[Gdou]

Started sleep restriction window 6 nights ago. 1.00am lights out and 6.30am wake up. Prior to coming across this site, was habitually not falling asleep and awake for 24 hours around 3 otimes per week. So getting any sleep within 5.5 hours of sleep restriction would be great. By day 4 I slept almost 5.5 hours which was amazing! Felt so good and normal. But then realised that I am still taking melatonin 3mg to help. When I was getting zero sleep or struggled to sleep melatonin made no difference. – I can now see the negative thoughts and anxiety I had built up around sleep which increased my arousal system. So I decided day 5 not to take melatonin. Sure enough it played on my mind and a bit of anxiety kicked in. I relapsed that night and hardly slept between 1.00am and 6.30am- although told myself it’s ok, part of the process and I could recognise that my thoughts and anxiety of giving up melatonin awakened my arousal system. Day 6 that night I did not take melatonin – probably took me 50 min to fall asleep but then woke up at 4.00am restless as I regularly get night sweats and hot flushes which doesn’t help me stay asleep- hence the melatonin. Probably got around 3-4 hours sleep- feel like I have slept as I am so used to zero hours, any hours I am grateful. But also day 6, I failed to get out of bed at 6.30am- really struggled as I was semi awake from 4.00am till 5.00am and alarm going off at 6.30 – a bit brutal. Got out of bed at 8.00am. That will probably bite me for day 7 tonight. Wondering whether to continue to not take melatonin and stay committed to falling asleep and staying asleep without any crutches. Early days but making progress. Recognising my anxious thoughts that stimulate the arousal system- prior I was fixated on something is wrong with me !. My brain is failing! Focusing on relaxing at night versus trying to do all these activities to ‘make’ me fall asleep ie yoga etc ( not really my thing) the night sweats and hot flushes makes it more challenging as that constantly disrupts my sleep- feeling really hot and sweaty and wrestling with covers and then next moment feeling cold…nevertheless, determined to breakthrough as I can see the benefits of this training. Not a member but I do look forward to Martin’s emails when they pop up and ready for me to read at 6.30am on my wake up time. Very grateful for this website and reading everyone’s stories I don’t feel alone and from the stories it gives me comfort that sleeping again is possible!

[Shattered]

Hi , i used to take sleeping tablets, 3.75 but always hated the groggy feeling, I tried everything on the market to sleep, melatonin did nothing for me what so ever. my son also has insomnia and is on 2 drops of melatonin a few nights a week as he stays awake until 1am and later and is only 8. I decided last week not to resort to any tablets/magnesium/melotonin/valarian/rescue sleep/night nurse/piriton….. you get my drift. . i find 4 hours of natural sleep far outweighs 5 hours of drugged sleep. I’m done with dependence on these aids, I’m trying to release the anxiety by telling myself I’ll be fine even if I don’t sleep, that has helped my anxiety, that I’ll feel crap without sleep but I’ll get through it with tea/coffee!! i had a huge dependency on tablets at one stage and still sometimes feel like taking one to get out of my own head but know deep down it’s not the answer. I’m on night 6 here and am dreading the morning as I usually stay in bed until midday at weekends but determined to get up at 8am . hope it gets better for you.

[Gdou]

Thank you so much for reply! Thank you for sharing. I will stick it out and not take melatonin. Got 4.50 hours last night without anything. Feeling fine though today. I used to dread the mornings too until one morning I decided to seize the day and be productive, like clean the house, go for walk and exercise, just get stuff done around the house no matter how sleep deprived i was. Then I would be chuffed that I was so productive and began loving my days again rather then dreading- how will I get through this day?… I now relate to my days as opportunities to be productive and do enjoyable things , no matter how less sleep I get. That in turn has had me not dread night time where previously my anxieties would be at an all time high about falling asleep. I feel for your son. Hope sleep gets better for him and you.

[Shattered]

That all sounds very positive for you, here’s to more natural sleep for us all!

[Gdou]

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