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Why can't my body fall into a deep sleep anymore??

Posted , 19 users are following.

Beezwax
Beezwax

Hi, I am a complete wreck of a person and I need help. I am absolutely exhausted, my eyes are sore and watery and I feel mentally unstable. I have not been able to sleep for a while properly but I have managed. It has now transitioned into waking up every hour and dreaming THE ENTIRE NIGHT. I remember every single dream I have and its driving me insane. Its like I am in REM sleep all of the time. I am so depressed and tired but I simply can t get any restful sleep. I wake up every hour and fall back into a light dream sleep. I am in bed literally 12 hours a night and I am exhausted when I finally crawl out of bed. I cannot work, function or have any form of happiness anymore. I need help. Please. If anyone knows any remedy for this? I am on Mirtazapine 15mg currently and I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder but I manage to be in a calm state before sleep thanks to ASMR and sleep hypnosis videos. If this helps at all, If I get incredibly drunk and pass out, I do not notice the dreaming being a problem anymore (maybe after my first awakening) but when I have drank that much, I tend to stay asleep MUCH longer than if I go to bed without drinking. I know this is no form of solution but this has been my life now for a while to simply function and cope for at least 1 day of the week. Thankyou for reading.

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • RobertT
    RobertT Beezwax

    Posted

    The alcohol very probably, almost certainly, increases the effect of the mirtazapine. I really do suspect your doctor can help you with something that is healthier than large amounts of alcohol.
  • NECKBONE
    NECKBONE Beezwax

    Edited

    Sorry to hear about your continued struggles with sleep.  As I mentioned in the other thread last week, I know how you feel.  Everything from the drinking to the waking up every hour on the hour.  I'm not a doctor or a therapist but you seem to be in a tough spot right now so I'll offer a few suggestions since our situations seem to be so similar.

    1. Start dealing with the residual anxiety you have, not just at night.  What I learned is that it is not so much about how you feel right before you go to bed as it is how you feel most of the day.  If you are pumped up with anxiety all the time, it will not matter that much how relaxed you are when you go to bed.  Yes, relaxing can help you get to sleep but you will be up in no time with a racing heart, worrying about all the things you were worried about during the day.  Mainly, go speak with a therapist and set up consistent appointments.  I've had some moderate success with SSRI's (like Paxil) for helping with anxiety, so maybe talk with your physician about prescribing something along those lines to help.  And..

    2. Learn how to relax.  You said that you are able to relax in the evening before bed and that is a great start. Take note of that relaxing feeling you get throughout your mind and body, then apply it throughout the day when you start to feel that anxiety creeping in.  Pretty soon, you will be able to respond the events throughout the day in a more relaxed way and you'll find that your anxiety level will decrease. 

    3.  Stop drinking, now.  When I was at the height of my sleep troubles I too thought that drinking heavily was the only way I could get any sleep.  While I was able to sleep more when I was drinking, the sleep that I got was horrible and I woke up in worse shape than if I hadn't gotten any sleep at all.  Also, if you are taking sleeping pills, the negative effects on your cognition the day aftern can be debilitating.  Believe me, I'm not a teetotaler or someone that things alcohol is the devil, but it only compounds sleep problems. 

    4.  Get a little exercise.  I'm not a gym rat myself, but getting your heart rate up for a little while every day does help you get rid of stress and sleep better. I don't know why and I don't think the medical community does either, but exercise has so many positive effects on your brain.  Exercise has been proven time and again to be just as effective in alleviating depression as medication.  You don't have to go crazy with it, just try to get your heart rate up for 15-20 minutes a day.  A brisk walk will work.  

    5. Do not spend as much time in the bed.  Go to bed way later than you do now and if you wake up, don't lay there tossing and turning, drifting in and out of a light sleep for hours and hours.  Get up and read, write, meditate, or anything you find relaxing and that won't stimilate your stress response.  Go back to bed if and when you feel sleepy again.  If that doesn't happen, then so be it.  You will be so much better off staying up than you will be getting the type of sleep you are getting right now. 

    5. Learn to cope with your sleep issues.  Your life is not in shambles.  You are not a trainwreck.  You can live and work without great sleep, even happily if you look at the situation in a positive light.  I know right now it feels like you can't do anything and that everyone sees that you are struggling, but neither of those things is true.  If you aren't feeling great after a poor night of sleep, go on about your business anyway.  If you don't dread getting a terrible night of sleep, it will decrease the anxiety you have built up related to your sleep problems.  Lower anxiety = better sleep. 

    You can get out of this little funk.  

    • NECKBONE
      NECKBONE

      Posted

      I meant 6. 

      Ha ha!

