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Insomnia And Racing Thoughts!

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Saint Nik

MyPTSD Pro
Can't sleep at all! :( Had a mug of ovaltine with toast after a foamy, soak in the bath. Relaxed to magic radio with some lit candles before going to bed. That was 6 hours ago and I am still wide awake. Anyone else get the racing thoughts? Trouble sleeping? Even after going out your way to relax yourself. It's like I have snorted speed and cocaine (which I haven't!!!)
I hate when I don't sleep, that means tomorrow my body is going to go into full blown anxiety (well, it usually does when I haven't slept the night before, so I've noticed in the past!)
What do you guys do when this happens to you? When you have tried everything else?

Laying in bed for 6 hours was torture, that's why I eventually came on here! I know I can't stop or control the racing thoughts, I don't even bother trying now. . . just wish I could sleep, because I know how ill, panicky and yukky I am going to feel all day later on! Any suggestions? Even for the next time this happens? Thanks in advance!
 
What I do when I have racing thoughts like that (I'm going through things right now myself) is do Hail Marys and repeat it over and over again until whatever I have passes. Right now, I'm under pressure to get a part time job that pays something and to get the heck out of dodge because I just want to be well.......
 
I am currently on day five of no sleep at all, I do this regularly as staying awake for me as a child from a very early age was a survival thing for me, If I saw the abuse coming I was prepared for it, I distract myself from the thoughts, laying awake knowing I am not going to sleep by occupying myself on the computer, I pop into the chat room, watch a film etc. It works for me as I have been like this for most of my life now.

I don't think there is any thing set to try, it is a case of finding a suitable coping that suits you as an individual.
 
I wish I had some good advice, but I don't, really. I go through the same thing. Sometimes I take another lorazepam. If I've been asleep for any period of time I'll take another clonidine to help control the nightmares. I wish I could offer more advice. Typical example: Last night I went to bed at 9, got to sleep about 10:30, woke up at 11, worked for about an hour, off and on, went back to bed at 1, laid awake till 3 when I finally got sick of lying in bed without sleep, went back to bed at 3:30, got up again at 5, etc. it went on till late morning. And I never got more than a total of three and a half hours of sleep, the last one being fraught with nightmares. I probably could have gone back to sleep and slept till 1 p.m. or so, but I had to be up and alert for therapy at 2.
 
Pretty normal for me. 4 ot of 7 nights a week usually go like this:
Take meds including a sleeping pill. Browse the internet (usually here) until it has had time to kick in 15-20 or so.
Go lay down and try to suppress the thoughts that start to bombard me.
Get up because I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin.
Take more anti-anxiety
Read in bed while waiting for it to work
Turn out the lights try and fall asleep again
Give up and get back online, then decided to take part of a sleeping pill, which is more than I am supposed to take per day.
If I am lucky finally fall asleep after that.
 
You could try listening to binaural beats. Google Dr. Jeffery Thompson, his are decent and you can find them on YouTube. Also, sometimes it helps just to have some kind of talking to listen to - anything sort of monotonous. You'll be able to follow the talking instead of your racing thoughts, and you might then be able to fall asleep.

Those are two things that help me. But it is certainly many a night when I just cannot get to sleep. It's truly dreadful.
 
Actually to follow on from what @joeylittle has said re music the UK Warrior Therapy Programme I am on uses a meditation cmposer called Fridrick Karllson (track Into the Night Goodnight", that one I use some times when I am really bad, I find it soothes and calms me really well.
 
i journal the thoughts - somehow that helps - and then once i have them down, i feel i can walk away from them and they will still be there when i am rested and i can take care of them then. Best wishes - give it a try!
 
journal the thoughts - somehow that helps
Trying that now, thank you :tup:

@joeylittle and @Mr Laurie I have binaural beats on my MP3 player already and they just were not helping. I also listen to a lot of relaxing, meditation sleep therapies, and again. . .tonight nothing. But, thank you so much for you kindness and help. I really appreciate. I've opted for typing down thoughts. . . I am such a slow writer and end up hurting my wrist. Whereas when I type I am quite quick to catch up with these mental racing thoughts! I think it's just going to be one of them nights. Suck it up and ride it out and maybe, just maybe have a nap a little later on. . .or hopefully feel that much like :poop: that when it comes to bedtime, I'll collapse on my bed and have this wonderful sleep, waking up the next day - fresh as a daisy, opening the window's and singing with the birds!
Wow, I am seriously f*cking delirious with lack of sleep!!!

Anyway guys, thank you very much. I hope you all get a good sleep some point too! :hug:
 
works for me -
i do the binaural beats from Dr. Jeffery Thompson too - :)
have you tried Phillipians 4 - be anxious about nothing but in everything cast your anxieties to God and he will guard your heart
works for me - if i trust him - (and with all i saw him do in the trauma i know he can be trusted :)
nite
 
Trying that now, thank you :tup:

@joeylittle and @Mr Laurie I...
Do you ever think that your diet could be the culprit? Try getting rid of sugar and junk carbs. I really appreciate the opportunity to try and help. Most of the meds you speak of can cause hypoglycemic conditions ie: sleeplessness, anxiety, racing heartbeat, and an overall inability to turn off the brain.
 
Do you ever think that your diet could be the culprit? Try getting rid of sugar and junk carbs.
I eat an all organic, zero processed food, no grains and just started fermenting my own foods at home to help with the gut brain connect. Aside from the homemade fermented food I have been eating like this for several years. It helps, as PTSD is extremely hard on the body, but it is no cure all.

Trauma is the culprit, but poor health does make symptoms less manageable.
 
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