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 can't remember not having trouble sleeping. I'm 44. It's been worse for a few years after my mom committed suicide. Both my parents worked night shift growing up and they are night owls. I believe that I am genetically wired to be up at night. I am always tired. And then there are the nightmares. Almost every night, sometimes more than one. Waking up in sweat. I very rarely have a neutral or positive dream. They are all horrific. I had them growing up as well and I didn't realize until I was an adult that this was not normal. I find that I sleep better during the day. I have tried every sleep medication and they either work for a while only, have terrible side effects, or are addictive. I am also very depressed and alone in a new city. So I have virtually no support. I am new here. It's almost 2am. Sometimes I just resign myself that I'm not going to sleep again tonight.
It sounds like you may be under a lot of stress and possibly experiencing some anxiety/depression from the trauma of your mother's suicide.
I might suggest seeing a therapist who is well versed in sleep hygiene who can treat your anxiety/nightmares as well as work with you on some cognitive behavioral ways to improve your sleep.
I would definitely seek out some support as you shouldn't have to go through this alone.
shaunac, you should be assured that your situation is fixable. There are a number of issues here, not the least of which is depression. But as you adjust to your new city you may find that lifts on its own.
As for the nightmares, at least you can take solace in knowing that you are in fact getting some sleep. Despite the negative content, REM sleep normally occurs after the deeper NREM stages which are the most restorative.
A good start might be a primary care doc who can examine you and can possibly make referrals to therapists for your emotional issues. Coming to grips with those will likely go a long way toward helping you sleep better.
In the meantime, you can help yourself as lot by learning real simple sleep hygiene methods that anyone can use right away. These include keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule and getting daily exercise, among others.
good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing.