I am so burnt out and tormented by my elderly mother to the point that I have begun to have nightmares about her..NIGHTLY. Anyone else?

It may not be stress. After menopause, lots of people never get a decent night’s sleep again.

If you aren’t being thanked, demand it! You sound like you’ve been a doormat for a long time. That’s a choice you made. You are the only one who can stand up for yourself and demand better treatment. I am amazed at the number of women who allow themselves to become slaves to their husband’s caprices. If you are tired of your master/slave relationship, think about what leverage you have and use it. You are trapped and the only way to change it is to demand change and if you don’t get it, stop providing whatever work you are doing and care you are giving, Make a plan and be prepared to walk out the door before you make your move and think very carefully about what approach will work and how to time it. Express yourself calmly after you tell your husband in advance that you need to have a completely private talk. Make an appointment with him for three or four days later, not at that moment. Tell him you want to think carefully about what you want to say before you sat it.

i found that antidepressants are much more effective than sleeping pills regardless of the cause of the insomnia. I asked my doctor for Prozac and after taking it every day for three weeks, I was sleeping again. Your internist can prescribe them without a trip to a mental health professional.. It sounds like you could use them for your anxiety, depression and stress anyway.