Advice

[Chappy12]

Hi everyone..need some assistance up all night last night..haven't been there for four mths..had real bad insomnia last year.sleeping alternate nights which gradually resolved...last 5/6 weeks been getting about 5/6 hrs a night but will have one night in the week were I get 2/3...so scared that I'm going to go back to were I was last year..triggers my health anxiety and death anxiety...I grew to fear sleep ..it comes back to go again...I'm 52 this year could it be age related as well..I am also a mum to my lovely daughter who has autism and tourettes which causes sleep disturbances as well..I'm constantly tuned in...feel like rubbish so tired 😢my Dr said it's more the anxiety which is a problem than the sleepless nights

[Mriv1027]

Hi Chappy, my sleep patterns are similar to what you are experiencing. It's really hard to face sleep when you are scared it's going to cause you anxiety or fear. One of the changes I made that had the biggest impact was how I viewed sleep in general. I would say to myself, "ok, it's time to sleep. If you do, great. If you don't, that's ok too." Basically I gave myself permission to be ok about not sleeping. Just because everyone else is sleeping doesn't mean I need to be too. If I have a particularly bad bout of insomnia 2-3 hours a night, multiple nights in a row, I will utilize my medication to help get me back on track and understand that right now, I have to take care of myself and it's not permanent. I use music, nature sounds, journaling, and art to help distract myself or calm myself when I have a tough stretch. Sending you positive thoughts ~