How Do Others Experience Sleep During Tough Mental Health Periods?

My mental health is not very good, I’ve been struggling with serotonin withdrawal symptoms due to an antidepressant that I tapered off too fast. I don’t take sleeping meds but I’m on Ativan 3 times daily, the last dose is before bed time, it doesn’t help me sleep much but keeps me calmer, as for sleep I wake up every 1-2 hours so I get a total of 4-5 hours along with vivid dreams, I often dread the night because I have forgotten how a sound sleep feels like, when I lay awake I feel like I’m the only person in the world, it’s a sad situation to say the least.

@aethelwulfe
Been through this many times with mentally trying to deal with issues. Just went through this with loss of PTSD Service dog and spending 5 days in cardiac critical care because of ICD shocks.

What I found is that medication can really help. Just having them can provide a feeling of it is there if needed. What I try to do during periods like this is to get physically tired. You have to have the O.K. from your doctors but getting physical tired will help you sleep.

I do exercises that really help tire me out and also bring some joy to me when doing. So getting best on both ends as helps me both physically and mentally.

I do water aerobics 5 days a week. On three days do back to back classes. I also bike and walk in pool. What I found out is if I get physically tired I am able to fall asleep and not have my mind racing. I have been prescribed medications to sleep (Trazodone, and Lorazepam) but I rarely take them now as have been able to get back to my exercise routine after getting out of hospital.

Exercise brings endorphins which helps you mental well being. Of course you have to find and exercise (doctors permission) you like to do. If you are smiling during your exercise you have found it. If exercise is not for you consider a hobby that you like to do. Anything that brings a smile of enjoyment is something like medicine for the brain.

@jc76
Do not nap during the day.
R E A D something not too interesting. Your brain can either perseverate on your troubles, or re-focus on what's going on in the book. It gets bored, then sleepy.
It works well, but not all the time. If the reading has meaning, and you don't fall asleep, at least you may have learned something.
My book, a long time ago was Self Psychology and the Treatment of the Narcissistic Personality. Dense , but instructive.
Zen style meditation works. "I'm gonna sit here til the sh-t in my head stops."
Also don't fight it by obsessing about not being able to fall asleep. That just makes it worse. 🤫💤🤭

@shmerdloff
Oh, and NO SCREENS iPad or phone, or TV. The "radiation" stimulates the synapses.

I have sleep apnea and use a bipap machine to lessen the number of times I stop breathing. I wake up many times during the night, and sometimes I have a hard time going back to sleep. If I'm awake after 30 minutes, I will get up and have a small snack, and sometimes move to the recliner until I start to feel sleepy again. Sleep can be frustrating.

Healthy bedtime routines are supposed to help. That's different for different people. I have my own routine of bathroom chores, taking nighttime meds, reclining in bed for a while, propped up with pillows, getting my brain done with the day's business, reading my Bible and praying. My wife and I also read a few pages of a book together every night, taking turns reading out loud. I generally stop using my phone or tablet before that whole routine.

I always used to take a nap, but it's become just a rest break, without sleep, the past year or so. I take rest breaks on the bed because it's the most helpful position in getting pain relief in my feet - neuropathy.

I used to read quite a bit, but when depression got bad, I found that I couldn't read more than a few paragraphs. I finally reached the point where I could read a chapter of the Bible, and I haven't been able to get past that threshold yet. Right now I'm trying to wade through the voter's pamphlet a couple of pages at a time. Not very exciting reading! Anyway, in the past, reading a book at bedtime was a healthy bedtime routine. Maybe I'll be able to do it again someday.

no screens (computers /tv etc.) an hour before bed caffeine after midday. I still have issues falling asleep and staying asleep. Doc suggested magnesium etc , worked once but not long term. a friend is trying melatonin, has to be on it at least a month doc says for it to work. 2 weeks and no success so far.

Your question caught my eye! I have Major Depressive Disorder and am current going through a bad relapse. When this happens, sleep is impossible for me. It's like I can only get to a certain point of almost falling asleep, but am incapable of actually getting there. 28 years ago, when I was diagnosed, I refused to take a sleep aid. One whole week or very insufficient sleep was my compete undoing. I will never do that again.
Currently I take Zopiclone(7mg) every night, and will continue to do so until I am back to my normal. There is no knowing how long it will take.... It's been 6mos so far, with no light at the end of the tunnel. When my days are so bad, I don't know if I can cope anymore....I do know that I will have some respite from myself when I take a pill and go to sleep.
One very interesting thing to me, is that when I dream, I don't dream in a depressed state. I am a fully functioning, happy person. I love dreaming! It's a reminder of why I need to fight through this, which in my case, is making sure I get some sleep to help my body do battle!

@rufus31
God bless your dreams. Maybe, when we are awake, we are actually dreaming, and our dreams are our reality. Your dreams may be telling you you're really OK.
Check out Carl Jung.

Having had two separate incidents causing PTSD my sleeping was severely hampered. I was working with a psychiatrist medication specialist at Mayo. When my second incident of PTSD happened along with heart rhythm problems she put me on Trazodone.

I know, including me, we would like to solve without medications. But you need your sleep. I found the trazadone worked wonders for me. It kept my mind from racing. It kind of stops the thinking process. And what I found was tremendous vivid dreams. I was told the trazodone affects serotonin and thus more intense dreams.

Being able to sleep during medical and mental issues is critical. I don't take the trazadone unless needed and have not taken in several months. I use a mind focus when go to bed and it makes you focus on something specifically that is not depressing or stressful. I sometimes use trying to add up numbers of like credit card bills, and other times how many calories did I eat today and try to calculate each item calorie count. It keeps my brain from focusing on PTSD, anxiety, stressful thoughts.

This works for me but you have to find your own way. I do know if I don't exercise during day I will find it harder to sleep so being physically tired works for me too.

Ask your doctors about sleep aids like trazodone. Someone mentioned melatonin. It is a OTC and works for most. It should help right away. I have used it in past and works but made me groggy when I woke up.