Hi there,
I’m hoping there are others that are going through this or have been that may be able to give me some advice.
I’m 46, mum of 3. I started taking medication for anxiety/depression about 3-4 months ago.
For the last couple of weeks I have been really struggling to sleep. My brain just won’t switch off. I’m not worried about anything, my brain just seems to keep going, talking to itself about random things, nothing of particular meaning..
It feels as though my body is resting but my brain doesn’t sleep if that makes sense.
Normally I would go to bed around 11pm. Now I lay in bed and usually see 2am, 3am and sometimes 4am, just unable to fall asleep.
Could this be due to menopause? ( still getting normal monthly periods)
Or more likely be to do with medication side effects?
I would really appreciate some advice/opinions from people that have gone through this or similar.
6 Replies
I've always struggled with bouts of insomnia due to racing thoughts so I fully understand what you mean about your brain not switching off, you have my total sympathy.
I think it's a good possibility that your meds may need adjusting, an inclusion of a light sedative may be necessary. I'd definitely speak to your doctor about it.
In the meantime think about what environmental changes you can make to see if you get some improvement. Ie, no screen time or TV before bed, make sure your room is cool enough, dark enough and calm enough. Try some herbal teas, essential oils (I tend to think they're a gimmick but some people swear by them so what can it hurt), a nice relaxing soak in the bath before bed.
I was like this when my dose wasn’t enough.at first it can cause your thoughts to race but once the dose is right then it will calm down. Speak to your Dr, I’d say it’s the medication. You either need to go up in dose or change medication. I was bad like this taking Effexor and came off it. I’m in a new one now and it’s stopped with the right dose. Also
Make sure you are taking it early morning each day.
I've had random insomnia my whole life. I take half a restavit, which is an over the counter sleep aid. Half a tab doesn't make me groggy in the morning. You should check with you doc first to make sure it doesn't interact with your meds; it certainly helps me out.
Insomnia can be a side effect of antidepressants. It would be best to talk to your doctor about it. Other than that, a healthy sleep routine and possibly melatonin for a few weeks to get your natural rhythm back x
I found going onto anxiety meds solved my insomnia but after a few months it was back. Spoke to my GP to discuss options and we've increased my dose.
I've been under a lot of stress recently so have had the odd night still but for the most part it's working.
My antidepressants did this to me. I had to balance it out by taking melatonin.