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Anxiety and sleep disorders

Posted , 8 users are following.

mandy14302
mandy14302

Hi, I've been having a lot of problems sleeping in the last couple of weeks and it seems to have come from just one bad night. I have had to take time off work as I am so exhausted. The anxiety comes in when I can't sleep and I start to get panicky that I will never sleep properly. Are there any positive stories out there to help me feel ok ? I've been given an anti-depressent for the anxiety which I've started taking but I've been told this will take a while to take affect

2 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • Nicsywicsy
    Nicsywicsy mandy14302

    Posted

    Hi Mandy

    Oh I feel your pain I really do! In Feb the exact same thing happened to me completely out of the blue. I too was given an antidepressant and it took weeks to kick in but the side effects for me have been horrendous so I'm now reducing in the hope of coming off them soon! (They do help me sleep though!)

    What I discovered before the pills kicked in is that eventually I will always sleep. I haven't gone more than one night with no sleep at all although I did go 2 nights with 1.5 hours which was horrendous but I'm still here to tell the tale.

    I don't know how my sleep will be when I come off Trazodone but 3 months on I'm still having side effects so would rather find a natural cure.

    I'm not sure how helpful that is but at least you know you're not alone! Good luck xx

  • Davesoapbox
    Davesoapbox mandy14302

    Posted

    Hi Mandy,

    as as you will read on here sleep disruption is a common symptom of anxiety/depression, I for one can sleep like a baby one night and the next spend all night wide awake even though my body is tired. I would guess you have been put on Sertraline or another SSRI which can take several weeks to kick in fully but some side effects will start straight away. You can find yourself in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation causing anxiety and because you are anxious you can't sleep. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and self hypnosis can help also regular exercise to help reduce stress and wear you out a bit are all positive measures. Watch your diet and try to avoid stimulants before bed. Most of all stay strong, and remember we are here if you need to chat/ vent. 

    Namaste 

    • mandy14302
      mandy14302 Davesoapbox

      Posted

      Hi Namaste,

      Thanks for this - my workplace has been very understanding. I didn't realise just how many people suffer from the same thing. The urban myth that everyone gets 7-8 hours of sleep a night seems to be pretty inaccurate. I've noticed with Sertraline that the side effects are quick. I've only had them for two days as it took me a while to decide to try them. I've had a bad run of 4 nights with 1-3 hours sleep which I'm trying to tell myself is better than no sleep. Positive thinking. I'm going to try some relaxation techniques that are on this website so fingers crossed.

  • Davesoapbox
    Davesoapbox mandy14302

    Posted

    Hi Mandy,

    glad i could be of help, yes the myth that people get a good eight hour sleep is a bit of a joke I can have 2-3 hours one day and sleep 12 the next lol. Also namaste is a Indian greeting/salutation that conveys gratitude to others smile definitely try the relaxation it works

    • mandy14302
      mandy14302 Davesoapbox

      Posted

      Ha sorry David about that. You can tell I am a bit sleep deprived !

      Thank you for your support. I am just a bit worried about one of the side effects of the anti-depressent being insomnia ?! I guess no one has the same reaction

       

  • david92512
    david92512 mandy14302

    Posted

    Hi Mandy,I have suffered with this for years on and off.The one thing I have found helps is not to stay there for a moment,just get up and have a drink,hot chocolate is a good one.I realise you are exhausted but you must break this by moving out of the situe and using a distraction,a nice warm cup of a milky drink.Also its good to allow yourself to wind down properly in the evening,and if you can read a short piece of a book.I have found a psalm if you have a bible,try psalm 51,I have found this very comforting,esp if you keep going back to this when you first start to be the slightest bit anxious. I hope this helps you in some small way.ps.am not pushing anything upon you,I want only to help you if atall possible.
  • New85
    New85 mandy14302

    Posted

    Anxiety and sleep deprivation is a common and vicious cycle! You can't sleep because your worrying and then you worry because you can't sleep! Also not sleeping heightens all the symptoms of anxiety and makes it 100x worse! It's a downward spiral

    I went through a period where I literally just did not sleep for about 72 hours. I went out of my mind. I ended up needing sleeping pills to get a few full nights sleep and reset me back to neutral. They were a real life saver for me but they come with their problems so there are other things you can try either instead of or in combination with.

    Nowadays I just try to stick to a good routine. I avoid caffeine after lunch, I have herbal (valerian) tablets - sleepease from boots, take them an hour before bed, have a camomile tea or warm milk. I switch off the tele and get into bed 20 - 30 mins or so before I want to go to sleep. I have lavender oils and pillow spray I find really relaxing so I use these and read or do breathing exercises for a bit before I turn the lights out. My sleep is still broken most nights but I havnt had a really bad night for weeks now (fingers crossed!)

    If you've just started on anti depressants that could be the reason you are having trouble sleeping it's a common side effect in the first few weeks while your. body adjusts to them. I had that with Citalopram.

    Hope it gets better for you x

  • DClassic
    DClassic mandy14302

    Posted

    Hi Mandy,

    My story was pretty much the same. Everything snowballed after just one night of now sleep.

    But I can give you a positive story. My sleep is (almost) back to normal now. It took hard work, but I eventually found habits that help me sleep well. I've been running around the forums for a few weeks now, hopefully cheering people up!

