When Insomnia hits

So what do you do when your adult child suffers from insomnia? What do you do when he comes to your room knocks on the door louder and louder waking you up just to tell you I cant sleep. What do you do when they stay awake talking them back out of sleep? What do you do when they come to your room or make some kind of noise that wakes you up all night long? What do you do when you finally get up in the morning to find out that they didnt sleep all night? What can you do?

I know how important sleep is for Matt, I know the dangers of him not sleeping, I know first hand what can happen, more seizure activity, more delusions, more anger, more irritability and well even some hallucinations. In other words no sleep is really not good for Matt.

but how do you get someone to go to sleep when they themselves are doing everything they can to stay awake? Well when it comes down to it you really cant. You cant make them fall asleep, you cant make them quiet their own mind. you cant make them sleep at all. No the only thing you can do for them is help them, give them somethings to comfort nice warm glass of milk, a dark room, some helpful words, positive thoughts, some comfort some calming music and of course lots of love.

Yes lots of love will help in a time like this for yourself and for them.

Soft Music like Zen, meditation, Mozart, Beethoven, helps in a time like this even a guided meditation can help in a time like this just relaxing and being in this moment can help at this time.

Sometimes the hardest part is to remember that although you may have had little sleep, all thought you maybe feeling a little on edge due to the lack of sleep you still get to choose you.

So take a moment in this time for you breath, in love and then breath out love, Breath in love and Breath out love. In this moment it is all okay.

Last night Matt had Insomnia and was up all night he constantly came to my door and knocked to try to wake me up which he did, he became angry, sad, self pity and blaming everything else. Everything outside of himself.

I gave him some writings to read I spoke with him, which in turn he said things like I knew this was the wrong family, I knew they didnt want me, I knew it. At times yes this hurt and I would come back with a comment or to I would find myself over reacting after all, all we have done for him how could he say this or even think it.

But this time I went over to him bed I looked at him and said you know that is not true all we do for you, you know that we care for you and want to help you and he yells at me SHUT UP he is angry now. Is it because I spoke the truth to him? Is it because he has had very little sleep? Is it just because this is who he is choosing to be? hmm Maybe all of the above but I also have a choice Yes being yelled at is no fun and there was a time I would have yelled right back but this time I sat there looking at my son and reminding him he gets to choose him and he knows we care for him and he can either continue with the pity party or he can choose to get some sleep.

He doesnt have to be anyone but who he choose to be and that is okay, he may not get any sleep today and that is okay I will still send him love, I will still be here to help him and I will always choose to be who I want to be in every moment.

Insomnia is not fun to go through especially for someone who feels they have no control over themselves, especially for someone with other issues and being a parent who has been down this road many times I know how not fun it can be and all I can do is know the person I want to be for Matt in his time of need, assertive and yes so very loving.