[Collinsnem]

I have been having insomnia, worsening, over the last several months. It appeared the first night with a weird stomach issue one day out hiking, where i was unable to sleep and lost my appetite that whole day, had a sensation in my right side and was concerned about appendicitis or something, went to the doctor, didnt think appendicitis, did test for h pylori which was negative. Went to Amsterdam for a conference in July and continued to have a strange not painful but dull sensation still in my side where the stomach issue was previously, and bad sleep (but i attributed this to jet lag at the time). I talked to a doctor about that continued sensation when the insomnia worsened (October), and they werent concerned that the two were connected, prob just sensing kidney or something, nothing to worry about. I get anxious about it being related to the insomnia and this may be making insomnia worse. But i guess i am wondering if i should have any cause for concern about a medical issue causing the insomnia or if it is almost always the case that it is anxiety causing the insomnia. I continue to exercise regularly, and the insomnia was strange in that I thought i had solved the problem for a week and then it came back, but now it seems more prevalent, every day. Psych clinic put me on seroquel, which is helping a bit but last night was terrible again. I just have this anxiety that there is something wrong medically causing the insomnia and that makes it much worse, but as i said not really any pain or other symptoms other than a sensation in the side, almost unnoticeable usually, but constant if i think about it. Lack of sleep also makes it feel my heart is beating faster in the day and at night it starts racing right when i lay down to sleep, kicking me out of relaxed state (do slow breathing to try to calm before bed), which also makes me concerned. For a while early on i had leg and hand twitches when trying to sleep too but they dont seem as prominent lately. Just looking for another perspective from more experienced folks here. thanks.

[Joyous56]

I’m not aware of any medical issues that cause insomnia, unless they cause pain that keeps you awake.

Depression and/or anxiety however, which I believe are medical issues, can affect your sleep.

From what you’ve written, you’ve been worried that you might have a medical issue that’s affecting your sleep. That worry may be affecting your sleep!

While everything on the internet isn’t necessarily true, I’d start by Googling “Medical problems that affect sleep”. You may learn something that could help.

[Martin Reed]

It doesn’t sound as though there’s a medical issue behind your insomnia since so many possibilities have already been investigated and ruled out.

Ultimately, there are only three perpetuating factors behind chronic insomnia — sleep drive disruption (this usually occurs when we allot too much time for sleep), body clock disruption (this usually occurs when we get out of bed at very different times each day), and arousal.

Arousal can take three forums — cognitive arousal (anxious thoughts), conditioned arousal (we’ve learned to associate the bed with wakefulness), and physiological arousal (for example, we experience things like a racing heart or cold sweats when we’re in bed, about to go to bed, or just think about bed).

The good news is that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) addresses all of the perpetuating thoughts and behaviors behind chronic insomnia, and this is why it’s such an effective long-term treatment for chronic insomnia.

I hope this helps!

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The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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