Sleep - going to and waking up

[jcapson]

I know a lot of you have sleep issues, so if this has been discussed up the wazoo please feel free to point me in the direction of the door.

I haven't had much trouble with sleep unless I mix medications. It doean't matter what I take or when, it interacts with the paxil and I wake up several times a night.

This time it's different. I'm not mixing meds, but I can't seem to get to sleep. I seem to have only 2 modes. Either I'm wide awake or I'm asleep. yes I'm tired during the day but when I go to bed I'm wide awak way past when I need to be...last night it was almost 1am when I fell asleep.

Waking up is extreemly hard. My alarm is set for 6am and I hit the snooze a couple of times before I get up...normally. Well all of that I do with the exception on getting out of bed. I seem to fall asleep and wake up about 7am instead (this is after the time I need to leave to make work on time). I have been getting to work anyware from 1/2hr-1.5hrs late because of this. HB's solution, for now, is that he'll get up with me to make sure I do get out of bed. It's a great temporary solution but when he gets work I fear I won't be able to get up and get the kids ready and myself to work on time.

Although I won't rule it out, I don't really want to keep taking sleep-aids everytime I need a good nights sleep.

[Alisonj]

Sleep is a huge problem for me. Well I guess it was a huge problem. I have been on Paxil for 11 years almost. My sleep was always really bad. After I had my daughter last year they gave me ativan in the hospital to keep me calm etc. I was a wreck because the sent her home and I had to stay in.
The Ativan worked wonders. I would fall asleep within minutes of taking it and usually sleep all night. 15 mnths later I am still taking it with the Paxil every single night. It still works generally as well, I wake up the odd time but I have a heck of a time getting up as well. Drugs like ativan are suppose to be short term so it may not be a good solution. Have you talked to your doctor about the fact you are not sleeping well? I know that not having a good nights sleep will really mess with anxiety, depression and any other mood disorders.
Do you only have the trouble getting up when you take something or all the time? I know that sometimes sleep apnea or restless legs can play a huge part. I would defintely talk to your doc!!

[Southern_Belle]

Hi,

Sign me up for having trouble going to sleep, waking up during the night always at 3:00 am; and, dead asleep in the morning. I went to a sleep specialist. Here are some things he told me might help:

1) Go to bed the same time every single night and get up same time every day even on weekends (I know I can hear the groans)
2) Get 15 minutes of morning sunshine (has to be morning)
3) Use bedroom only for sleeping (no tv or reading in bed)
4) Do not stimulate your mind at least an hour before bed and this includes reading, tv and computer
5) Warm bath, relaxing music and yes even warm milk does help
5) Do not look at the clock if you wake up at night because when I realized I woke up at 3:00 am every night I began to expect it and then I did

The body is an amazing thing. I have had sleeping issues forever but it runs in my family. My husband literally falls asleep on his way down to the pillow. I lay there looking at him in amazement!!!

I will admit this has not solved all my issues but has helped. Good luck.

Laura xxx

[kendo59]

I've been having a lot of sleep problems over the last few months.
I can't get off to sleep, so I tend to stay up until 4-5 am, then I drop right off to sleep quickly. Problem then is, I sleep for 12 hours, and don't wake until 5pm.

I've tried all sorts of remedies, even staying awake for 28 hours and going to sleep at 8pm. I then wake up at 2am, go back to sleep at 5am and sleep through to 5pm the next day.

Needless to say, this makes it very difficult to keep any appointments where I have to be awake during the day.

[lesleya]

Lol....southernbelle you must have a husband like mine, he does the same...he's asleep by the time his head hits the pillow...
I used to be the same until just over a year ago, and its so frustrating watching him sleep while i lay there awake.
I do sometimes fall asleep ok but most nights i get that awful thing when im falling off to sleep i wake up with a start and i feel like ive stopped breathing or my hearts going 50 to the dozen...just anxiety i know but keeps me awake for a little while until i drop off again.
My sisters a nurse paractioner and she told me to try 'nod-off mixture' because its a herbal mixture...
Can i ask has anyone tried it? and was it any good?
Take Care
Lesley

[jill]

Hi hun

You have had great advice allready, (as always on this fab site )

The mind is a powerfull thing. what we tend to do when we have a problem is make it a big problem, mmm, not making myself clear here am I Mmm. how to explain,

There are always reasons why we cannot sleep, mainly due to the fact we have to much going on in our minds, we find it dame hard to switch off when we go to bed, you have had some great advice on how to do this and make bed time a more relaxing place to be, BUT, shutting down the mind from your problems can be dame hard. Learning relaxation, helps with this, or finding something, to totaly distract your mind while trying to sleep helps.

