Insomnia - getting depressed

[kate76]

I am find it really hard to sleep at the moment, tossing and turning and clock watching all night. I worry about being tired in the day and being able to cope with my baby girl, which in turn makes it even harder to switch off and fall asleep. Its a real vicious circle!
Went to see the doc and she said i have got anxiety and need to relax (easier said than done!). I have tried all the usual suggestions for getting to sleep but nothing seems to work. have also tried Kalms but they just made me feel floaty all night and didn't actually send me to sleep! Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone ever tried prescribed sleeping tablets?
thanks!

[noonar]

just wanted to say that i do sympathise. have you tried sleeping in a different room? i often find that if i cant sleep, i need to make some sort of small change, to try to break the pattern- if that makes sense!

[majorstress]

wish I could help, I've had this for years, it has got a bit better recently but my kids still keep waking me up which doesn't help.

I've had OTC sleeping tabs that aren't available in the uk that are stronger, they can help short-term but aren't the best solution. don't you have to be available in the night for baby?

Things which helped-not watching tv or reading much in bed. Meditation classes (I went to a Buddhist center though I am not a Buddhist), using it as training to re-focus your thoughts in the middle of the night on something (well on nothing actually), rather than worry. No daytime naps, at all. Cutting back on the hours I expect to sleep-7 turned out to be enough to function fine for me.

Of course I don't need to tell you that it is silly to stay awake worrying about not sleeping. But you need to try to think that you will not necessarily feel rotten or not be able to cope the next day- maybe you just don't need as much sleep some nights as others, or need less as you get older-that's normal.

At the worst times I used to read for 1/2 an hour in the night and then try to settle back down, often that would work ok. Now I seem to have trained myself to settle without that-sleep training for grown-ups!

[StreediesMum]

When dd was teeny I had this problem- i was new mum, anxious about evrything, couldn't switch off, but was soooo exhausted as dd had reflux and needed a lot of tlc.
I found the best way to switch off was leave the radio on quietly next to the bed tuned to radio 4. In the middle of the night when its a progrsam on the world service about biofuel, its amazing how quickly my brain tuned ot out and went to sleep.
dd wasn't bothered by it- she slept through hellish noise in hospital- in fact used to help her drop off too!

[AnneJones]

Hi Kate76, hope you don't mind my resurrecting your thread.

I had some stress counselling once that helped a little with my insomnia.

Firstly, you can get a lot of the rest your body needs by just lying still and in a relaxed state - you don't actually have to be asleep.

Secondly there are a couple of little exercises you can do to get into this relaxed state. These need practice but mostly I find them really useful. You may well have heard of them before.

1. Imagine yourself at your favourite place in the world eg a fave beach. Imagine every detail, the sounds, smells, sights, feel of the sandy steps as you walk down to the beach, then the warmth of the sand and the peace.
   
   
2. Take a topic eg girls names and go through the alphabet and assign a name to each letter. You can vary the topic - slightly harder ones are good as you have to concentrate more. It is a mundane exercise which will help to block out your other concerns that may be keeping you awake. I really like this exercise and have used it many times, even on night-flights. I like the topic 'herbs and spices' - it drives me nuts and I am asleep before I know it!
   
   With both exercises you will inevitably find your mind drifting off. Take a breath and remind yourself gently to get back to the game. Doesn't matter how often it happens, recognise that it has and get back to the game.
   
   Also don't forget deep breathing and relaxing your body - sounds basic but it is quite hard sometimes - worth working up your body and mentally relaxing your toes, then your calves, then your legs all in a slow process.
   
   Hope your situation is better x

[chocolatekimmy]

Depends on what you have been through - any issues ect.

It could be stress as isomnia is a sympton of that.

Camomile tea about an hour before bed was recommended to me by my GP recently to help relax and sleep

[Alfie72]

Hi there Kate76,
I had 6 weeks of persistent insomnia and I am pregnant so have to stay drug free !!
This has helped me immensly-
craniosacral therapy
Yoga ( try nice relaxing nice hatha or kundalini styles)
Lavender oils in the bath or in a burner at night
If you want to try something more medicine related - maybe try a homeopath first before you hit the harder stuff.

[ann12]

I've never had insomnia but now I'm having it quite a bit, and feeling like shit! I used to be such a sleep monkey. Just moved house and also on anti-depressants, and feeling very very anxious at the moment and just lying awake in bed with my thoughts going round and round in my head. Horrendous. I have had zopiclone prescribed by the doc, and have taken it 3.5 times - seems to do the trick and haven't felt weird the next day. But that beach trick sounds good. I've also tried meditating - but I'm so impatient, I want things to work immediately!

[expatinscotland]

I've had insomnia since I was a teen.

Sometimes, no matter what, you just need a little jump start.

Just telling someone to 'relax' is fobbing them off.

Go back and see another doc.

What helps me is diazepam. My GP will prescribe me 5 or so. I just take one when it gets really out of control.

Just getting a couple of good nights in makes it A LOT easier to then try relaxation exercises.

[DixiePixie]

I used to suffer from dreadful insomnia when I was younger. What sorted it out for me was talking books from the library. It's not as 'active' as actually reading a book, it's a bit like being read a bed-time story, and I found that once I was listening to the story I concentrated on this rather than the stress of my day or "omg why can't I sleep?!" and I would fall asleep because I stopped being stressed about it.

[expatinscotland]

I'm going to pop a diazepam tonight. Have NOT been able to fall asleep until around 3AM for the past 5 nights and it's really tiring me.