Sleep Restriction therapy saved my life. An update from jittery18.

[[ac...]]

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New to the forum. Dabbled in ambien for about two months back in 2012. Most of my problems were coming from a job that got me up way to early and that I didn't love. I changed jobs and that helped...for a while. I really do enjoy my current job, but it does get me up slightly early (5:30 or 5:45 am) 5 days a week. Have had spurts of great sleep (7+ hours) sandwiched around small bouts of mild insomnia (averaging 5-6 hours of sleep and then trying to make up for it by sleeping in on the weekends. I started self administered Sleep Restriction exactly three weeks ago. It still feels like an up and down experience. Two or three nights of falling asleep within 20 minutes followed by two hours of getting up and back in bed till I fall asleep (was really upset that I had a hard time falling asleep this past Friday which is usually the easiest night to fall asleep).

The plan for this week (week 4) is to go to bed 7 hours before the alarm goes off. Get up and go to the guest bed if not asleep within 30 to 40 minutes, head back to bed when I am feeling sleepy and possibly repeating it again if still not falling asleep. I do need to be better at getting off the couch if I feel sleepiness coming on to early in the night. The micro naps are not helping. Anyways, wish me luck! Thanks!

[[Kl...]]

My hell started when I was diagnosed with an HPV wart back in November.....having severe OCD especially hypochondriasis my biggest phobia was an incurable STD (genital herpes, genital warts i.e. HPV and the worst case AIDS), and I was always very careful not to engage in any activity that would put me at risk.....I still ended up contracting the HPV virus from a using an infected person's towel (YES, you CAN get it from inanimate objects/fomites, contrary to what the internet tells you).....this was soooo out of character for me, being a germophobe, but I was intoxicated, and this was totally against my better judgement, which is why I was not only in shock for how I could possibly put myself in that position, but also the fact that my nightmare had come true.

What followed were incessant anxiety-attacks after my biopsy and diagnosis, and restlessness.  I was initially put on Ativan for 10 days, but the morning withdrawals left me with severe depression and more anxiety.  I was then prescribed Klonopin, which gave me nightmares, so I tapered off of that after two weeks of taking it.....was then prescribed Xanax XR, which was worse in terms of the anxiety returning between doses, and now I will be back on Klonopin which I will take with my Luvox and Trazodone.

I will have to endure the nightmares.....no choice in the matter, and I am seriously considering ECT so I will not have to be numbed with meds that might make me completely lose my mind.  I have lost my will to live, and before I was always able to distract myself watching TV or reading a book or doing treadmill.....none of that works anymore as my OCD has passed that threshold, knowing I now have something I cannot get rid of (HPV virus in my skin cells will be there for good), and I feel there's a permanent stain down there, even though the wart has been burned off, and the anxiety of having to live with this forever makes me nauseous and I feel I am living in hell and through a nightmare that won't end.  I am restless during the day, have akathisia now and pace around the house at least 2000 times from morning until nightfall when I take the meds to help me sleep (now that I have chronic insomnia due to anxiety).  I really wish I were dead sometimes, as I cannot suffer and endure this pain every day.  I don't think this will go away short of a lobotomy. At the same time I am terrified of withdrawal hell once I need to get off the Klonopin, and worried about how the Klonopin will affect my cognitive abilities and my memory which I need for my job.  I may have to go on extended illness from work.  I used to attend Church every Sunday, now I am too dizzy to drive to Church and I might even obsess about whether my faith will help me overcome this fear and anxiety.  I still pray every night.

[[ac...]]

Well, posting on the board must be good luck. Had a great nights sleep last night. I expanded my Sleep Restriction to seven hours as of last night. I was nodding off on the couch at 9:30 but got up and brushed my teeth which woke me back up. Went back downstairs, sat on the couch and watched a documentary. About 15 minutes before bed time I turned off the tv, took out a book and started nodding off again right before heading upstairs. Got in bed and remembered how I used to fall asleep. I didn't do any relaxation techniques ( I was already relatively calm), I kept my mind relatively blank and waited for the random weird thoughts. What are the random weird thoughts? It's the term I use when you are relaxed in bed and  some weird idea that has nothing to do with whats going on with your life pops in your head. To me its a precursor to dreaming and is a sign that my mind is preparing me to fall asleep. When I get one of these random ideas/pictures/thoughts pop in to my head I use it as proof that I am falling asleep and it helps me relax even more. I don't always get this to happen but it really helps. So, fell asleep about 5-10 minutes after getting in the bed. It's a good start to week 4 of sleep restriction.

[[La...]]

When I feel a little less symptomatic I will stop the melatonin and have the courage to try this. I know it is fear of not sleeping that keeps me awake sometimes. This is a wonderful idea.

[[sp...]]

I should give this another go but have doubts about it working..