Sleeping aids?

Does anyone take sleeping aids to help with sleep? Does it affect your OCD?

Blue Ant

Date posted: 1y

any sleeping medication has just fucked me up worse and made me feel awful in the past. as if sleep deprivation wasn't bad enough, LOL. i avoid sleeping pills like the plague. last time i took one was like 5 years ago, as a college freshman before the pandemic.

LetLOVEin

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

I use klonopin to knock the edge off sometimes on nights I’m super anxious. My provider was okay with it since me and sleeping meds did not agree well.

ZJT

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

Sleep aids are a slippery slope for me. Over the past year I relied on them to get sleep during times of OCD uprising. BUT then I had an insight that I would always OCD out about what would happen if I didn’t get enough sleep which would keep me up even more. So I would take the pill and within 10 mins or so, before I felt it, I’d fall asleep. It was a new ritual for me and I was becoming more OCD about sleep- so I added more rituals like sunlamps, avoiding light types, sleep sounds, etc. Those made the OCD worse too. It took me about a month or so to unwind that OCD pattern and lots of sleepless nights. Back to normal and now I just accept those random nights OCD keeps me up. I say this not because I’m against meds or anyone using them. You obviously know what’s best for you. I just want to share my story in case you get sleep OCD like me…it took me far to long to recognize it.

ocdsufferer20

Date posted: 50w

@ZJT Do u still feel pain whilst on sleeping pills

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

Thanks everyone for your responses!!

REB06

Date posted: 1y

I don't use typical sleep aids but things like magnesium lotions and sprays, sleepy teas with ingredients like valerian and skullcap, and other bits and bobs.

Anonymous

Date posted: 25w

Sleep and OCD?

Does anyone else's OCD get worse when you haven't slept well? I haven't been sleeping well since this weekend and my OCD and anxiety is just making me feel super down. Does anyone else have this problem?

baukje

Date posted: 14w

Erp for insomnia ?

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.

ocdissucky

Date posted: 11w

Sleeping

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

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Sleeping aids?

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community