I've been able to get up for an hour and then go back to sleep. It got much worse when I returned from working in Cyprus (sunny) to the UK (not sunny).
When I wake It feels like my heart is beating harder (or atleast I'm noticing it more), my heart rate is just a normal waking heart beat rate, so it's not faster but it's not a sleeping rate (checked with pulse oximeter). All ECG's show ok. When I wake I don't think I'm particularly thinking and worrying about not sleeping, maybe subconsciously I am, IV tried not to. Sometimes it's the same feeling when I lay down to go asleep, but mostly I get a the big sleepy feeling and initial sleep onset is ok.
In the daytime, I don't feel particularly anxious or depressed, I am fed up with not sleeping, so there could be mild anxiety/depression too. I do exercise, I have appetite, I don't sit around not wanting to do nothing.
Is this anxiety ????
I have tried CBTi techniques - sleep restriction, deep breathing etc, but with limited results, I got from average 3.5hrs to 5hrs after 8 weeks of sleep restriction (only 6 hours allowed to sleep per night). It was also very inconsistent, it seemed some days id get shorter sleep for no apparent reason, I got so exhausted I got chest pains and had to stop.
Then I went onto trying 1mg Melatonin (past 2 weeks) this seems to lower my heart rate and extends my sleep slightly (5hrs) but leaves me with some headache, sleep groggyness, not refreshed. I've tried cutting the melatonin in half, and found that my mind/body then decides it will no longer sleep at all. No level of exercise increases my sleep.
I have a few choices that I can see:
1) Try sleep restriction again, but push on for longer, believe me this is very very hard, to keep yourself awake in the evening I have to constantly move otherwise I nod off (and loose the sleep drive over built up).
2) Try some depression/anxiety medication. I tried Citalopram 20mg for one day, and it made me feel very strange, also loss of libido. Mirtazapine, I didn't yet try this, but iv read it may help with sleep, could give me some other daytime symptoms, but mainly in concerned that it appears everyone has major issues stopping taking this even when tapering, I'd be afraid of many months of effort for the insomnia to return when I'm off the pill.
3) do nothing and live low quality life
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daleuk
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Never had heart problems, but one friend with diagnosed anxiety syndrome does have strong heartbeat when he rails up.
A lot of 'anxiety' I experienced mid night was a circular thinking about why I can't sleep + having just emerged from deep sleep, you are still in sort of a limbo state and thoughts just feel slightly insane. But good news - once you get a good sleep, all symptoms subside significantly. And once you learn to just accept your thoughts (like you did as a kid.. we weren't scared of our dreams or confused thoughts. So why start now?) anxieties go away really fast
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To aid sleep I'd suggest removing ANY electronics 1 hour before bed and not using anything if you happen to wake up mid-night. Yeah, it's hard if that's a habit.
Next would be doing some exercises, preferably seriously in gym about 4-5 hours before sleep (i.e. you are done 4 hours before bed). Don't do exercises too late - I have had tiresome workouts just to find out that I am so pumped and excited internally, I can't sleep at all. Putting body in maintenance mode will make your brain less occupied with having anxiety attacks.
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Melatonin helps, but your body actually secretes a lot of melatonin, if you have a good sleeping regiment.
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Alcohol is a very bad substance to use for this - will make you sleep longer, but quality of sleep will be extra low. Weed seems to work well, but it will make you a bit dumb in long-term (personally I feel quite a drop in my memory, and my job is to know million details at any time. So it's no wonderdrug, just less taxing on you than alcohol), and again - I would not advocate using anything, especially drugs to combat any bodily problems. Human body has evolved especially to counter any problem or adapt.
My reigeme is as good as it gets, everything you kindly suggested I do and more. It's really the anxiety iv never been able to conquer, and now I'm really thinking the only way to possibly break this is with some medicine like Mirtrazapne. I've done all the CBTi stuff like sleep restriction, and yes I got myself from 3.5hrs to 5hrs with 8 weeks sleep restriction but I was still awakening at the 5hr point with the same heartrate, so really I think maybe the sleep restriction actually exasperated the anxiety further
... rather than calming it and retraining my brain to sleep when in bed. Maybe or just that I quit at a critical moment and maybe some months (and I mean months) more and I could have cracked it or gone crazy! (I got tinitus in the process). So I'm undecided, I have two routes relax as much as I can (now that I'm off work) and try CBTi sleep restriction once again, slowly slowly or hit the meds to force sleep get rested and then as I taper off put in place the same sleep restriction to retain the sleep as I come off what has been making me sleep. Hope that makes sense and my phone typed English isn't too bad
Hmm, you have taken a vacation.. I'd go medicine way just because you now have some free-from-stress period and can observe better how your body responds.
Also from drugs I know - Noofen (contains phenibut) is quite good, but it has short tolerance cycle. So it is a quick fix, and should be dropped after week of use, to avoid enlarging doses. It's otherwise harmless, but made me extremely chill and not bothered by anything (but did not make me irresponsible or dumb. Just not really bothered. I felt everything will be fine and there is no reason to stress).
Hi daleuk sent a message to nobster as had difficulty with computer, by mistake.
So sorry you have so much trouble with sleep. it took a long while to diagnose a sleep disorder. I find I cannot sleep without a sleeping tablet but follow a routine, shutting down computer at least an hour before going to bed. I watch a comedy or something light hearted rather than a thriller or morbid drama. I also have a hot milky cocoa and a snack such as cheese and crackers. Eating foods with tryptophan producing a pre cursor to sleep before you go to bed may aid sleep. Eggs, dairy ,meat, turkey, chicken, fish, all contain this. Combining the protein with a carb such as bread, potato, noodles, can enhance sleep as a bed time snack. I wait until at least 11pm before taking my sleeping tablet, and turn the bedroom light out putting on a plug night light or leaving the door ajar for light in the hall. Pitch black rooms are recommended to encourage the sleep hormone melatonin. We tend to shut down in the dark, but be active with sunlight or day light. Guess a change of climate from Cyprus to less sunlight has altered your body rhythms.
Hope your medication helps and you get help for your sleep problem,
Yes the whole sleep hygiene I have down to a T. I now think it's anxiety that's driving the sleep problem, but it's a strange one as it mainly manifests itself at night time, subconsciously, as I don't particularly lay thinking oh god I can't sleep, but anyone who can't sleep on someway or another is going to think this! You gotta be very very superhuman strong to not do that at all and be completely ok with the situation. I say anxiety is the driver because my initial sleep is ok, it's just an awakening with the heartbeat but not so much the 'thoughts'. It's not low blood sugar, i do the snacks, my diet is good, I don't drink/smoke, I exercise when I can, never the person to mope around at home. I just need to break the awakening cycle...
Insomnia can be a feature of hyperthyroid disease. If you haven't had tests for thyroid and diabetes to rule them out, then may be you should have them done.
A full run of your vitamin levels including B12 B6 B9 folates, and iron levels might help.
Magnesium and potassium and calcium deficiencies may affect your heart. Banana and tomato juice are higher than most foods. You could take magnesium carbonate as a supplement, though some would recommend different forms of magnesium. I found it effective for muscle cramps found in Renies indigestion tablets over the counter.
Vitamin D deficiency too should be checked. I know your diet is good but that does not reflect the actual levels in your blood. Hope you can find the key to breaking the cycle.
has an article Hypervitaminosis D causes symptoms and diagnosis.
As you have a star by your D results then too much vitamin D can cause hypercalcaemia in the blood. This may rise your blood pressure, and cause effects related to BP such as anxiety and irregular heart beat. From your blood test. I could see you had a fasting insulin test. This is not the same as a fasting blood glucose level test.
Info on, Fasting Insulin Test Diabetes forum (Diabetes -The Global Community) can be found on
Advice from global research global community indicates that both tests for fasting insulin and fasting blood sugars should be done.
For further comment on your thyroid results concerning TGAB and anti thyroglobulin tests
may be you should join ThyroidunlockedUK website. You can refer your thyroid results to the administrators, and they can recommend if they are within low normal levels or at optimal levels. If You have not had a fasting glucose blood test, I would have it done.
The uk diabetic web sites give normal ranges of blood sugar/glucose for fasting and after eating - so this may be helpful if you already have had the blood glucose fasting test.
If you are taking vitamin D supplements your doctor may recommend you stop them and advise you if you have hypercalcaemia by testing for your calcium levels. There are sometimes physical causes for anxiety and depression.
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