How can i cure this sleeping problem??!
Question: How can i cure this sleeping problem!?!?
A little background, I'm 24 years old, I've been on and off anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety meds for 4 years, and I've always had problems sleeping!.!. getting to sleep!.!. staying asleep!.!. quality of sleep!.!.
i have been off all meds for 6 months!.!. mostly because of money, but that's another story [i did get help from the drug compaines for about a year, but they won't help get your meds, and the dr won't give you samples forever]
ANYWAY
when i go to lay down to get to sleep at night i have a problem where if a thought enters my head!.!. i can't even think about getting to sleep until i act on it!. For example!.!. i often worry that the refrigerator door is jarred open, and if i don't go close it, then one of my pets will open it and get trapped inside!.!.!. i worry that the things in my house that are plugged in aren't plugged in all the way and that a fire will start if i don't go check to make sure everything is plugged in okay!.!.!. sometimes i have to make about silly things like!.!. the tv is off!.!. the doors are locked!.!.my car doors are locked 3 or 4 times a night!. when the thought gets into my head!.!.!. it just eats away until i get up and do it!. sometimes it happens with extremely trivial things like wanting to make sure nobody took the batteries out of the smoke detectors, or to check my alarms!.!. and also, i cant sleep unless i'm in completely clean clothes and my legs are shaved!. every!.single!.night!.
i don't have any of these weird thoughts during the day, its only when i go to sleep at night!. I've told my doctor about them before, but she said i was using her to attempt to get drugs that i didnt need!. So!.!. i don't know what to say if i get a new doctor!. i know i'm not crazy, there's just got to be a way to break the habit!.!. or calm my mind!.!. any suggestions!?
this also goes for having to get up to pee!. even if i don't REALLY have to pee!. i have to get up to try a good 15 times a night!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
i have been off all meds for 6 months!.!. mostly because of money, but that's another story [i did get help from the drug compaines for about a year, but they won't help get your meds, and the dr won't give you samples forever]
ANYWAY
when i go to lay down to get to sleep at night i have a problem where if a thought enters my head!.!. i can't even think about getting to sleep until i act on it!. For example!.!. i often worry that the refrigerator door is jarred open, and if i don't go close it, then one of my pets will open it and get trapped inside!.!.!. i worry that the things in my house that are plugged in aren't plugged in all the way and that a fire will start if i don't go check to make sure everything is plugged in okay!.!.!. sometimes i have to make about silly things like!.!. the tv is off!.!. the doors are locked!.!.my car doors are locked 3 or 4 times a night!. when the thought gets into my head!.!.!. it just eats away until i get up and do it!. sometimes it happens with extremely trivial things like wanting to make sure nobody took the batteries out of the smoke detectors, or to check my alarms!.!. and also, i cant sleep unless i'm in completely clean clothes and my legs are shaved!. every!.single!.night!.
i don't have any of these weird thoughts during the day, its only when i go to sleep at night!. I've told my doctor about them before, but she said i was using her to attempt to get drugs that i didnt need!. So!.!. i don't know what to say if i get a new doctor!. i know i'm not crazy, there's just got to be a way to break the habit!.!. or calm my mind!.!. any suggestions!?
this also goes for having to get up to pee!. even if i don't REALLY have to pee!. i have to get up to try a good 15 times a night!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Sounds like OCD!. If you're not going to treat it with meds, I recommend practicing some cognitive behavioral therapy!. I am NO EXPERT so this could be totally bad advice, but!.!.!.
You just have to learn to tell yourself you do NOT need to obey those impulses!. Think about it logically!.!.!. Start with the easy things!.
"What if the batteries were taken out of my smoke detector!?"
"That's unlikely, since no one touches it!. Why would anyone do that!? There's no point in checking it, because I check it every night and it's ALWAYS fine!."
The last time you use the fridge, make sure you close it tightly, just once!. Then when you think about it at night, think to yourself, "I know I made sure to close it this time!. I just have to trust that I did it, or I'll never get over this!." Plus, if your pet climbs in, they're not going to get closed in!. The door won't close on them!. Don't worry!
Take a few things at a time!. Try to get it down to where you don't get out of bed at all except to try to pee, and then rule that out!.
Daydream about pleasant things while you try to sleep, and don't let yourself get distracted by anxious thoughts!.
I do the same stuff you do, and I haven't overcome all the things!. I usually check to make sure no one is in the house and that the door is locked!. Sometimes I check to make sure the computers are shut off and the TV is off!. When I'm in the shower sometimes I check a couple times during the shower to make sure no one is in the bathroom!. :P
Good luck!. Hypervigilance is teh suck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You just have to learn to tell yourself you do NOT need to obey those impulses!. Think about it logically!.!.!. Start with the easy things!.
"What if the batteries were taken out of my smoke detector!?"
"That's unlikely, since no one touches it!. Why would anyone do that!? There's no point in checking it, because I check it every night and it's ALWAYS fine!."
The last time you use the fridge, make sure you close it tightly, just once!. Then when you think about it at night, think to yourself, "I know I made sure to close it this time!. I just have to trust that I did it, or I'll never get over this!." Plus, if your pet climbs in, they're not going to get closed in!. The door won't close on them!. Don't worry!
Take a few things at a time!. Try to get it down to where you don't get out of bed at all except to try to pee, and then rule that out!.
Daydream about pleasant things while you try to sleep, and don't let yourself get distracted by anxious thoughts!.
I do the same stuff you do, and I haven't overcome all the things!. I usually check to make sure no one is in the house and that the door is locked!. Sometimes I check to make sure the computers are shut off and the TV is off!. When I'm in the shower sometimes I check a couple times during the shower to make sure no one is in the bathroom!. :P
Good luck!. Hypervigilance is teh suck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Try drinking Nyquil!. It might work and just stop stressin things out!.
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I don't know!!! Sounds like you have Obsesive Compulsive disorder or some thing!!! No but really I had the same problem for a long time and I didn't want to take sleeping tablets because I have two young children and !.!.!.!. again back to bthe obsesive compulsive thing!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!. I was worried that something would happen to them and that I wouldn't be able to wake up!. Sound familiar!? Anyway I started to get into natural remidies like gem stones and rocks!. I learn't that if you put a gem called Howlite under your pillow it helps with insomnia and amethist helps with calming!. I did it and it really did work!. I know it sounds a bit strange but if you are desperite enough (like I was) you'll try anything!!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
You sound like you may have ocd!. I suffer from it and I have found that turning on the tv at night really helps!. I concentrate on that instead of worrying myself!. I just turn it down low and fall asleep to it!. As for the bathroom just tell yourself that you'll go in 30 minutes!. I used to be just like you too getting up all the time but now I just tell myself that I'll get up in 30 minutes!. I kinda trick myself, and it actually works!. Good luck to you, I know how hard it can be!. Also try taking some melatonin, it really helps u sleep!. Www@Answer-Health@Com