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Anxiety induced severe insomnia

Posted , 4 users are following.

leigh35992
leigh35992

My anxiety flared mid August. I started waking up multiple times during the night. Fast forward to Sept 7th, I got my first covid shot and felt relief. I slept well that night. My anxiety was mostly due to the never ending pandemic and scared to get the vaccine. Starting around Sept 15, I started having trouble falling and asleep and waking up early in the morning. On Sept 21 & 22 I could not sleep at all. I was up for 2 days. I had no problem sleeping on the 23 probably from being exhausted. I have not been able to fall asleep since the 23rd unless I take a klonopin which only gives me 4 hour sleep. OTC sleep aids don't work for me. I got my 2nd shot yesterday thinking I would be able to sleep because I felt relieved. I was up all night again. I did not experience any physical anxiety symptoms I normally do when I'm trying to sleep. I don't feel anxious at all.

I am able to function during the day, exercise, meditate, get 1/2 hr sun therapy daily. Nothing helps. I can't continue to function like this. My doctor gave me a script for Lexapro but I read it can cause insomnia as well. I don't want to become dependent on medication. I feel I have no other choice this has been going on for over a month now.

Any one here experience anxiety induced insomnia?

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • rachel93071
    rachel93071 leigh35992

    Posted

    Hi Leigh,

    I'm new here but fully get where you're coming from. I'm in the middle of a house move (moving into a house completely alone) might sound a but pathetic but i've never lived alone before. i was initially excited but now the day is looming to move im so anxious and feel physically sick at the thought. I've suffered with anxiety since i was 13 and can usually control it quite well, but when it flares up it affects my sleep so badly, i literally stay awake until about 6am and end up getting about 1-2 hours broken sleep. I then spend all the next day exhausted and worried about the lack of

    sleep that it just becomes a vicious insomnia cycle. I've had a few bouts like this in the past and have (luckily) managed to get my sleep pattern back within a couple of weeks, but once im in an insomnia cycle it feels like I'll never sleep properly again. It really is so lonely being awake all night and you feel like you're the only person experiencing it, so it does make me feel better that I'm not the only one. I take 30mg of mirtazipine for my anxiety in general which has been helpful overall, but my house move is on Friday and i just feel so overwhelmed and consumed with sleep anxiety. I never sleep well in new places at all, but the sleepless nights have started before I've even moved. Feel completely at my wits end.

  • evangelos65789
    evangelos65789 leigh35992

    Posted

    Hi Leigh

    I had insomnia since i was 15 years old and I got over it 10 years later.

    So i have some advice to give you.

    1. Don't talk about it like its a big deal.

      Yes i know its Tough but when you reinforce thoughts and behaviours around it you make the condition stronger thab what it actually is.

    2. Give it time, and you will recover, remember its your natural ability to sleep so there is Nothing Better and stronger than this ability.
    3. Avoid caffeine, blue Lights such as screens, loud and alerting things.
    4. Remember, your mind should be in a non-alert state so avoid anything that causes alert.

    There is a lot out there but those are some of the basics.

    It mind Sound a lot to you now but overtime you get used to deal with it and it becomes your second nature so don't worry.

    If you have questions about it let me know, i will happily tell you more about it.

    • Okay4Real
      Okay4Real evangelos65789

      Posted

      I understand that you don't really want to dwell on your problems, but I disagree with "not talking about it". I mean, you need to get it off your chest so that you can clear your mind a bit and receive reassurance that you're not alone. Isn't that kind of the point of this site?

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