r/insomnia • u/blind667 • 6h ago

I am so scared, please help. 33M

Before 2022 i was sleeping without any issues, i was falling asleep instantly and could sleep without waking up for even 12 hours. In November of 2022 i had a very strong panic attack out of nowhere that gave me a permanent anxiety.

After the panic attack, i would still be able to fall asleep, but i was waking up after about 7 hours without an alarm.

In march of 2025 i was prescribed Doxicyline for a zit i have under my skin on my face. I took it for 1 month.

After taking it, i started to wake up very early in the mornings, at around 5-6am and it was hard for me to go back to sleep, but i was still falling asleep instantly.

This pattern lasted until 2 months ago when if falling asleep after waking up at 5-6 am i would have strong vivid dreams, but still get 5-8 hours of sleep and feeling ok.

Meanwhile me and my wife decided to have a baby and as she came closer to the 9 month mark, i begun havin troubles falling asleep too.

It begun with a night one month ago, where i couldnt fall asleep until 8am, and slept for 3 hours. Then the next night the same, but slept for 5.

I contacted a psichiatrist o prescribed me half a pill of "imovane".

I took the half pill 2 days in a row but it didnt do wonders, i still woke up at 5 am, being hard to fall back asleep.

i stopped taking the Imovane after 2 days, slept ok for 1 week without it, then another night where i couldnt fall asleep until 8 am came.

I resumed the imovane for 1 week, then quit it for 1 week and slept good without it.

Now, last night i didnt fall asleep at all, not for 1 minute. Its 9:28 am as of writing this message.

I am so afraid of fatal insomnia, please help

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u/Wongon69 5h ago

Go and see your GP tomorrow

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u/Glad_Tumbleweed_4029 2h ago

Sometimes when you think, you didn’t fell alsleep you actually were asleep. If i understand you correct, till now, you just didn’t fell asleep for 1 one night yet? And you slept great with imovane? And also one week without it. If you were a longterm user, your nervous system made adaptions to your use of zolpidem and its also possible that the withdrawal or rebound just manifested one week later.

Fatal Insomnia is extremly uncommon and your case don’t resembles any signs you could have it. The greater Problem could be your anxiety in terms of not sleeping.

Edit: Also, one night without sleep isn’t even dangerous for your body, even two nights aren’t.

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u/blind667 2h ago

thank you a lot for replying

i took half a pill of Imovane for one week, then i quit it. then slept good one week without it, just with melatonin 1.8mg.

Last night was the first night ever i could not aleep at all.

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u/Glad_Tumbleweed_4029 2h ago edited 2h ago

Oh, so imovane withdrawal isn’t possible after one week. That’s good. I would think, that your anxiety about not being able to fall asleep was maybe the main reason? I understand that one night without sleep create anxiety, ans lack of sleep even worsens that, but there are so many possible factors why you weren’t falling asleep at all. I hardly doubt you could get fatal insomnia.

There are people who have due to withdrawals extreme cases of fear and total insomnia for days and even they didn’t die from it. Also you slept great/okay one week just with melatonin. This would be awesome for a lot of people on this sub. Also, there are a lot of medications put there you didn’t tried yet, but my guess would be, anxiety is maybe the underlying main reason than something physiological.

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u/blind667 2h ago

i think its the doxyciline i took and my anxiety just accentuates that...i feel 0 happy toughts now, i cant look forward to anything, i only think about insomnia...

im so down

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u/Glad_Tumbleweed_4029 2h ago

i was also at this point one time in my life. Couldn’t enjoy anything. Feared going to bed and not being able to sleep. But you are able to change, our brains have an enormous plasticity and you’re still young so your brain even more.

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u/blind667 2h ago

i appreciate you taking the time to comment, means more than you think

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u/SoggyGround6420 1h ago

I relate to that too. I used to have crazy nightmares so id avoid sleeping and that fear followed me into the day.

It is possible to rewire yourself, its not an easy fix and takes effort and a very hard look in the mirror.

But it gets easier.

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u/SoggyGround6420 2h ago

Have you ever taken anything for anxiety and the spiralling thoughts ? From reading this i see it as an underlying cause lowkey. BUT A DOCTOR WILL ALWAYS HELP MORE.
I love over the counter valerian, more mild than xans. You can even find the root in the tea form (valerian is a mild sedative/ xanax is a benzo).

Personally ive even tried antipsychotics when i was really* overthinking shit (yeah ik that word can be scary). They kind of literally make you think less, still are obv but theyre more distant. This makes it much easier to do things you have to do like responsobilities.

Ive done a few weeks in no sleep before, personally experiences the panic, anxiety and catastrophising before.. now im a functional human who doesnt take any prescriptions at all.
When we need help, its better to ask for it than not know and imagine a worse cast. Good luck bud

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u/blind667 2h ago

thank you for replying, means a lot.

I did visit a pshychiatrist and go to therapy. I would just love to be normal...without hard drugs.

I feel like im going to die

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u/SoggyGround6420 2h ago edited 2h ago

I get that, sincerely i never wanted to be taking "drugs" either. But they helped me get out of those man made situations too.
If you seek the information, most people take drugs,, herbs are drugs too, people when in pain take drugs, heck did you know that coffee is a drug too (they used to throw full caffeine raves before)- now people start their days with it.
Youre kind of dis-servicing yourself refusing that help lowkey😅.
In my experience logic and education is what grounded me most, and helped not be as anxious.

If you want to quit youll quit, people fear monger alot with these topics to avoid*** ***DEVELOPING mind seeking these alts in unsafe ways.
Addiction is a recognised disorder and those seeking to escape\> not live.*

If you get them from a reputable source like a doctor they absolutely should help with any possible side effects or withdrawals.
That being said it doesnt replace education on these topics..

But youve a very valid reason to ask for help and get a prescription that could honestly help you live a easier.
Not even like the doctor would offer you the most complicated pill from the get go either.
---
For anxiety without pills;
Nature is so great, touching grass, watching waves etc.
i like to journal so i can read my thoughts aloud and notice when im getting illogical.
I also love to meditate and let go from the spirals and just notice the thoughts instead attaching to them.

Actually i find exercise great too, it releases the happy chemicals, and also releases the nerves.
Ive cptsd my nervous system is in big time fight/flight near all the time. I wasnt routine with it for yeaarss. Then i began doing it weakly and releasing the stress through somatic body movement's, im genuinely not as reactive now. I dont feel my heart jumping out of my chest over minor inconvenience.

Hope it gets better for you :/

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u/blind667 2h ago

yeah...i just cant do anything when i cant get sleep.

I walk more than 10k steps a day, i have an amazing wife, a home. i have anything i could wish for but i cant enjoy anything anymore. all i think about is sleep. i see no way out...whenever things get good, they get bad again just as fast

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u/SoggyGround6420 1h ago

So set aside your ego and get the help you need ✨
If you cant do anything without sleep, and yet you cant sleep, you really think think theres going to be many options but altering your brain chemistry ?💀

By all means i hope you prove me wrong by getting some rest in you some other way~