Intimidated by sleep???

[omarfarrah]

I'm 20 years old, and i've had insomnia for as long as i remember, i always stay up late and have trouble sleeping, its due mainly to my restless mind. But recently i've taken melatonine pills recommended by my doctor which helped my issue, and now i can sleep whenever i want, but my sleep pattern is still very easily disturbed e.g. staying up for 1 night will cause a weeks problem...

Sometimes when i'm very close to sleeping i get into very deep thinking and then drift into dreaming, but when i reach this point i wake up with a dizzy feeling, like i have fell, but i dont actually dream the fall (i've had it before) i just have this dizzy falling feeling in my head and i wake up, during this moment its like i'm afraid or intimidated by sleep, its like "oh my god am i really sleeping?" and then i wake up instantly (sometimes with a bit of a jump due to the dizziness)

Please help me!

[omarfarrah]

I've had long term sleep problems, not being able to sleep is not new to me. But only recently have i developed these symptoms "realizing i'm drifting to deep sleep and then waking up". I get really stressed from things i think about, thankfully my life is'nt stressful and i dont really stress about exams or studies at all, but i always go into this deep thinking zone JUST before sleep, and sometimes i get adrenaline pumping by thinking about somethings, its not something i can control because one way or another, my thinking will lead to something im looking forward to which in turn causes me to wake up again...

[KatEyes]

The transition into a sleep state is more difficult for some than others; achieving and/or maintaining sleep can be affected by many factors. I know once my doctor was certain my sleep disorders were effectively treated, she encouraged me to work on sleep hygiene (good sleep practices). It took a long time to break bad habits. If practicing impeccable sleep hygiene doesn't resolve your sleep issues, maybe a sleep study could discover if there is another sleep disorder contributing to your symptoms. Hopefully you've already eliminated medication side effects or caffiene use as contributors. I happened to have sleep apnea and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder at the root of my sleep problems. All the good sleep practices in the world weren't going to fix those without other intervention. There was a period of time when my stress levels were "off the charts" and my mind got stuck in high gear. Maybe all the stress hormones my sleep disorders caused in my body/brain were a factor. But it took a total disconnect from life as I knew it to break the pattern. For me, that was a simple vacation with nothing but relaxation on the agenda. On the 3rd day I literally felt the tension drain from my body and the spell was broken. I would suggest you attempt to identify if you have any underlying sleep disorders then go from there.

[omarfarrah]

Sorry i didnt explain it very clearly.... The feeling which i described as "oh my god am i really sleeping?" is in a positive way, since i have a hard time sleeping most of the time, the days i actually fall asleep easily i get this, its like i cant believe im really sleeping. I asked this question because tonight i was going to sleep about 5 hours before my normal bedtime, and i actually almost fell asleep. But the feeling i described above happened 2 or 3 times JUST before i drifted to sleep. And then i had trouble sleeping again because i began to think about it alot, and so, the 5 hours i tried to gain were lost thinking and searching forums :(