Insomnia/anxiety attack support. Please, if you have any tips or tricks.

[Sunshine425]

Need support. Insomnia and anxiety attack..... tired of having this affect me. Slept a good hour. Now ive been up not able to calm my brain. Less then 3 hours til I have to be up. Which makes it worse as most of you may relate too. I hope someone has advice or tips. I feel ive tried everything.... no meds for immidiate relief have been prescribed so have to figure this out.....

[MAS_Nurse]

Hello Livemm425

Thank you for your message. I bet you are tired on more than one level. I hope you are feeling a little better now after last night.

You might need to see your doctor to explain how difficult this is for you.

Do you have any current support such as a support worker or any ongoing treatments or therapies? Do you have a trusted person you can share things with?

Has anything happened in your life recently that could be causing things to feel worse for you?

There are relaxation exercises you can try whereby starting at your toes and working up your body you concentrate on relaxing that area, moving up as you go.

Sometimes when you are having a difficult time in the night it can help to get out of bed and leave the bedroom to do something like reading or a gentle household chore until you feel tired and only return to your bedroom when you feel sleepy.

Our members may have other experiences that they can share with you.

The pinned posts have crisis lines that might be useful.

Do let us know how you get on

Best wishes

[Sunshine425 in reply to MAS_Nurse]

Thank you for your support! I am so lucky to have family and a loving fiance that are always here for me. It seems most of them just dont understand the struggles of not sleeping. I do have a counselor and luckily will see her tmrw! Deft going to bring it up. She recently prescribed buspirone. Thanks for the tips I have heard of people needing to get up out of bed, at least for the anxiety attack aspect. I started more hours, changing work routine and planning my weddding. Im assuming thats the new factor. But, The lack of sleep has been a struggle for a long time now. Ive learned a bunch of tricks but some nights nothing seems to work. I dont want to ask for meds and need to rely on something but on other hand feeling desparate.

[Chicago4178]

I use DBT Skills for anxiety - I still suffer a lot but do you know DBT skills? I have insomnia a lot too - sorry to hear- i try to take baths with essential oils but I still suffer -

[Sunshine425 in reply to Chicago4178]

I am going to look that up and luckily I have a counselor apt tmrw! Thanks for msg! I used to love baths, unfortunetly my living situation right now we dont have tub! That will be a must when we start looking for new home! Sorry to hear you relate to insomnia... so difficult

[Sunshine425 in reply to Sunshine425]

psychcentral.com/blog/3-dbt... this is just one article I read. Very helpful for anyone!!! I realized I have already made progress on a lot because ive been working so hard to cope and live a life that makes me a happier, better person. <3 we all owe it to ourselves to be better, get better and be taken care of by the person that matters first.... *ourselves* <3 <3 <3

[Pearl67]

Bummer! I have been suffering for so long, but this last month has been awful! Just a thought here, am in no way diagnosing!!!

I do have hypothyroidism. Most people think of that as being tired all of the time, which is part of the problem! I recently learned (after 30 years of my thyroid condition🤦🏻‍♀️) that insomnia, ( not to mention anxiety and depression,)is also part of thyroid issues! Funny enough I was at the Endocrinologist yesterday and my bloodwork revealed low T3 which upon further discussion informs our sleep🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Sooo, all that to say, make sure your general health is in order, as there are physiology that can inform our mental health and sleep! Watch for food sensitivities, too. I say all of this while still seeking my own peaceful sleep.

Things I that have helped me:

Magnesium before bed

Epsom salt baths before bed

Real chamomile tea starting 1-2 hours before bed

GABA

Prayer/Meditation/breathing exercises

CALM free app

Pretty intense exercise (at least 30 mins) during the day (at least 5 hours from bedtime).I would say swimming or running wins for me

Getting outside everyday

Counseling

Limit sugar/caffeine everyday

Getting out, being with supportive friends/fam

Giving back even in the smallest ways!

I do have a script for lorazepam 1mg of which I take very sparingly. Like I got 30 pills last Nov and just refilled. I can take 1/4 of one of them when I am desperate for sleep and it helps!

Sending hope to you! I know the struggle!

PS are you on any meds currently for your anxiety? I know you mentioned no benzos.

[Sunshine425 in reply to Pearl67]

Yes I started buspirone about 5 weeks ago. 10 mg. I think it is helping, hard to tell what is meds and what is me improving my life. Have been working really hard. I have a counselor apt tmrw luckily! I care for 3 boys as a nanny so outdoors and excercise is a daily thing. I have limited caffiene which in my opinion helps my anxiety decrease. Sometimes I know what is keeping me up but usually I have no idea. I have to sleep with fan or AC (white noise) and sometimes youtube calming music. I recentluly started planning my wedding and on top of new school year meant increased hours/ getting up 2 hrs earlier. so new factors. But, seems as if any time is always a good time for sleepless nights! I somehow always manage.... its just in middle of night my brain isnt able to realize that. Anxiety attacks are scary

[Eabxj28]

Hello I got same trouble did not want meds but if you have to sleep there is know other way you need sleep to recover

[At1012]

Take magnesium oxide and vitamin B12. It helps me greatly.

[Sunshine425 in reply to At1012]

Hey! Just wanted to let you know I brought up magnesium and vitamin b 12 to my counselor and she says deft worth a try! Magnesium for sleep and vitamin b21 for nervous system...nice combo that Im really hopeful for. So thanks so much for the suggestion! <3 <3 <3 <3 from a desparate busy nanny/wife to be!!!

[At1012 in reply to Sunshine425]

No problem anytime. I had lots of issues with anxiety and sleeping and it helps me greatly. I hope it works for you

Let me know if there are any improvements?

[Sara_6s-7s]

Hi- your post really resonates with me as I have had insomnia for over a decade. I don't have panic attacks as such, just anxiety and 'wired' mind that races and keeps me awake. Also I am a light sleeper and live in a noisy area, which does nothing to help.

I was kicked off sleeping tablets this year, and was using them minimally anyway, due to the law of diminishing returns. Some recommend anti-hystamines for the drowsy effect, but they did nothing for me. So am back to the 'cottage' remedies: No stimulants (other than the odd cup of Earl Grey), No meals at least 3 hours before planned bedtime. In addition I am trying to reduce sugar from my diet as much as possible, and generally eliminate processed food. Also No tasks that require concentration, or which maybe anxiety invoking, in the evening or at least late evening. So No looking at bills, or considering finances, No thinking about depressive issues (whatever the triggers may be for you), NO watching the news, or TV generally. I use the internet a lot, but try to wind down with online talks shows/radio rather than images. I also have podcasts loaded on my phone for those early hours when I'm still awake... I also put the phone on airplane mode.

On the subject of internet/TV other electrical devices I now turn everything off at night, and I mean everything, at the mains. I discovered I have high electrical sensitivity so won't have the wifi router plugged in at night, and even disable the lights at the fuse box so I don't accidentally turn on an overhead light and ruin my day/night pattern. I have a torch to go to the bathroom... I appreciate if you don't live alone these measures may have to be negotiated or compromised

OK, after all this, I still have insomnia- but it is better than it was. I have a sort of regular-broken-sleep pattern, whereby I fall asleep for 1-3 hours, wake up for 1-3 hours and then fall asleep for another few hours. This means I have about 60 percent sleep for the hours I'm in bed, which means I spend a lot of time in bed!

The recommendation to keep a normal retiring/getting up routine regardless of how little you sleep did not work for me ; after the 3rd day of 1-2 hours sleep I was a danger to myself and certainly not safe outside due to impaired concentration and coordination.

For the inevitable racing mind, I find breathing exercises the best help. The trick is to breathe as slowly and fully as possible, and to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. This is the one thing that does actually drag my attention away from racing thoughts, and takes 15 minutes at most. Hope at least some of this helps!

[Sunshine425]

Yes to EVERYTHING you said. It seems people can suggest a bunch of things but that fact is we are all different...and all cope different and all have different stressors. I am going through the process of trying ANYTHING that will help. Eating better, vitamins, starting bed time early, getting into a relaxing mind set at a reasonable time. Like tonight my fiance decided wedding planning is cut off at 8:30 : ) I tend to worry about things I have no control over so happy distractions really help! Also not letting others words effect my mood. How I feel and react our my responsibilty. Can only be upset or stressed by other peoples actions if I let them.... thanks for the message!