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[countrybumpkin]

    I have posted about this before and you have all been lovely. I had a bad bout of this October last year but thankfully it passed in a couple of weeks with help of some sleeping pills.

    I have been very stressed with the death of my close friend and the week of almost living at the hospital before her death. I slept fine during all this but a few days after she died I went to bed and was wide awake all night and again the next night. I bought some over counter nytol from pharmacy and for past 4 night I have only got to sleep about 3 hrs after I take them and then only for about 4hr max. As you can imagine I don't feel great!

    I have GP appt today and will discuss and hopefully get my usual medication for these attacks of diazepam and sleeping pills for max of 2 weeks. The diazepam usually lowers my severe anxiety enough that I can then start sleeping.

    I am just wondering if anyone else has severe anxiety with sleeplessness?

    I have been told that I can have a referal to psych with this but the wait is 6 months, as I can, some years go up to 7 months okay, I have never taken them up on the offer but maybe I should?

[Evelyn63]

Country bumpkin, dont have much to offer in regards to treatments, but didn't want to just read and run! I suffer from insomnia too, its either I can't get to sleep until about 4 in the morning, or the reverse, I fall asleep ok but am awake from about 4.  Once it gets a hold I seem to enter a loop where it just goes on for weeks on end.   I try and cope by telling myself Ive no pressure to perform as such the next day and can go back to bed if needed, though I never do.   I definitely have no bother sleeping if Ive had a busy day, like when I am up from six to care for my grandchildren, but its the in-between days that I find problematic.

You are bound to feel a bit low of mood since the death of your friend, and the insomnia could be a natural part of the grief process.  I hope the Diazepam and sleeping tablets help you get back to a normal pattern again.   I cant see any harm in getting on the waiting list for the Psych referral, and by the time it comes round you can either go or cancel depending on how you are feeling then. 

[CLKD]

Poor you!  Obviously coped during your friend's final days but now it's catching up with you. Maybe contact Cruise ? [can't remember whether this was your choice?] or see if Age UK have a talking service? 

Grief takes it's time.  Could you write a memorial journal about your friend, a way of sorting out your thoughts and feelings?  There is no time line for grieving.

Hopefully your chosen aids to sleep will ease your insomnia.

[countrybumpkin]

Thanks both.  I have had this problem since I was a child so rather a long time and I know whats behind it due to childhood trauma, I tried cbt a few times but it has not helped. The GP has referred me to a psychologist but there will be quite a wait. 

The death of friend and her husband who has no family and few friends has triggered my childhood fear of being left alone and for some reason not being able to fall asleep is the biggest trigger for the severe anxiety I experienced as a child to rear its head again.  This not being able to fall asleep has always been the biggest trigger and it is time for me to try and beat the little xxx!  If it only affects me once a year then thats fine but its not twice in three months.

The GP is young so they are much more reluctant to use drugs especially the diazepam but she has given me just a few days of this and 14 days of sleeping pills but I am to not take every night, she said as i know that if you have a couple of nights of no sleep then eventually even the most anxious mind will sleep sometime.  My husband laughed and said she doesnt know how bad your anxiety is and how powerful it is at stopping you sleeping

So wish me luck. 

At some point my brain will flick a swich and I will be back to normal and then will be so embarrased about what a fuss I have made, the gp was kind enough to say she sees such alot of patients with my problem but not my extreme anxiety around it - hence the referral.

[CLKD]

DO NOT be embarrassed.  Childhood worries can drip feed down the years  !  I lived in a restless household from the age of 3 when raised voices were heard each evening, now I have realised why [long story short] but it doesn't stop my gut clenching if I hear raised voices!

You know that this will pass and you know the reason/s behind not being able to sleep.  That doesn't help with solving the issue!  I think that talking therapy - getting it out of your brain and away - may well help!  Certainly being able to vent in a secure room with someone who had no idea of my history: who could not say "That couldn't have happened in *your* family" made a huge difference as to sorting some of my anger issues.

Could you ring to see who will be your therapist?  It may be that they do private consultants which might be the way to go?  Starting the process and then you can see if you can revert to their NHS sessions?

[countrybumpkin]

private therapy is very expensive although its probably well worth the money but I will wait and see how long the wait is - think it will be 3-4 months if I am lucky. Once i find out more I can look into it further.

I spent childhood in absolute terror so no suprising that I am a bit loopy as an adult

[Dana]

I also suffered with severe insomnia brought on by menopause.  The only thing that helped me is HRT. I don't know if you are using it or not but it's definitely worth considering if you're not.

Your doctor is right to be very wary of prescribing diazepam or any sleeping medication for that matter. I became dependent on diazepam after taking it for a fairly short period of time and it mesed up my life for about 4 years. Don't underestimate how insideous those medications are and the more you use them the more susceptible you can be to their affect.

Fortunately doctors now are being trained in the dangers of benzos and that's why she is reluctant to prescribe it.

[countrybumpkin]

My aunty was on valium for years and she had to come off it very very slowly back in the 1970's.  Sadly I seem to take after her alot as she had alot of anxiety issues all her life.
The GP did say she was more worried about the diazepam than the zopiclone.  I said that I usually only take one every few nights and put maybe over 2-3 weeks and seh was happy with this.  I do worry though about what will happen if I still can't sleep after a few weeks - its my worrying that needs addressing!
I am already in a blue funk just thinking about going to bed tonight, trying hard not to cry my eyes out in fear

[Evelyn63]

Thinking of you Countrybumpkin, and hope your fears are unfounded and you manage some rest, both mentally and physically .

[dulciana]

Countrybumpkin, my sympathies about your loss and anxiety/sleeplessness.  For myself, I find that magnesium oil spray is hugely helpful in overcoming sleeplessness (mine also anxiety-related).    It's absorbed transdermally - I think that's the word - i.e. through the skin.  The vast majority of times that I use it, I manage to get back to sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.   I know you're being helped by your GP, but just to throw in my penny-worth. 
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Dulciana

[countrybumpkin]

I take magnesium supplement but will look into the spray instead. I didn't know it could be used for this purpose.
How much do you use can I ask?

I took one sleeping pill last night and woke up again after 2 hrs!!!  Had a good talk to my husband about everything as he also woke up and after offloading felt more relaxed and did go back to sleep but haven't had a nights sleep without either nytol or sleeping pill yet. 

[dulciana]

I take magnesium supplement but will look into the spray instead. I didn't know it could be used for this purpose.
How much do you use can I ask?

Two or three sprays, countrybumpkin, which are then rubbed in.  On the bottle, they recommend applying to clean skin (whicvh I take to mean - just after a bath) for best effect. 

[countrybumpkin]

Thanks for that.

We have reclining stressless chairs and I reclined one slightly and shut my eyes earlier not thinking i would fall asleep but over space of 30 mins I woke up twice with my mouth wide open and loud snores then finally my head fell to one side and i thought i had fallen out of the chair   So glad my husband was not in the room to see me!

[dulciana]

   I bet you were!

[CLKD]

Once my GP prescribed anxiety medication 'as necessary' without querying my request, I didn't need to use it as often because it's there as a back up