For me I've started over a month ago taking certain vitamins to help like vitamin D. It's what u get from the sun so if you are in doors often and in bed you may need to take the vitamin. Doesn't work straight away but takes a few weeks.

Next I also changed my eating habits. I know it doesn't sound like much but I've noticed that what I put in my body alters my moods. Cutting out carbs (u don't have to totally cut out carbs just cut down) like potatoes and bread, swapping them for sweet potatoes instead.

Cutting down potion sizes and knowing when I'm full rather than eating until I'm over full or not eating at all and starving my body or nutrients (like skipping meals) and the most important one has been exercise. Just half an hour a day if possible, I always feel fantastic after exercising. It's a well known fact that it is the most natural way for producing those happy chemicals in the brain that elevate stress and depression.

Another thing I've done is to read a series of books by paul McKenna, one which has helped me get into a new habit with food and exercise and one which helps with the psychological side of things, here are the links to buy them, I'd recommend them if u can afford them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1454913142?cache=dbaa2fd008fb0ae18a2038c60149e98e#ref=mp_s_a_1_1&qid=1393107921&sr=8-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1402765738?cache=dbaa2fd008fb0ae18a2038c60149e98e#ref=mp_s_a_1_3&qid=1393107943&sr=8-3

Above all else the hypnosis CDs in both books help you sleep, he also does one specially for sleeping that I've not tried but you may want to..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1402765746?cache=dbaa2fd008fb0ae18a2038c60149e98e&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70#ref=mp_s_a_1_6&qid=1393108003&sr=8-6

This is advice based on my own experience.
Hope you can at least try some of it just to see if it helps.
Xxxx

Are you unable to get to sleep? Unable to stay sleeping? Do you have vivid terrible nightmares that wake you up? Do you fly awake at the least sound (wind, branches scratching the house)? You need to be able to concretely describe to your MD what you are experiencing.

Lots of people that have vivid horrid PTSD-like nightmares are helped by a low dose of Prazosin, but of course this needs to be prescribed.

Good luck to you and I hope you can get this fixed soon, it's an awful thing not to be able to sleep.

((((HUGS))))

I agree with Kaz; Vitamins/Healthy eating and exercise are very important aspects of self care. Exercise has been shown to be very effective in lifting depression.

Another important aspect of self care is having good "sleep hygiene" http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips and your doctor has probably talked about this with you (I hope).

But even if you are doing all the things listed above, you are likely to still have trouble with sleep thanks to ptsd. I eat healthy, get exercise and have good sleep hygiene but still have trouble getting to sleep. However, taking care of myself ensures that even if I still have trouble sleeping, now at least I get enough sleep. My sleep might not be problem free and sleeping medication is still essential, but at least I'm asleep for 7-8 hours, have enough energy to get through the days and have a strong immune system.

Do you read before bed? For me that is essential. It diverts my mind until I'm so tired I can fall asleep.

I am so sorry Joanie that you are feeling this way. I agree with the others. Vitamins are great for helping balance you internally especially is you are missing nutrients if you are not eating. Maybe looking online in your area for psychiatrist who treat abuse victims and reviews to get a list of drs with people's reviews about them. That is how I found my therapist and she is great.

Exercise is also great because it is a natural anti-depressant and can help with making you feel a little better but I understand that it all sounds good but getting out of bed is the first step. Vitamin b complex is a good one for energy and stress.

As life said reading is great to help you fall asleep.

Wishing you much strength and encouragement.

Thank you all so very much. I have been eating a lot of carbs lately. Bought a huge bag of potatoes and have been eating everything from potato soup to baked potatoes almost every night for about 2 weeks. Also lots of sandwiches and toast. I am terrible for eating healthy and for going to the store as I avoid people and will eat whatever I readily have available rather than eat what I really crave.
I will eat drive through foods if I do treat myself rather than enjoy a sit down meal at a restaurant even.
Looks like I need to try to change those habits.
I do eat small portions rather than large and I don't snack late at night. I tend to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch and so that is probably not good.
Bad for exercise as well..
I checked out the links you put up Kaz, informative, I may order those books and video

Ehope, I have pretty vivid nightmares about my Mother and her dying over and over. I was her caretaker for many years and in her end stage Cancer, Hospice was called in and she died at home. It was a pretty ugly death.
I can have nights where I am literally up every hour, or nights where I feel I sleep heavy but am woken up by the nightmares and am in a cold sweat.
I can be startled by the bread popping up in a toaster, a thump from a branch on the house or the cat knocking over something, or even the furnace kicking on , if the house is quiet. I have found in these recent months, I don't care to even listen to music like a used to, or too many people talking in a room can unnerve me. Also some nights I prefer quiet over the T.V.

Life, thanks for the link to Healthy sleep. I don't have a tv in the bedroom and I run a fan for a steady noise. I also have room darkening curtains. I don't eat anything for 2 hrs before bed, maybe I should even try for 3 to 4 hrs. I have a light snack about 3 hrs before bed.I keep my temp at about 68 or 69 in the winter.

I do read, but perhaps because I read mystery or crime fiction it activates my brain rather than calming it? I did do vitamins before I ran out. Perhaps that is something to consider as well.

Again thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Yes not eating much before bed is ok but it's good to have a snack. I usually have a handful of raisins or a piece of fruit and if u really want to treat myself I will have one maybe two oat crackers with a little bit of Stilton cheese on top. Eating breakfast is really important so yeah not really a good thing that u skip. Making sure u eat three meals a day, and snacks like fruit in between is always a plus and helps with energy. It basically raises your metabolism (not sure by how much) but this also gives u energy and shifts that sluggish feeling.

The good news is that u can always change those habits when ever u decide to do so, so there is always an option for you to try these things. X

Pretty sure I will be ordering some stuff off Amazon this week. That will be my self care. Thank you again Kaz.