Hi to all. I use melatonin to get to sleep.... sometimes also benadryl which helps my allergies and puts me to sleep. Just don't buy the "no drowsy" kind!
There are so many things that keep people up at night. Sleep is so important that we can't let sleeplessness go on for too long. In Allyson's case such huge trauma will take awhile to abate, and she and her family will have to take steps to feel as secure as possible while healing.
Some things that keep people awake is that they can't shut off the "worries." When we go to sleep and all is quiet, that's when the "worries" arrive. Some are legitimate, but many are "what ifs." The best way to shut the worries down at night is to tell yourself you will deal with the problem and write out an action plan the NEXT DAY. And then do it. That seems to help a lot of people who feel that it is the inaction on the same problem day after day that keeps them up at night.
I recognize that what was keeping me up was the issue that I may have made a wrong decision on where I finally retired. So I mapped out a plan with a timeline to make decisions along the way about how I was going to determine either my next move or the benefits of staying where I am. I have been sleeping much better since! I'm sure some other gnarly issue will come along, but as long as I stay action-oriented and face the issues as they arrive, I think that will help my sleeping.
This "face the music" plan won't work for every circumstance, of course, but it works for worries with potential solutions and also helps alleviate the "what if" worries. Regaining peace of mind after a serious trauma takes time and needs a lot of support from friends and family, and sometimes professional psychotherapy, to overcome.
