Anonymous

3 years

Insomnia due to stress

I am an university student and i am experiencing a lot of stress. At this point of time i will be facing my end of semester exams soon. I have been unable to sleep well frequently and especially in these past few days. I might feel tired before going to bed but once i lay on the bed and try to sleep my heart starts beating fast. Usually i go to bed at 1am and then i wont be able to sleep and i will get up again. At around 2 to 3am i feel chest palpitations so i had to get up. Then the next day i feel very tired and hard to concentrate, no appetite. I also have chest palpitations and feel irritable, which makes it even hard to sleep. I find it hard to relieve my stress and i would like to take some medications that can help me to sleep. I know that i will be facing a lot of stress soon during exam for 1 week (and i will not be able to control my stress level) so i really really hope that i can get something to help me. I hope i can get something that can help me sleep and not affect my performance the next day. is it possible? Please i feel so terrible

  • Hi, thank you for the question. Insomnia is a common complaint in adults. In your case, insomnia can be due to psychological stresses. Anxiety is a very common cause of insomnia in adults. This is due to tension, excessive worrying in the future events and overwhelmed by responsibilities.

  • Over a period of time, some people may even develop anxiety of going to bed, knowing that they can not sleep at all. It is a cycle that keeps on going and affect your daily living. In the long term, insomnia can cause you to perform less well in school, affect you body and mental health. It is useful for you to practise relaxation training, helping to loosen the tensed muscles of your body, eventually achieved a relaxed mind.

  • This calms you down and helps you to sleep greatly. For examples, breathing techniques using your nose to inhale, filling all your lungs. Then, hold the breath for 3 seconds. Slowly breathe out the pursed lips, relaxing your facial muscles. You can practise healthy sleep hygiene. Avoid using digital devices at least 1 hour before sleep, try reading some books and magazines before sleep.

The following answers regarding your current queries are just general descriptions. In order for us to provide you with an accurate choice of treatment and management, we need additional details to explore further into your current complaints. Therefore, we greatly suggest that you refer this to your nearest medical doctor for full examination. You may also click on this link (DoctorOnCall) to speak with our doctors online. We assure you that our conversations are kept in confidentiality unless additional consultation needed with other medical parties. Thank you.

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