I started taking any sleeping aid I could get my hands on at the beginning of this past summer. Very shortly after becoming diagnosed with OCD, I noticed that my obsessions were 10 x's as harder to conquer at night than they were during the day. After being up for days and nights straight, I became dependent on sleeping pills. Anything would be better than staying up all night crying because my thoughts are out of control. By the end of the summer, I stopped taking them completely. Once school started, I found good sleeping pills at Walmart. Equate Nightime Sleep Aid. They're very cheap and very effective at getting me to sleep and keeping me asleep. I've been taking them on and off for the past 4 months or so.
Last night I got home late and I was pretty tired, so I decided not to take one. I fell asleep fine, but woke up very early in a panic because of the dream I just had. Moral of the dream was that bad things happen to me when I don't take the sleeping pills. Usually I just brush bad dreams off, but this one is really eating away at me. I think my OCD is hyping up the idea that I'm addicted to these sleeping pills (because you know whose OCD would do that to them?!)
Has anyone ever struggled with sleeping pills or no? I've always been an iffy sleeper and like taking them with the comfort that I know I will fall asleep tonight, however, I definitely don't need them. I think I got too used to taking them and stopped thinking so much of it, but now this dream has me in a typical OCD panic. I just want to throw the pills away because this dream made me scared of them.
You’re right, sleep should be easy, but for a lot of people it isn’t. It’s definitely a good idea to discuss this with your doctor. You are probably not taking something that is physically addictive (most over the counter sleep aids contain antihistamine). Still, almost anything can be habit-forming, and side effects are common.[br][br] Do you do all the “sleep hygiene” things that are supposed to help: restricting light (espcially computers, smart phones, etc) a couple of hours before bed, sleeping on a regular schedule,getting sunlight early in the day, etc.? All of that can help. [br][br]Naturally, your OCD is going to make this all seem like you have to do something about it immediately (like throwing away the meds).