    So, a key habit for me was to relax before and while in bed, like everyone else has been saying. For me, the trick is to not think of my bed for sleeping, but just for lying down in and relaxing. Then I think about something pleasant (anyting other than sleep!), and I slowly drift off.

    The antidepressant should help. If things continue, you might think about seeing a therapist too. They can help you find ways to fight the anxiety.

    Good luck!

    • David7719
      David7719 DClassic

      Posted

      Hi DClassic,

      I read your post with interest - I too having sleeping problems after one random difficult night 12 months ago. I never imagined it would still be causing me problems now! Can I ask whether you were prescribed an anti-depressant?

    • DClassic
      DClassic David7719

      Posted

      Yes, I was prescribed one. I think it helps. As I said, a key habit for me has been to not agonize over my poor sleep, especially when I am in bed. I believe the anti-depressant acts as a brace against the endless rumination that keeps me from relaxing. SSRIs are one of the more common anti-depressants, and their side effects are generally mild.

      You might ask your GP about an SSRI, or better yet get a referral to a psychiatrist. Some SSRIs have an activating effect in some people, which can actually be disruptive to sleep. A psychiatrist should be more knowledgeable about the most appropriate medication.

      Good luck David! There is a solution, and you will find it.

    • David7719
      David7719 DClassic

      Posted

      Hi there thanks for your reply. Yes I've switched to citalopram now. Was on 10mg for 3 weeks and now just started 20mg so I'm hoping this will help with middle-of-the-night anxiety about getting back to sleep. I'm exhausted at the moment but trying to keep strong, this is no way to live and none of us deserve it. 

      How long before you saw a noticeable improvement?

      I've seen a pscyhiatrist in the past around 3 times (privately - the only wany I could get to see an NHS one was if I was suicidal I think!) - he said I had some underlying anxiety which was feeding the sleep problem and should persist with citalopram and things will improve over time so that's what I'm going to do.

      I was at a family birthday yesterday and fely awful. I kept face for the sake of everyone and am now determined to turn this around so I'm the one they look at with pride - not with sympathy.

       

    • mousumi57391
      mousumi57391 David7719

      Posted

      Hi david

      I m going thru same prb.its been 1 month now.it started whn I reached home and found some noise n I pre assumed that I wont be able to sleep and that is what happened. My worry about my sleep started and from dat day till now I haven't slept naturally.i m on metraz15mg and zolfresh.i m so frustrated if I ll be able to aleep naturally or not.whole day I keep thinking abt this though I try to keep myself busy.but somewhere its there in mu subconscious mind.i tried to sleep a lot but its seem impossible without pills now.is it really possible to get off the pills someday.

    • DClassic
      DClassic David7719

      Posted

      I was on fluoxetine for about 4 months, then I switched to escitalopram and I've been on that for about 5 months. As to when it started working, its hard to attribute that to one thing. It was really a confluence of a number of factors, such as therapy, strict sleeping habits, and the medication. I'd say I started seeing improvement after three months after the start of therapy/medication, a bit more improvement after switching to escitalopram (fluoxetine was the SSRI that can be activating), and then things have been improving slowly but steadily since.

      About anxiety, it is definitely a problem. If you are anxious about sleep at the start and during your bedtime, it will almost certainly disturb your sleep. That was the toughest part for me. I had to learn to let go, and just accept that I might not sleep well a given night and may feel bad the next day. I would also remind myself of all the times I had a poor night's sleep, but managed to have a good day regardless. Once I started doing that the anxiety over sleep began to slip away, and I slept better.

      The medication is supposed to help relieve the anxiety. But 'help' is the key word there - the meds don't work alone, they work in tandem with anxiety reducing habits/exercises that you have to implement yourself. For me, that has mostly been stoically accepting that my sleep was poor, and dealing with it. I also do some meditation / mindfulness exercises. For you, it might be something different.

      But dealing with the anxiety is very important. Once you find a routine that works, I believe you will see improvement in your sleep.

    • mousumi57391
      mousumi57391 DClassic

      Posted

      So is it not possible to get back to natural sleep cz I dont want to get addicted to med.
    • DClassic
      DClassic mousumi57391

      Posted

      No, it is possible. It just takes time.

      About 'getting addicted', it is good to be wary of medicines, because many are addictive. You have to be very careful with meds that induce sleep.

      But anti-depressents (which SSRIs are a common type of) are much less dangerous in that regard. When finished with treatment, you have to wean yourself off of them to be sure, but they are much easier to come off of than something in the bezodiazepine class of sleep aids. I used to be on an SSRI when I was younger (for a separate issue). I took it for a year, followed the schedule for weaning off it with no problem, and then I was done.

      But like I was saying, they are not magic. An SSRI does not directly help you to sleep. They can help you cope with the anxiety that oftentimes keeps you from sleeping.

      So approach meds with caution and with consultation with your doctors, but I wouldn't suggest avoiding them altogether.

    • mousumi57391
      mousumi57391 DClassic

      Posted

      Thanks david... relaxed to hear that ,I m nt taking med of benzo group.

      I m really panicking over this as I need to keep patience and faith that everything will be alright.

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