I can't really sleep!

For the last week, I have gotten little sleep. The first 3 or 4 days, I would lay on the couch shaking, having like full body jerks, exhausted but laying there with my eyes closed all night. Tossing and turning for hours and maybe slept a total of 30-60 minutes very broken up through the night. The last few days, I'll feel a bit better and try to go to sleep and wake up 45-60 minutes later or an hour and a half later it I'm lucky, before everything floods back. I get jerky and shaky, my stomach has a pit, I feel that dread, anger, anxiety, and I'll be tossing and turning again with bits where I fall asleep for 20-40 minutes maybe 2-4 times through the entire night and morning. It's driving me insane. It's scary that I can't sleep much and when I do, it feels like torture and I'll have nightmares for the little bits I do get.

FearIncarnate

Date posted: 17h

This might not be super helpful, but I had a bout of sleep deprivation because of intense anxiety/body symptoms and my doctor prescribed me hydroxyzine. It is a fast acting anti anxiety, most people use them for panic attacks, and the main side effect is drowsiness! It helped me sleep until I was able to work through the anxiety causing the sleep issues, and it might work for you. I’d definitely talk to your doctor or therapist about this asap if you haven’t already, sleep deprivation makes anxiety worse and you’re obviously stuck in a cycle. Some other advice that helped me, was not being afraid of the fear(your body’s reactions to the fear), it’s uncomfortable but letting it flow through your body and exit your limbs helps. Same with your anxious/intrusive thoughts, let them happen and they will flow from your mind. Distraction isn’t super healthy long term but it works, either try falling asleep while reading, watching a show you’re very interested in, playing a game, etc. I imagine stories in my head to distract my brain when I’m trying to sleep too. I hope at least one of these things helps !! Hang in there friend, this will end and you will get through this.

Thesadastronaut

Date posted: 17h

@FearIncarnate I actually tried hydroxizine back in the day when I had just anxiety and depression but unfortunately I had a bad reaction to it. I was on prozac and clonidine for a long time and it helped me, with some slip ups of course but it was mainly helpful. I made the mistake though when I forgot my medication on a vacation and was scared to start up again after not taking it for a while. I did finally decide to go back to therapy and will be seeing someone tomorrow but it sucks because the therapists my insurance cover don't specialize in OCD or even have it listed as something they work with but hopefully all goes well. Thank you for the response, I really appreciate it and it was helpful. :)

FearIncarnate

Date posted: 16h

@Thesadastronaut Ugh that sucks ! I wish medication was universal and affected everybody the same 😞 I’ve had zero positive experiences with any of the 7 long term anxiety medications I’ve tried, but hydroxyzine did help me when I was struggling thankfully. Maybe it’d help to look into a sleep medication? Obviously focusing on the root cause of your sleep issues is the goal but you can’t function well off that little sleep period. I understand the fear but I hope you can get back on the meds that helped you eventually! And I really hope your therapy goes well !! I’ve been with multiple therapists who don’t specialize with OCD (I’m on this app cause my current therapist recommended I try to find someone who specializes since she can only do so much) but in my opinion they still have been helpful in small ways with my OCD, so I hope they can help you get some sleep and relief !!

Vangogh00021

Date posted: 22w

Help please

I was trying to sleep in an aunt house and I’m suffering from nightmares or when I take naps or sleep I dream horrible things, and I took a little nap and I was about to start having a nightmare and I woke up. There’s a person that lives here and he’s not even here but I was about to have a dream with him it’s so scary he’s not even my family member or anything. And like it’s a delicate topic. But it’s the feeling that I can’t even sleep sometimes without dreaming this things that are so scary . And the groinal responses are about to kill me ! This is truly destroying my life I don’t know what to do I don’t want to be like this but I’m too tired to stay awake and too tired to sleep

CrazyLizardLady

Date posted: 19w

Does anyone struggle the worst at night?

I feel like it’s just me. But at night when I start to fall asleep, play on my phone, or watch TV; I’ll get major intrusive thoughts and a butt load of anxiety. Has anyone felt the same about this? How have you managed it? It’s getting exhausting and even causes me to sleep-less.

myfunnyvalen...

Date posted: 15w

Can anyone help?

Does anyone know any tips on how to accept the uncertainty of being unable to sleep? I get to so scared that if I don’t sleep, something bad will happen to me. Or I’ll end up in like the hospital or I’ll go crazy. It’s really scary and it bothers me so much. If anyone has advice I’d love to hear it!!

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I can't really sleep!

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