Wish me luck tonight with bedtime

[lovesfortune]

I have anxiety (dr. diagnosed) and it gets worse with lack of sleep. For the last 3 weeks or so I haven't been able to fall asleep at night. I go to bed at 9:30 and lay there until 11:30 or later OR I just stay up until 11 or so. My daughter (1 yr) is still getting up in the middle of the night, so I'm averaging about a 4 hour stretch.

Well now my anxiety is over the top because I have been getting NO sleep. No sleep = anxiety. Anxiety = no sleep. Never ending cycle. So tonight I decided to try 2 Tylenol PM's. My mom, mother in law and my sister in law all said that was the way to go, especially since I have a scratchy throat too.

I took them both at 7:30. Wish me luck! I hope to be sleeping by 9!!!

[vicklynn]

I hope that you dont see this reply. Why, cause your in bed, snoozing.

[lovesfortune]

LOL. Thanks Vick. I'm still here, but getting sleepy..going to get off the computer and head to bed. I'll watch some TV I think, but heres to hoping!

[vicklynn]

Glad your getting sleepy. Turn the volume down, set the timer on your tv to go off. Have a great nights rest hon. I know others that have your problem, its no fun.

[Cat]

Hope you get some sleep. May also want to try Melatonine in the future. I often have the problem of not being able to fall asleep - a problem I have had since I was a child. The melatonine has helped a lot. I take it about 15 minutes or so before bed.

[Arrow]

:yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn:

I'll be thinking of you and sending soothing thoughts.

[Dakota Sunrise]

Sleep well! xD :)

[laredo454]

Goood luck:sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep:

[Gypsy Rose]

Hopefully, you're already sleeping- nighty nite!

[JackieB]

You poor thing. I've suffered from anxiety before in my life and I really feel for you.

But hopefully you won't see this message until tomorrow morning when you wake up all refreshed. My mom used to say "Try to think sweet thoughts".

There is a technique that helps some people break the no sleep = anxiety, anxiety = no sleep viscious cycle. The thoughts running through your head are overwhelming, right? But if you "try" to get rid of them, not only do they not go away, but they get worse. Sound familiar? So, don't "try" to get rid of the thoughts, but don't encourage them by spending time allowing them to run around in your head, either. This is how it goes.

"Oh my gosh, I've got to get to sleep or I'm going to be exhausted again tomorrow!"

"Oh, I recognize you. You're one of those bad thoughts that's been ruining my sleep. Well, sorry, but you aren't welcome here. Bye." You just dismiss the thought without putting any energy into it.

Well, of course, the same thought is going to be right back in an instant, correct? So, you just do the same thing. "Oh, you again. Sorry, but you aren't welcome in my head." No tensing up or adding energy to it at all. Just an acknowledgement of the thought and a calm dismissal.

The key is not adding energy to the thought by grabbing ahold of it and saying "You must go now! I have to sleep!" That just creates more stress and makes the suffering worse. The calm, non-emotional acknowledgment and dismissal are what's required.

This doesn't work for everyone I'm sure, but it has helped me immensely over the years.

Anyway, I hope you'll say that you slept like a rock!!!!

[Country Girl 43]

I hope you are sleeping right now. I take Unisom when I can't sleep. Helps me sleep like a baby and I don't feel groggy in the morning.

[Remali]

I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, that part I really can relate too.....and during those times when I had so much stress, after my dad passed away and earlier this year when all that other stuff happened.... my anxiety level was up there too, it is awful. I have a friend who has troubles with anxiety (well, two friends in fact) and one of them takes Xanax (generic is alprazolam) and she says it really helps her, not sure if that is something you would want to try, but maybe if you took it at night it would help you sleep too? When my mother was diagnosed with cancer (many years ago), I took it occasionally in the evening, and it helped me to stop worrying and helped me get to sleep, it is a short-acting drug so doesn't hang with you and make you groggy afterwards.

I hope you got some sleep, I take Tyenol PM now and then too.....hope it helps you get some good sleep.

