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...
My insomnia is back. It has been over a year since I have had any trouble and now it decided to come roaring back. One thing that gives me hope is that I survived the last bout and got better. Of course I flipped out last night and did everything you are not supposed to. But today I knew that I had to do something other than flip out. When this happens, I feel so lonely and isolated and it seems like the rest of the world is sleeping just fine. Tonight I will try to practice acceptance. I have read from so many people that it is the only way they got through it. I know some people use pills and that is fine for them, but I simply can't. I got off of them 4 years ago and don't wish to get back on. Frustrated but trying not to be. Trying to remain calm. Freaking out does nothing but make it so much worse. Why me? Why do I have to deal with this cursed affliction? OK...breathe
You are not alone. Trust me... the rest of the world is NOT sleeping! In fact, it's still daytime for a large portion of them... ;)
Don't forget to use your previous experiences as encouragement. You've gotten through this before, which means you can again!
And when you feel yourself starting to get worked up, maybe try journaling your day? When I began doing that I began to grow in emotional awareness. Merely understanding my thoughts made me feel like I was more in control of my state of being, which in turn made me feel like I was in control of my sleep. And remember to not go to bed until you are tired.
To give you some more comfort, I've been reading quite a bit lately and have been learning that all of the negative effects of sleep deprivation (drowsiness, decreased mental capacity, etc.) are greatly exaggerated by drug companies so that you'll buy there pills. In fact, nearly everyone is capable of going long periods of time in very little sleep. So when you get worked up, just keep in mind that even if you don't get much sleep,,, no big deal! You'll be fine.
Have a restful night.
To relax try taking a warm bath or shower and putting on clean jammies. Even if there is a snowballs chance in hell of me sleeping relaxing in bed is better than staying up all night frantic.
There is an awesome website called mynoise.net that has a vast library of relaxation noises! Check it out, some of them may help you sleep. They have worked for me in the past.
Best of luck!
You should be confident that unless you have an underlying medical or psychiatric condition you do not need to take pills or any artificial substance to sleep. Good sleep habits and taking the pressure off yourself mentally will go a long way.