Hyper awareness

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  • #49048
    NLgal
    ✘ Not a client

      I’ve been experiencing anxiety induced insomnia since August. I had a couple of stressors that triggered it at that time. I would go two days with no sleep and then take a sleep aid to sleep on the 3rd. Was also experiencing strong hyping jerks in my legs when I feel myself falling asleep. The jerks went away and my sleep started improving late October/ beginning of November. I would get 3-5hr.

      It seems I hit a setback 3 weeks ago where I would be falling asleep but can’t seem to transition to the next stage of sleep. I notice weird feeling in my chest/ stomach that’s preventing this transition, The only way I’ve been able to sleep is if I drink alcohol. The last two nights I would start to fall asleep and notice my arms getting heavy but unable to sleep. It seems I would get no sleep if I didn’t drink alcohol.

      I have been unable to nap since August but the last few days, I notice I would doze off only for my arms to jerk me awake. It seems I am too aware when I’m falling asleep. Is there anything I can do address this issue.? I have always been super aware of my body but not when I’m sleeping,. I used to pass out effortlessly.

      #49078
      hiker
      ✓ Client

        Hi NL.gal,

        I have been dealing with insomnia for many years. (Not saying you will, a lot of it was from childhood trauma.) I have learned a few things about it.

        –Alcohol will help you get to sleep, but it often results in waking up too early.

        –The jerking of limbs / restless legs syndrome might warrant consulting a sleep medicine physician.

        –Pharmaceuticals can help sleep for a while, but is not a long term solution. You build up a resistance and then you have to shop for another temporary drug.

        In the long run, I have found mindfulness to be the best remedy. Not picture perfect, but just being aware of thoughts and not taking them so seriously can really help. Sometimes I have thought if I could just withdraw from the world, all would be well. But I think thoughts would pester me whatever I did or wherever I did it. And I don’t want to hide away.

        The above can sound pretty fanciful, even ridiculous, when you are hammered from poor sleep for nights on end. This is when I try to take thoughts even less seriously because I know it’s the insomnia talking.

        Take care, you are not alone in this.

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