How do I deal with anxiety about not sleeping?
Hi All
Really sorry to see some of the issues encountered on here. Worse than what I'm suffering with.
However...
If I don't have to worry about getting up for work (ie weekends) then I've always slept okay without melatonin or any kind of sleep aid.
The working week though is when the problems occur. Or simply when I've committed myself to be up early or be available for someone. Poor quality sleep, every so often zero sleep. It's cost me a job recently where I had to be available for my team in the morning. I think it was that pressure that kicked off my latest insomnia episode. Even though it was fully remote and not needing to be available until 0830!
Has anyone else suffered this particular form of insomnia and anxiety that ends up going with it?
Have tried Melatonin and Trazodone. No 'knockout' from Trazodone although it can make me a little more prone to doze off if I wake up too early.
I'm hardly critical...but it does concern me how I'm going to survive another 17 years until retirement.
The hope is that a previous job I had was a lot more flexible and I did generally give me better quality sleep, especially when working remotely. Getting another job like this though may prove quite tricky although is a goal.
A case of either trying to 'fix' my sleep issues, or learning to live with it and getting a job that accommodates it best.
This is what I struggle with. The insomnia might start by missing a night or two of sleep and then you begin getting anxiety about going to bed or just whether you'll sleep. They used to use the term psychophysiological insomnia. That's no longer used but people with cooccurring anxiety disorders like me have primary insomnia called learned or conditioned insomnia. Supposedly CBT-i with a therapist works but just when I thought I was getting better it came back. I rarely get six hours of sleep. I recently began waking up at 2 or 3 again and then the panic/anxiety begins about not being able to get back to sleep. I'm going to try to follow my sleep therapist routine again. I stopped seeing the sleep therapist because I couldn't afford to go after a year of paying. Most don't accept insurance. When you've hardly slept for days I disagree with trying to concentrate on a sleep diary. Sleep hygiene does not address generalized anxiety disorder at all. I think it's time to come up with something simpler. CB requires clear thinking which sleep-deprived people like me don't have. Sometimes I can barely function from lack of sleep.
Hi
. Does it ever help to take an over-the-counter sleep aid to get past the anxiety for a night or two? Some people seem to benefit from a "reset" like that. Do you think anti-anxiety medications would help or is your anxiety not regular? Anxiety can have such a powerful impact on sleep. I hope you find a solution. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member) 
Thank you so much for your insightful comment, We all experience things so differently. Your experience is so similar to many of us. I find that it is imperative to deal with my anxiety to help manage my insomnia. Like a sleep hygiene protocol, I think having one for your mental health and anxiety is important too. Mine includes therapy journaling and mindfulness, guided meditation for anxiety and sleep.
Breaking the cycle as early as possible is good for me, it helps.
Warmly,
Warmly, Clair ( Team Member)
I wish I knew
Hi
. Are you still suffering from a lot of anxiety? Has your doctor been of any help? Thinking of you and wishing you the very best. - Lori (Team Member)
Hi. Thank you for the reply. Yes, I am in agreement that my issue is anxiety. I did try Sertraline for about 3 weeks although it totally killed my sleep completely! Was lucky to get 2-3h a night and felt absolutely on edge and horrible during the day. Had to stop taking the tablets and within a couple of days I was sleeping better. I may well try another medication at some point.
Definitely a good idea to receive some CBT sessions. I have signed up for the Sleepio App of which is highly rated.
Hopefully will get to the bottom of my issues over the next few months.Hi
. I am glad you got off Sertraline because your body became accustomed to it. Otherwise, it might have taken a long time to taper off it. While anti-anxiety meds can be helpful, it's always best to try therapy first, especially since your haven't mentioned any other issues with anxiety. My son had the same reaction to Sertraline. He later learned he has ADHD and that the uncontrolled ADHD was caused the anxiety. When he treated the ADHD, his anxiety and sleep issues went away. I hope you get this figured out so you can enjoy quality sleep every night. Warm wishes. - Lori (Team Member) Theres a charity called overcome that provides free CBT for insomnia. Its delivered remotely via zoom. Overcome.org.uk
Hi
. Welcome to the community! I am glad you found us. We are not medical experts, but it sounds like your biggest issue is anxiety and that if you can address the anxiety, maybe you can get the insomnia under control. Have you ever seen a therapist or psychiatrist about your sleep issues? Cognitive Behavorial Therapy - Insomnia (CBTI) has been so successful in treating insomnia that it is now the frontline treatment ahead of medications. That might be the best place for you to start. Here is an article about it that might interest you: https://insomnia.sleep-disorders.net/cbt. If that isn't helpful, you might want to consider anti-anxiety medication. It might work better for you than sleep medications since it would address the underlying issues. I hope this helps and that you will keep us posted about your treatment. We are here for you. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)
