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Anxiety messing with my sleep schedule
I've noticed the past few days it's impossible for me to sleep early. I can shower and throw myself into bed at 9pm but I just can't fall asleep. It's really frustrating to experience the whole "my eyes are shut but I'm still awake and I know I'm still awake because I can hear myself think" situation. I put my phone away and stay away from my computer before going to bed but still nothing! I know it's definitely the anxiety of the exam being a month away and I'm just wondering if anyone has tips on overcoming this?
I don't like melatonin because the times I've used it, I find myself groggy in the mornings and my brain just can't connect anything. It's becoming an issue because I'm trying to get myself into the habit of being up early and studying. I took a PT today and I found it hard to focus and my mind was just really foggy. Idk how to explain it but I just felt weird? Lol, as I'm BRing I'm looking at the questions and I'm telling myself "ok how did you not read that word... how did you not understand this? This is something you wouldn't miss if you were more alert".
Oh also, I was coping with jet lag last week. I was in Thailand and when I came back I was falling asleep at 6pm and waking up at 4am LOL. It was great but then I had one night where I stayed up until 11pm and that threw everything off. I'm not trying to get to this extreme but after I broke the 6pm mark I was sleeping at 9pm and waking up at 6am. This is what I'm trying to aim for but like I said, it's just become difficult to sleep at all.
I'd appreciate any suggestions! I'm trying to refrain from taking anything to force myself to sleep such as Advil Pm etc.. I really want to keep it natural. I've heard suggestions of drinking chamomile tea, has that worked for any of you? Thanks in advance 
Comments
I totally get what you mean about looking at a question during BR and being like how did I not get this. So frustrating! How long have you been forcing yourself to go to bed at 9? Do you still make yourself get up at 6? For me, trying to go to bed at a certain time is difficult but if I make myself get up early consistently for a few days then I'll be tired enough to go to bed early. It might take a week or two to really get your body adjusted to a new schedule. I would try a yoga or stretching routine before bed. That always puts me right to sleep. In a similar vein, try to avoid any exercise that'll get your heart rate up a couple of hours before bed. A lot of people try to wear themselves out with exercise to make it easier to sleep but it actually gives you en energy boost for a little bit so keep that in mind.
I drink tea and read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Usually, by the time my tea is finished and I've read maybe 10 pages, I'm falling asleep. I use a book reading light so I don't have to get up to turn off the light. If/when I do have to get up for something, I find myself back in the same old struggle of falling asleep.
I read a comment from a writer attempting to sleep train their toddler, she talked about the struggle of getting the toddler to bed when they are tired, but not TOO tired. And it made me think of myself. There is a point at which I'm not tired enough for bed and nothing I do is going to change that, forcing it will only ensure I lay in bed with an overload of thoughts. There is also a point at which I'm too tired and getting to bed will ensure anxiety. The goal is then finding that sweet spot.
When I read in bed, my body finds that sweet spot naturally. Some nights I read for 5 minutes, other nights 30.
Good luck on the study train!
I had this exact problem a few weeks ago. Here are the things I've implemented that have helped:
Some general tips:
1) Don't eat anything within 3 hours of going to bed.
2) Wind down in the 2 hours before bed by dimming the lights, turning off music and your phone.
3) Take a warm shower or bath and reflect on the day - give yourself some time to think
4) Find a good, not too stimulating or complex book
And as an extra, make sure that you're being physically active, eating well and meditating. All of these contribute to overall consistency in life.
I often have the same problem. My advice:
YES to Anna Karenina, it's a good book and the convoluted paragraph long sentences are both good practice and tiring.
my advise is Ambien pre bed time, Ritalin post bed time ... just kidding ( kinda, army vet here, so sleep is not a real thing ) but i think you need a break, do the book thing, sounds like a good idea i'm going to try it as well lol
I just finished grading the PT I took yesterday and the gap between my actual and BR is crazy! The amount of questions I missed because ause my mind couldn't concentrate was astounding. It's really given me a wake up call that I NEED to get a good sleep. I can function but my brain won't lol. I've been trying to at least fall asleep before 11pm even though I'm in bed by 9 for the last few days. For some reason I used to do that too! I would go on walks after I finish studying which was usually around 8pm (I live in FL so trying to go on a walk before the sun sets is asking to get destroyed by mosquitos and die of heatstroke). I'd find myself wide awake rather than sleepy!
