Since I came back up to New Orleans, I've been waking up around this time every single morning. I find it increasingly difficult to get to sleep. Tonight, I basically woke up as soon as the Nyquil I took for my sniffles wore off.
I'm going to have to see a doctor soon. I'm going to pick up some melatonin tomorrow, I think. And by tomorrow, I mean today.
This has become more and more of a problem with me as of late. In Chicago, I often didn't get more than four hours of restless sleep a night. Now, I'm waking up in absolute panic. I can't stop worrying. I can't stop tossing around on the couch. I can't get it cold enough in the room; it feels incredibly warm to me even though the air conditioner is running. Is it possible to have a panic attack in one's sleep, or something? I don't think it's really nightmares. More like I start worrying about something while I'm sleeping, and it wakes me up because I'm freaking out about it so badly.
I'm going to throw my blanket on the floor and wrap up in a sheet instead and lie back down.
-pH
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
try some simple meditation maybe. make some chamomile tea and think of things that u have to be worried about. then think of how you could best help each one. after u drink your tea and calm yourself down, dont get anxious about not getting enough asleep as u get to bed *IMPORTANT*.
I once did a great presentation on Lucid Dreaming and Meditation. They both work miracles if used properly. and if u still cant get to sleep, here is a neat website about some of what im talking about.
PS. I hope i was helpful if even pointing u to a fun website.
Posted by martha (Member # 141) on :
You could try writing in a journal. Either before you go to sleep at night or when you wake up too early, try thinking of what might be bothering you, making you wake up so early. Or write things to be thankful for, before you go to bed. Write down your dreams if you can remember them. Write until it makes you cry, have a good cry, and then go to sleep.
I must say, there's plenty in New Orleans to make you cry, and plenty to give you insomnia. I hope you get some decent sleep soon.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Maybe some soothing activities as a bedtime ritual, like a cup of something warm and comforting and a hot bath?
I've had insomnia, mine was a side effect of medication I was taking but it made me miserable. I feel for you.
(((pH)))
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Rawr. I think the big difference between last night and the previous nights in New Orleans is that I had friends sleeping over before or slept over at a friend's house. So last night was really my first night alone in this apartment, and I woke up freaking out and didn't have anyone to tell.
Genius that I am, I decided that taking a half-dose of Nyquil would solve the problem. Because after all, if the first one wore off in four hours, the second one should too, right?
Going to school baked in Nyquil is not my idea of a good way to start the new year.
-pH
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
I, like everyone else in my family, have had pretty bad insomnia since adolescence. It comes and goes, but a string of nights where a pick up maybe 2 hours of sleep is a far cry from unusual.
Honestly, I think medications just exacerbate my problem because I get too dependent on them. The most successful trick I have is something my mother taught me. Which is to just list every word you can think of starting with A, then B, etc. Or some similar long list. It's active enough to focus your mind so you don't get distracted (not like counting, which is just rote), and passive enough that you can just drift off doing it. Surprisingly, it might take some practice, but it really does work a lot better than it sounds like it should.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I've been doing something like that, BtL, as suggested by Bob the Scopatz. Still, it doesn't always work. Once I get to sleep, I'm ok, but my sleep seems to be fairly fragile. If my husband wakes me up accidentally or something, I have to go through the whole 45-60 minute cycle of trying to fall asleep again.
I'm going to start trying medication (Unisom) tonight in order to keep me asleep once I get there. I'm also cutting caffeine out entirely. I had tried just reducing it, but that doesn't seem to be helping.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
The one thing that helped me last night, well, aside from the Nyquil, was that I brought my laptop over to the coffee table (I sleep on the couch, remember ) and put on my favorite cartoon. After that had relaxed me a bit, I for some reason started daydreaming about a store with all different kinds of walls. Like multicolored marble walls. And just the thought of all these different walls and things kind of helped me sleep.
Then my computer started making a weird hard drive noise and woke me up again.
-pH
Posted by smitty (Member # 8855) on :
The only thing I can say on the subject is avoid using meds if possible - their effects lessen over time (in general), and it's easy to become dependent on them to sleep, which doesn't help your problems. Since I've only had one bout of it my entire life (and it went away on it's own) I can't really say anything else helpful...
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Just to warn you, melatonin had some bad side effects on me. When I took it at night, I did in fact get to sleep, however I had an incredibly difficult time getting up in the morning. I would literally fall asleep driving to school because the drug was so powerful. Mind you, I only took 1/3 of a pill every night. I had a hard time staying awake in class and was reprimanded many times for falling asleep in class. I took so many naps that it was just ridiculous.
Not to frighten you, but I thought I should warn you. It might not happen to you, but that's what I experienced with the drug.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote: I've had insomnia, mine was a side effect of medication I was taking but it made me miserable. I feel for you.
Hey! Me too! And it really sucks!
Posted by jennabean (Member # 8590) on :
Lullaby and goodnight Go to sleep little Pearcey!
la la la... la la la... la la...
*ZzzzZzzZz*
May I suggest an investment in a mattress and some menfolk? I prefer menfolk who are also masseurs, myself.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
*LOL* It's true...I do sleep better when there are menfolk about. And on a bed. That helps a lot.
My sniffles migrated into my chest, so it's possible that I woke up in a panic last night because I wasn't breathing properly. So I got some chest cough congestion medicine crap that the pharmacist recommended, and I'm going to the clinic tomorrow for sure.
My mom is convinced I have Katrina cough. Fortunately, she also thinks I need a bed ASAP.
-pH
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Wal-tussin CF was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm going to kick that pharmacist in the shins.
I slept for about forty-five minutes, and now I'm all:
-pH
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Wal-tussin? Is that seriously what it's called?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
It's generic Walgreens Robitussin.
I was not aware, but apparently the CF formula has pseudoephedrine, which keeps you awake. I told that man I wanted something to knock me out for a good eight hours!
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Since I came back up to New Orleans, I've been waking up around this time every single morning. I find it increasingly difficult to get to sleep. Tonight, I basically woke up as soon as the Nyquil I took for my sniffles wore off.![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
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