Falling asleep

Hi fellow OCD warriors! I’ve been in a really good headspace lately and able to sit with my thoughts/feelings and refocus on what I’m doing in the moment. However, I’ve found recently my brain gets ramped up at night when I’m trying to fall asleep. Normally I’d just sit with the thoughts and refocus on what I’m doing, but when I’m trying to sleep there’s nothing really else to refocus on… any tips? I have medication to help me sleep at night if it’s needed, but I try not to use it too often because it makes waking up a bit of a challenge! Thanks all and happy Thanksgiving week for those who celebrate!

Laurencase14

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I think I lot of OCD sufferers experience difficulty sleeping at some point in their journey. I had a phase of struggling with it and it was so frustrating for the very reason you mentioned, there is nothing to do BUT think! What fixed this issue for me, was accepting that even if I didn’t sleep as much as I wanted to that night, (or at all), and was tired/cranky/overwhelmed the next day, I would survive and eventually my body would catch up on sleep. Going into bedtime with the mindset, this is gonna hi however it’s gonna go and I’ll survive, usually helped me ironically get to sleep faster. Some nights I still couldn’t. But anxiously trying to fall asleep won’t help. Sure there are supplements and sleep hygiene tips but that mindset shift was by far the most helpful thing

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@Laurencase14 Thank you!! I’ll give that a try tonight! I definitely checked the clock every hour last night and thought “great now I’ll only get x number of hours of sleep” haha, so I appreciate it!

Laurencase14

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous I would do the exact same thing! DONT do it! 😂 Until this obsession started for me, I would never have any trouble sleeping. But the first time I ever went at night without any sleep, I was so panicked thinking It was so bad for my brain and body (which of course can be true) and like I wasn’t able to function throughout the day, but when I would shift my attitude to believing that I can actually survive on no sleep just fine, with some discomfort no doubt, I felt a lot better throughout the day. You can survive so much more than you think, especially with an attitude of acceptance and belief in yourself

emfranch

Date posted: 1y ago

I have no tips, but experience the same thing. My OCD can be quiet during the day, then at night it comes out swinging.

QueenUnknown

Date posted: 22w ago

Can Napping Be a Compulsion?

At times, my intrusive thoughts get so intense that all I can do is lay frozen in my bed and hope I fall asleep, and usually I do even if I'm not tired. My brain just wears me out and I wanna escape through sleep. (Sadly it doesn't work all the time)

Joseph79

Date posted: 22w ago

Hello my fellow OCD Alumni lol.

Was wondering if anyone liked to share how they deal with Severe rumination and anxiety , as I’m always looking to Add to my tool box . Thanks 🙏

Ellen_l

Date posted: 15w ago

Advice?

I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Falling asleep

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community