Omg Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich gives me flashbacks to high school AP Lit haha! I'm a tea drinker too but I try to refrain from drinking tea at night. I'm going to try the non-caffeine/ "sleepy" teas. I feel like reading a book and having tea would relax me enough. Thanks for this awesome suggestion!
Yesss! This is great - I bought some books a few weeks ago to help push my RC scores and it's really helped! I put the books aside the last 2 weeks because I've been so consumed the last thing I want to do is read another thing but I think it'll really help me unwind. I've always loved reading but I pushed it off to the side. I'll definitely try this
It's interesting you bring up the meditating. I've read a lot of people incorporated meditating into their daily routine and it's helped with their anxiety. I'll definitely try this out. How long do you mediate and how often? Once a day? Twice?
The electronics is hard for me since I sleep with my phone next to me on my desk. If I can't sleep I'll scroll through ig and then I'll get lost and find myself looking at cute puppies or something LOL. I'm gonna start putting my phone on the opposite side of the room to help with this. And yesss the cold room is so important too lol!
The melatonin knocks me out but I just hate how I feel the next day. My mind feels so heavy and I feel so groggy
LOL you're not the first to make these suggestions to me! I have cousins in the army and they're like "duhhhh take a xan". I need a break for sure to unwind or just a mental break in general haha. I've gotten really bad with including reading into my life these days. It was much easier as a kid and I was reading for fun and for AR points
This ^ is why you can't sleep. There's so many studies about how bad it is to be on your phone before bed. Read a book with a dim book light and a cup of chamomile tea before bed. You'll knock out within 30min. But also you could just still be jetlagged and readjusting.
https://goo.gl/images/DtqZPi
ive dealt with anxiety-induced insomnia for as long as i can remember. i rarely get a good night's sleep, but i have a few things ive found help me a bit
smoking weed a few hours before attempting to sleep. this one isnt for everyone obv, but ive found that the post-high comedown, where you feel kinda tired, is perfect for transitioning into falling asleep
listening to soporific music at a low volume. ill put on some dream pop - like beach house or something similar - and it soothes me quite a bit. just enough volume to where it feels like someone is whispering to me. kinda like asmr
perform strenuous exercise during the middle of the day or 4-5 hours before hand. i get the best sleep on days where i exhaust my body. I recommend running. its a solitary and cheap hobby that is great for coping with both anxiety and depression. i ran 4 miles yesterday and knocked out last night.
establish a halfway/transition point in the room for attempting to prepare yourself to sleep. dont lay in bed if you cant sleep. you need to condition a subconscious connection between your bed and literal sleep. if you dont fall asleep within 10 minutes, get out of bed and go somewhere else in the room. i have a small space of wall between my bed and my desk where ill go sit against and read if i cant sleep.
Two things that have helped for me.
Practice a routine to disengage each evening. I meditate for ten minutes, then read until I fall asleep (light reading, nothing serious). The goal is to separate your mind from the stresses of the day.
On a more nerdy note, blue light before bed affects your body's circadian rhythm, so you can try turning off your phone, computer, and television. and for extra cool points, you can wear blue light blocking shades.
amazon link
Hahaahah I know I think the phone plays a role but even when I'm not on my phone I'll just have a bunch of things running through my mind. I'm going to try chamomile though I've never tried it and it's known as the sleepy tea.
Hahaha at the smoking part, I actually contemplated it but I really want to avoid being dependent on anything. That's why I was trying to stray from sleeping pills etc but if I have to I have to lol. I'm going to try the reading and tea thing first. I do Muay Thai so that literally kills my body but I haven't trained as frequently since I'm studying all day. By the time I finish my brain is fried and I'm so tired but even if it's just going outside for a bit I'm going to incorporate it into my life again. I miss the balance of it all.
