Insomnia Forum Posting

Posted by A-B on September 15, 2002 at 21:00:09:

In Reply to: feel like i'm dying... posted by AJM on September 15, 2002 at 14:58:46:

Sending you a cyber-hug O

Please don't beat yourself up about going out and having what must have been a great night!! Things always look worse through a hangover, but I know that even without alcohol, a night of no sleep leaves you feeling shaky, sick, dizzy and pretty miserable in general (..take this from a party girl from way back..). You just have to remember that this is pretty normal for most people. My way to combat this was to have a very restful day and I would watch a couple of movies to take my mind off my misery. I also think the other suggestions made here are a great idea (if you can handle being out in the sunlight after a hard night out).

As far as your stress goes, something that has always helped me is to play the "What If" game. I would think of all the worst things that MIGHT happen (..what if - I couldn't sleep ever again, what if - I lost my job..) then go about finding solutions (..of course I will sleep again, I might just need some help,...if I lost my job then I know I have friends/family to help me get by until I find something else..). This was particularly useful when I was living on my own and would get paranoid about someone breaking in while I was asleep (which ironically enough, would keep me awake thinking about it). I would think about all the ways people could get in and then think about what my best escape would be in the event that it did happen, which made me feel less vunerable.

Eventually I stopped worrying about most things because
a) if something is going to happen it will, and all the worrying in the world won't change that, and
b) having a "plan of action" meant that IF and when something happened, I would be prepared and wouldn't feel so helpless.

This is something I have applied to EVERYTHING in my life (not just potential burglers) and now when I lay awake at night, I am more likely to be thinking about what the living area would look like painted taupe, rather than potential disasters.

Again - don't beat yourself up about a perceived "slip-up". We all have things that interfere with our best laid plans, it's just a matter of saying "well, it happened - there's nothing I can do to change that", and getting back into your regular routine.

Hang in there and let us know how you're going.

Best wishes for a restful sleep
A-B : )

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