Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
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It still feels weird to say that I have regular sleep patterns. It has been at least a decade since I overcame my insomnia, but I still think of myself as an insomniac.
The recent rainy cold front in Central Texas has my sinuses draining like a faucet. I slept most of yesterday and today, leaving myself unable to sleep during the midnight hours. I still think of myself as an insomniac, but I seem to have forgotten what I used to do to while away the sleepless hours.
The recent rainy cold front in Central Texas has my sinuses draining like a faucet. I slept most of yesterday and today, leaving myself unable to sleep during the midnight hours. I still think of myself as an insomniac, but I seem to have forgotten what I used to do to while away the sleepless hours.
As for insomnia, well my trauma specialists says not to get out of bed. I always got out of bed. She says even lying there is better rest than getting up.
Here are some tricks I use to get to sleep or get back to sleep when I wake up:
- I always have my mp3 player beside the bed at night and headphones. I listen to progressive muscle relaxation on youtube and I find it helps my mind from racing and jumping all over the place. I also find it relaxes me and since I do this every night I have associated it with sleep. It has make a huge difference in my life. I never guessed it would.
- deep breathing also works sometimes, not all the time but it is always worth a try.
- visualization, visualize a safe place, a place you love to go or would love to go. For me it is the beach. I build a whole story of relaxation. Morning coffee on the beach, warm sun etc. Touch all your senses, what do you smell, what do you see, what do you touch etc. Use the deep breath with the visualization if you want too
- soft music. youtube has a ton of gentle waves, thunderstorms, nature, etc. Find a few you like and listen to them. Deep breath while you listen, maybe even visualize.
Hope one of these will work for you.