insomnia

[annieo]

Help! For the past two weeks, I have had serious trouble getting/staying asleep. It started on a bad night, where I was awake listening to my daughter crying until 1:30 ish (her grandpa, my ex h's dad, had died that day). Finally got to sleep, then at around 5 am, two of my cats had a spat, and the crazy 10 month old female ran like her ass was on fire all over the house, then over my sleeping face, scratching me up pretty badly (I'm pretty much healed, thank god).

Since then, I have not been able to get to sleep easily (as I used to). I have been using wine as a sleep aid, but I tried to avoid that tonight, and I am now sitting here, at 3:40 am, awake and having a glass, or maybe three. It is starting to freak me out that every time I start to drift, I get this surge of adrenalin (feels like a panic attack), and then I am wide awake indefinitely.

I am taking tomorrow off and going to the doctor, but I fear the idea of sleeping pills, which I am sure she will proscribe. Are they OK for a short period of time, to get normal again, or am I just setting myself up for dependence?

Has anyone else been through this? I've tried all of the usual stuff (exercise (walking, running which I did anyway), relaxation techniques, warm milk, getting up after 20 minutes and waiting until I was drowsy again, valerian tincture) and nothing is working. I'm still a nerve-jangled mess by the early hours. Feel like I am going crazy.

Any and all advice/commiseration will be appreciated.