[Sweet_Boredom]

It takes me hours to fall asleep because the tiniest sounds cause me to have a feeling of panic and cause me to lie there for long periods of time with my heart racing, holding my breath, struggling to calm myself down. When I do finally fall asleep I am woken very easily by any noise I hear, again with that horrible panicky feeling. I just want to be able to sleep without this problem.
What treatments, medication or otherwise have helped you guys with this symptom?

[Perna]

I would turn on a light somewhere just outside my room but which wouldn't bother me (I leave on lights down in the kitchen so I can see the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night) and I always have a fan or humidifier or something going that makes a soothing, neutral sound.

[Rohag]

Klonopin (clonazepam; a benzodiazepine) helps somewhat with my exaggerated startle responses. I believe it also may help initiate sleep -- it certainly contributes to drowsiness in my case, but it does not help maintain sleep (again, in my case).

[skeksi]

I needed a medication in order to reduce my startle enough to sleep. I still take it, even though I am getting off my other meds. I feel like I can handle being jumpy when I'm awake, but not when I'm trying to sleep!

I found some relief in meditating and using relaxation or meditation tapes. My T and I also worked out some phrases to repeat to myself to remember that I'm safe, and that's been pretty helpful, too.

Posting to subscribe, since I don't have any good suggestions but would like to join the discussion. I have a startle reflex from you-know-where!

[Hunny]

Lately, with dealing with what I am working on, in therapy, I have found my startle response has become an issue again, in the waking times. For night time to go to sleep I have an option on my tv (in my bedroom) that turns off by itself. I snuggle in and turn the volume down and at some point in time after I have set the timer to 30 minutes or 60 or so it clicks off. It is only on the odd occasion that the click of it turning off wakes me up but by then I've fallen asleep and I can usually fall back to sleep pretty easily.

All the best.

[Crew]

HI Sweet Boredom!!!

Hi I'm Crew, so nice to meet you......

Have you tried calming music like water sounds or Enya and quiet type music.

It's a thought anyway and it helps with my Exaggerated startle response to the point where I don't have the above as much.....

Hope this helps...... take care.... Crew

[googley]

I have a fan in my room to help cover up the sounds that startle me (previously I used an air conditioner and I know you can buy white noise machines that do similar things). I can adjust it's setting to block out more or less noise. It also helps when it is hot. I also take lorazapam that helps me relax and fall asleep. Like Rohag and his med it doesn't help keep me asleep, but it helps get me to sleep. Though I do find if I wake up later I find it easier to get back to sleep. Good luck. Sleep is so important.

[(JD)]

Positive self talk helps.
As does "white noise" or in my case, a CD for delta brain wave (for sleep.)

I was disabled during a thunder storm and they still trigger me at times, rather severely. If it's at night, I turn on lights and turn up the TV or radio so I can't experience the storm...regardless of the hour.

The positive self talk goes along the lines of, I'm safe. The (storm that injured me) isn't happening now, this is now that was then, this is (a storm ) that will move on through. I'll be okay. I am okay. Breathe. This is PTSD that makes me feel so (anxious, fearful, upset, angry) and not me.

Thinking and focusing on other things helps too, when it's a storm --for me.

Sleeping and a good sleep routine are handled a little differently, as making sure the body is prepared to sleep, and the mind/brain has the routine so it knows sleep is soon needed and desired.

What helped me the most, I think, is learning to not beat myself up over how I was feeling about the situation and my response.

To recognize during the event (such as your trying to sleep) that it's normal to have issues about sleep, that you're working on making it better, that you will go to sleep before too long, that it isn't something you're causing and you don't need to be angry at yourself or anything about it.... that kind of good self talk helps.

Being upset that you aren't falling asleep only makes the problem worse. Make it okay to get back up, have some herbal tea, listen to the radio for a few minutes, take a soothing bath, whatever--and then go back to bed.

[Sweet_Boredom]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm falling asleep a little easier now.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

I take alprazolam and use positive self talk, reinforcing self talk reminding myself that all doors & windows are locked; analyzing the sounds and tellingmyself what they are, house settling, blind moving because the window is open for air, moth hitting the security window screen, forgot to put the outdoor wind blinds up, a mouse (we live at the beach and the dunes are full of them), the fridge, tap dripping so on and so forth.

Often I fall asleep analyzing it's like counting sheep. I used to get up to check every little thing but I've learned to stay in bed now. I would be up half the night making sure we were ok to go to sleep. I now am down to about 1 to 3 hours laying awake depending on how anxious I am. Last night I was awake a little longer because of other things that had happened but it can get better and you can over come it...another way is ear plugs they are a gift when I'm having a bad night...
then all I can hear is the tinitus...lolll

Hope you get yours sorted Sweet

Rhian

[KDlady]

I have an exaggerate startle response too - I get angry when someone startle me - regardless if it is unintentional - which it usually is...
It is so hard for others to understand

[Ellen Grace]

My PTSD stems from child abuse happening in a bedroom, a house but never a home. Now that I have been diagnosed with chronic PTSD and "litigimized," I have reclaimed my bedroom as a relaxation-station. "Carved out" sacred space, ordered by me. No chaos allowed: no computers, messes, desks, etc. Dark curtains, sound machine with multiple choices that never click off, comfortable "triggers" of safety.

I also take an antidepressant and see a cognitive therapist and psychiatrist. When I flashback now, one of my therapist ask me to try thanking my brain for taking me to a place where I am now strong enough to began healing (numb for years, and couldn't startle even when it was appropriate). Instead of fighting, I ask if wonder, "What's next? And go to my counselors and work through things.
I am under doctor's orders to not visit the ones who caused my abuse, which has helped strengthen my position. It's taken a year of the above care plan for me not be so afraid of "flashback people" with the emotions I used to have when I had childlike wonder and innocence. Instead, my brain has been showing me the value of acceptance and moving on because I know more now than when I was a kid. I never could move on before because I kept trying to be around the abusers and hope, like that same kid, that maybe this time we could begin again and make it work.

I had to retire emotionally from that "army," mourn my inabilities, and learn to "hear" my body as it nurtures and protects me like the others couldn't or wouldn't. That, to me, is wisdom from within...thanks to four doctors and three therapist and a healthier, supportive community to guide me out of the family septic tank of sadness.