Late night post

[TJacqueline]

I can’t ever seem to fall asleep at a normal time , as soon as it’s time to relax and fall asleep my anxiety seems to creep up on me . Anyone else go thru this ? If so what helps ?

[Davidatp]

I too have problems going to sleep. I have Restless Leg Syndrome and anxiety. My pulmonologist is also a sleep therapist. He prescribed Mirapex and Seroquil. They have helped immensely. I still have an occasional problem with RLS or anxiety, but the problems are minor and I am sleeping fairly soon. Good luck and God bless.

[TJacqueline in reply to Davidatp]

Thank you for replying , sleep tight

[Hidden]

Hey there,

I completely get the sleep problems. It's currently just past 4 AM and I'm awake at work. My bed time varies between 7 to 9 AM until whenever I wake up or have to wake up. I used to have trouble when I worked the morning shift getting to bed, not much due to anxiety, but just because I'm a much better night owl than morning person. That said, there have been days I have laid down in my bed, with and without medicine, to absolutely no luck. Here's what I can suggest...meditation and/or mindfulness audio. One time I was very anxious and not tired at all. I had fired up my usual mindfulness audio app with a kind voice that was softer than his other work. I set it for an hour, closed my eyes, and followed the instructions. Sometime later I tore my ear buds out and was out. Cold. They're very good at getting your mind to just stop. We all do it. Bills, family, plans, job, and everything that's going on.

With anxiety and sleep, I'm not completely sure. Some people fear it, for some it's a trigger, and for some evening anxiety is a thing. The things I've done is this:

* Make sure you have a dark cool room. Turn off the TV, phone is on silent. No disturbances, very little lighting.

* If you haven't already, invest in a good comfy pillow or bed topper that just makes lying down an incredible sensation.

* Try medications if you like. One that doctors like and is a bit old is hydroxyzine. It's really an antihistamine but it has shown to help with both sleep and anxiety. Some hospitals will even use it prior to surgery. It isn't too hardcore and I want to say the worst side effect I've had is dry mouth/dry sinuses.

* Aromatherapy. They have diffusers that mix the oils with water and work a lot like a humidifier (helps with the above medicinal issue). Lavender is one of the most popular. While it won't knock you out, perhaps it'll help with tranquility, mood setting, and allow your mind to rest easier. They also have sprays for your pillow, room, or your body.

* Mindfulness/meditation from above. Seriously, if you want someone to lull you asleep (somehow...I'm still confused how he did it), these audios will have you out.

* Temperature. They advise a cool room, but I like to keep a breathable comforter. Your body tends to drop in temp when you sleep, so being "too cool" (first time I've heard of being too cool being an issue....shoulda used that line in high school) can keep you awake.

* White noise machines. You can find some that play some of your favorites without worrying about a tornado or tsunami coming in. I have one that plays TV static, rain, a casual thunder storm, water washing in from the ocean, and of course everyone's favorite: the cricket chirp. For me, this is a paramount in helping get to sleep during the day when everyone else is moving about. It removes a lot of the annoying hums, noises, and maybe the snoring significant other.

If you're still having issues, talk with your doctor. They might recommend a sleep study to rule out any issues preventing you getting to sleep as well as tackling some of that anxiety. I listed most of the above as sleep helpers, but some also help with anxiety. I think it's good to form a solid plan to let your body begin becoming aware it's nearing bed time. Try avoiding the blue screens as they say as bed time comes closer, avoid heavy meals, ingesting too much water or liquids, stimulants such as nicotine/caffeine, and attempt things like reading a book (non-fiction). I know this sounds weird but I was told specifically reading non-fiction books prior to bed time helps because it helps stimulate the part of the brain dealing with the picture we make in our heads when reading...thus with dreaming.

From a fellow person who doesn't sleep well to another, I actually hope you didn't read this and are off into dream land. If not, I hope some of these thoughts and suggestions help. It's a common issue and I think after spitballing on some of these ideas or others a professional can recommend, you'll have this tackled and be fast asleep.

Best of luck and take care.