- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I have experienced the same thing many times. I really like melatonin. It helps me a lot. When I am not in a good place mentally I wake up more during the night. Some things that have helped me. Read an uplifting book. I am religious so I read book about Jesus. I think that helps a lot. Jesus helps me a lot. Also when I exercise hard and get those endorphins, ocd to me is more of a chemical imbalance in my brain. When I get those chemicals my brain works better and doesn’t come up with those thoughts. Pray. Watch a relaxing YouTube channel that helps calm you down. I have used all of these things to help me. I hope they can help you.
Thank you, I’m exhausted, but I’ll try those. I’m thinking excersize might work. I had my first intrusive thoughts 3 days ago and it’s getting worse. I’m not sure if it’s due to a chemical Imbalance, but maybe working out will get this out
i struggle with sleeping, too. i'm actually scared to fall asleep without doing a set routine of compulsions because i'm scared of doing stuff in my sleep. when i told my doctor, she recommended eating healthier and exercising before bed. i haven't tried yet, but maybe they will be helpful?
Thank you for the advice, I might try working out!
I usually do guided meditation before bed and I use this sleeping mask where it is also headphones I’ll put a link if I can find it but after meditation I put raining sounds thunder sounds for my preference and it keeps mya Trent ion in the sounds and just fall asleep eventually.
Thank you, if you could add the link I’d appreciate it.
Guided meditation: https://youtu.be/phm_VPjijh8 Sleeping mask: Sleep Headphones, LC-dolida Bluetooth Sleep Mask 3D Wireless Music Sleeping Eye Mask Sleeping Headphones for Side Sleepers Sleep Mask with Bluetooth Headphones Thin Stereo Speakers Gifts for Men Women https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T6FNLQV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_i_PCMG2E4FFDDWKRNXJ3CY
@hii2037382 Hope that helps u
@hii2037382 Thank you so much
I’ll give it a shot then, would I just have to call my doctor and set up an appointment?
My ocd has been at an extreme all time high the past 2 weeks and I am in dire need of some relief. I’m not sleeping right anymore. for context: I live in the south and found a springtail on my sheets about 2 weeks ago. This was like 2 days before our bug guy came and sprayed (it’s a normal maintenance thing here) so it’s a common bug down here and I’ve found them all over different areas of the house before. Finding it in my bed sent me on a bit of a spiral bc I started to doubt if it even was a springtail and that i was wrong and that it was a bed bug, not trusting my brain. It was a bad, sleepless night and carried over continuing feelings. Typical ocd stuff. Well two days later, I’m a nurse and I had a patient that actually had bed bugs. This wasn’t the first day they were here and I did not see any myself but it still freaked me out. There had one 2 founds after visitors came the day before. Of course I wore PPE in the room (coveralls shoe covers and hair net) going in and took everything off before exiting the room. When I came home I stripped in my garage and bagged everything down to my shoes. Threw everything in the wash and did multiple cycles. There were no other steps I could take but I still had a terrible night. Hours of ruminating and going back and forth about tracing my tracks, thinking of new ways I could’ve taken one home with me. Just checking everything. I was already on a spiral from the springtail. Having two such back to back triggering events for me so closely related has made me deteriorate significantly. I was already doing bad with my normal OCD and starting therapy here. I obsess over the thought of having bedbugs constantly and haven’t been able to sleep. I am constantly checking my bed while in it and can’t settle down. My bed is heavy too and I keep hurting myself lifting my mattress to check. But I need to check. I’ve become obsessed. I check everything and go down Reddit rabbit holes looking for new things. And of course, I talk myself into it every time. I can’t take it anymore, it’s bleeding off into other parts of my life like friendship and marriage because I am so high anxiety right now. I need relief so bad. I’ve never felt this unstable to be honest. I feel like even someone without ocd would be really struggling with this topic, nevermind me, with ocd to a point where I just started treatment. These aren’t even my normal intrusive thoughts and compulsive acts. It’s just taken on a life in the last week and I can’t find any sign that it’s going to slow down. when I think rationally I know I did everything right to prevent but I can’t shake it. 💔
I have, alongside my other OCD themes, an intense fear of insomnia. Although this has been improving somewhat — partly thanks to medication and The sleep school on YouTube — I still find myself ruminating about it throughout the day when I have something important the next day, I get stuck in the fear that everything will be ruined — for both myself and others — because my mind is so preoccupied with sleep. + a fear of depression coming back. It honestly feels like a form of sleep OCD. I'm not sure if that’s an official thing, but that’s how it feels to me. A form of erp is the idea of befriending wakefulness. That works great tbh. Things like sleep hygiene, meditation, etc. — tend to backfire because my OCD latches onto them and becomes too obsessive about “doing them right.” I’m genuinely wondering whether ERP — for example in the form of a worst-case-scenario audio loop (imaginal exposure) — could be helpful in this case. I’m hesitant to start unless I know it can actually help. Is there anyone who has experience with this or thoughts about it? I’m not looking for reassurance or tips to fall asleep — only for ideas on how ERP might be applied in this situation.
Does anyone have any tips on how to sleep with harm ocd, I’m always so tired but I can’t fall asleep until it gets to the point my eyes won’t stay open, I’m scared that I’m gonna do something in my sleep or my thoughts just eont shut up and it causes issues with sleeping, advice needed please
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