Anxiety and Sleep

[Gwen67]

So I have become a serious night owl (in fact, as i type this, it is after 6am and haven't gone to bed yet...) and i'm starting to think it has to do with anxiety. I have a very analytical and over-thinking mind that is very hard to shut off and when i'm lying in bed is when I do a lot of mulling. I consciously stay up later and later distracting myself with mundane things like television or the internet until i feel "ready" to go to bed. It's become obvious to me that i must really dread going to bed!

Just to make it clear, I'm not someone that worries about things and gets completely unglued. I'm the one that stays calm in a crisis and thinks rationally. Thinking is a coping mechanism for me -- when i think about the situation and analyze it and understand it, i feel better. When something goes amiss, I just think about the situation and i always come up with a solution. Except I'm constantly finding new things to think/worry/analyze about even there's nothing wrong. Maybe i'm subconsciously worried about what new problem i'm gonna drag up for myself at bedtime to analyze when there's nothing to distract me.

I'm a night person by nature, but 6am is pretty ridiculous! What can I do to help myself get to sleep earlier?

 

[foghlaim]

Hi Gwen,
I have found from reading variious threads here that the most common cause of poor sleep is stress. I'm not the greatest sleeper myself most times and like yourself I sometimes tend to stay up "filling in time".

I found this article on promoting sleep that Janet posted a while back, it may help you.
http://forum.psychlinks.ca/showthread.php?t=4464

if you find that no matter what remedies you try to help you on this, you might have a chat with your doctor about it. Long term serious lack of sleep can become a major problem, with the added bonus of making other problems appear worse.
There are other threads here as well, on the same forum as the above link, from other ppl who have had problems with either going to sleep or staying asleep. Reading those might help you out as well.

I hope you can get it sorted sooner rather than later.

all the best

 

[Halo]

Hi Gwen,

First of all I want to say that I agree with Fog when she says that reading some of the posts on here about sleeping may help but it really is important that if it continues and becomes bothersome that you probably want to speak to your doctor. Continuing to lack in sleep can have a real impact on your body and mind.

The forum that deals with sleep, dreams and insomnia can be found here:

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/forumdisplay.php?f=59

This post in particular I found to be helpful:

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/showthread.php?t=4500

Take care

 

[David Baxter PhD]

A general strategy: If you suffer from insomnia, you have to PLAN your bed time. That means starting up to 2 hours ahead of wehen you want to be sleeping and starting to wind down. If you want to watch television, don't watch programs that stimulate you emotionally or intellectually - watch light comedies or documentaries. If you like to go on the computer, surf these that aren't too exciting/addictive and avoid exciting games - play repetitive games like solitaire or scrabble instead. Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, green tea, soft drinks containing caffeine (and some might surprise you - it's not just colas), chocolate, etc.). Don't exercise strenously within a few hours of bedtime - morning or early afternoon is better.

When the tim comes, try reading something like a magazine (not an exciting one) while lying down in bed - in that position, your eyes are already half closed.