[TBgirl]

I too, have been diagnoised with Anxiety since I was a child. The docs always pushed for me to take meds but I never would (very rarely do I even take an advil for pain-I just don't like medication). I had to be taken out of school my junior year for a few months of home tutoring. Anxiety is a terrible thing! My grandfather eventually ended up buying me tapes by Lucinda Basset to help overcome the condition and I swear they helped me so much! Now I still have anxiety today, but I'm doing much better. I live on my own and it doesn't really effect my daily life. I still have fears of becoming ill or dying...(one major thing for people with anxiety). But, I think it's understandable why I have those fears....my father died at age 27 of a very rare blood disorder (I was 9 or 10 at the time). Sooooo I think that really created alot of my problems.

Deep breathing always works well. I hope you had a good nights sleep and are feeling better today!

[Remali]

Hope you got a good night's sleep last night!

[Arrow]

We're waiting to hear how it went...

[lovesfortune]

AH! Well the last time I looked at the clock it was 9:17 or so... and I woke up at 9 am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the support guys. Hubby seems to have finally understood it's not just a matter of "going to bed early." He woke me up this morning with breakfast in bed!!!!!!!!!!! He's NEVER done that!!

I did have some crazy dreams...some involving the forum! :)

But I got up, got dressed and spent the next hour or so out with the horses, grooming, picking off ticks (YUCK!) and just hanging out.

So far it's a great day! I might try taking another one (instead of 2) tonight for just 2 good nights of sleep and see if it helps me over all getting to sleep on my own without it.

JackieB - I will have to try that next time if this doesn't work. You are right..the thoughts running in my head are unstoppable some nights.

[Remali]

That's great news! I know when I don't sleep well I feel so horrible, my head aches all day and I just feel so out of it.....a good nite's sleep makes all the difference in the world. And that sure was sweet of your husband to do that for you.....breakfast in bed!!

[Cat]

Great news!

[jeezitsjacki]

oh yay! im glad you got a good night sleep. my boyfriend is going through the same thing where he cant get to sleep. so he is so exhausted all the time but not able to sleep. Maybe I will tell him your trick

[Arrow]

Glad to hear it!

[vicklynn]

Im so glad you got to sleep, and to sleep in. Super cool on the breakfast in bed.

[zoel_222]

Great news! Last time I was having trouble sleeping I took two Tylenol pms (didn't realize how strong those suckers are!), nyquil and a melatonin. I was asleep for about 16 hours :l

[lovesfortune]

zoel... i didn't realize how strong the tylenol PMs were either. THank goodness I took it on a weekend where hubby was home to get up with the kids in the morning or I would have been a walking zombie!

[Equine_Woman]

So glad you got some good sleep!!! It's one of those things that can start ruling your life. I had panic induced insomnia all through High School and just thinking about it is enough to bring it back. . .so I won't!! Hope tonight is as good!

[painthorse72]

I work nights and sometimes it can be hard to sleep during the day espeacially at my new place because my bedroom is a loft and very open. I found the tylenol pms made me groggy weres the melatonin I could get 6 hours and be the same as if Id slept 8. Good luck with the sleep tonight

[SouthernByGrace]

I suffer from anxiety and have racing thoughts that make it hard to go to sleep and stay asleep. I am on prescription meds now but used valarian root to help before that.

[lovesfortune]

THanks for the suggestion of Melatonin. WHere do I find that? At any store? I took one tylenol PM tonight at like 5:30. so we'll see if I wake up groggy with just one. If so, I will have to get something else to have on hand for any nights I have issues.

It's not even 8:30 and I'm already getting sleepy. Which is a GREAT THING for me! Hubby works at 4 a.m. so he goes to bed early too.

[Arrow]

O.K.--this worked last night (it was all me, wasn't it?:D):
:yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn:
:sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep:: sleep:

Sending soothing thoughts...

[lovesfortune]

O.K.--this worked last night (it was all me, wasn't it?:D):
:yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn::yawn:
:sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep:: sleep:

Sending soothing thoughts...


http://dragcave.net/image/JvsY.gif (http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/JvsY)

Lol. If it's all you, Arrow.. then I'll be PMing you every night before bedtime for my well wishes! A much easier fix instead of drugs. :)

[lacyloo]

I have to take a "melatonin" before I go to sleep...IDK why but If I dont take something, I will lay in bed for hours and never get alot of sleep. But they help alot :eek:

[JackieB]

So glad you got a good night's sleep. And hooray for your hubby with the breakfast in bed!

[missdixie]

Yeah that sounds great!