Insomnia

Unfortunately Insomnia even chronic insomnia is quite common amongst sufferers of Depression and a missed night sleep will make your symptoms feel much worse. You need to develop strategies which help insomnia and I will try to give you some things to try. Overcoming Insomnia is key to your overall feeling of wellbeing and long periods without sleep will undoubtably feel like your worst days with the illness, therefore curing your insomnia is a huge factor in your path to full recovery.

A lot depends on whether you have an understanding partner or not. Also remember that if your partner has to be up for work the next day, you will need to build your strategies taking their well being into account as well.

The main reason you will struggle to sleep is that thoughts will be whizzing around in your brain and you can't switch them off. When you are well this is what we do to problem solve and work through the issues of the day. When you are depressed these thoughts are very negative and often we dwell on things we can do nothing about. These thoughts are therefore unhelpful and lower our mood further.

During the day, if you keep busy you can avoid dwelling on these thoughts, but at night this is much more difficult. Indeed, the minute the light goes out, your brain will go into overdrive. It is extremely frustrating and you need to do all you can to ensure you get some sleep. Here are some ways of overcoming insomnia.

 

Try and read a book and make sure that you only turn the light off when you are absolutely knackered and can barely keep your eyes open.I find background noise helps me sleep. I leave the TV on and put the dullest thing I can find on. The noise of the programme takes my mind off the things whizzing in my brain and helps me get to sleep. If you don't have a TV in the bedroom or you are disturbing your partner, a small radio with a headset can do the same. Through the night there are some really low key radio stations which offer mainly chat which I find can help me sleep.Milky drinks are thought to help you get to sleep.Lavender essential oil is recommended to help you sleep. Take care though, as too much can act as a stimulant. Put a couple of drops on your nightclothes and change them each day. If you add to your pillow eventually the build up will have the opposite effect.Try to avoid sleeping in the day. This can be difficult if you are really tired, but if you do succumb to the temptation, set an alarm and don't sleep for ages.Some exercise, however little will help you sleep at night. If all else fails, GET UP. Don't lie there getting frustrated. Do some ironing or watch some TV downstairs. Make yourself a drink. Write down the things on your mind. If you need to take some actions, get them out of your head and write them down. That way you are mentally moving these things from your brain onto paper and hopefully your sub-conscious will cease to worry about them.

I have never been given any specific treatment for Insomnia, I have had to work alot of this out for myself. If you are really struggling, speak to your Doctor and discuss any medication that they can offer you. They will be quite reluctant to offer sleeping tablets over a prolonged period, as there is a risk that you will become dependant. Its not so much as an addiction, but that you come to depend on them even if they act as a placebo. Lack of sleep really messes with your head and the longer it goes on the worse it is. By having the reliance of tablets, you will find it hard to establish whether they really work or whether it is all in your head. Try to avoid this route if you can.