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[squeaker99]

Finally weaned myself off the sleeping tablets for two nights and bam had another terrible, no sleep, stomach churning, heart pumping night. I don't calm down until the birds start singing then I have to get up. These bad nights come out of nowhere. I go to bed at 10:30pm feeling OK and then half an hour later start tossing and turning then I know I'm not going to get a wink of sleep.  Feeling frustrated as I seem to be doing all the right sleep hygine stuff. I would give anything to get my sleep back on track. The only thing I haven't tried is the Sertraline.

[Foxylady]

Save money: good health on 7.30pm about sleep natural remedies etc, might be worth a watch!!

[wuzzie]

A word about sleeping tablets.  I found they gave me kick back anxiety and insomnia the day after, even after taking just one, so may explain why you didn't sleep without a pill......I found them habit forming....so use with caution.

[CLKD]

Whereas I had no problems at all  .  5 tablets; 2 nights use .......... didn't need the other 3, I found them in the cupboard dated 1999 

I did tend to stay awake to see if was going to sleep  .  Lava lamp is sulking 

[Wrensong]

Give it a gentle poke CLKD - maybe just needs waking up.

Squeaker - tell yourself your recent sleeplessness was just a blip in response to coming off the sleepers.  You had some very good nights on hardly any meds - so your body CAN get by without them.  I find these nights when sleep is completely elusive very frustrating but I try to see them as something that happens to everyone from time to time & think that what otherwise passes for normal for me will return if I don't pay the really bad nights too much attention & get on with life by day as best I can.  Try to relegate its grip on you if you can.  Not easy, I know, but believe me you can do this & will get through. 

[squeaker99]

Thanks Wrenson. I recognise this is a mental struggle and acceptable is a large part of it. The frustration is the I know hormones swings are underneath it all as I have times/months I feel lucid, energised, able to rationalise things. Then I have these dark patches when my adrenaline loop takes over and it is so hard to control it. I made the decision to start Sertraline yesterday so I will see how it goes. I have always had baseline anxiety and see similar patterns in my father so I am sure Peri has just brought it to the surface. Thanks for your words of support. 

[Foxylady]

I hope steraline helps squeaker99. x

[CLKD]

Little steps.  It's finding something that suits that is Hard Work!

I shook the lava lamp.  Didn't take any notice  so I let it run and eventually the wax warmed up enough - by which time I was asleep 

[squeaker99]

Sleeping better on no tablets so it shows I can do what I thought impossible.

Two days on Sertraline and I'm waking up with a one sided sinus type headache behind my eye / ear. It seems to get better once I get up.
My DH is keen that I carry on with the Sertraline to try and break my anxiety cycle.

I just have to kick my compulsive swallowing into touch now! It feels like my brain just needs something to panic about. I try the breathing, Mindfullness but when I get high anxiety days I find it so hard to override these stupid compulsive thoughts. I am hyper aware of my swallowing now. Any tips gratefully received! I am trying to be gentle with myself.

[Wrensong]

The sleep improvement is great news Squeaker.  Well done.

[kayellvee]

Glad you're sleeping better squeaker.  Not sleeping is a huge anxiety trigger for me and I've been struggling over the past few weeks with it.  Last night, I had an Epsom salts bath for the 1st time and I think it did help, I managed around 5.5 hours on and off, which is the best I've been all week.  I'm going to try it again tonight - I have a feeling I'm probably deficient in a few things including magnesium, so hopefully this should help.

I hear you on the compulsive swallowing thing too.  That's something I've noticed about myself this week.  My reflux has been really bad and I think it might be linked to that, plus anxiety.  Hope the Sertraline helps for you  - good luck!

[squeaker99]

Hi kayellvee....I only wish I knew what is going on hormonally when my anxiety is sky high. I know that insomnia feeds the anxiety but am sure there is a hormonal trigger. Frustrating that I can't find any GPs who will check this. I know the HRT I was put on mid-cycle made things worse anxiety wise but don't know if this was because I was nervous about taking it.  I have just re-read a book called ' The Sleep Book' which I got a few years ago and back then didn't really ' get' - it involves embracing and inviting in your nighttime fears and anxiety (the opposite of what I was trying to do). However out of desperation I re-read it and made myself go along with it and it did work in easing my fears of not sleeping.   Like you I count how many hours I've sleep and clock watch  - both of which are big ' no no's! .  I always wake up at least once a night since I had my son (now 11) but when I am anxious it can be every 2-3 hours or even just 10 minutes after I go to sleep!  I never use to be like this in my 20s and 30s.   Now I am more relaxed about sleep I think my anxious brain has turned to swallowing! Pathetic!
So I am going too continue with the Sertraline which I have had in my draw for 3 years and always baulked at using.   

[squeaker99]

Birdy. What is your advice when I wake up at 2am and can't get back to sleep.
I have read tons on this - get up/watch TV/don't get up/do Mindfullness.

If I wake a 2/3 I can rarely go back to sleep and I find it hugely stressful.

We have no spare room and I have a snoring husband and kids in the house.
I find it so hard to calm down and feel sleepy again. Any tips?

[CLKD]

I slept well yesterday.  Usually it doesn't affect my sleep at night but I was a while getting off: but I knew I had slept - it was 2.45 B4 I dropped off.

I no longer worry ......... it is what it is. 

[squeaker99]

How did you make the move from  ' Shite it's 2am and I'm still awake and scaring my self whitless'  to ' not caring' - was there a damascus moment ? I tell myself that I am going to be unbothered and cool about it but then once in bed , listening to my hubbie snoring and the taxis going by the adrenaline just seems to kick in. Any tips pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.   

Doc says to keep going with the Sertraline even though it is making me gippy and paranoid! He must think I need it......