Posted by sleepygirl on January 17, 2006, at 17:43:26
In reply to Re: Is my need for sleep normal or a problem?, posted by babybear on January 17, 2006, at 14:40:31
You're not babbling.......sleep is a totally valid concern which affects sooo much of your life.
I take seroquel (25mgs for anxiety) which knocks me out at night. Sometimes I have found that those late night hours feel "safer" some how - it's quiter for one, and there's no demands to "get up and go" like there are in the day. The problem though with sleeping later into the day is that nagging sense that one is missing life/not accomplishing stuff.
Lately I have endeavored to take the seroquel earlier, go to sleep, and wake up earlier even if I don't have to go somewhere just for this reason. I have heard from others though with PTSD about the nightmare issue with seroquel. I have more wacky and less scary dreams on it.
My own hyper-arousal likely stems from some very early trauma complicated by a chaotic life that always had me hypervigilant - this sort of stuff just builds and build upon itself though. Conditioned anxiety - avoidance - super-sensitive nervous system - all that, etc.
I am at the moment unemployed (laid off last few weeks), but even though my external stress is less because of it, my head can really start to race with all the many things I should or could do. What I'm hoping to do since I have the opportunity is to put some routines in place that sort of help to ease me into stimulation - exercise, seeing friends, doing work, but while trying to remain comfortable. This is no small task. I have some klonopin prn. It's hard not to overwhelm oneself, and it can be quite exhausting.
Don't be too hard on yourself, it'll only put you back. Be gentle with yourself. Be well.
-sleepygirl
poster:sleepygirl
thread:599851
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20051214/msgs/600058.html