[Debbie]

Hi there,
I have had severe anxiety based insomnia for over a year now. It was caused by side effects from an osteoporosis drug that I was given. I have had 14 drugs prescribed during the course of a year. None of which worked. I weaned myself off all of them except for Halcion which I use every third night. I have severe hyper arousal and I am wondering whether it’s possible to get my sleep back. I never feel sleepy, can’t nap and just feel exhausted. My sleep neurologist wants me to start cognitive behavioral therapy which I began last night. It wasn’t easy but I understand the logic behind it and I am willing to persevere. Thank you for adding me to your forum, Debbie

[SergioRenato7]

I’m in a similar situation to you. Hyperarousal seems to be behind the cause of my insomnia but I don’t thinking I’m suffering to the same extent as you. I find myself waking up multiple times a night during dreaming but dreams are rarely bad or scary. I have tried CBT but with no success. It may work for you though. I tried meditation for 2 months but that didn’t work either, however, I did have a lot of things going on at that time. So I’m planning on meditating twice a day for 15-20 mins and also trying to be mindful throughout the day. I have seen a lot of studies that show meditation to be effective in normalising the sleep of PTSD patients. So maybe you could try give that a go if CBT doesn’t workout or you could do it along side CBT. Just a suggestion though.

[Martin Reed]

I’m glad to hear you are giving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) a try, Debbie — I am sure you will find it helpful. It should certainly help reduce the negative effect of hyperarousal on sleep.

Are you seeing a therapist face-to-face? Are you going through CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), or generalized CBT? If you are struggling with sleep issues caused by insomnia, it’s important to pursue techniques specific to CBT-I.

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