Stress Center Peer Support

hi sleepless mom
i to do not like to take any sleeping aids. they make me feel groggy the next day and this in return makes me anxious. just to let you know, i still wake-up through the night. i am finding though, when i keep track of negative thoughts and replace with positive ones clears my mind. does this make sense? i think the more i practice positive thinking the less i have to keep me awake. because i know its negative thats doing this. what do you guys think? i bought a yoga dvd called The Essential Yoga!
but any dvd with yoga,meditation would be helpful. i hope this helps. talking to you all has help me more then you know. thank you all

It is generalized anxiety that wakes me up, I think, even if I can't pinpoint a thought at the time. But then ,yes, quickly the mind gets going and then who is going to be able to get back to sleep with all these random thoughts going around. Many times worries, and what ifs, but not always...sometimes just random bouncing around thoughts. I have had poor sleep this week but I am proud of myself that I have not had panic about it. Am just trying to take things slow and tell myself it is OK. If I can't get back to sleep I will just lie relaxed and think soothing thoughts and take it slow the next day. Maybe there will be some good nights mixed in. I have to stop thinking of insomnia like a sinus infection or something...that when it goes, it i s gone for good. Because then I have one good night and I might think "whew it is gone" but that is not reality and I have a false expectation about the next night. Then I am crushed when it happens again.

since writing negative/positive thoughts i have felt better about tackling all the things i would like to do in my life. but, i overwhelm myself in wanting to do all of them at once. and don't do any. then i don't sleep thinking about them. tomorrow i will write them down and start on one, just one first! wish me luck. or am i moving to fast? should i wait for for next chapter. take care

i just wanted to add, when i write in my journal i feel better. i think getting it out of my head and on paper helps. i hav'nt written in my journal for a few days. tonight i will. sleep well!

TO: Sleepless Mom -

Insomnia is such a horrible problem for so many people, that I have compiled a list of sleep recommendations for free dissemination.

The following recommendations are a compilation from the Attacking Anxiety & Depression Program and from numerous other sources.

In specific response to your request for positive affirmations for insomnia, you may be particularly interested in #4. Some of the soothing, positive thoughts I learned from that source (i.e. #4) are: "Let go." And: "Nothing matters."


1. Go to bed at the SAME TIME every night.

2. Precede bedtime with a “WINDING-DOWN” RITUAL, such as:

a. Listen to a RELAXATION RECORDING to invoke the Relaxation-Response, which is opposite to the Fight-or-Flight-Response. You may want to use StressCenter “Combatting Stress and Depression Program” Relaxation Recording. [Go to: <A HREF="http://www.stresscenter.com," TARGET=_blank>www.stresscenter.com,</A> Module # 16]. Or

b. Lounge in a warm bath while doing everything slowly. / Avoid stimulation at this time. You are trying to slow down, not to speed up.

3. WARM MILK historically has been helpful for sleeping. Milk reminds us of when we were infants and slept almost all the time. Also, milk contains both Calcium and Tryptophan, which are said to naturally induce relaxation.

MELATONIN is also said to be helpful for sleep. Also, the herb: KAVA is helpful. / Also: ask your drugstore pharmacist to recommend over-the-counter medicines for sleep.

4. You might want to start bedtime by listening to Track 2 of Glenn Harrold’s “Deep Sleep Every Night” HYPNOTIC RECORDING [Go to: <A HREF="http://www.glennharrold.com/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.glennharrold.com/</A> ; or find his CDs and books on Amazon.com].

5. Track 2 of Glenn Harrold’s “Deep Sleep Every Night” HYPNOTIC RECORDING [Go to: <A HREF="http://www.glennharrold.com/;" TARGET=_blank>http://www.glennharrold.com/;</A> or find his CDs and books on Amazon.com].

IF you are not asleep 30 minutes later, then Get OUT of bed and DO something such as:

a. Listen to a Relaxation Recording again (See 2a.). Or

b. Read something boring like the business section of a newspaper. A unique way of becoming sleepy is to try to stay awake, but to do so by engaging in a boring activity.

When you finally feel sleepy, then go back to bed again.

6. If you can do so, reserve your bed SOLEY for sleeping and NOT for stimulating activities like watching TV. In this way, your mind strongly associates your bed with sleeping (i.e. avoidance of stimulation).

7. Try to AVOID STIMULANTS like caffeine, nicotine, sugars (and even alcohol - which often starts out as a stimulant).

Do vigorous aerobic EXERCISE early in the day (but NOT close to bedtime) a minimum of 2X per week to regularly wash stress chemicals (i.e. cortisol, adrenaline, sodium-lactate) out of the body.

8. Finally, try to get up at the SAME TIME every morning.

Both going to bed at the SAME TIME every night (#1), and getting up at the SAME TIME in the morning (#7) helps to reset the body’s Sleep-Clock, and humans (especially nervous ones) tend to thrive on REGULARITY.

For this to work well, it will also be important to try to AVOID DAYTIME NAPS. / You are trying to associate a specific period of the night with sleeping, which involves associating the rest of the day with NOT-sleeping.

Pete Dave Blair

thank you for the advise. when you have problems sleeping, you will try almost anything. and i will try your advice tonight if i wake-up. its odd that you mentioned about not watching t.v. i was thinking of taking my t.v. out of my bedroom. thanks again