I've been awake all night!

[countrygirl]

I was rushing around all evening - supermarket shopping lots of phone calls and was wide awake when I went to bed mind buzzing.

By 2am I was thinking ok I will take an nytol tablet as in the past they have worked.

By 3am panic had set in as still awake although feeling dopey. What if I don't sleep at all tonight - if the nytol hasn't worked then might I never sleep ever again ( daft I know but this is panic talking). What if I go to Dr and get some sleeping pills and they don't work and on and onhttp://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif

I gave up at 5am and got up.

I have episodes of bad insomnia about every 18 months or so and its 2 years since I last had it where I needed sleeping pills for a time.


Does anyone else ever had totally sleepless nights and am I the only one who gets severe anxiety about sleep?

I feel dreadful today and I have a busy day and will be worrying all day about tonighthttp://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/images/smilies/icon_evil.gif

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've had my issues with insomnia.

With my first breakdown it was about not getting to sleep just like you but when I was starting to relapse a few years later it had changed and become about waking up an hour or 2 earlier feeling anxious which was a pain as I wasn't getting enough sleep anyway. This later lot hit me worse as I was working at the time so I wasn't struggle to tackle a stressful job, with the anxiety coming back and this on top of ot for 8 days straight in the end pushed me over the edge and I needed to stay off for a bit.

I got over it though but it still comes occassionally when I am more stressed.

There are a few threads on the GAD board by one person who has been battling with it recently:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=167551
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168326
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168154
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168471

I would imagine most people on here will have had insomnia with anxiety so I'll bet a lot of people with sympathise.

Perhaps changing sleep routine for a bit so that you have a couple of hours of calm might help given your trigger last night?

[Emilym80]

I've had a few sleepless nights this year. I always feel absolutely hideous the next day, so I'm sorry to hear that it's just happened to you.

Hopefully, the combination of a busy day and total lack of sleep will make it much easier tonight! I've read that you shouldn't spend longer than half an hour trying to fall asleep- it trains your body to lie awake in bed, rather than falling asleep. So, if it happens again, get up and do some housework/light reading etc until you feel tired or it's been half an hour. Then, go to bed and try to sleep again. After 15 mins, get up and do something else, and so on. I sometimes google something like 'boring things to read' and pore over a manual on wetland herbology from the 1700s or something like that... I feel myself nodding off within minutes. Sometimes, I think the best thing is to take your mind away from your worries and, by focusing on something totally dull, you might find that you finally begin to feel fatigued.

Tonight, I'd spend a while getting ready for bed- maybe stop using screens (phone, TV etc) a couple of hours beforehand, have a nice warm shower/bath and read for 30 mins or so before bed, if you enjoy reading. Otherwise, do something relaxing but not hugely engaging or demanding, mentally. Hopefully it'll help you sleep better tonight.

I also like to listen to rain sounds if I'm having trouble sleeping.

Best of luck, I hope it's easier for you to get some rest tonight :)

[crazymum25]

No the feeling chick I don't sleep stall u stop myself fear off not waking up .... So tired everyday stay strong

[Magic]

I have many nights like this. even though I have had a busy day .I get up and do crosswords, and have a warm drink of milk I go back to bed about five am. Sometimes I drop off.
I take sleeping tablets. Have done for years but it makes no difference now.
I would not recommend them anyway.
I do envy people that can fall asleep straight away.
Useful tips from Emily x

[countrygirl]

Thank you so much everyone for replying it has helped enormously knowing I am not the only one to feel like this.
Emily I do tend to just lay in bed all night in a panic rather than getting up and doing something as I think I will wake myself up if I get up but I know the sensible thing is to do as you say. For some reason I have always found that not being able to sleep triggers severe anxiety in me to the point of feeling I am going to go mad. I suppose everyone has their trigger.
I am going to go to my Gp tomorrow so that I can get some sleeping pills as its over 2 years since I had any so they should give me a few weeks supply and sometimes just knowing I have them helps me to recover.
I must admit I am dreading the coming night which I know will only make it worse. I hate panic and anxiety!