Insomnia related to anxiety

[DaVinci2]

Long story short. I suffered panic attacks. Got put on Paxil and a benzo. After 6 months, I was off the meds and 'cured'. Could sleep properly, so I was put a sleeping pill. It didn't help much. My problem was with innitiating sleep. Once asleep I was fine I could sleep like a baby.

Went to a specialist who had me on almost 12 pills of 4 different kinds of medication. After STILL not being able to sleep well, I asked "How long before I can stop taking these meds?" His answer "When you start sleeping properly you can stop taking the meds." Well, how was I suppose to know if I was sleeping well when I was taking all those meds.

Anyways, I slowly tapered myself down to half a pill. Getting by that half a pill was impossible. Because I usually start work at 3pm or so, I can stay up until 4am and get up at 12pm or later and still be on time for work.

Unfortunately, my panic attacks came back. My anxiety is worse than it was before, and I have more meds.

I guess my question is, what do most people do in order to innitiate sleep? It seems that I need noise when I sleep, like music. I need absolute darkness at night. I have odd nights where I will wake up at 8am (after 4 hours of sleep) and then sleep on and off for another 4 or 5 hours. I wake up feeling like crap. Then there are days I wake up on time and I feel fine.

[Faith2Change]

I had problems with that too. My doctor tried me out on a prescription for Trazadone. It's a non addictive sleeping medication that eases you into sleep and helps you stay asleep all night. I know you might be tired of the pills, trust me I know the feeling. If you perfer to sleep in the dark, do that too. Anything that makes you feel comfortable. I sleep in the dark with a fan blowing on high to help.
ask you doctor about the medication if you still are desperate for sleep. It really made a difference with my anxiety and panic attacks because of the lack of sleep.

Faith

[Lilya]

Hi,

Do I ever know what you´re going through. I am going through an anxiety period and there seems to be no way to get a decent sleep. I´m on drugs prescribed by my doctor and this is the highest dose I´ve had since after my divorce. I can´t wait to lower the dose - when things get better, but the problem is a higher dose won´t help either.

I need to organise my work week and finish some projects, but I feel like a wreck with a dry mouth from all the drugs prescribed, that didn´t work.

I used to work in pshyciatric hospitals when I was a student to pay for the school fees and get experice (feel I belong there right now . Anyway, one of the first things I learned was that when patients are too wound up, nothing can get them down except a huge, huge dose, which is not recommendable. The trick is to work on the insomnia in the daytime, then sleep will come, but it´s hard.

I am increasing my powerwalking to one hour in the morning before I go to work and then yoga in the evening. I use DVD for that. I´m going back to learning self-hypnosis and had my first appointment with a therapist.

Faith, do you know if there is a different name for Trazadone? We have different names in Europe for some of the drugs.

Based on former experience, doing these things during the daytime should make sleep easier. All I can say is that I symphatize and I relate to you.

Love and light,

[Faith2Change]

I actually don't know any other names for it.I've only had the doctor's call it that, and that's exactly what it says on the bottle. I don't think there is any other names. But you could look it up online. It's made a tremendous difference in my sleep.

[carl250r]

i will replay everything i did during the day and someitmes like everything i have every done in my life. that makes it hard for me to fall asleap.some times i do and some times i don't , someitmes falling ot sleep is easy/like it will be tonight becasue i worked my ___ off today in direct sunlight with no shade all day,that will usualy allways do it. a hard days work will put you down budy.

also a day in the sun on a boat will suck it out of you.go boating more it is exhausting.

it is easy to go to sleap if you get drunk,but you feel like hell in the morning.

we have some pills i allways forget to take called valriean root,it is some kind of ground up root that seems to help.

SEX that allways nocks me out. sex with or without someone is a good way to get some rest. go have a turkey samwich ,Rub one out and take a nap,works every time

[2stop]

Lilya......I was prescribed trazodone when 14 yrs old....It was called Desyrel then..don't know if any more names beside that, but I do remember it being called Desyrel.....I googled it to make sure my memory serves me!
I couldn't stand it...the drowsiness and weird feeling, like I was being separated from my body was awful! But others have told me it helps them greatly...I think part of me negative experience was being so young.

[Lilya]

Many thanks, Tammie!

I thought I had cured my insomnia by doing yoga and powerwalking during the day and there is no doubt in my mind it helped. I managed to fall back asleep easier. But as I´m moving on the same day I go on a trip abroad, I get more and more anxious and tense.

I´ve tried to get the real estate agent to move it, but he doesn´t do anything. Besides, I´m anxious about one of my cat. He dislike changes and I´m afraid he will run away from the new house. Any advice, please?

I try to take it one hour at a time, but it´s hard... with all these packing boxes piling up.

Love and light,

[2stop]

moving is such a huge stress!! yikes....my sympathies for sure. (((Tight Hugs)))

I don't know about the cat, my old fat lazy Louie is such a sedentary old soul he doesn't give a darn where he is long as he gets fed and loved on!

Yours may juts be a little down a few days and slowly and grudgingly adjust....cats are so different form dogs their 'arrogance' about being 'put upon' is something...love it though....they do have a mind of their own..whereas a dog just kinda goes along with it.

Take a look at my lazy fellow! I love him to pieces......

[2stop]

My newest kitty Lilya!!! He is something else.....also pictured are my shepherd/akita Kia and my shih-tzu Romeo.....first small breed dog I have ever owned and I am totally enchanted with him....I have a zoo here!

I hope you get settled in soon at your new place and restful sleep becomes routine.
I try to take a hot bath 1 1/2 hrs before bed, thye say it helps your body get to the best temp to sleep comfortably...I also have found quite miraculous a lavendar eye mask is great to practice deep breathing/meditation with, together with the aromatherapy it is quite relaxing...really calms me and helps me sleep.

[Lilya]

Thanks Tammie!

Great advice. I will try this lavender remedy for mediation.

Your pets are so great, the kitten is absolutely lovely and your big Louie is a beauty. The dog is great! Do they all get on? I wish I could send you photos of mine, I just don´t know how. One of them is a Persian. The other one, Jupiter, is a "normal" cat. Once I took both of them with me to a house in the country. Jupiter ran away almost immediately. It took me some time to find him! I´m afraid he will run away again so I will talk to the vet or keep him housebound for some time, until he is secure with us at the new house.

Love and light,

[2stop]

Persians are so beautiful!
Mine all get along pretty well actually....better than I expected actually...

I've had cats that would the same....somewhere new and they took off!

DO try the lavender eye mask.....I was somewhat surprised how quickly and WELL I relaxed...nigthtime I tend to be highstrung...my best ideas come then!

{{{Big HUgs}}}

It took me awhile to post pics also...do you have a digital camera?....I don't know how well I can explain it but someone here could guide you through it! Would love to see the persian..they are so elegant...and adorably aloof! Not truly snotty..(well, SOME are! LOL..)