[Kathy]

I had been sleeping great for a long time, took 2 days of Sudafed for a cold and Bam… No sleep. I can feel the anxiety creep up the closer I get to bedtime. It’s killing my work and life.

[Jonathan618]

Sudafed (pseudoephedrine HCI) is a decongestant prescribed for the temporary relief of nasal congestion due to the common cold, hay fever, and sinus congestion. Sudafed is available as a generic drug. Common side effects of Sudafed include:

nervousness,
restlessness or excitability (especially in children),
dizziness,
headache,
fear,
anxiety,
loss of appetite,
sleep problems (insomnia),
skin rash,
itching,
tremors,
hallucinations,
convulsions (seizures),
nausea,
vomiting, and
flushing (warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin).

[Martin Reed]

Hello Kathy. How are you getting on? That anxiety is quite common when we struggle with sleep — in effect, you start to worry about what might happen during the night because you have experienced so many nights of sleep difficulty.

When do you normally go to bed at night, when do you get out of bed to start your day, and roughly how many hours of sleep do you get on a typical night? Do you tend to struggle more with falling asleep at the start of the night, or staying asleep through the night?

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

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.

[Kathy]

I usually head to bed about 10, which is when I get sleepy. Usually up between 530 to 6 to go to gym. I struggle falling to sleep. If I fall asleep, I can wake up during night, but go back to sleep because I tell myself I have already gotten some sleep so I tend not to worry about it as much, sounds crazy right? If I do not fall asleep with about 45 min to an hour, I start to worry that I will not fall asleep at all… And so it begins. I try to stay in bed if I can’t sleep, only because we have a very small house, my husband tends to sleep in the living room, so there is really no place for me to go until I feel sleepy, so I try and do relaxation exercises and at least rest my body.

[Martin Reed]

Great to hear you are keeping active, Kathy — that is so important! Can you describe that feeling of sleepiness you mentioned when you go to bed at 10:00 PM in a bit more detail? What does that sleepiness feel like?

If you are going to bed at around 10:00 PM and getting out of bed between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM, this means you are allotting between seven-and-a-half and eight hours for sleep. This would be an appropriate amount of time to allot for sleep if you typically get between seven and seven-and-a-half hours of sleep each night.

If you are averaging less than seven-and-a-half hours of sleep each night, you would likely find it helpful to allot a bit less time for sleep. Ideally, the amount of time you allot for sleep should quite closely match the amount of time you actually spend asleep. This will reduce the amount of time you spend awake in bed, and improve your overall sleep quality.

You can read more about this on the sleep restriction therapy for insomnia page.

I hope this helps!

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

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.

[Kathy]

Typically I am half falling asleep while watching TV between 9 to 10. I usually need to force myself to stay awake until 10, but once I get to the bed, the anxiety hits of what if I don’t fall asleep…. I truly cause it all myself with anxiety. I then obsess all day over it. I think I would do better to force myself up longer, I may sleep more soundly. Your advise has been right on as well as your description of what I go thru. Thank you.

[Martin Reed]

How are you getting on, Kathy? Have you tried getting out of bed and doing something relaxing and enjoyable when you are in bed feeling anxious? This is often a more appealing alternative to staying in bed and helps prevent you from reinforcing the idea that the bed is a place for wakefulness and anxiety.

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

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.

[Kathy]

I’m doing much better now. When I am having trouble sleeping, it’s difficult to get out of bed as our house is very small and my husband sleeps on a recliner in our living room due to some health issues. Therefore, I would have nowhere to go. I have had a good deal of success staying in bed and reminding myself that it’s ok and doing relaxation exercises. Thank you for your advise and help. This site has been very supportive and helpful.

[Author]

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