Insomnia Support Group
Insomnia is a symptom, rather than a disease, and is characterized by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or chronic (longer than three...
I need some advice and insight from people who have been struggling with chronic insomnia. I've been struggling with insomnia every night for 4 straight weeks. Without medication (such as Xanax), I get about 2-4 hours of sleep per night. It feels like light, fragmented sleep. I don't even know if I'm going through a REM cycle. This all started after an extremely stressful and anxious episode. I now always have a feeling of 'alertness' and find that although I feel physically fatigued, I still feel mentally awake the majority of the time. I've read that HPA Axis dysfunction is responsible for this because the disregulation of hormones creates long term hyperaurosal.
I've unfortunately been reading horror stories on the negative outcomes of chronic insomnia. I feel incredibly afraid that I won't be able to successfully resolve this on my own and it's only a matter of time before I die young of a heart attack or something similar. Please shed some light and give me some hope that I can still live a full, happy life despite being struck by this awful condition.
People tell me to just 'relax' and sleep. I'm having a physically difficult time sleeping and I feel like people don't understand it. I'm afraid my condition is severe. I'm going to try meditation, yoga, CBT techniques and resist taking Xanax but if that doesn't show an improvement in four more weeks than I'm off to a sleep doctor to do a sleep study and maybe try the antidepressant route.
I've unfortunately been reading horror stories on the negative outcomes of chronic insomnia. I feel incredibly afraid that I won't be able to successfully resolve this on my own and it's only a matter of time before I die young of a heart attack or something similar. Please shed some light and give me some hope that I can still live a full, happy life despite being struck by this awful condition.
People tell me to just 'relax' and sleep. I'm having a physically difficult time sleeping and I feel like people don't understand it. I'm afraid my condition is severe. I'm going to try meditation, yoga, CBT techniques and resist taking Xanax but if that doesn't show an improvement in four more weeks than I'm off to a sleep doctor to do a sleep study and maybe try the antidepressant route.
What can hurt your ability to sleep is dwelling on intensely negative thoughts and emotions, like fear. And perseverating about all the bad things that you think will happen to you because of insomnia.
All those negative thoughts are very likely wrong. Distorted. Inaccurate. Unrealistic. Overly pessimistic. These negative thoughts are doing you no good.
You can choose to replace these negative and inaccurate thoughts about sleep with more reasonable, proven facts about sleep, such as this: you cannot not sleep.
Your physiologic requirement for sleep is stronger and more powerful than your insomnia. That is an inescapable fact. At some point you can, and will, sleep. You can leverage this fact to your advantage, and CBT leverages it very effectively.
What you are describing sounds to me like a classic case of psychophysiologic insomnia, largely caused by excessive worry about the idea of sleep. This actually is very common. Some surveys suggest 30 million or more of us have it in the US. So if it's any comfort, you are hardly alone in what you are experiencing.
All of your coping strategies sound reasonable Courtney. In addition, I have these to add.
First, when was the last time you had a checkup? Although at your age it's unlikely you have an underlying medical condition disrupting your sleep, you want to be sure.
Second, I would suggest immediately implementing a comprehensive CBT program specifically for insomnia. This will enable you to increase your sleep drive, reduce and control negative sleep thoughts, and create optimal sleeping conditions for yourself, among other things. You should be confident that by doing these things conscientiously you will start sleeping better.
Third, I think you would be greatly helped right now by getting out and doing something physical outdoors in the sun if you can. Some form of physical exercise that will raise your heart rate, and sustain that for 30, 40 minutes or longer. Something you enjoy doing.
Exercise, especially out in the sun, will help distract you from all this negativity, and it should naturally produce endorphins in your system.
Endorphins are a powerful natural antidote to all the negativity, stress, and anxiety you are experiencing. The beneficial effects are strong and long lasting. I think you will feel much better about yourself, and sleep better tonight if you go out and get some good exercise.
Please go ahead and continue posting about your situation. Many of us can relate.