help is needed for sleep

[AnxiousValleyGal]

As of 3 weeks ago I have had a hell of a time sleeping. 2 Tuesdays in a row I stayed up for 24 hours.. one of those nights my blood pressure shot up and sent me into panic so I was in the ER….

ever since then, I wake up in the middle of the night multiple times to make sure I’m sleeping.

I can’t help it and this came on all of a sudden .. I’m not getting good rest and even though I’m exhausted from two older kids and an infant and such .. I don’t seem like I can control my anxiety anymore… and I don’t want the medication… they gave me Zoloft and another medicine that’s not Ativan. I hate new meds and I’m not into side effects….

I just want to sleep like normal, turn off my brain/thoughts and live life like I used to.

Any tips or advice are welcomed and appreciated

[Nothing_but_books]

I don't have any advice for getting through the waking all night with an infant stage. You just have to see it through, as you already know with two older kids.

For relaxing an hour or so before bed, I stir a little chocolate Ovaltine (I don't like the malt stuff) into a half a mug of hot milk. It's very calming.

During the day I like Sleepytime tea with a little honey. It doesn't put me to sleep, but it is relaxing.

A short while before I get in bed, I take time-release Melatonin. It seems to help the problem of waking over and over during the night.

If all else fails, I have taken half a Dramamine pill. It knocks me out. I do that very seldom though.

[AnxiousValleyGal in reply to Nothing_but_books]

oh I’m not waking because of my infant— she sleeps thru the night.

I try to go to sleep and the. I wake up and I’m like “oh good I’m sleeping” because I’m terrified of not resting and not sleeping… it’s awful.

But thanks for the tip-

I can’t do the ovaltine because it will

Wake me (chocolate does that to me)

And I’ve tried tea but meh.. doesn’t help like it used to

[Nothing_but_books in reply to AnxiousValleyGal]

We're all different. You've gotta take what works for you.

I've heard so many times that Magnesium helps you sleep, that I've tried it: multiple times from different manufacturers. It destroys my sleep. I wake in just a couple hours in a screaming panic every time I take it. I have no idea if that's just me.

[AnxiousValleyGal in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Yeah I heard that too! But I won’t take it because the same thing happened to my friend! I also have to be careful with my high blood pressure medications and diabetic medication unfortunately

[Downinil]

Hi AnxiousValleyGal! Have you tried a meditation audio? Sometimes that helps me.

[secrets22]

I can sympathise because my sleep is all over the place, and once i start 'thinking' my mind goes into overdrive, its so debilitating being deprived of sleep. One thing that helps me is Valerian complex, it doesn't always work but quite often it does.

[faucet]

Hi, unfortunately Zoloft did not help me, but I do take Mirtazapene at night which does help with sleep a bit. Hope you can get help that makes you feel better. I also take 10mg of melatonin before bed.