[defyinggravity65]

I've been so anxious the past three nights - I have slept roughly 4 hours, from 4-8 am all those nights. I am in bed at 10 and lay awake for 6 grueling hours before I fall asleep. I make sure my room is dark, the house is cool, I even have soft ear plugs I put in since I'm sensitive to noise, chammomile tea, and I've tried taking my lorazepam and also natural sleep supplements (i.e., melatonin and the like). I've tried sleeping in and taking naps throughout the day, but I've never been able to nap and nothing seems to work.
Normally this wouldn't bother me, but tomorrow night my fiance and I are are going out of town and sleeping in a hotel with his parents and I NEVER sleep in hotels. Max sleep I've ever gotten in a hotel is like 3 hours. So now, I fear that if I don't sleep tonight, or that if I get 4 hours like I've usually been getting, I will be way too tired and sick on this trip. The upcoming night in a hotel also makes me nervous; I'm worried I will have almost gone crazy from sleep deprivation by the day after that! I am already too tired now to even function and don't know what to do. Is this seriously unhealthy? Will I lose my mind? How will I ever be able to survive this weekend? I called into work today because I'm too tired to think about anything clearly at this point and now I'm just worrying about the fact that I NEED to sleep tonight, and since I'm worrying about it so much, I just know I won't. How do I break this cycle?

[janeausten1231]

Insomnia is tough. Your brain just will not shut off and being anxious about it makes it worse. Have you called your psychiatrist and advised him this is happening? Perhaps you could call and explain that you are going out of town and need something extra for sleep during this time. Do you take an anxiety medication? Perhaps you could get an extra dose of it to take with your sleep medicine at bedtime. That is what I had to do. I've had chronic insomnia for years and at one point I was taking 4 psych meds to sleep for 4 hours. It was horrific. Finally I was subscribed one more dose of xanax to take with my night time meds and that was the trick. Just don't give up. Try whatever your Dr suggests so that he knows you are trying and then go back and don't stop asking until you are sleeping. It's YOUR life and we'll being, don't ever give up on it. Good luck!

[Sunflower123]

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time getting sleep. Do you have any idea why that might be? You could try to increase your level of lorezapam this time to get adequate sleep because I think you are right...you'll have a tough time at the hotel with his parents after all this sleep lost.

Here's some things I try: hot chocolate, soft clean sheets and a soft blanket, a warm bath with aromatherapy, soft pajamas. A good meal a couple of hours before. An eye mask.

I don't if any of these would help but I am rooting for you. Good luck and best wishes. If it turns out you can't sleep please be kind and gentle with yourself.

[*Laurie*]

Ugh, there's not much worse than when anxiety keeps me from sleeping. I'm already tired from feeling anxious; when I can't sleep because of anxiety I find myself in a cycle of exhaustion.

If I were you, I'd take something to help me sleep for a couple of nights...see if you can reset your sleep situation.