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LimboMan
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27 Mar 2017, 7:51 am

I'm currently having a lot of issues with sleeping. A lot of it I think has to do with stress and worry - every night I go to bed around 1 and don't rest until 3 or 4am but recently its got even worse where I don't until 6 or even 7am or at all, its just getting ridiculous and stops me doing things I want to do that require energy.

The stress that keeps me up is things like feeling bad about myself, how strange I feel to others and how behind I feel compared to other adults..

If I know I have to be somewhere or get up early that is the worst, and the thought I have to be somewhere makes me very restless.

To compensate for this I get up quite late (around 11 in morning and later) and I don't know how I'd be able to work a job that starts early because of this..

I use a tablet before bed before I thought that was problem and I've tried reading books but many times this dosen't even work. Even having good exercise in the day. I have such a busy mind and it never wants to shut off I've found recently. I just lie their for hours turning in my stress.

Any advice how I can make my sleep better, and how do I combat the anxiety that I have to be somewhere in the morning early? That's always a issue for me.


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EzraS
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27 Mar 2017, 8:10 am

A half hour before bed I read or watch something bland or listen to music that's claiming to slow down the spinning gears in my head.

Then when I lie down, I forbid myself to think. To just let my mind wander on its own.



Keigan
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27 Mar 2017, 8:21 am

Routine is potentially the best mitigation.

- set down the tablet
- go for a walk
- listen to calming music not loud metal
- focus your mind
- write down your thoughts before bed so you can pick them up in the morning



Dear_one
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27 Mar 2017, 9:12 am

I share many of the same troubles. I suspect that I'm a natural night owl anyway. In my early 20s, I used to sleep 3 or 4 times a week, but for 15 hours or so. Now, I have to sleep 2 or 3 times a day, and take precautions against being woken up. Recently, I've heard that Aspies are weak in cortisol regulation of sleep/wake cycles. A schedule can still help if you can manage one.
Anyway, I've found that getting absolutely everything possible for the next day checked off on a list helps a lot to keep me from looping over what I have to do the next morning or day. I want to know I'll be able to handle my day even if I'm not feeling sharp in the morning. It helps to use dimmer, warmer lighting near bedtime, and to read paper instead of screens. It helps to listen to calming music. Even if I can't sleep, nor calm down enough to meditate for an average of four breaths in a row, trying to meditate is the next best thing to sleep. I may think I have not slept at all, but then realize I've been dozing a lot. It is important to not fight sleep very often - if you struggle to stay awake to drive home, you'll then struggle to sleep even in bed.



HelloWorld314
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27 Mar 2017, 9:45 am

LimboMan wrote:
I'm currently having a lot of issues with sleeping. A lot of it I think has to do with stress and worry - every night I go to bed around 1 and don't rest until 3 or 4am but recently its got even worse where I don't until 6 or even 7am or at all, its just getting ridiculous and stops me doing things I want to do that require energy.


Just want to let you know that you are not alone, it often takes several hours for me to fall asleep as well. Sometimes I lay there awake until it gets bright outside, it is totally ridiculous lol.


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p.s. English is not my native language, please correct me if I have made any mistakes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks:)


antnego
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27 Mar 2017, 10:05 am

I have sleepless nights too. While trying to fall asleep some nights, it's like I forget to breathe; when I realize it, I gasp for air and feel anxious.

Here are some strategies I use:

1) Magnesium can help produce a sense of calm drowsiness. I take 400 mg of Magnesium Citrate before I go to bed for this purpose. Magnesium also boosts mood.
2) Core mindfulness - learning to focus your attention on something else than your anxiety or bodily troubles. John Kabat-Zinn has an excellent audio program on this; it should be easy to find through Google.
3) Deep breathing with muscle clenching. To deal with the anxiety, take a long, deep breath in, count to four, then exhale fully through your mouth with your lips pursed to modulate the flow. Then, tighten all your muscles that you can, from head to toe, hold for a few seconds (along with your breath) and release. Repeat five times.
4) If you're sleepless, go outside for a 15-min walk. Try to stay out of bed until you're sleepy. Read something boring or take a warm bath to help relax yourself.
5) Practice CBT with yourself. Instead of catastropizing the fact you can't sleep right now, realize that while difficult, you can still manage to function the next day, albeit with a little extra coffee to get going :lol: Also, if you're perserverating on something stressful, realize that you don't have to "solve" the source of your anxiety right now. It's okay to live with a little anxiety in your life - you can still thrive (and hopefully sleep).
6) If all else fails, a sleep aid. I have 50 mg Trazodone tablets on hand as a "nuclear option." Trazadone produces drowsiness without a next-day hangover. On most nights, I sleep better knowing I have the "nuclear option" when I need it - so no matter how much my insomnia is kicking, I know I can defeat it with meds if I need to. 8)


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LimboMan
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27 Mar 2017, 11:34 am

Thank you for the replies everybody, I found them really helpful.
There was something else too which keeps me up a lot too and that is health anxiety. I always think something is wrong with me like heart disease and make every little thing in my body like its a problem. Because I live quite a distance from a hospital I just keep worrying.

How long does it take for anyone to go to sleep? I wish I could be like others who can go straight away. Even if I'm really tired it can still be a problem, and there is too much light and sound for me during the day so I can't nap.


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