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@Deb – what about your anxiety when you did stimulus control and were out of bed? The theory is that you should do some “relaxing acitivity” then. But since I leave bed, when my anxiety is too high for sleeping, there is nothing “relaxing” when I leave my bed.
Thanks @Deb – so you had intensive anxiety too? How did you cope with it while doing CBTI? I do’t know if going out of bed only to sit anxiously in the lviing room (instead of doing “relaxing” activities” is the way to go??
@Deb, thanks. I too thinking of going back to CBT-I. I did subscribe Martins couse in November and it helped. The couse is terminated. And… I have this terrible relapse with more anxiety than ever. Therefore I am wondering what to do.
I did the course and it worked. But now I am in a deep hole again, my anxiety is higher than befoe. So I wondering how to proceed during my SW when anxiety strikes.
Question: since I am dealing with intensive sleep anxiety, am I supposed to leave my bed (SC) during the sleep window as soon as it sets in? Or do I try to go through the 30 minutes whatever level of anxiety I have? I think it is the former (go directly out of bed if anxiety stays) – but since this could go on and on – when will I be in bed in order to have a chance to sleep, if my anxiety sets in when the head touches the pillow??
@Deb – you said “I take a medication for anxiety” – if I may ask: do u take regularly (each day) or just when needed? It is a anti-depressant, a benzo??
Thanks in advance
@ whitelori – thanks for your reply. Yead, sounds quite familiar. I just had one panic attack in my life (2005). My problem is anxiety, intrusive thoughts, obsessive ruminating.
@Deb – thanks for your reply and the infos.
Well, my story is the following: in 2005, I had a surgery. Before that I had already some mild sleep anxiety, but then it got worse and out of control because I thought I need to sleep in order to help the healing etc. Of course, I had several bad nights and got very anxious. This anxiety draged me down during the day. Later came – byproduct of anxiety – intrusive thoughts aso. I sought professional help (counselling) and I got prescribed an antidepressant around 2006 or 2007 which I take till today. Things got better, but in the background, this sleep anxiety was always lingering. My big problem is anxiety since the “facts” were not the problem. I never had “real insomnia” like you guys here. But my mind is easily castastrophizing so even one bad night frightens me a lot. So I always feared insominia.
14 years later, this November, due to high stress, it got serious. Intensive anxiety around sleep after a few bad nights. I started CBTI with Martin and things got better. But since last Thursday, I am again in this “hole”.
As I said, my problem is anxiety. I have developped an intensive “sleep phobia”. My catastrophizing mind gives me existential threats, which drag me down during the day (esp. in the morning). The come intrusive thoughts, it is all obsessive. But it is all around sleep. When a few weeks ago, I slept again very good, all my anxiety, bad thoghts, were gone.
Since there is no sleep specialist here, I autodidact myself and read many books aso. I also see a psychologist.
I don’t know what to do right now. Take a lot of “pills”? Work with ACT – anxiety is the root cause, but I don’t know if I can manage it with my obsessive mind? I am familiar with mindfulness and have medidated for some periods the last years, but I don’t have the feeling it help me. Should I do a new round of CBTI – but it gives me lots of anxiety and pressure.
I am confused and frightend.
Thank you very much. One question, if I may ask you: did you take any meds (antidepressants, anti-anxiety)?
And I have another question: since I seem to have GAD/OCD, so my sleep anxiety gives me anxiety the whole day, obsessing about it. How do you deal with that? Esp. the mornings are very tough, the evenings much better.
Need your help. I have intensive sleep anxiety and intrusive thoughts (a byproduct). I easily start to catastrophize and even get existential fears where this will lead.
I tried CBT-I rather successfully and had some greats weeks in December. I thought I had overcome my anxiety. But since last Thursday, it is back and I am back to “square one”.
I want to really work on my big problem: anxiety. So ACT could be the thing to do. I read about it (The Sleep Book”) but wonder how to really do it. There are so many “exercises” in it, I don’t know where to start exactly.
My big question is: how to really learn to accept this?? Theoretically, it sounds perfect, but how to do it in practice when you lie in the bed….?
Do you guys take meds?
Thanks in advance
Manfred
