Stress Center Peer Support

Is there anyone out there that suffer from night anxiety? It seems as if everytime my body relax to point that it want to sleep my body produce this rush of anxiety, my chest gets tight and my breathing becomes rapid. I havent slept without a sleep aid in over a month and the quality of sleep is poor, maybe 2 to 3 hours. Please can someone relate or help me, i just want to go to sleep on my own. Does this ever go away?

i can't breathe when i lay down, i haven't had anymore than 3 hours of sleep for 3 months, wish i knew an could help u. just am on the 2nd cd haven't learned anything but i called the help line an she told me to do the relaxation cd at bedtime, will try it tonight, have u tried that yet? good luck!!!!!! im taking a warm bath an listening to the cd happy sleeping huh???ahahahah we wish

I had insomnia for 3 weeks straight every night! I couldn't get more than an hour or 2, maybe 3 hours at the most! I was so desperate for sleep that I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Doxepin, which is a tricyclic antidepressant! First night put me to sleep for a straight 8 hours! I am still taking the Doxepin and my sleep has been regular, with maybe an odd night here or there! It also helped me with my panic attacks, virtually non-existent! The depression went away with the insomnia and panic attacks! I am feeling almost normal once again! A few months ago I was reeeeeeally bad! Almost thought of just dying! I would say that the improvement for me was incredible!

I think if your insomnia is bad that you would want to take something for it! Better than not sleeping! That was the worse for me! There are many solutions out there, but you must be open minded to them! Good luck!

pauly j

uniqueflower wrote:i can't breathe when i lay down, i haven't had anymore than 3 hours of sleep for 3 months, wish i knew an could help u. just am on the 2nd cd haven't learned anything but i called the help line an she told me to do the relaxation cd at bedtime, will try it tonight, have u tried that yet? good luck!!!!!! im taking a warm bath an listening to the cd happy sleeping huh???ahahahah we wish

This is exactly what's been happening to me, combined with feeling like my throat is getting tight. I went to the ER today (after my Dr recommended it over the phone). Thyroid disease runs in my family, my mother was very sick from it, so I worry! Blood work came back fine, Dr did not see any swelling whatsoever. They also told me my blood oxygen level was 100%. So I leave there thinking, omg it's just anxiety? Or they missed something... I've never had my throat affected like this with many previous panic attacks... so it scared me.

You are not alone. Although I don't have the anxiety attacks at night (mine are during the day), I can't sleep a full night unless I am very, very, very tired. I usually fall asleep easily, but wake up about 2 hours later, stay awake for an hour or two, go back to sleep for an hour or so, then I'm awake again. My Dr. gave me a prescription for Clonazepam for my anxiety. If I take it during the day, I will sleep all afternoon so I take it only at night, but I'm still awake. Doesn't make much sense to have a medication make you sleepy only during the day. I'd suggest you talk to your Dr., but make sure he gives you something that isn't habit forming.

You're so not alone. Whenever I finally think I've tired myself out I can a huuuuge rush of anxiety and my heart starts racing and sleeping becomes a terrible chore. Sometime I'll wake up and have panic attacks- what I do that helps is make some Sleepytime (a great tea from Celestial Seasonings) tea and put on the tv or work on a puzzle and hold a bag of ice! It does help a bit! Calms me down in addition to some positive self talk.

HI! I am new to this program, I have been dealing with most of my anxiety at night as well, I hate it! I don't ever get very much sleep, the past couple of weeks have been getting better though, whenever I wake up feeling anxious or panicky I turn my tv on and find one of my favorite shows or I get up and do something to take my mind off of it, it has really helped. Before I would just lay there and keep trying to go to sleep and that just seemed to make it worse. Have you tried any of these things? What are some other things that have helped other people deal with this?

I can totaly relate to the sleeping problems. I have had "insomnia" for quite a long time now. I wish I
had the answer to a good nights sleep. No one in my family has a sleep disorder but me, they don't
understand that I just cannot go to bed, close my eyes, and fall asleep ! I don't fall asleep easily unless
I am very, very tired, even if I am taking a prescription sleep medication. I used to take a whole
"sleeping pill" at night, but did not like the side effects that it gave me the next day. So now I take
1/2 of a sleeping pill and I am also working on the program to try to help myself with this problem.
I have a great yoga-type relaxation CD that I really love and I have been using that occasionally to
help me when I go to bed. I have arthritis, bursitis, and joint disease and that surely does not help
me as far as the sleeping is concerned. I would love to get a good nights sleep.
Lynda

It is all in your mind! Babies and pets sleep well because when they wake up, they do not have thoughts in their minds. I wake up between 3 and 4 with my mind racing. I take trazadone and it helps some. But not sleeping only makes you anxiety much worse. Keep working the positive self talk, it will work if you can get over the anxiety and think clearly.

I have read something about how people should stay away from computers and cell phones
and electronic devices of those kinds close to their bedtime. That these devices can make you
more anxious before you go to bed. I agree with that. If a person is constantly on their computer
or cell phone or watching television before going to bed, their mind would be racing and busy,
wouldn't it.

I have also read that you should cover
up any lights that may be in the room that you are sleeping in, meaning the green light from a
digital clock or any green / red lights from anything in the room ( answering machines, televisions,
DVD players, HD Boxes ). These lights can keep you
from sleeping or keep you from getting to sleep.

Your room should be dark and quiet.