And #4 I do that too but next thing I know it'll be 2am and my alarm goes off at 7am. The thing is I can function on a small amount of sleep but my brain can't perform as well as it should. I took a PT on Tuesday with 6 hours of sleep and it was so bad. I'm trying to really aim for 8 hours of sleep and I could make it if I slept in until 11 but I'm trying to train my body to be up early for test day.
Hahaha that's actually so cute I didn't even know they made these! I have my phone on night shift and it makes everything closer to a yellow hue. I'd honestly use these since I'm always on my computer - thanks for the link! And yeah everyone seems to lean towards the reading before bed suggestion. I'm going to try it out tonight!
I meditate every morning while I am waiting for my tea to cool. This practice puts me at about 10 minutes once a day. It also helps to have this skill in case you start spacing out in a section. Just a quick 10 second micro-meditation can really help bring your focus back
Yeah sometimes I find that I'll space out or I'm reading but not really reading. I'm reading words but not processing. Thank you for this! I'm going to try this out
I've gotten better at calming myself down when I get tripped up on word salad paragraphs but I never thought about a quick meditation during a section.
Have you subscribed to Calm? I use the muscle meditation 25 minute program that gets you focusing on your breath, letting go of the day, and tensing and relaxing your muscles. I found that it mostly works like a charm. Some nights it does not. But your anxiety is keeping you up. I think you just need to tell yourself that the test your taking will be another PT and if you don't do well, you can do it again and again as necessary.
Like Elsa said, "Let it go!"
https://media.giphy.com/media/EhbdzMjZeKHYY/giphy.gif
I struggle with falling alseep when I feel anxious. I found that the way to address this was not by only improving my bed time routine, but also identifying the source of my anxiety. For me it was really rooted in a fear of failure (not getting x score on the LSAT). I decided to start Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and really committed to implementing the tools my therapist gave me.
If you don’t have coverage for therapy and you live near a big teaching hospital they may offer CBT on a sliding scale.
LOL love the gif
! But no I haven't, is it an app? I need that in my life. That's such a good way to think about the exam - definitely eases the weight. I always have a "ok september is do or die, you can't afford to screw up" and then it consumes me.
That's my root too lol - that and not having the plans I make in my mind for life to follow through. It makes me feel a lot better knowing other people can give me suggestions for the same issue. Thank you for this! I live down the street from a major hospital in my area, I'll definitely look into this too. I used to avoid the thought of seeking therapy for my anxiety because it makes me uncomfortable to talk about things in general. But I honestly think I need to get rid of this and just try it. Even just talking here makes me feel so much better
Haha -- love this! I'm currently reading "A Tale of Two Cities" and the convoluted sentences and Old English grammar makes it a good bedtime read for me! Plus, it makes me feel like I'm improving in Reading Comprehension. Win-win!
Depending on your religious preferences, prayer time before bedtime works for me! Deep breath and release!
If you are looking for tea selections... Rishi Tea Valerian Dream is my go to. You can get it at Wholefoods or Amazon. Adam's mention of 'Calm' made me remember a drink my grandma had every night, and I also used to drink called Calm by Natural Vitality. It's a power that you put in water, I drank it in hot water like tea. You can buy it at pretty much any store that sells vitamins, target, walmart, gnc, etc. Anyway, I'd try that before melatonin if you are sensitive.
It doesn't get better.
Hey! So I have been dealing with the same thing. One of my best friends from high school died less than a week ago, and the anxiety/feelings around that have been keeping me up until 1-4am. Considering I'm testing in four weeks, I'm not feeling good about this. I know you said that melatonin makes you too tired when you wake up, but what dose have you been taking? They make as small as 1mg. If you're sensitive to antihistamines like me, they make liquid versions so that you can take even 1/10th of a pill's dose. If you take the antihistamine like 2 hours before bedtime, it'll take the edge off of your anxiety so that you can use some sleep-promoting strategies. There is a great app called Insight Timer (free), which has some great guided meditations. There is one that I love where the guy basically tells you how you can do anything because you're amazing lol. I also find that the ones done by Australian/British women make me calmer...? Maybe I just love the accents haha.
