Hello
Since I can remember I have sleeping problems. I got everything that you can get: Nightmares, wake up early and jump out of bed like crazy (could be my hypersensitivity), punching/kicking against my wall that it´s bleeding while sleeping, can´t sleep without waking up few times a night and it´s very difficult to fall asleep, sometimes even impossible that I don´t get any sleep for days.
All that crap it´s because of my traumas.
I tried everything what they told me, like sleeping hygiene and relaxing methods. Nothing is working or ever worked.
If you have/had the same sleeping problems, how do you handle them? How can I stop the sleeping terror?
Maybe it´s a little bit off-topic, but I have many diagnoses. Since I was 6 years old I was nearly the whole time in therapy.
Hi Equity
Thank you for reaching out. Sleeping issues are something many people deal with even tho probably not as much as you do. You have said that you know sleeping hygiene and relaxing methods and they dont work. If your nightmares are caused by bad memories and traumas than relaxation probably wount be enough. Traumas are immensely powerful and it is difficult to fight them. One thing you might try is hypnosis. I dont know how sensitive you are to hypnosis but it is worth a shot. Here is one video that I know ofthat might do the trick but there are many others Deep Sleep Hypnosis for Insomnia - YouTube.
Anothet thing that you can try is medication. Sleeping pills are not ideal because of the side effects and you might become addicted to them. There are however some herbal medications that relax your muscles… dont exactly help you sleep they help your body to relax. That might be worth disscusing with your doctor. Also there are some weaker variants like a tea for sleeping and things like that that you can get basically anywhere. I hope some of this helps you at least a little bit.
The main thing that came to my mind after reading your post may be to look into changing your environment to help you sleep better. I have a few friends that started sleeping in hammocks rather than a traditional bed, and it helped them. You also might want to look into blackout curtains and other ways to change your sleeping environment.
You may also want to create a before-bed routine that helps you focus on getting good, quality sleep. Take a warm bath with a calming bath bomb. Have a good skin routine. Whatever else might help you.
You are worthy. You are valid. You are strong. You are capable. You are enough.
hi equity, welcome to the heartsupport forum! i’m really glad you’re here and hope you find incredible support and suggestions. i’m heartbroken to hear how much trouble you have going to and staying asleep. would looking into cognitive processing therapy (CPT) or sleep medication help? i had similar sleeping struggles as you have when i was younger, during medically traumatic times. once i was able to work through understanding what i was feeling, i could sleep easier. since this is your first post here, i do hope we can all hear from you again, sending you support for anything you need. wishing you a happy new year ahead, my friend! love, twix
response:Hi Friend, Thank you so much for your post and welcome to Heartsupport, I am so sorry that this is happening to you. It sounds so frightening and after therapy and different practices for it still to be happening must be beyond upsetting. I had a look to see what i could find to possibly help and the first thing that came to mind was audio books or such like. something that plays in the backgroud constantly that maybe focused your attention? and then I can across a websitewww.ptsduk.org/how-can-you-reduce-nightmares-from-ptsd/ this has a few ideas that may be of use for you. I truly hope some of the suggestions offered help you. Please come back here anytime you like. we are always here to listen. Much Love lisa. xx
I’m sorry you are going through this , not getting sleep is a pain and has such a big effort on us. Not getting enough or good quality of sleep can really take it out of us.
I have yet to crack my code of good sleep, but I’m certainly working on it …I believe it takes good practice and good discipline. I still have a long way to go but I have had moments of good night’s.
Sorry if this repeats what others have said too but the things I’m working have been…
Temperature of my bedroom , cooler than I think I want it. I go to sleep a little too cold but I know I’ll be warm soon enough .
Don’t eat after 9pm , just water.
Avoid alcohol/ caffine . I try to avoid caffine after mid day and have switched to decaf.
Sleep diary . Try and find some patterns and repeat things when sleep was a little better .
*Professional help to work through trauma and mood training to keep me calm before bed .
This is simply my gut reaction, so zero clue on what the science says for trauma-related sleeping issues. maybe get a canine or feline sleeping companion. The emotional comfort of their presence may help reassure you and soothe you as you sleep.
Herbert Benson, author of The Relaxation Response A drug-free, scientifically proven program for conquering insomnia in six weeks. Say Good Night to Insomnia is an empowering book that lets insomniacs take control of their minds and bodies by giving them the knowledge and techniques to overcome their problem forever.
(You can purchase the book on Amazon if you have an account)
