Elusive sleep

First I can't get enough sleep, now I can't get any! So they say with depression comes sleeping all the time, or insomnia. Well for months now I've been sleeping a lot (not feeling rested either), but I can tell you with every fibre of my being that I'd much rather be sleeping all the time then laying in bed for hours upon hours not able to fall asleep! The insomnia started sometime a couple of weeks ago, and was just a night or two here and there. I fear that it has turned into a full blown monster…

I make plans of what I'm going to do with my time at work, during these long nights. Of course, when I arrive at work in the morning I can't remember what those things are, I'm sitting here racking my brain as I'm writing. "Now what was it that I was going to do today?"

I did try some of the exercises that A gave me in counselling, relaxation techniques that are supposed to help you sleep. Quieting your mind and thoughts and relaxing your body so that you can find the ever elusive sleep! They simply didn't work for me, maybe they will for you. Here they are for your inquisitive minds…

First Exercise:

1. Close your eyes and get comfortable, relax your body.

2. Imagine a river, this river is going to take any thoughts that come into your mind right back out again. Don't stop the thoughts from coming in, but send them right along that river.

3. Pay attention to your breathing (just breathe normally, no need for deep or shallow breathing)

4. As you breathe in, count 1, and when you breathe out count 2.

5. Do this with each breath and count up to ten, and then backwards from 10

6. Remember not to stop your thoughts from coming into your mind, but send them right back out down that river

7. Continue to breathe and count for as long as you need to feel sleepy and completely relaxed