The cool insomnia club

Its a scary time for people indeed, but even so, remind yourself that most people are avoiding other people anyway.. Do you have a metal rod or wooden stick to put in the sliding glass door that prevents anyone from opening it? that would relieve that fear.. I used an old broom handle in my house in Florida LOL

Tilt a chair to your bedroom door ... I understand your anxiety but we must use logic to realize that we are more safe than we might think we are...

It's an actual door with hinge, not a sliding door. It's a steel door that's got a huge window in the middle of it. And obviously the glass part could be broken if someone got frustrated with the lock.

I think it is a good idea to tilt a chair to my bedroom door, and I think I will do that, but unfortunately, I have a window in my bedroom. You can stand on the balcony and break the window.

Double check your locks and just go to bed

yeah...

I ended up using a combination of security alerts (by pointing my security cameras at the windows to detect any movement) and putting stuff in the way of my doors in case a presence was prowling outside.

the presences are hiding right now because it's sunny out.

No, now I am sensing them again, hiding in the shadows and in my walls

I want to cry because I feel so helpless, but I do not know where to go. Everything is closed and my parents probably have coronavirus. I suppose I could relax in my garage spot at my complex... maybe I will just sit in my car there

Blue,

Just as we are doing on PM, please take your PRN med(s) to get them working for you.

Please trust me when I tell you that you are experiencing delusions. You are safe in your house. I know you will have difficulty believing me on this. We've made it through these episodes/experiences together before, several times.

You are likely SAFEST in your house right now.

Don't drive.

Have you taken your PRN med(s)?

We have a large bay window that faces the street that has big, heavy curtains always opened (long story). You can clearly see into our main room at night. It’s creepy. Last night mom’s dog KEPT growling and barking. I went around putting on all the dead bolts and lights outside on.

I think my anxiety over COVID mixed with my fear of somebody outside and I sat awake all night on guard. Drinking lots of coffee this morning. Hope to sleep tonight.

My regards to those that do this night after night.

I know Fear very well. A villain. I am stronger now than I used to be, though, mostly due to CBT.

Tossed and turned all night. I came very close to getting outa bed and trying the recliner. Finally after 7am I slept for a couple hours. Blah. But the weather is beautiful!

I agree. I think it just makes sense the anxiety and fear can become generalized and/or transferred onto other things/situations, etc. I do think it gets worse when/if the anxiety continues to escalate. It then becomes self-perpetuating and often panic attacks may follow . Panic attacks tend to also become self-perpetuating.

I know people often feel. they should not use any med that might dull their senses because they feel they need to remain vigilant/hypervigilant. It's certainly understandable. Maybe try a 1/2 tab or a smaller dose if one cannot take the usual prn dosage. and/or utilize skills.

As mentioned in this thread, CBT skills can be very helpful in managing the anxiety, etc.

Yet, when a dog is barking/growling, who can argue with that?

When My PTSD was at its worse, I had totally relied upon my Service Dog to let me know what was and was not going on in my immediate environment.

I feel for you, Jennifer. I know you are not alone!

Thank you! I find your post very hopeful!
I will brush up on my CBT.

The thief (fear) grrr .. be gone vile thing

Thank you so much, @Wild Coyote!! God bless you!!

Blue I hope you are using your prn to help you cope with your struggle, truly noone is wanting to break in

Jennifer, yes there is alot of fear going on for everyone, Can you close the curtain or drapes to cover the window ? that should help calm your fears ?

Breaking dawn. yes CBT is a huge help

WC

Fuzzy

Nammu... So you were flip flopping along with me last night? Ugh! I am sorry.. I'm feeling like a fish someone throws on the dock

A fish on a dock is an apt description!

Hehehe :P

Thanks for the support, everyone. It genuinely means a lot to me

I am going to try to force myself to bed at 11pm -- although I am not sure how well that will work out. If I cannot sleep by 11:30, I will take a klonopin. I am going to try not to worry and just suck it up and take the klonopin like some people here have suggested. It is probably best for me...

Have a good night blue.

Thanks, Nammu.

I managed to fall asleep around 11:45pm, but woke up at 1am and then 4am. I stayed up for a while at 1am because I couldn't fall back asleep.

I've been trying to ground myself lately, and I'm trying to accept that people are telling me I am delusional.

Went to bed late and woke up at 2:15 am. I think my anxiety is getting the better of me. I don’t do well without sleep. I feel like h$ll today.

I had broken sleep too. I had the homelessness dreams again. I was homeless for years and it's a fear of mine so these were anxiety dreams. But it this one I was homeless with a baby and trying to find shelter. I was at a y but it was geard towards children. Sort of like a science museum. Had bright primary colored metal curved seats on which to sit and watch a movie. I needed a shower but those were for kids only. And there were lots of priests in long black dresses judging me for being homeless. And room after room of teen kids that were faintly theating . Some kids followed me from one Y to another. And there was some garage place where I tried to get a car. They were laughing at me. At the end the baby was in a back pack and I was jumping from a ledge to a bus stop so I could take a bus away from there. The dream ended when I landed in some bushes in Times Square ( although I don't think there's any bushes there in real life. ) in front of a buss.

Got my medicine for narcolepsy today. Really hoping it helps me not nap so I can sleep better at night and have a normal sleep schedule again.

good luck tonight. I hope it helps you too.

one of my dad's cousins was in the U.S. Army (many moons ago) and he had narcolepsy. unfortunately, because of the narcolepsy, he was medically discharged. it really upset him because he could no longer serve his country in the way he wanted to, so I know from hearing these stories how much narcolepsy can negatively impact someone's life. it's no joke.

crossing my fingers that you'll feel better on your new med

Me too. I took it around lunch today, so I hope it doesn't keep me awake too late tonight. But I needed to work on school so I couldn't nap. And I was needing a nap when I picked it up, so I took it.

I'm tired of falling asleep during the day sitting up and not being able to stop it and then not being able to sleep well at night because of nightmares.

yeah, that sounds really sucky. I'm sorry you have to deal with this crap.

I don't have narcolepsy myself, but I know that napping during the day is just bad news for me. it screws up my sleeping schedule to the point I'm staying up all night long. it really sucks.