Can't sleep

I spent years unable to sleep well, due to an irregular work schedule, and my misguided use of sleeping medication in an attempt to fix my insomnia. I ended up unable to sleep deeply, yet afraid to stop taking the medication. I would be paralyzed by the medication, but my brain didn't sleep. I woke up exhausted and oftentimes with my heart pounding in panic. Finally the medication stopped working and I was desperate for sleep.

I was referred by my doctor to a sleep study, and within a few weeks, gradually regained the ability to sleep naturally every night. It was a rough few weeks during the transition, but it was life-changing and was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Depending on how serious your sleep issues are, you may want to try some of these things before you seek professional help.

No matter how poorly you’re sleeping, have faith that you can learn to sleep again. It’s something all beings do naturally.
Stop taking any sleep medications. (Ambien etc). You may need to taper off gradually. They lead to dependency and won’t allow you to sleep deeply.
No caffeine after noon (or better yet, quit all caffeine)
Alcohol and nicotine are not your friends. Quit or at least reduce use, especially around evening.
Don’t stress out about not getting enough sleep. Worrying about not sleeping is very common amongst insomniacs.
What little good sleep you will get, once you begin sleeping, is better than many hours of sleeping badly, or not sleeping.
Don’t lie in bed, if you’re unable to sleep. After 15 or 20 minutes of being unable to sleep, get out of bed and go to a nearby chair where you can read a book or do some other relaxing activity you enjoy, such as listening to relaxing music while doing crosswords or other puzzles. It’s important not to use electronic devices at this time, as they tend to stimulate your brain to stay awake.
Once you feel yourself starting to get sleepy, go back to bed, take some slow, deep breaths, and feel yourself drifting off to sleep.
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
Never ever take naps.
Start with giving yourself much less time in bed. If you need to wake up at 6 am, start out with going to bed at 1 am. If that doesn’t work, go to bed even later. You need to build sleep debt, so stay up until your bedtime, even if you’re exhausted.
Once you’re able to sleep, move your bedtime 15 minutes earlier each week
Good luck … with some changes, you can sleep again. It’s a wonderful experience.

This advice may be useless but just try not to stress. There’s nothing you can do about so just try not to stress about something out of your control obviously some people get affected more severely than others but we’re all in the same boat so just try not to stress or worry about it as hard as that may be.

I just can't cope with it anymore

I'm just thinking about when the government announce the new rules on 22nd Feb and I am worried hes not going to lift anything. I cant stop stressing about it and my back is dripping.

You can, I promise do you have any family members or friends you could confide in to get help?

breathe. I understand why you feel the way you do, no one likes uncertainty and this loss of control of our daily lives but (and I mean this in a kind way) just accept you cant control it right now. stop thinking about going to sleep and try and just lay back and think about nothing (or something that makes you happy) try and watch some TV or listen to something in the background as it may help you relax a little bit

Update: still stressed and didn't sleep all night

Hey there. I'm having sleeping issues too (due to medical reasons) and the pandemic/lockdown certainly has not helped. This has been a super tough time for everyone so it is natural to feel unnerved and troubled. Whatever happens with the announcement on the 22 February, just remember that there is an end in sight. With the vaccine program in full swing, we will be moving out of this, you just have to keep the faith for a little longer. Make sure you are going on daily walks, fresh air is such a mood booster. Get some lavender essential oil and put it on your pillows, it aids relaxation and will hopefully make you fall asleep more easily. I also watch a favourite show in bed and soon enough, my lids will start getting heavy as the tiredness sets in. Its a great way to take your mind of things. Hopefully this helps and you get your sleep back on track.