When I first had depression in 2001 I had terrible insomnia. I couldn’t sleep for four weeks because of the stress I was under. I became so desperate, my flat mates could hear me walking around my room pacing the floor. Being incapable of sleep made me desperate. I felt suicidal. My intrusive thoughts kept going round and round so I was physically incapable of sleeping.
Before I went to see a doctor I tried Valerian Root in a tincture but this didn’t work.
After that I saw a doctor who put me on an anti-depressant (paroxetine) and my doctor said it would help me sleep, but it didn’t.
Two weeks later I was put on Zopiclone, a sleeping tablet. I’m not sure why the decision to put me on sleeping tablets took so long. Eventually I could sleep.
Tips on how to sleep:
Try to relax but not worry about anything. It’s very easy to get really stressed when trying to sleep. Even if you cannot sleep at all, you will feel ok the next morning. It’s not too bad. Try and get up at the same time every day so you will be tired the next evening and ready for bed. Make a hot drink such as hot chocolate before bed. Try not to drink coffee or smoke before bed. You shouldn’t drink alcohol before bed either. Having a drink may help you initially, but you might wake up early during the night.
Restless leg syndrome:
Sometimes you cannot relax without moving your legs or body every few minutes. This is called restless legs syndrome. The main symptom of restless legs syndrome is an overwhelming urge to move your legs or body. It can be very stressful. It can feel like you will never sleep ever again. You keep turning over every few minutes. The best thing to do is not worry at all about sleeping and you will be ok. It will pass.
Sleep paralysis:
Sleep paralysis occurs when you wake up from sleep unable to move or talk. It can last up to a minute. Sometimes you will hallucinate and believe there are shadowy figures in your peripheral vision. It also sometimes feels as though there is an entity pressing you down into the bed. There is a profound sense of dread and it can be very scary. When I was a child I had sleep paralysis very often and I thought it was a ghost. It was terrifying. It doesn’t scare me anymore, I just wait for it to pass and eventually it does.
Night terrors and sleep apnoea:
I have no experience of night terrors or sleep apnea. Check out the NHS websites below for information about night terrors and sleep apnea:
Insomnia can feel like a chronic condition, but the best thing to do is just not worry about anything. Intrusive thoughts brought on by depression and anxiety will make it seem incredibly difficult to sleep. You will get to sleep eventually. If you have terrible insomnia, I recommend going on Zopiclone, a sleeping pill.