Its ridiculous I am awake for days / weeks no exaggeration & when I do sleep its a horrible vivid dream straight away I dont feel myself tired or falling asleep I just try to lay as still as possible hoping ill pass out but often I just lay there all night turning. Its hell. Everything hurts, my face is painful & have noticed significant damage to my skin/ aging lines/ joints/ body pain/ breathing & so much more. This is like a horror movie. I feel brain damaged.
I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO? Nor do the Drs. I know this is not FFI. Its like my nervous system is massively jammed in a state of fight or flight. TORTURE.
Briar said:
Have you actually seen a sleep specialist?
Yeah they just said cbt-i
Standard CBTI is suboptimal for severe paradoxical insomnia but it can be super helpful with some modifications in the hands of an expert. Medications often don’t help much. But search out a real sleep expert near where you live. Someone who is knowledgeable enough to solve complex cases. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and have fixed lots of cases like these. So have others I know. But standard approaches are not always enough.
@Briar
A nervous system stuck in sympathetic from trauma/ burnout has definitely what has happened I feel agitated & restless all the time. Like I am jumping out of my skin/ in a state of danger 24/7
@Yule
That’s why you need a real expert. Sounds like you need a PhD psychologist who not only knows behavioral sleep medicine and insomnia but also knows how to work with trauma and hyperarousal.
Briar said:
Have you actually seen a sleep specialist?
Yeah they just said cbt-i
You should get a second opinion, or meet them halfway. Doctors can be bastards about this and unreasonably reluctant to provide medications. I think your sleep is so fucked that you can’t just therapy out of it and need some baseline first.
If you’re seeing reluctance from your provider get a sleep app if you can, or at least try CBT-i regardless of how dumb it sounds.
I suppose I should also ask whether you’ve tried typical OTC remedies like melatonin, magnesium glycinate, L-theanine/chamomile/combination gummies, etc?
At the same time are you taking any stimulants during the day (energy drinks, coffee)? Are you clear of ANY other substances? Pot, alcohol, etc are not compatible with healthy sleep in difficult cases, for example.
Parker said:
Insomnia is a component of my Bipolar. It’s been helpful to me to be on meds.
I just found out I have Cyclothymia. I’m hoping that treating it will help my severe sleep problems.
Just the relief of finally getting a diagnosis for something I’ve been suffering at least 30 years (and maybe all 43 years of my life) has reduced my stress levels and improved my sleep. It’s only been a week though, and I’ve had a severe infection the whole time so I can’t be sure how much it’ll change things.
Have you tried stimulants? I’m not joking, they may quiet your mind long enough to help you sleep. Or push you into wakefulness during the day to make it easier to be tired out at night.
Otherwise work out, heavy and hard. Workout until you pass out as soon as you get home. For a while that was the only way I could sleep.
Yan said:
If this post is real, then it is highly likely that you have paradoxical insomnia.
I dont feel sleepy, or groggy or anything. I always feel extremely stimulated, the times where I have dropped into a sleep: vivid dream state I have still been mostly aware of my surroundings. I am a young professional 31y.o I was a pilot (took myself off due to the sleep issues) havent returned to work. I dont sleep, I cant emphasise this enough. Some nights (many) i dont even go to bed, I just never get tired. I worked shifts all my life, used to get tired. Sleep like a rock, feel drowsy. I have none of that now. 24/7 horrible hyperarousal. I am weak & extremely rundown now. At the start of this i would drive hundreds of miles for days to try to tire myself out, walk & workout but nothing, nothing makes me tired. Its extremely scary.
Have you been prescribed anything? Benzos would be a typical front line treatment for this (note how I said typical and not necessarily optimal or accurate). Your family doctor may be extremely reluctant to do this, you might need a referral for a psychiatrist who can then refer you to a sleep doctor.
This sounds terrifying. I’m sorry you’re struggling so severely. With you writing that you feel like your nervous system is jammed in a state of fight or flight, I highly recommend getting deep tissue massage (or any massage) but it can really help bring your body into rest & digest mode. I had major anxiety from PTSD and weekly massages for awhile helped me tremendously. I found an independent massage therapist with decades of experience in deep tissue massage that I felt very comfortable with. If you have a tight budget you can usually find a Chinese massage spa and although they typically massage over the clothes it is still very helpful. Wishing you the best of luck in healing.
I’ve always been a terrible sleeper. I was starting to feel frazzled, could not concentrate was just shit at work. Diagnosed with ADHD taking adderal and I’m taking Doxepin which helps. I don’t love it and sometimes I feel dizzy, but it’s better than feeling like a zombie.