Absolutely, I understand what you are saying. And your suspicions about the underlying causes for your sleep troubles sound reasonable.

But it is difficult to go beyond generic sleep info just based on the info you've posted. For instance, are you now taking any prescription meds? Your posts suggests you were once but no longer are taking anti-anxiety medications.

If that is the case, then it would not be surprising if you are feeling some of the rebound effect from the cessation of the anti-anxiety meds. All of these meds have some sort of side-effect. The most common one from sleeping pills is daytime drowsiness. This would be something to ask your doc.

You mentioned anxiety, and it would also not be surprising if a negative anticipation of the new school semester is connected with your insomnia. If you are experiencing anxiety issues, I would encourage you to get counseling for it. There are many good and effective ways to counter insomnia. Getting help for this is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. You will benefit, and so will your sleep.

You also may be experiencing some sleep state misperception, which is very common among insomniacs. We tend to forget about what sleep we do get, and discount it's value. We tend to focus only on the negativity of what sleep we missed, instead of the benefit of what sleep we do get. There's some value to be attained in viewing this objectively and realistically.

I think at your age you will be well served by focusing on controlling what you can during your waking hours in an effort to create the best sleep experience possible.

These kinds of things include a consistent sleep schedule, especially getting up at the same time every day. Your exercise plan sounds great, providing it isn't too late in the day. Ideally you want exercise early in the day, and at least several hours prior to bedtime.

You can also allow yourself a relaxing cool down period of at least an hour before bed if possible. Try do nothing stressful and avoid anxiety to the best of your ability during this time. You can do things like get your clothes ready for morning, have a to-do list for the next day so you have a plan, take a relaxing bath, and so on. This winding down is an important step to help prepare your mind and body for sleep.

Will it be perfect? No. None of us can do that. But it can be better, and that is reasonable to go for.

Good luck. School is an exciting time for growth and learning. I hope you'll keep us posted on how you're doing.

Hello there,

I too suffered from difficult insomnia episodes in college. I think it stemmed from moving into a new environment and feeling the pressure of performing well academically.

I am not sure what your school load looks like but that can definitely affect your sleep patterns. I know school can seem overwhelming on top of other things (exercise, socializing, etc), but maybe taking a time management seminar would help. I found that the more responsibilities you take in, time management becomes a crucial skill. You definitely don't want to end up doing all-nighters all the time (maybe once in a while for those finals :P). But fear not, you will learn to manage your tasks. Just try and come up with a schedule that works for you.

Hope this helps and let us know if you have any questions. Good luck!

Hey

Just to add to the above two replies, I think establishing a good sleep schedule is very valuable advice. It is a cornerstone of good sleep hygiene and over time if you stick with it can make a considerable difference.
I also agree that sleep state misperception could be playing a role. If it is, then something that can really help is to try to learn to not stress when you feel you are not sleeping well, not falling asleep quickly, or waking up in the night. I will link you to an article which goes into this really well - it might help you:-)

http://www.nosleeplessnights.com/how-to-go-to-sleep-instantly-or-accept-the-fact-that-you-cant/

Great insight from sleep trainer. Have to look at whole picture. Really stick to the same get-up time, and wind-down in the evening. Low lights and less TV/computer/cell (or "screens" as sleep people might call them).

Also I like analogies with sleep. One of my favorites is a sponge. Think of a sponge as your bed. A sponge absorbes water. Water is wake. You want to gently squeeze the water from the sponge, that is you want to gently squeeze the wake from your bed. You do this with sleep restriction (or compression). Eventually when you have most of the water/wake out, you un-constrict the sponge/bed.

We all have some water in the sponge. Just try to minimize it or it can smell bad and we will dread using it. You can do this!

Harp