Navigating anxiety and insomnia

[Mending45]

My anxiety has finally reached the point where it's affecting my everyday life. I've been in sort of a crisis mode since last Monday. Seems to center around sleep. The old, viscous cycle of not getting enough sleep (early waking) and that feeding my anxiety, leading to even less sleep. I wake up after 2-4 hours and panic that I won't get back to sleep. Sleep meds don't help much. I had a therapy intake last night, but won't see my therapist for a couple of weeks. Just looking for advice and support. I started BusPar yesterday, but I know it takes a while to work.

[hypercat54]

Hi I find what helps me is if I can't sleep again after around half an hour I get up and read a book or do a crossword. Once my eyes are tired again I go back to bed and usually sleep. I have heard that eating a banana just before bed is good too.

One sure way I have is to have a drink of alcohol. I only do this in an emergency so if you do choose this be careful not to do it much.

I hope you find something which helps you. x

[Mending45 in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks. I'm a recovering alcoholic (3 years sober) so the alcohol trick is not available for me! I have tried the getting up after 30 minutes thing with decent results (sometimes just telling myself I'm only laying down for 30 minutes, not going to sleep, helps calm the anxiety of TRYING to sleep). I have such great days when I sleep well, it's like I'm a totally different person. Even just 6-7 hours does the trick.

[ladydoot]

I’ve been having the same problem for almost two months now. I take trazodone and it helps me get to sleep but then I wake up any time between 3 and 5am. I’m always tired and anxious and then the vicious cycle continues.

Here a a few things that I’ve been told may or may not work: try a breathing meditation, do a body scan (also a form of meditation), look for any tension in your body and try to relax it, count backwards from 100 by 7s, and count deep breaths starting over after 10.

These have definitely calmed me down at times whether or not they got me back to sleep.

[Mending45 in reply to ladydoot]

Are you on anything daily to help with anxiety?

[ladydoot in reply to Mending45]

I’ve been on Celexa for years and just recently started propranolol as needed for physical symptoms.

[Mending45 in reply to ladydoot]

My doc just put me on time release Ambien. Hoping it helps.

[Desertgigi]

I am very similar....when I am not sleeping well my anxiety goes into overdrive. I started listening to meditation on youtube and it took a few times but I actually fall asleep listening to it. I have been making myself exercise more too. I go hiking every morning and just do as much as I can during the day so that by night I am physically tired. I have to work at it but it seems to help. I went through a period where I would drink a couple drinks but for me that seems to not agree with my anxiety and depression so I don't recommend it. I have been trying to find support groups near where I live but so far there are none I can find. Hope some of this helps.

[Mending45 in reply to Desertgigi]

Thanks! Yeah, I can't drink alcohol (3 years sober), but I have some meditation recordings set up for tonight if/when I wake up and can't get back down. ♥️