Black Warrior,
I can completely relate. I have a sleep disorder that affects my sleep/wake cycle which I have always had. I hadn’t even realised that the pills had settled the symptoms but now that I’ve gone cold turkey it is back out in full force and I have struggled.
It has helped to go back to the old school way of coping with it for me. That includes:
– Creating a structured routine around bedtime. This looks different for everyone but it helps to find what works for you and stick with it. It helps to set a rough time to start unwinding and preparing your body to sleep. Eventually it’ll associate the things in your routine with bed and naturally start to lower any cortisol levels in the body.
– You have already mentioned good sleep hygiene and I cannot emphasise this enough. Make sure your space is comfortable. I recommend minimising any lights in the room or turning them off completely – this includes blocking any outside lights with blinds. I think a book or anything other than a screen when you get into bed is a great idea. If you are struggling with noise then you can grab ear plugs from your local pharmacy or use headphones – whatever works best.
– The biggest thing for me was not giving up. I can wake up periodically throughout the night or struggle to drop off and after a few minutes of trying to sleep I’d get frustrated and reach for my phone or get up completely. It helps to sit in that feeling and not rush yourself further awake or out of bed. It is difficult but the best thing you can do is lay with it and keep trying. You are essentially training your brain to remember that this is a time for sleep and you must counteract the release of cortisol and other neurotransmitters by reminding your body that it is not the time to do so. The only way to do that is to not physically react.
I don’t know if this helps or not but I am always willing to listen if you want to discuss further.
Sending you all strength,
Stevie x