Can't sleep: Struggling with insomnia

Hello everyone. I am reaching out because I am not sure if anyone else experiences this, but I have been struggling with some issues lately. It seems everything has started piling up just when things were supposed to be going smoothly, though perhaps dwelling on the cause isn't the most productive way to approach this right now.

What is truly significant is that these concerns don't actually disrupt my day-to-day activities very much—I tend to be quite an anxious person by nature, so being around friends or family usually provides a distraction that allows me to temporarily forget. However, the real struggle begins once I lie down in bed. When I am alone with my thoughts, everything starts to accumulate in my mind. My stomach begins to ache, and I feel this overwhelming sense of dread about what might happen or what won't work out. I simply cannot stop the mental loop, and I often fall asleep feeling terrified. During the night, I wake up two or three times; I can never sleep through the night, and the moment I stir, those problems rush back into my head. It is quite distressing. The worst part is when my alarm goes off in the morning. I have to get out of bed feeling completely exhausted and gripped by anxiety, with a stomachache to boot. I end up feeling incredibly jittery and would honestly rather just stay under the covers for a few more hours. I lie down nervous and afraid, I wake up multiple times due to these thoughts, and I wake up every single morning feeling unsettled. Ever since things started heading downhill a few months ago, I haven't been able to get decent rest because everything hits me all at once the moment my head touches the pillow. During the daylight hours, it feels as though nothing is wrong, but the second I hit that damn bed, it all comes rushing back. I am really at a loss for how to help myself. For context, I am 18 years old. Most of what I am dealing with involves schoolwork, family dynamics, finances, and a few other matters, but I do not wish to bore you with the specifics. What I am truly interested in is learning how to stop these thoughts from haunting me at night. For instance, I will wake up feeling so anxious that I would rather skip class and go back to sleep, yet once I actually arrive at school, I feel perfectly fine. It is strange, isn't it? That fear and nausea only exist when I am lying in bed or waking up. Now, I am headed to bed, and I know I will spend the next half hour with my mind racing. I will likely wake up several times tonight, and tomorrow morning I will be back to feeling anxious and uneasy, only to feel completely normal once I step onto campus.🤦

Take my first day of high school, for instance. I was such a nervous wreck that I was practically gagging from nausea the night before. I couldn't get a wink of sleep; I kept tossing and turning, waking up multiple times throughout the night. When that alarm finally went off in the morning, I honestly wished I could just stay under the covers forever to escape the sheer dread and sickness in my stomach. Yet, the moment I actually walked through those school doors, all that anxiety just evaporated. I felt completely relaxed, as if none of those problems had ever existed. It’s just one example, really, but I tend to experience that exact same pattern with about a hundred other things in life.

The more time you spend out in nature, the more walks you take, the more relaxed you feel.

Man, I definitely stayed up a bit too late last night, and now it’s a 6:00 AM wakeup call, haha. But honestly? I don't mind much when I hit the sack around midnight and rise at 6:00. That six-and-a-half-hour window feels just right... and what can I say? Having a long weekend really boosted my mood {and gave me an extra kick of energy}!

Thanks for the advice. I agree that taking it easy during the day helps, but the second I actually lie down, my mind just starts racing uncontrollably. Last night was particularly rough; I woke up five times before my alarm even went off. It’s getting to the point where the sleep deprivation itself is becoming unbearable. Honestly, I feel completely lost on how to help myself anymore. There are moments when things feel so heavy that I can't help but think about ending it all, just to finally find some peace from everything.

Look, man, it just doesn't make sense to dwell on it. I mean, you've got skills, right? You definitely have some natural talents tucked away somewhere. And honestly, you're already ahead of the game because you actually recognize your own struggles. So many people walk around thinking they don't have any issues at all, so naturally, they never even try to fix them. But you? You've spotted the problem. Now comes the real work—the other half of the equation, which is actually solving it. Just take it one step at a time. Day by day. Maybe even minute by minute if you have to. There’s no need to force this massive wave of happiness on yourself, either. Just stay grounded in reality, find some balance in everything, and let whatever you carry in your heart guide you toward a better present. Aim for a better way of living.

Drew Gonzalez12 said:Hello everyone. I am reaching out because I am not sure if anyone else experiences this, but I have been struggling with some issues lately. It seems everything has started piling up just when things were supposed to be going smoothly, though perhaps dwelling on the cause isn't the most productive way to approach this right now.

What is truly significant is that these concerns don't actually disrupt my day-to-day activities very much—I tend to be quite an anxious person by nature, so being around friends or family usually provides a distraction that allows me to temporarily forget. However, the real struggle begins once I lie down in bed. When I am alone with my thoughts, everything starts to accumulate in my mind. My stomach begins to ache, and I feel this overwhelming sense of dread about what might happen or what won't work out. I simply cannot stop the mental loop, and I often fall asleep feeling terrified. During the night, I wake up two or three times; I can never sleep through the night, and the moment I stir, those problems rush back into my head. It is quite distressing. The worst part is when my alarm goes off in the morning. I have to get out of bed feeling completely exhausted and gripped by anxiety, with a stomachache to boot. I end up feeling incredibly jittery and would honestly rather just stay under the covers for a few more hours. I lie down nervous and afraid, I wake up multiple times due to these thoughts, and I wake up every single morning feeling unsettled. Ever since things started heading downhill a few months ago, I haven't been able to get decent rest because everything hits me all at once the moment my head touches the pillow. During the daylight hours, it feels as though nothing is wrong, but the second I hit that damn bed, it all comes rushing back. I am really at a loss for how to help myself. For context, I am 18 years old. Most of what I am dealing with involves schoolwork, family dynamics, finances, and a few other matters, but I do not wish to bore you with the specifics. What I am truly interested in is learning how to stop these thoughts from haunting me at night. For instance, I will wake up feeling so anxious that I would rather skip class and go back to sleep, yet once I actually arrive at school, I feel perfectly fine. It is strange, isn't it? That fear and nausea only exist when I am lying in bed or waking up. Now, I am headed to bed, and I know I will spend the next half hour with my mind racing. I will likely wake up several times tonight, and tomorrow morning I will be back to feeling anxious and uneasy, only to feel completely normal once I step onto campus.🤦

Have you talked to anyone about this besides people here on the forum?
It sounds like there's something deep inside you that's causing a lot of pain. Whether it's insecurities, past traumas, or maybe just too much pressure from others or even from yourself...
The first thing you should do is talk to your parents and tell them everything you've shared here. You should also check if your high school has a counselor you can sit down with. And after all that—if things don't improve—go see your family doctor. They can give you a referral to a therapist who can help dig into the root causes of what you're feeling.
You're young, and life is at its best right now; you should be able to live it to the fullest. Give yourself that chance.

Look, you gotta live your life like any other 18-year-old guy... Don't let all those family issues weigh you down.

Because if you keep going like this, in 4 or 5 years that constant nausea isn't going away. And then you’ll be looking at a psychiatrist—if you aren't already.