Isla

Dudde- I believe Tolmosoff was talking to my post. Whereas I don't think you can die from lack of sleep, it certainly has effects on the body and can shorten my life span. I have noticed it takes a toll on cognitive ability and on stress hormones. The body still heals just fine , I had several bruises that healed up in a normal time. But the brain needs rest.

SleeplessONE, Your posting so reminds me of my situation. And I feel some sense of relief that I'm not the only one!! I really thought I was alone in this and no one believes me either! I too seem to suffer from a prolonged insomnia going on for about 3 months that continues night after night. My insomnia seems to have been brought on by a recent onset of general anxiety disorder and depression. I have always been a light sleeper and would get 8 hours sleep a night, but over the last several months, gradually my sleep went from several hours a night to just resting and hearing everything and knowing that I don't doze off. Just as I feel myself starting to drift off, I'm awoken by a full body jerk. It started out with many worries at night leading me to not fall asleep for very long and then I started having panic attacks (racing heart) just as I would get into bed. Initially, I would enter REM sleep but one night while in a dream I had a panic attack because I thought I was having a hullucination from lack of sleep and I woke in the dream paralyzed in a panic and my subconscious said to me "never again will I fall asleep". Its so scary and incredibly frustrating. I feel like I'm tortured night and day. I look forward to the night so I may sleep. And every night I'm convinced that tonight is the night I will sleep. I really am trying to find a fix to this because I'm not in any chronic pain and there's no real reason for it. I know many people have suffered from anxiety and depression and get sleep, so why can't I? I'm on zoloft and I've tried OTC sleeping pills that make me feel relaxed but not fall asleep. I'm 32 years old and I can't imagine going another day without sleep! I can only say I am one in a million on this planet suffering like this and its hard to fathom.