I used to say a prayer every night as a kid and as I grew up it just stopped. I'll try this out too
Thank you! I love tea so this is great! I've heard a new trend where you add essential oils to your tea and it can help sleeping too! Some oils are target specific to your needs (digestive for ex). If you're into that, I came across a site called DoTerra
Tell me about it. I've had this issue forever but it's been 10x worse with the LSAT on my mind
I'm so sorry for your loss girl, my deepest condolences
. I know how that feels trust me. I'm going through some things on the side too and it's hard to not think about things. For you, have you tried maybe taking a few days off? Just to give yourself some peace of mind? If you're like me, I tend to suppress things and "deal with it later". But in your case, I think you should take some time to give yourself closure even if that means taking a day or two for yourself and staying up to cope. I've taken 1 and 5mg. I've heard about taking antihistamines, someone suggested it to me today. I think I'm going to look into it because I'm still having trouble sleeping. I was supposed to take a PT today but I couldn't wake up. I fell asleep at 3am and I found no point in forcing myself to sit through a PT, waste it, and not feel 100%. And LMAOO I'll try it out! I like accents too idk why?? So mellow and calming. I also started reading again but before bed I'm reading science books. I hated learning about atoms it just bored me to death so forcing myself to read about protons helps me FEEL sleepy but still can't sleep.
@AshleighK thank you. I coincidentally had plans for a friend come visit me for a few days, so I wound up taking almost a week off. It's not how I planned my schedule to be a month before D-Day. I was trying to use that time to process things a little, since I definitely have a pattern of pushing things down until it's "convenient" to feel them (aka never). As for melatonin, they do make 3mg if 1 wasn't doing anything and 5 was too much. But I think that antihistamines are good because you can really control the dose. You can get a bottle of children's Benadryl with the plastic measuring cup on it. In theory, your doctor could instead prescribe you liquid hydroxyzine (antihistamine commonly used to treat anxiety) if you wanted to go through your insurance.
As for the Insight Timer app, the ones I have bookmarked are: Believe in Yourself by StressFit (yaaaaaasssss), Self Love Meditation by Melissa Ambrosini, and Inner Silence by Hilary Jackendoff. I'm not a big meditation person at all, but these guided ones are perfect. Also, I love that you read science books to put you to sleep.
I wish I could learn to sleep better. How much sleep does one get on average in Law School? Can't be good lol.
Honestly, I'm on the same boat. I've only taken 2 PTs lol. I'm bumping my schedule to 2 PTs a week but with the sleeping issues it's been so hard for me to wake up around 7am. I can end up in bed at an early hour and have a headache from how tired I am but I just can't sleep. I'm really trying to avoid the mistake I made the first time around with LSAT studying which was taking PTs at a later hour than the actual LSAT. I'd take them literally whenever I wanted and I never took one early in the morning except for the diagnostic. So trust me I feel you, it sucks because the date is approaching soon and I still haven't figured it all out yet! I'm going to buy some Advil PM tonight and if ti doesn't help I'm gonna try out the Benadryl. Tea won't cut it anymore sadly
I'll give these a try too! Like I said I think for me it's about clearing my mind to help my sleep. It's my brain keeping me awake - I'll try these out and let you know how it goes
Right?! It really depends for me. If I have an exam, crazy week, or a bunch of personal things going on, my sleep schedule is horrible. But if it's a "normal" time where the stress is manageable and I don't have room to worry about other factors, I can sleep at a reasonable time. I don't even wanna think about my sleep during LS LOL
Advil PM may be a little too strong. I guess you'll find out!
thanks for your suggestion, essential oils are great! i should try a diffuser with lavender at night to help with sleeping. I've thought about putting a litttle lavender oil on my wrists or shirt or something for when I test even since it helps with anxiety... I put it on a bandana that my bf's dog wears, he is blind and has anxiety especially when we leave him. Don't know if it helps really. But sometimes you'll just try anything.