Breaking Bad Insomnia Cycle From Anxiety

[saoirserylyn]

It seems that every time I try to lay down, my brain becomes a million times more active and then next thing I know I am panicking to the point of thinking I am dying. It happens every night and the panic makes me so alert, it is impossible to sleep... I typically stay away for days and then crash when I am so tired I can't function. Even then the sleep isn't restful because I toss and turn all night from nightmares.

Going to sleep seems to bring me back to my trauma as sleep reminds me of the feeling of having your brain slipping away from you. I've tried sleeping pills, but the feeling sleeping pills give me freaks me out too. Have any of you experienced anything like this? What helped?

I am seeing my therapist tomorrow. I think my current daily anxiety medication won't be enough. I may need to request something extra to help at night. Is it okay to need that or request that from my doctor? I hate requiring medication, but I don't know what else to do.

 

[franciemarnie]

Night time was the bad time growing up. I still feel anxious in the evenings, more so as "sleep" time approaches.

Though tranquilizers helped at first, later they put me in a panic. As if I wouldn't be able to defend myself should there be trouble.

But everyone is different. You do have to crank up the mgs. regularly on benzos to have the same effect and eventually they don't work, but that's only if you take them every night. Every so often shouldn't hurt.

It's a symptom. Meds just blanket the symptoms but sometimes a person needs that for a while.

Everyone is different.

For me, walking while watching my feet calms me down. My survival brain can see I am not trapped. Therapy has helped.

But some nights I am simply awake and do what I can to just enjoy the time. Eventually sleep comes.

 

[saoirserylyn]

Going to see my T today and hoping to get some answers to my sleeping problem. Will post later to let you know what she says might help. I was thinking Xanax might be a good option as it had worked for me in the past. Just might need a stronger dosage than what I have on hand at the moment. We'll see what she says.

@franciemarnie Thanks for the advice about walking and watching your feet. I like hearing about the little things we all do to remind ourselves that everything is okay. I feel the same way about the meds blanketing the symptoms, my biggest fear is becoming dependent on meds so much that getting off of them causes me anxiety. I don't want to get to that point, I'd rather struggle now than to create that kind of a rut for myself.