Can't stay asleep

I'll try to make this short.
I wake up ten-twenty times every night. I can get to sleep just fine, however. I have been tested for sleep apnea (negative). I literally wake up, turn over, and try to go back to sleep.
I've changed my sheets, slipped my pillow, tried not even using a pillow, nothing has helped. A few days ago I was awake before my alarm went off. I was thinking about something (no idea what it was, as I was semi-conscious).
I try to keep my room dark and cool.
Over a month ago, two of my closest friends at work left the company. One of them was a co-worker so my workload increased tremendously. There is so much to do, and I'm never done with my work at the end of the day.
I was recently diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (my eyes get extremely blurry throughout the day), and can't drive. I am driven to and from work. I have scheduled pickups.
I feel like I am always on a timer. I wake up and have a timer going, how much longer until I need to finish breakfast and brush my teeth... how much longer until I get picked up. At work it's a constant timer, have to get done as much work as I can before I get picked up.
When I get home, I try hard to relax as much as I can, but again, I have a timer in my head to keep track of how much time I have before I have to start getting ready for bed.
This is going to sound ridiculous, but I feel like I don't have time to meditate.
I am clueless as to what to possibly do. It's making me a cranky girl, and the lack of sleep is really frustrating. I generally take either zzzquil or melatonin to get to sleep. I just learned people with autoimmune diseases shouldn't take melatonin. I have a disease but (after many tests) remain diagnosed, so now I'm a little nervous about taking melatonin.
I've never taken a prescribed medication for sleep. At this point I would try anything.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Short version: can get to sleep, can't STAY asleep, how do I tell my mind to just shut up?

Thank you! I admit I've been taking zzzquil for over a year and take melatonin here and there for a few months. I hope to see my doctor soon.

I don't see a therapist, but I'm curious if that's what my doctor would suggest. I thank you for taking the time to write!

MFL,

Do you wake up with headaches at all? That's been happening to me lately and I feel it's a result of grinding my teeth. I'm supposed to wear a guard, but that seems as if it would take any joy out of sleeping. Can't I enjoy anything!? haha.

I would say work is causing you undue stress. Sometimes, time will take care of that in itself.

Some anxiety medications can help with sleeping and maybe the aforementioned therapist could help with that. I have some allergies, so at night, I take Benadryl which knocks some people out.

-smooth

sounds like what I have, or something like it, sleep maintenance insomnia. very hard to go to sleep, and stay asleep.

MFL,

I read this last night and couldn't remember it word for word, so here is what another site says about being late:
"This dream might be a sign that someone is overwhelmed and doing too much, according to Wallace. On a related note, Grant interprets this lateness as a warning: “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Ease up on yourself maybe. Remember when I said work is causing you undue stress? Here's the proof. :)

-smooth

MFL,

My dreams are weird. I've had multiple dreams about celebrities and this site even interpreted that. I've either dreamed of the celebrity or been the celebrity. My favorite dream took place in California. For most, I had not been out there yet. In this dream, I was the celebrity and it seemed so real. I might have been one of the Baywatch guys. haha!

Self-confidence is an issue for me, too. Part of me wishes I was at the other spectrum since happy mediums seem so unattainable. The other spectrum would just make me a delusional narcissist which might actually be kind of fun! However, I know it's not me. I tried playing that game in college and I'm sure people saw through me.

I believe stress is subjective. If it's stressful to you, then it's stress. Everyone is stressed, but some just handle it better than others. Most days, work no longer stresses me. It's the crippling depression outside work that stresses me.

Is the co-worker an equal? Perhaps it's not her place to be putting this undue stress on you. Overall, management is just naturally intimidating. I might recommend putting something in writing and other going over it in front of the manager or rehearse it to where it's memorized somewhat. Hopefully there won't be any word fumbling and whatnot.

1039smooth is an old Green Day album and my signature is awesome, isn't it? It's so true and I love that movie so much. The sillier it is, the more I like it.

Remember, your jobs and coworkers don't define you. Never, ever give anyone that satisfaction over your life that is yours and yours only. :)

-smooth

MFL,

If she is an equal, pay her no mind. You could calmly ask her why she is so concerned with your work. Are you a team or is she just a busy body know-it-all?

I don't recall having flown in a dream, but I've been falling in plenty. Dreams are cool and I love sleep. There's always the possibility of an adventure that would never present itself in real life.

I'm doing so-so right now. Having a structured day helps. I've overeaten today, but it is what it is. I'll go home and have a couple of hours of me time before I sleep I guess and then I'll do it all over again tomorrow.

Yes, it's Green Day's oldest album. They were so pure back then. haha.

Yep. We all have stress, but not all of us let it win. Even the best people have certain things they can't handle that you and I may find simple, you know?

