Hi guys, I'm new here. I have Bipolar II, panic and anxiety disorders and I am also an 11 years sober alcoholic. Either in addition to, or as part of, those conditions I have terrible insomnia too and I swear, I am on enough meds to stun a horse. For me, I CAN look back in my life and see at least one precusor to long term Insomnia. I come from an horrific, terrifying alcoholic home. My Dad was the drunk and then after he died horribly at 51, Mum married another alcoholic, my Stepfather. Especially with Dad, who was a daily blackout drinker, there was violence, screaming, crashing and bashinh nearly every night. And of course it all happened about my bedtime - almost every single day since the day I was born. So I don't think it takes Siggy to get the link to my lifelong sleeping problems.

I am an alcoholic myself - began blackout drinking at 14 and was a blackout drinker until 32 when i got sober in AA. So I think the alcohol abuse has caused me a lot of damage and makes sleep worse - my psychiatrist thinks so - and that is even though I have been 11 years sober next month. And of course I used booze to get me to sleep in the years I was drinking.

I have recently had a couple of terrible experiences, which have happened before, when I wake from a deep sleep straight into the most massive panic attack possible - including auditory halleaucinations, not being able to move even a finger because if I did the "man" or "people" in the house would come and kill me. Of course it's just me and the cat.

I have really good sleep hygiene and if you haven't looked at that, maybe try to tighten up in that area - and that includes caffeine like someone said, but also the regular time you take your meds, your pre-bed and then bed routine. I press the sleep button on the radio and listen until I either fall asleep of if I haven't gone to sleep by the time it goes off, I press it and and do the same thing during the night.

But like someone else, if all else fails and I'm going batty lying in my bed, I get up and fidget on the computer, or, lay on the couch in the loungeroom and out the TV on a murmur and sometimes it soothes me to sleep, but if it doesn't, at least I can get some gentle rest.

I DO have sleep apnea and it it is a serious thing. I use a CPAP machine and a mask. It's a pain, but I have to do it. Get a referral from your GP to a sleep clinic - going there is no biggy at all.

Wendy