Triggered by noise invasion, unable to sleep, unable to escape.

[jaccat]

There's currently work going on ouside my house. It started over a week ago, and as soon as they started digging ditches I knew I was at risk of being triggered into an insomnia attack. When I stop sleeping, I stop altogether.

The ditches stretch about 15 metres in either direction of my house. I can cope with the work noise during the day, but at night I have to listen to traffic driving over the plates that they've placed over the ditches. The road's supposed to be shut, but everyone's ignoring that, and it's a busy road.

So far I've managed to sleep even with the noise, but today's development has meant that's over. The ditch just under my window has been extended and the barriers removed, and now every time a car drives over it my house actually shakes with the noise. Previously the noise has been like thunder. This new noise is like having the storm break over your head and the earth shaking under your feet.

I struggle to sleep anyway. Big complicated issues around sleep and relaxing and flashbacks and basically nothing works to improve it (I have tried pretty much everything, so has my T, and I'm not looking for sleep tips now. The only thing that helps is if I don't focus on it). But just lately it has felt more stable, generally. But this- there is no point in me even trying to sleep.

I tried ear plugs the first night. I struggle with them anyway- hypervigilance and ear plugs don't mix. But anyway, I couldn't even begin to get comfortable with them.

This noise will trigger me the minute I start to relax, if I even get that far. It's likely my body won't even let me. I'm struggling with the noise now, awake and able to hear the traffic coming, and knowing it's going to happen. I'm contemplating not even going to bed and just skipping all of that.

Problem is, I can function on a couple of days without sleep (I usually crash around hour 70-ish awake), but it only takes a couple of days without sleep to trigger a full insomnia attack, and they take months to recover from, to physically get well, to get my sleep back to some kind of stability, and to recover my mental wellbeing.

There is nowhere else I can go. I've no friends or family who'll put me up and I can't afford to stay in a hotel. I don't even know what I'm looking for here, except maybe some understanding because no one in RL will get how much of an issue this is. I'm really afraid that this is going to make me really ill and I can't see anything I can do to prevent it.

 

[Ronin]

Is there anything cheaper than hotels, like hostels, motels, the like?

I usually solve that (in not available anywhere to go and badly out of money) by finding some place on the streets, but I am aware where you are at that is illegal so also not an option even if you were able to do it.

Also: Is public transport anywhere you could be, microsleeping while on trains and buses and the like? They are usually warm (or, warmer than the fall and winter weather) so that would also be something I would consider.

 

[jaccat]

Not really. It's a smallish town- the cheapest place is still way out of my budget for more than a night or two. Plus I checked and it's fully booked for tonight. Public transport- there isn't anything, and even if there were I wouldn't sleep on it. I know I must microsleep when I've been awake for days but it's not something I'm conscious of.

Truth is, there's no guarantee I'd sleep in a hotel as I don't cope well in strange environments. I can't sleep during the day at all either, so there's no chance of catching up even if it was quiet.

I'm going to have to contact the local authority tomorrow but I can't see them doing anything about it. And as the night goes on I'm struggling more and more with every minute. I'm getting shaky. I'm going to have to try the ear plugs again but I don't see them working.

 

[Ronin]

Feeling for you, Jaccat.

Well, then I would also consider medication to get knocked out no matter what, but not sure how that much would be an option for you either or how you handle what and the like, so just crossing fingers that you get any relief.

 

[jaccat]

Update- It's taken a number of challenging phone calls today, which has been extra fun on a sleepless night when I'm not feeling fully present, but the outcome is the workmen have done their best to pack the trench to refuce the noise. It's still noisy but nothing like it was, so hopefully I can get back to sleep tonght and it hasn't done major damage to my sleep pattern. I'm told the trench will be filled in on Friday, so fingers crossed the noise will be gone completely by then.

 

[blackemerald1]

I was going to suggest complain on the basis of medical grounds and if necessary get your doctor (s) on board and demand alternative housing or better policing of the road so the dam traffic do not break the law and go where they are not supposed to be.

I hope it is much better @jaccat

 

[jaccat]

Thanks. I did call the local authority and was told it was the workmen's problem. Those guys did their best but it wasn't enough and without sleep I spiralled fast and ended up in a worse place than I'd been in a while. It was a bad week, but they did eventually finish the work. Afterwards, my sleep was disrupted but I was very fortunate that I was able to get any. If I hadn't I would have been forced back to the doctors.