Remember, YOU ARE, unwell right now, you must tell yourself this, tell yourself its ok to be like this right now, this helps sooo much, mmm, why I hear you ask, because Mrs anxiety does not like execeptance, if you except how you are, JUST FOR NOW, just while you start putting thing in place to change things, this helps soooo much. The more you think this is wrong, the more you are fighting against it, mmm, do you know what I mean?

If you look at it this way, if you had worries about another family memember and you spent all night worrying, you would say to yourself or others, ohh last night I could not sleep, I kept thinking about ???? you would give yourself good reason for this, when the worry stoped, then your sleep patten would go back to normal, YES?

But everytime you fight against this and tell yourself this should not be happining, this is what keeps it going, ohhh hun, be kind to yourself, at this present moment in time, you have worries, THATS Ok, you are unwell, please hun, give yourself GOOD reasons to be like this, its ok, Don't be to hard on yourself, this will only feed your anxiety.

As for the waking up, ohhh hunny, this is one syptom that I still get from time to time. This site has been a godsend to me, I am panic, high anxiety free because of this great site, but still have a few issues I am dealing with. When this symptom comes on and the feeling of not being able to wake up, ohhh boy, thats DAME HARD, but for me, I have been worse, ( will not go into that) it is, just a case of forcing yourself to get up, and then, I go into a mode of tidying the kitchen, it seems, the MORE I do, the better I feel, mmm, strange I know.

What I came to understand for myself was, what was my last thought before I went to sleep, and most of the time, it was something I was worring about, something negative, so it was trying to learn myself, NOT, to think about my worries, or sorting out problems. learning myself that night time, sleep time, was to imagin the good things in life, mmm, this was dame hard, even now, I find my mind drifting to negative things, but hay, I am panic, high anxiety free, so what this great site has tought me, IS WORKING.

You have alot on your plate right now, your illness, your work, your kids, please hunny, be kind to yourself, YOU CAN, do all these things, BUT, without kindness to yourself your undermining things, you are not supper women, you CAN do these things of course you can.

Look at it this way, if someone was ill, you would offer support, kindness, would you not, then why do you not offer that to yourself, I feel, its a must. I don't meen sit down and say, ohh look at me, I am unwell, but please, GIVE permistion, FOR yourself, to be unwell from time to time, DON/T be to hard on your, believe me, it helps sooooooo much. Mr A does not like this.

This illness is sooo dame hard to understand, is such a complexed thing, what I have learned, I have learend for myself, I am no expert, but trying to pass it on to other people, what I have learned, is sooo hard, thats why, there is no one person you can go to who can say, ohhh just do this do that and you will be all better. If someone knows of one person, Please tell me, becasue, I HAVE KNOWLEDGE, BUT, I have a daughter, who suffered from a young age and now is 15, her anx come and goes, I see to that,( that it come's AMD GOES) BUT, she still suffers AND I WISH, I could just take it away. it is sooo com;oexed, BUT, my knowledge says, its not that easy

I am sorry hunny, I have woffled on a litttle here, but this subject, (allthought I AM panic, high anxiety free) IS VERY close to my heart, my daughter suffered WELL before I diid, she was only 3 years of age when it started. (she is 15 now and going through a blilp) I have learned MORE from this great site than ANY where eles, that including specialist.

From your replies, You know you are not alnoe in how you feel, it IS all part of this illness, and Laura has given some great advice, but you must try and learn, to be kind to yourself, learn FOR NOW,( try and tell yourself, this IS NOT FOREVER), JUST FOR NOW) to except how you are. Give yourself good reason for why you are not sleeping well,( eg, you are unwell, its OK, I am worried about myself, its ok, to be worried about myself,) ohhh hunny, your not well, remember, Mr P, Mrs A does not like exceptance,

I remamber telling my sis, I feel like a child, wanting reasurings all the time, she said" well, what would you say to that child, how would you reasure them?, mmm this had me thinking.

Oh, I am still woffling, sorry, thats me, I am woffler.. I lacked confidance, I asked Meg once about my peoblmen, she was a great valued member of this site, and she said me, maybe in not in thrdr words, you woffling may help someone, if not, at least you tried, well, thats how I took. Her advice was great and I admire her soo much.

Panic and anxiety and the mind and learning about yourself, is sooo hard to understand, but when you learn things, ohhh boy, the mind opens and anxiety gets less and less and the more your learn, the better you feell, well, thats how I feel, but I wish I can pass it on to my daughger and to other people, BUT, my knowledge says, its not that easy

YOU TAKE CARE

Wishing you well

LOVE JILLXXX