Posted by Samantha on November 14, 2009 at 13:12:41:

In Reply to: Sudden onset of insomnia. posted by Ash on November 14, 2009 at 03:47:05:

It sounds like you have embarked upon that downward spiral of anxiety/insomnia. I know it only too well. When you get panicky and anxious, your body produces adrenalin and goes on full alert, so of course you can't sleep. Your body thinks you are fighting a mountain lion or other predator because our bodies are still somewhat stuck in the stone age. When you miss sleep, excess cortisol is produced which gives you that wired feeling, and because you feel wired an not tired, no sleep again. The more you dwell on not sleeping and its consequences, the harder it is to sleep. We have all been there. The only answer is to re-train your mind to not panic and get anxious, and that's a tough thing to achieve.

I wouldn't worry too much about fatal familial insomnia. It's genetic and very rare and there are only a handful of families in the world who have it. Aside from that, the only other similar disease I know of that causes similar symptoms is CJD, or mad cow's disease, and I guess you don't have that either! I have done a lot of research on the subject and insomnia cannot kill directly. Firstly, you didn't say what your pains were so I would suggest that you get all your health issues sorted out first. You can ask for a blood test to check for thyroid activity, blood count/iron levels etc to rule out any physical problems and if the sleeping trouble persists, then see a doctor about your insomnia, but I can almost guarantee that it's the anxiety and panic and normally doctors will try and deal with that first.

I have gone for days with no sleep and every time it happens I am convinced I am dying. I am still here and this started for me about 12 years ago! People say 'tell yourself you're going to bed to lie down and relax, NOT to sleep' but it's very hard to do. If you are awake more than an hour, the anxiety heightens and any chance you had of sleeping goes out of the window, but trust me, when your body is tired enough, the sleep switch will get hit and sleep will sneak up on you eventually. I have gone to work with no sleep and yeah, I feel like hell, but I can manage it and it doesn't have any long term health implications. What does tend to happen is your body incurs a sleep debt, which wants paying back but you are not in any danger. Your body produces extra chemicals to keep you going!

I would think very carefully about starting mediacation too. There is tons of advice on meds here but going without is the best option, otherwise (like me and others) you will end up relying on them. Also if you are given any medication, research it on the web first to make sure you know what to expect. Doctors tend to like to prescribe (I don't know if you are aware of these) medications known as SSRI or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, which reduce the amount of serotonin that your body re-absorbs (kind of saves it for later). These meds take 4-6 weeks to become effective and can and often do, cause insomnia as a side effect. I was given such a medication and I ended up taking an accidental overdose because it messed with my memory. If you say you are anxious or depressed because you are not sleeping, they will treat the anxiety/depression not the insomnia (at least my doctor did). I couldn't handle the break-in period so I stopped, but a lot of people have greatly benefited from these types of medication.

As for CBT, you need to speak positively to yourself even if you don't feel it does anything. Thought is a very powerful tool and (as you might have noticed) your body responds to the negative thoughts and anxiety, so why not the positive stuff. Here are a few affirmations for you.

'I am going to bed to lie down and relax. It doesn't matter if I sleep or not because I will still feel somewhat rested in the morning
by simply lying still with my eyes closed'.

'If I miss a night's sleep that's OK because I will still be able to cope. I will just feel a little bit more tired than normal, but I will be fine'.

'My body knows how to sleep and when I need to sleep, I will sleep and it will happen. I just need to give my body a chance'.

Also stick to a routine. Some people say if you can't sleep after 30 minutes, get up and do something. This doesn't always work for me. I need to give it a few hours sometimes! Of course people also say avoid caffeine, heavy meals before bedtime etc but to be honest, when I have anxiety/insomnia it seems to make no difference, but cut out stimulants after 6:00pm just in case. A lot of people enjoy a cup of chamomile tea before bed, which can help with relaxation.

The old adage of taking a hot bath is actually not a myth because to sleep, our body temperature needs to come down, so by taking a hot bath, you are allowing your body to warm up, and when you go to bed it's that drop in temperature that helps with sleeping, so give it a try each night.

I also find listening to some nature sounds helps, like the sound of rain or a flowing river but I always turn it off before attempting to go to sleep. There are also a lot of sleep hypnosis MP3's around which are worth a try.

After a bad night of sleep, you might feel the need for a nap, but by saying to yourself 'I really need to nap now' can cause anxiety to build up because you are putting pressure on yourself to sleep. Once you start monitoring your brain activity, this keeps you awake. Aim to simply lie down and relax with your eyes closed for an hour instead of taking a nap, and try to bore your mind into sleeping. I picture a wide open lake that goes on for miles and I imagine myself kayaking on it and all I can see is water and all I can hear is the splash of paddles. Other dull thoughts include bricklaying, stripping a never ending wall and climbing a never ending staircase. I don't count sheep because I always have badly behaved sheep who refuse to jump over the fence. This causes the farmer to get mad and he sets the sheepdog on them. Thus ensues a mad panic of sheep bleating and dogs barking and an angry farmer. Not very relaxing. If your mind tries to wander onto worry again, force it back on to the boring thing. It just might help! Good luck.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. Jackson 14:50 11/14/09 (0)
• Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. Ash 14:40 11/14/09 (5)
  • Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. F43 03:57 11/15/09 (0)
  • Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. electracat 21:54 11/14/09 (3)
    • Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. Samantha 02:43 11/15/09 (2)
      • Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. Jackson 17:43 11/15/09 (0)
      • Re: Sudden onset of insomnia. unwind 05:23 11/15/09 (0)

---