Occasional, specific insomnia anyone?

Hello, this is the first time I've posted to a forum concerning this topic so hopefully I've found a suitable place!

About 4 years ago I barely slept one night prior to trip away to meet up with some old university friends. I was the driver (about a 200 mile trip), taking with me my wife and a friend. Now, I was anxious due to feelings of insecurity/insignificance about my then job, compared with perhaps what other people might be doing with their lives, PLUS a feeling of responsibility to take my wife and friend there i.e. if I wasn't able to drive them, they couldn't go.

Now, all in all fair enough, makes sense as a one off. Never had that problem before though and had been driving for a good 5 years before that, going on similar trips away etc.

The problem is that since then it's become a recurring issue, not 100% of the time but has got more frequent. Seemed to be related to when there is a trip away somewhere, especially if there are other things going on making packing etc a rush. The funny thing is it never recurrs on the homeward leg, seems to be an outbound thing. It's got to the point where it seems to have "evolved" i.e. I no longer get "stressed" as such lying awake, just simply lack the ability to switch off. Almost like I've learnt the behaviour subconsciously.

Other stressful times in life i.e. night before a job interview I'm perfectly fine, the stress actually makes me tired and fall asleep! I've tried to search this online before, but it just seems too specific, as I don't suffer sleep problems in a "classic" sense.

Anyone out there find this remotely familar or heard of a similar issue? Just makes little sense!

Thanks.

Apparently it is an anxiety related to a trip and your mind is getting stuck in that anxious state. It is not able to get detached from that. ‘Focusing on breathing’ is a simple and easy technique to free the mind from that anxiety. Initially try this technique at night, lying in the bed and needing to sleep. You will get quality sleep and gradually conquer insomnia. This technique reduces the flow of all kinds of thoughts, calms the mind and relaxes the muscles, inducing quality sleep. The following mode of this technique can be tried when you need to sleep.

Triple segment mode: Every finger has 2 cross lines, dividing it into 3 parts or segments. Place the tip of the thumb at the top segment of the little finger and breathe three times. Move the thumb to the middle segment and breathe three times. Move to the bottom segment and breathe three times. Repeat the same steps at the next 3 fingers. At the thumb, place the tip of the index finger on its segments and follow the same steps. Then switch to the other hand and repeat the process all over. Continue to practice, switching the hands.

When you wake up in the morning, you will be surprised how you slept so well last night!

If you find the the technique useful, you can try it before a trip. Practice it sitting in a chair or the driver seat itself, keeping eyes closed. By the time you complete one or two hands using technique, you may find the level of anxiety comes down to a manageable level.

Here is a detailed page on using the technique at bedtime.
http://countingbreaths.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Insomnia-Hand-out.pdf

Dear Great,
You are quite fortunate to be able to correlate an activity to insomnia. Most of us just can't see any cause for the problem.

You have associated a trip away from home with stress and that is causing you to lose sleep. Stress is a big deal. It is important to recognize it and take some actions. Clearly, there is no need to be stressed on all outbound trips. Your mind (or subconscious for those still following Freud) has decided there should be stress even though it is not logical. You need to break the association. There are several approaches. You are welcome to try them in any order since the one that works is the best one for you.

Try taking more regular trips to no place in particular on weekends. There are museums, craft fairs, flea markets, or maybe a trip to a nice bicycle trail would be pleasant. Do something you like. Associate the drive with a reward at the other end. It should change the association over time.

Meditation is one of my favorite techniques. The object of meditation is to empty the mind of thoughts the night before in order to reduce stress. Mindfulness is a fine method to begin your training. There are a lot of good web sites which describe it very well.

The opposite of meditation is distraction. Read a book, listen to music, do crossword puzzles, or learn a language. Select something that will consume your attention such that the stress has no place to reside.

I highly recommend avoiding sleeping pills. Even under the best circumstances, they don't work very well, and none of them are effective for very long. However, if you would like a cup of chamomile tea, that might be helpful with little side effects.

I am very hopeful that you can resolve the problem. I don't say that often in this forum.

pleasant dreams
GaryM