Stress Center Peer Support

i am waking in the night with panic.. its awful and i get really scared and dont know what to do. i have been like this for a few months now, and i need to eather sleep with the tv on or get up and cuddle up to my daughter because for some reason she comforts me. my husband works hard and i do not want to wake him. it would be nice to have someone to help me through it but in the middle of the night no1 is there. does anyone else have any ideas..please help.

Hey Poppy. I hate this for you. I don't wake up in the middle of the night very often in a state of panic, but it has happened before. My biggest problem at night has been just falling asleep. Here's what I found to help that...I try not to go to bed until I'm really ready to sleep. In other words, I don't get in bed at a certain time just because it is "bed time". I wait until I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open. By then I can usually go to sleep and stay asleep. Also, I try to make sure not to eat anything close to bed time and I never drink anything with caffeine late in the evening.

But, you know what? If you wake up and need to turn the TV on or go cuddle with your daughter, do that. Whatever works, you know? I've found over my many years of panic disorder that these things come in waves. Sooner or later this will pass and you will be sleeping again.

I hope this helps!

thank you jason think when it first happened ive hung on to it and now cannot let it go. i will put the tv or go cuddle my daughter thank you.. and you are right it is ok. my mum said she was shopping at 1 in the morning because she could not sleep one night so there is hope for me. my phycs has even told me he has done that before so i supose there is no set rule or time like you say to do anything.

hope all is well with you. god bless.

Poppy, those of us that suffer from this have gone through what you're going through at some point in time. Try and relax and yes, if you find something that comforts you, have at it. As Jason states, whatever works! Use your breathing technique and allow yourself to feel the anxiety. As usual, this too shall pass....Good luck.

I have been having night panics too...like everything enters your mind all over again and catches you off guard. Before i go to sleep I say to myself I will have a restful sleep and do some deep breathing. Also the Dr told me to take klonopin before bedtime so if i do wake up with panic the physical aspects wont be so bad. I keep telling myself Everything is all right, Ill get through this and eventually after 30 min to 1 hr its over. I try to deep breathe during it and lay totally relaxed. Also I put on the New Age music channel on Direct TV so I hear calming sounds all night long. Middle of the night and early morning is my worst time, its like I have to re process this whole terrible situation every day.

This might sound a little strange but it's something I did with my son when he was young and having night terrors or wetting the bed.

We'd wake him up very lightly and briefly before his regular time of waking up, to break the cycle.

So if you have your night panics at 3 in the morning, set your alarm softly at 2 or 2:30 for a few nights in a row, it should break the habit. If you just stir yourself gently, you'll probably be so tired, you'll go back to sleep. Try not to get up and use the bathroom or turn a light on, just stir your brain a little.

I think this would be helpful to you and also get you independent, in a way to help yourself not to rely on the outside stimulus.

hi everyone thank you so much for all your kind support.. i will try all that you hav noted. its hard to get one thing right and then something else comes your way.

take care all.. good luck.

I have been waking at 3 and 4 in the morning for months now with terrible anxiety. I didn't think there was any reason, but after talking with friends I discovered the reason and made a plan. I sleep better, but still wake often at those times and can't go back to sleep because I am too antsy. I started power walking this morning because I couldn't stand it. It helped a little. I also made a list of things that were bothering me and am making a step by step list of things to do about these things that are bothering me. It made me feel a little more in control and less overwhelmed. Also I say no to naps, alcohol, caffiene, and sugar. I'm trying too. If anyone out there has any suggestions for how to get to sleep and stay asleep for at least 6-7 hours I'd be interested too.