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Post by EC on May 18, 2018 6:40:09 GMT
Just had another horrible night. I was so tired last night but moment head hits the pillow I'm awake.Worried I am not going to sleep well night before work and symptoms will be worse. Just feels like my sleep will never be normal again. I seem to sleep so lightly now, the slightest thing wakes me.
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Post by monica on May 18, 2018 7:51:12 GMT
Poor you EC! That's horrible!
How much total sleep did you get? I take it you struggle to fall asleep too?
You will crack the insomnia. Your body has got used to this sleep pattern coupled with hormones dealing with a baby's sleep pattern has meant you've lost the pattern of sleep you've had.
I would start the sleep diary to establish in black and white what's going on. Try not to dread the day ahead or the next night after a bad night - say to yourself worrying won't change anything that's happened. Think positively. Perhaps try looking into audio books or relaxation stuff on you tube and listen to that when you go to bed.
Also try deep breathing - take slow deep breaths through stomach focusing each one.
Another technique that helped me was tensing muscles for 7 secs and letting go - actually the last one really helped me fall asleep ! X
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Post by EC on May 18, 2018 18:23:16 GMT
I think I got about 3 hours. I try and remind myself it's a phase but feels like I've been in it for a while, 2-3 better nights and then an awful one. I will start the diary. Thank you for the advice. I just hope that at some point things sort themselves out. Like you say- no point in worrying. I cant control it x
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Post by monica on May 19, 2018 13:39:18 GMT
Talk to the dr and maybe get a referral to a sleep clinic. I attended one at Guildford hospital run by an occupational therapist who was amazing! Can't recommend it enough. The insomnia does reappear but I feel confident I have the tools to deal with it .
3 hrs is nothing! No wonder you feel rubbish x
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Post by leanneh on May 19, 2018 20:18:36 GMT
I suffered dreadfully with sleep when I was really unwell. I used to get up and go into another room, read for 15 mins or so until I felt a bit more sleepy and then go back into my bed and try to sleep. Or I would turn the lamp on and read in bed if it wouldn't disturb my husband and do the same thing, try to go back to sleep after 15 mins or so. I found it helped me but generally I did have awful sleep and it only really picked up as the anti depressants really kicked in and I started to feel better. In the interim though the GP did give me a few strong sleeping tablets to knock me out but just two or three to take every now and again for a bit of respite. Has the GP talked about any other talking therapies or anything to help? X
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Post by EC on May 21, 2018 10:38:19 GMT
Thank you for your support. Just started having some cbt and feeling a little more possitive about sleep. I usually get hip ache at night but woken up with really sore hips and achey thighs. Do you think that could be pelvis moving back into position? Tired of weird aches and pains x
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Post by EC on May 21, 2018 14:50:29 GMT
Feeling absolutely wiped out this afternoon and starting to feel really anxious. I don't usually feel this exhausted. I just want to feel back to normal x
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Post by monica on May 22, 2018 13:57:13 GMT
How are you today? Not sure about the pelvis pain - could be loads of things but probably nothing serious. Why don't you get it checked out? Feeling wiped out can be Pni - maybe have blood test to see if it's anaemia etc. Tbh with getting so little sleep its no surprise you're shattered. How did you sleep last night? X
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Post by leanneh on May 23, 2018 11:16:59 GMT
Agree the wiped out feeling could be a sleep issue. How is the sleep coming along?
How are you finding CBT? Is it helping at all with your thought processes? X
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Post by EC on May 24, 2018 10:38:20 GMT
Had a couple of better nights. Cbt been more about telling her my anxieties at the mo. Hopefully next session will get some strategies. I have put so much pressure on myself with everything feeling and being back to normal before going back to work which it's not going to be. Just feel in a pit which I can't get out of. It's hard enough going back to work, let alone when u don't feel right. X
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Post by monica on May 24, 2018 12:31:48 GMT
Glad there has been improvement in your sleep.
It's quite a big thing going back to work and ideally all issues like sleep would have been resolved but the reality is it often takes time to recover, to benefit from the cbt etc. Try to think of it as work in progress and just going back to work will be an e cells t distraction and hopefully make you feel more like yourself. Compliment and praise yourself on every positive in your life without putting pressure on yourself and focusing on negatives x
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Post by EC on May 25, 2018 17:59:04 GMT
Thank you for your advice. It just feels like something irreparable has happened physically and mentally since I started having these symptoms and I can't imagine ever feeling happy again. Did you feel like this? Being patient and kind to myself if definitely something I find really difficult. I keep getting angry with myself when I don't feel so good and think why can't I just accept that this the way I feel. I just want to get out of my own head at times. X
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Post by monica on May 25, 2018 18:31:11 GMT
Yes yes and yes! I felt just like you! I could never imagine feeling 'normal' and also felt irreparably broken. I would sometimes feel a glimmer of hope only to feel like I was back to the start in the next instance. This roller coaster ride carried on until I recovered.
In my experience recovery is rarely a quick fix. I don't know why that is the case - but you will recover and thought his is possibly unbelievable at the moment , you may be glad of this awful experience in the future. You'll know yourself better, learn coping skills and once the trauma of the illness has gone you'll admire your own strength . So many positive things have come out of my illness - amazing friends, kindness, empathy ..hang on in there and try to look at the positives in life xxx
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Post by EC on May 25, 2018 19:58:02 GMT
Thank you so much. Your support has been such a comfort, it's so kind of you to reply when I'm sure you have a lot going on and your own life. I do feel like I'm more empathetic now but find it hard when some friends don't really understand what it's like to feel ill and horrible. I do try and think people go through far worse and sometimes life gives us challenges. I guess I just didn't expect this challenge to last as long or be as up and down. X
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Post by monica on May 26, 2018 11:53:46 GMT
The journey is a very tough one - you will come out of it and believe it or not the ups and downs are a normal if not horrible part of this illness and show you're actually recovering x
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