    • Beezwax
      Beezwax NECKBONE

      Posted

      Hello again, thankyou for such a detailed reply. It means a lot smile I agree that I do build up anxiety and negative energy throughout the day and that in turn puts me in a bad mood and worried about how much sleep I'm going to get that night. I'm going to take that advise on board and start doing the hobbies I enjoy again instead of using the excuse "I'm not going to do that, I'm too tired." 

      As for the drink, It definately feels like an escape route and a temporary happiness and relief. I do tend to drink so much that it knocks me out cold. The best nights sleep I get is when I have drank alcohol. Its sad I know, but I guess its time to stop that and find my own way that is less self destructive to my body.

      Again, I haven't been excercising either, I've just been spending my day in front of my computer to be quite honest because I am so tired, maybe its time to force myself out on a walk or pick up some dumbells as I used to love weight lifting at the gym.

      You seem to have a great set of guidelines there, and I hope you are coping with this as well as you said you was going through a similar experience. I will take your advise on board and I now have a positive outlook rather than feeling like I'm in a hole I can't crawl out of. Thankyou smile

  • anetta94863
    anetta94863 Beezwax

    Posted

    Drugs and alcohol do not mix. If you come off of mitrazapine your sleep will eventually go back to normal. It will take months. Ask your doc how to taper the drug.
  • shannon59663
    shannon59663 Beezwax

    Edited

    Hi! Did you ever end up finding a solution? Are you able to sleep better now?
    • Beezwax
      Beezwax shannon59663

      Posted

      Hiya. On the sleeping front i am much better thank you smile Coming off mirtazapine has seemed to helped my sleep, i thought for years that the problem was me when it was in fact the drug. Honestly i wish i never went on anti depressants period. Ask away if you have any questions and have a merry Christmas!
    • shannon59663
      shannon59663 Beezwax

      Edited

      I see. My husband has been having this same issue for 4 months now. He cannot feel rested and just dreams all night. It’s like his body cannot get into deep sleep. He can hardly function. It’s a nightmare. He had a bad panic attack one night and it’s been this way since. He’s not on any anti depressants or medication, we have been to doctors and they say everything g is fine. We just don’t know what’s happening. Thank you for your response. Merry Christmas!
    • Beezwax
      Beezwax shannon59663

      Posted

      Hmm okay, i was under the impression he'd be on Mirtazapine like i was. Its a tricky one to know how to deal with, is he still occupying himself throughout his day? My problem was Id feel so rundown and tired that it'd stop me doing the things i enjoyed and Id be constantly thinking about it and adding to that worry of sleeping. The time i saw difference and my symptoms improved were when i made lifestyle changes like going to the gym, filling out my day productively and gave the thought of sleep less of my energy and attention. I found that Id always dwell on it and when i let that go, id then be able to sleep better.

      There are absolutely other alternatives like meds, herbal remedies but i tried all of that and i only noticed a dramatic change when i changed my lifestyle. Maybe ask him if he's still doing the things he enjoys and if its stopped him doing the things he once loved.

      I thought id never sleep properly again when i went through this so i sympathise completely. He just needs to look at it as a temporary phase of his life and believe that it will be fixed. Hope you have a merry Christmas! smile

    • Titic
      Titic shannon59663

      Posted

      I have the same problem.  Did your husband resolve the problem.  If so, how did he do it?
    • Beezwax
      Beezwax Titic

      Posted

      Read my other reply. I am still sleeping well to this day and feel much better in myself with a much more positive outlook on life. Are you on any medications or feeling depressed ect?
    • mike45967
      mike45967 shannon59663

      Posted

      Hey Shannon omg I’ve been suffering the same thing is there anything he did ? Did he find a way to get better ? 
    • Nasteha85
      Nasteha85 shannon59663

      Posted

      I have been going through this for year's, started just like your husband, after a huge panic attack, which was something I never had or heard of before I had one. Sleep use to be my best friend, now It makes me miserable. I sleep;however, I dream the entire time and wake up all throughout the night until I finally wake up feeling like I did not sleep. Have your husband found any relief?

  • dhmc
    dhmc Beezwax

    Edited

    I have this exact issue!!! You go straight into REM then wake up then straight into REM again... The cause is because we are blocking the natural stage 2 phase either via stress or anxiety and when you do that the brain realises and forces the only stage it can force is REM
  • Jagged
    Jagged Beezwax

    Posted

    I'm having the same issue. This started after an alcohol binge night. Had shakes and nerves were shot the next day and this problem started. I enter dreaming mode and then 3-4 hours I awake with mind racing. No deep sleep. I've taken Xanax over the years off and on so I was worried I messed up my GABA receptors. Anyway, I've tried all the herbs, LTryptophan, GABA, Theonine, melatonin. Nothing is working. My head feels like it's going to explode and my nerves are shot. One would think, your body would get so exhausted it would force itself into phase 2 sleep, but it's just not doing it for me. I'll try running, hopefully I won't keel over in the process. Thanks for starting this thread.

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