I’m here….I’m new….but what’s not new is I can’t sleep

[Issie]

Does anyone else seem to be existing on a couple of hours sleep each night? I was an eight hour a night sleeper but that’s gone since this dreaded CPTSD. I’m not even half awake. I’m totally buzzing. My mind is doing overtime as usual. I’m on the edge of panic. Does anyone have solutions?

 

[Movingforward10]

I used to be a solid 8 hour sleeper too. Head would hit the pillow and that would be it until the morning. Now: varied from ok to waking up repeatedly but dropping back to sleep to waking up and that's it.
Very annoying.
It's really hard to keep the mind still to try and sleep again.
Sometimes I listen to music, that helps to keep the mind more still, not necessarily helping to sleep but helping to calm the thoughts, as I am into music and I work out the chords and think about playing the song. It occupies my mind.

Is there something that might help make you feel more peaceful? Or occupy your mind?

 

[Issie]

Thank you for replying. You have no idea how good it is to know someone else is out there. I don’t believe there is anything now. I’ve tried reconnecting with relaxing but nothing. I fall asleep around midnight and my internal clock wakes me at 2 every night. My brain doing overtime and my heart breaking. There has to be an answer to this cruel illness

 

[Movingforward10]

Yeah. I hear you.

I don't know if you're the same, but a lot of the advice to help sleep is things that focus on the body. Like, having a bath before hand. Or focusing on your breathing in and out of your body. Or meditation. All that: not at all good for me as when I am in a triggered or stressed place I can not bear to connect to my body as that is where the trauma happened and it just escalates things.
However, I recently learnt of focusing on things outside the body. My hands seem the safest part of my body. So holding something. Or feeling my hand on something. Or something in the room.
Is there a safe or happy object you can focus on?
Some people talk about weighted blankets helping?
Or would some form of aromatherapy help?

 

[Issie]

I tried a weighted blanket but it triggered the PTSD - goes back to seeing a loved one after they died in the hospital morgue.
I haven’t tried aromatherapy so I will give it a go. I can’t go outdoors at the mo. My fear is such that I’m trapped. Thank goodness for Amazon!

 

[whiteraven]

I tried a weighted blanket but it triggered the PTSD - goes back to seeing a loved one after they died in the hospital morgue.
I haven’t tried aromatherapy so I will give it a go. I can’t go outdoors at the mo. My fear is such that I’m trapped. Thank goodness for Amazon!

If you haven't tried, you might also use a sound machine. I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, then got an inexpensive machine that places 12 different sounds. The only one that works for me is thunder...puts me right out. Rainstorms have a comforting effect on me; maybe you can find something that works for you.

I also use aromatherapy, although I wear a CPAP, so it's not that useful anymore. My go to was lavender and vanilla. There are all kinds of things you can do to help you relax - mindful breathing, no screen time before bed, a warm bath or shower, exercise during the day.

Are you seeing a therapist? Wondering if you have talked about the things that race through your mind at night? Lots of times, talking about those things we worry about helps get them out of our heads.

 

[Mee]

My sleep was rarely perfect , but good sleep hygeine ( especially around mornings - waking time/ getting up matters so much ) really kept me in line.

Now between ptsd and ME all the sleep hygeine in the world has limited impact. I try still, but my body and brain have different ideas

 

[Issie]

Thank you everyone. I tried the aromatherapy oils and went out like a light but still woke up like one after a couple of hours. I think maybe the smell dissipating didn’t help so I now have a plug in wax burner with relaxing oils. I also have soothing music through earbuds on my iPad. I can’t say I stay asleep but I am at least more relaxed when I’m waking and finding it easier to drop off again. I’ve taken bits of all your tips - including the no tv before bed and believe me waking up early wasn’t an issue!

Any other suggestions greatry appreciated.

 

[Freddyt]

Does anyone else seem to be existing on a couple of hours sleep each night?

Yup. Went to work on as little as 40 min. at times (nightmares). The crazy part of sleep is .... the more you worry about it the less you sleep.

The more stress you can remove - even the stress of not sleeping well - will help. Free Sleep is a great concept too, it doesn't matter when or where, tired - sleep.
Another trick I learned is if you wake at the same time at night, set an alarm for just before that time. Theory is that it interrupts negative sleep patterns and it lets you get back to sleep without a negative event.

Last of all - PTSD = screwed up sleep. Depending on the kind of therapy it can get worse or better at any moment. I have a garmin golf watch but it tracks sleep. I know my sleep patterns and have learned how those translate to how I function on each one. How I slept determines my function the next day and if it means reducing what I do in that day then that's what needs to happen.

 

[Issie]

Woke up about 1.20 so 40 minutes less sleep this time despite my room smelling beautifully from the relaxing warm wax, I had relaxing music and the clean sleep technique. I’m trying everything yet I’m still waking up in a blind spin heart racing unable to get back to sleep. My stress levels are such that I am now shaking during the day and unable to eat. Oh how I would love to drop off to sleep during the day but I’m constantly wired for sound. I want to go back to a time when my mind and body were in sync and I relaxed, where the troubles were at a level of ’normal’ and I had a life.

 

[Freddyt]

Oh how I would love to drop off to sleep during the day but I’m constantly wired for sound.

We have all been there. Sounds like you are like me and are waking yourself in the beginning stages of a nightmare.

Sometimes no matter what you try sleep slides away. The hard part sometimes is not stressing over the loss of sleep. Stressing just leads to less sleep again and it becomes a habit. Celebrate what sleep you get and find a nice quiet boring way to fill the hours when you want to be sleeping and are not.

Eating is part of this. Find someone that can bug you about eating. Make a chart whatever to make sure you eat at least something. When you are really stressed the hunger circuit never turns on but when you get food in front of you, you are suddenly hungry. Not eating adds stress to your body, and stress is stress is stress. Finding someone who bugs you about eating is needed if you have trouble eating regularly.

 

[Issie]

We have all been there. Sounds like you are like me and are waking yourself in the beginning stages of a nightmare.

Sometimes no matter what you try sleep slides away. The hard part sometimes is not stressing over the loss of sleep. Stressing just leads to less sleep again and it becomes a habit. Celebrate what sleep you get and find a nice quiet boring way to fill the hours when you want to be sleeping and are not.

Eating is part of this. Find someone that can bug you about eating. Make a chart whatever to make sure you eat at least something. When you are really stressed the hunger circuit never turns on but when you get food in front of you, you are suddenly hungry. Not eating adds stress to your body, and stress is stress is stress. Finding someone who bugs you about eating is needed if you have trouble eating regularly.

ok eating is a valid point. I have t been eating well since the breakup. Tonight I shall feast and see if that helps. Thank you. Fingers crossed