Originally Posted by leebeemi

Ah, insomnia, my old friend! I have suffered from insomnia since before my PCS. Actually, I've had it since I was a child. Not every night--intermittently. Sometimes related to hormones, sometimes related to stress, sometimes not related to anything. Ironically, my PCS has made the insomnia easier to deal with--I don't fret over it. "Mind race" has always been my problem, but my PCS insomnia is just being awake.

I have learned some techniques over the years to deal with the mind race, but have come to realize one fundamental thing: insomnia is fickle. I have to let it lead me to the solution, and my solutions may not work for everyone.

That said, here are some things that have worked for me:
* Don't fight it--get up and do something if you can--I used to make pancakes & freeze them for breakfast, or fold laundry and iron. Something mindless that can be done with out thinking.

* Try to distract your brain--music may work, although I have better luck with guided meditation. Before the concussion, I'd do long division in my head or count, visualizing the numbers in a specific color or style--that technique is troublesome now, as it can give me a headache.

* White noise or nature sounds can be very soothing. The reason music doesn't work for me is that it's too complicated--since my concussion, I hear music differently, it doesn't blend. But the sound of the ocean or rain works.

* Remember some pleasant memory from beginning to end--my wedding or the birth of my kids, my first day on a tropical vacation. If I can't remember something, I simply write something pleasant in, not worrying about the "truth."

I can't suggest guided meditation enough. The very act of someone telling me to let the thoughts go the way they come has helped me learn to clear my mind. Instead of keeping them out, I can let them in, and then I can let them go.

Last night I had trouble with restless legs (I also suffer from restless leg syndrome--yay). I have several guided meditation apps on my iPad, and I used a long one (20mins) to try to relax. I don't even remember the end of it--the urge to move my legs didn't go away, but my need to follow the urge did. I slept like a baby.

I think, though, that for insomnia the key is to not feed its power. Give in to it if fighting it doesn't work. Let it run its course. Yes, the next day after a sleepless night is hard. It's awful. But worrying about it doesn't help--it actually makes it worse. We have much more important things to worry about, right? Of course it's easier said than done, but it does sometimes help to put it in perspective.

And, you can always call me if you aren't sleeping--chances are I'm awake too.