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Night time struggle

Zozzab113
Casual Contributor

Night time struggle

Hi, 

 

I struggle of a night time with suicidal thoughts I am ok of a day then really struggle at night, I have tried using different routines to try and help me through the night but I am struggling to find something that works has anyone had anything work for them 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Night time struggle

hey @Zozzab113 welcome to the forums!

 

i hear you, night time can be hard when managing our thoughts/feelings. you're not alone 💙
i find that in the day, it's a bit easier to keep busy/distracted, but the quietness of the night can sometimes make those thoughts grow louder. and it seems like it might be impacting your sleep too? sounds really overwhelming and tiring!

 

what's some strategies that have or haven't worked for you? just wondering so i can suggest some that might be new. 

 

also one of our mods have sent a check-in email to you earlier this morning, could you please respond to it and let us know if you're able to stay safe for now? we want to make sure you feel heard and receive the best possible support 💙

Re: Night time struggle

Hi, 

 

I have multiple strategies like painting, colouring in and music but these don't seem to work of a night time. I am safe and will continue to be 

 

 

Re: Night time struggle

One of the things I do is a modified breathing exercise
The normal ones were a problem for me so I simplified it to breathing was my attention span was not that long 🙂

My routine is simply

Breathe in
Hold for one heartbeat ( a second at most but don't sweat the time and no need to count )
Breathe out and hold for the same time and same procedure.

If you have intrusive thoughts just accept that is going to happen and it's simply something that's going to happen and start the procedure again.

I do this after nightmares and it works for me.

I take a break
I often facebook for a while or distract myself until I am cooler (cold) and want to get back into bed again 🙂

PS I have made friends with the monsters under my bed and they try to protect me from the real world while I sleep !!!

Re: Night time struggle

thanks for letting us know you're safe @Zozzab113 

 

painting, colouring and music are great tools to have! but i do get that they're not always practical at night, especially when trying to rest. i find journaling before bed helpful - slowing down to identify what i'm feeling/thinking and why, and then gently reframing those thoughts to be more neutral helps calm my mind, and makes it easier to manage overall (for example: if i think that i'm a burden to others and not worth being here - i can try explore why i feel this way, and then reframe it to: i recognise i'm feeling like a burden right now, and that i'm feeling a lot of pain but this will pass and i'll be okay. thoughts are facts, emotions aren't permanent, etc.) the journaling prompts from lifeline are really great: Journaling your thoughts & feelings 

 

grounding exercises can be helpful in bringing back the focus from our thoughts, to our present. breathing exercises is great for calming down the nervous system and slowing the heart rate (i like inhaling for 5 counts, holding for 6 and exhaling for 7, but there's other ones out there too). everyone is different so i do get that some of these strategies may/may not work, and some strategies also take some time to work (like journaling).


have you spoken to anyone about these thoughts before? 💙

Re: Night time struggle

Hi! What you are experiencing, does not sound pleasant! I don’t really have a “solution” for you. I can empathise though. I experience regular insomnia. It can be a time when my negative thoughts can creep in! The quiet of night is a blank slate for mischevous thoughts! I hope you get some practical suggestions on here. I’m happy to discuss. ian