MFL,

I always remember the bad dreams. Frankly, I remember my worst nightmare from when I was a kid very, very vividly.

I think I'm going to ride my bike, eat, watch a little TV, and maybe crash at a decent hour so I can work out in the morning. Some nights, I don't think I'll sleep at all, so I feel really blessed when I do fall asleep. Now I just have to remember to set the sleep timer on my TV. :)

The scary movie example is great! We could also take an athlete for example. Perhaps he/she can handle the hecklers and the boos, but does he/she want the game to come down to them when it matters? Some can't take the heat. I'm confident most really don't have it all together, but with some, you'd never know just by how they carry themselves. That might not always be the healthiest either. Did you ever see Empire Records? There's a good scene in that movie reflecting these situations.

-smooth

I've never seen Empire Records, sadly. And that was a good example of an athlete too, as I know there are some athletes who are known to kind of buckle under the pressure.

Kittay, that's good advice, but I don't know if that'd work. I live in an apartment and have some loud neighbors above me. Every night I use a sound machine and a loud fan and sometimes still hear them.

I had such a lousy night's sleep and am so cranky today. Part of me secretly wishes that my bad mood helps me not take too much crap today.

Just chiming in to say I love the Empire Records shout out!! :D

And I hope you get some rest, Music!

I've always had trouble sleeping, also.

I did not want to get hooked on sleeping pills given by a doctor.

So, I went to the health food store and for the past 6 months have been taking Power to Sleep which puts me to sleep.

Someone else on this site recommended a health food store sleep supplement called, Alteril, which they spoke very highly of.

I tried Melatonin from the health food store, and it put me to sleep, but it kept me groggy in the morning and made it difficult to get out of bed.

Someone said these supplements might interfere with meds, and to check with your doctor or pharmacists.

I have found no noticeable problems with my current Power To Sleep that I take, or former such sleep supplements of Melatonin, or Trytophan.

I now take Lithium, Mirtazapine anti-depressant and the blood pressure pill of Carvedilol.

My psychiatrist did caution me about taking Power to Sleep, saying it has not been tested enough. But, again, I have had no problems with that, and have been taking that for over a year.

I could switch to another health food store sleep supplement if I think it might be best to do that.

I, too, feel that not getting much sleep has side effects, also.

Music for Life:

You asked:

"Tim Tam, do you feel like the Power to Sleep helps you stay asleep?"

I can't say for everybody.

I can say this.

I have for a long time had trouble sleeping. This Power to Sleep puts me out like a light.

I take it, and 20 minutes later I'm asleep. I can't believe it.

The bottle says, take 2 before bedtime, and at first I did take 2.

After a few nights of that, I decided to take only one pill to see what happen. Again, out like a light in 20 minutes, so I didn't need to take 2.

Been taking one for a year or more, and it always works.

So, you might with one, after checking with your doctor, and if it works, stay with one.

If it doesn't work, try taking 2.

Or, take one, it gets you to sleep for an hour, but you keep waking up. Then you might try taking a second one.

Another tip is, I sleep with a heating pad on low, every night. It's like a child's teddy bear. I put it on my chest, and it expands the blood vessels, and eases tension on my chest, making it not have to work as hard. So it serves two purposes.

Also, you might try a sound machine of some sort, one you can order on the net and put on your nightstand; a fan on low, to help block out noise which might help with sleep.

I have trouble with sound, and have a box fan in every room, to help block out noise from my mean next door neighbors.

The reduced sound waves that get through my windows and storm windows, then meet up with the sound waves of my box fans, which I can cut on any speed, and so reduce the noise level of the incoming sound, as friendly sound waves compete with incoming harsh sound waves, and lower the volume.

Neat trick.

Also, I don't usually stay in the rooms where the box fans are (I don't want to hear that sound), but am in another room, on the other side of the house from my mean neighbors, so the sound has a harder time going through walls and fan noise to get to me.

If the sound is on your ceiling from an overhead apartment, that's a new one on me.

Try sleeping with a fan or box fan in the room where you sleep.

I would consider ordering a sound machine (average 6 inches wide by 6 inches deep, I'll say), hoisting it up to your ceiling somehow (put 3 or 4 cardboard boxes on top of a card table), and see if it helps reduce the incoming sound, with the softer sound waves of the sound machine.

Consider moving your bed around to where the sound machine is better between you and the overhead noise; consider sleeping or watching TV in another room and is less affected by the overhead noise.

Last Thursday night (I don't work Fridays) I stayed up late and went to bed so tired that I didn't even read. I ended up having the best night's sleep I've had in a month. I take stuff to make sure I'm sleepy every night but all I can think of is that I wasn't working the next day. I can't change work, though.