Sleep Anxieties- Help Please!

Be-Positive · Post by **Be-Positive** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:02 am

I had panic attacks many years ago, and had them under control. Now they are back, my own fault, I talked myself into them, instead of out of them. The reason I am having so much problems with them this time is because they are making it hard, if not impossible for me to sleep at night.

I was a light sleeper before these attacks hit me again, and now I find it hard to go to sleep or stay asleep. My mind now goes in all different directions in my head, making me wonder if I am losing my mind. The more tired I am the stranger my thoughts, and that scares me. I find it hard to keep my mind on something pleasant to help me drift off to sleep, because my brain just keep chattering about on about stupid thing, sometimes it makes no sense. That scares me.

I find the relaxation tape from the program really helpful, but I purchased the tape, and when my player is done, it makes a loud clunk when it turns itself off, and that wakes me up again.

I would really like to talk to others who have had this problem. It's been 6 weeks, and I can't sleep with out the help of meds, and that upsets me even more. I tried without the meds, and I was awake days on end with just a few hours of sleep. Lack of sleep makes the anxieties worse and then it becomes a vicious cycle. I really need to get these anxities under control.

Mom of 6 · Post by **Mom of 6** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:49 am

i know what you mean. im having a problem sleeping well too. i start getting scared that i wont be able to sleep or if i wake up i start thinking about the next day or how ill feel and then i freak out even more. it is a vicious cycle. im trying the relaxation tape along with some medication for anxiety that i went back on. and im taking either dimetap or dramamine to help me sleep better. at least for now.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:50 am

It sounds like you need to get tough with your "scare voice". Practice saying "whatever" to anything it says to you. Nothing more. Just "Whatever". If it says: You will die if you don't get more sleep. Tell it: "Whatever". You are giving your scare voice way too much power. (I'm guilty as charged myself.) Sometimes that darn "scare voice" just won't shut the heck up. We have to fight back and tell it to "shut up" sometimes. "Whatever" is dismissing it and is really helpful. Try it. It may scare you at first but remember that it always lies so you don't have to buy into any of its babble.

No, you're not going crazy. You won't, either.

When it says: You are terrible for taking meds at night. Tell it: "Whatever". When it says: You're going to go crazy! Tell it: "Whatever". You get the idea.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:40 pm

You are NOT losing your mind...you are just past the point of exhaustion. Be very kind to yourself right now. Going without sleep is really really tough. I have been there. Realize it will take a while to get it back on track, but you CAN get there. It is normal to have rebound insomnia if you suddenly stop taking sleep aids, so at some point when you are ready, you will need to taper off them little by little, very slowly. Boon has some good advice...don't let your brain scare you. "Hey, who's in charge here!" Try to keep your mind on something pleasant or boring (my latest thing is naming flowers according to the letters of the alphabet: "azalea, amyrillis, artemesia, balloon flower, baby's breath..." As many times as my mind wanders, I just say "oops back to flowers" and pick up where I left off. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I pick up where I left off. You are right, getting the anxiety under control is the main thing, then worry about getting off sleep aids next. Don't try to do everything at once. Have you tried turning off the relaxation tape when you are drowsy but not yet asleep? Then try something like the flower-naming exercise. I assume you are doing all the standard "sleep hygeine" things like no caffeine, exercise almost every day but not too close to bedtime, no TV in the bedroom, etc.? Don't feel bad if these standard things haven't helped...they didn't make any difference to me but they do help for a LOT of people.
formerly SleeplessMom

Paige... · Post by **Paige...** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:27 pm

Be-Positive - I totally understand where you are coming from...I never knew if my insomnia was causing my anxiety or if my anxiety was causing my sleeping problems...the relaxation tape helps - you can copy it to your hard drive on your computer and then transfer it to an ipod (gets rid of the clunking)
I still am having difficulty with my sleep but it is slowly getting better...I slowly am working on stopping taking something for sleep...are you exercising? my doctor told me that it was essential to exercise every day because the body needs to work off the anxious energy and I found that if I am doing that it wears me out enough that I am tired enough to get to sleep...right now I am only waking up once or twice a night...which is better than spending 2 hours trying to fall asleep and then waking up 5-6 times a night...

good luck to you - i understand how you feel!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:38 am

Thanks everyone for responding. I know I will read your posts over and over again to comfort myself.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:47 pm

Welcome to my world. We are NOT alone. I have delt with this off and on for about 5 years. Each time I start to feel better, I forget my skills, go overboard,work too much, worry about money, stress out and end up staring at the ceiling with my heart racing at 2 am knowing I have to get up at 5.
I don't know if you take any sleep meds. I do very occasionally. I don't like to but sometime I got to. For me I think they make my recovery longer since I feel REALLY crappy in the morning. But I gotta work so ..you gotta do what you gotta do.
What has worked for me when I start to calm is a basic remedy. It really has worked for me on many occassions. Warm milk and a handful of milk chocolate M&M's in bed.
Since I have recently relapsed,I will hit an Ambien tonight and hopefully start get a few hours here and there. As I get more sleep and my nerves calm I will go to the milk and M&M's.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:36 pm

I am having trouble too. I'll wake up after only an hour of sleep. Are there any supplements that help? I've never experienced this before. I used to have trouble falling asleep, but once I did I would stay asleep.
Amber

CarolynEd.Dir. · Post by **CarolynEd.Dir.** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:44 am

Yes sleep deprevation is a HUGE anxiety/panic trigger. As you body experiences the different levels of EXHAUSTION and the mind detects that. The mind is searching for help to help the body......The mind is doing its job....but its probably over doing it. Don't beat yourself down if you need to take a med to sleep at night.....I know several psychiatrist that had to take Trazadone to slow down to down the speeding thoughts that kept them up at night....especially the nights before huge exams.....So even professionals, people without anxiety/panic do take something. Since our bodies love to adapt to change its time to change it back for you to sleep. Meds do help retrain the body to go back to a normal sleep pattern. What you may also like to do is get a sleep study done......It will tell how much sleep you are getting and if any type of REM sleep is being established.....The REM sleep is really what each one of us need...thats the stage of sleep in which the body heals its self and restores its self for the next day. Some day time meds do create insomnia so if you are taking any meds during the day be sure to read the lables adn last but least prayer always works.

Blessings to you.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:18 am

Your not alone !!!!

As many stated sleep deprivation can really cause the strange perspective to get even worse.Some times I even hate the thought of going to bed at night.I get sleep when ever I can,but I find what makes it worse is giving weight to the thought as is in tape 10.I agree in saying whatever as stated above.