Too scared to sleep

[worrier123]

Is it normal for anxiety levels to be higher at night/bed time? i used to always look forward to going to sleep mainly cos its the only time my mind ever switches off! my anxiety over the last 3 weeks have come back stronger than ever, i tend to sleep with my tv on as this seems to distract my thoughts, when it gets late and i get tired i want to go to bed but i fear going to bed! i worry that when im in bed im going to start having weird thoughts,scary thought thats freak me out,thoughts of going crazy, thoughts of my head feeling really heavy,thoughts that my arms feel like they are floating and my hands are getting big the list goes on and of course all these thoughts and feeling then bring on feeling of a panick attack(which sometimes i learn to control sometimes not) i dont like going ot bed anymore because i cant control my thoughts, i cant ever switch off and i feel like im loosing myself and going insane!

Does anyone feel worse at night or is it just me?

x

[nervousbutterflies]

your my twin:))))
my anxiety gets worse at night! i wonder if it has anything to do with why dementia people get worse at night. I work with people with dementia and it is a thing called "sundowners" i wonder if it has anything to do with anxiety getting worse at night! i am fine earlier in the day usually until it starts to get dark :(

[misunderstood_j]

I get that feeling too. When it starts to get dark outside my anxiety starts. It's really strange.

I get very sad in the fall and winter time losing all those sunny daylight hours. But I really can't stand the feeling of the anxiety coming over my body. I have suffered a lot with it. I have IBS and I vomit a lot due to my anxiety. I feel so alone. I can't eat anything without feeling sick to my stomach. I really dislike food. I'm so skinny everyone thinks i'm anorexic.

I can't imagine anyone else going through this. Expecially knowing there is no "cure" it's hard to keep going.

[Brad72]

Such a familiar story that I have now overcome, thankfully. That's not to say that I don't still have the occasional relapse but I am better equipped to deal with it now and the relapse will only happen for a few minutes.

The thing about night time is that all the external stimuli that keeps your mind occupied throughout the day is gone. It's quiet, you notice your thoughts, sensations etc and these can be pretty scary and very real feeling. That fact that you are dog tired and just want to sleep makes it all the worse. I had nearly taken myself off to hospital many time in the past because I was so freaked out that something terrible was happening to me. This meant going to bed was horrible and I would stay up till I was so tired that I was guaranteed of falling asleep.

The main thing that helped in the beginning was getting into a sleep routine. This included not having caffeine after 5pm, having dinner early, making sure I wasn't too hot in bed, not being on the computer after about 8pm (really stimulating), not watching stimulating shows on tv and lastly to make sure I had a regular bed time, somewhere around 10-10.30pm and a dark room.

Once in bed the hardest part is to control your thoughts. I used a few methods here. One was to spray some aromatherapy sleepy spray on my pillow. I found that focussing on the smell quietened my mind. Also I have a fish tank that I can hear trickling so I focus on that also. Lastly I notice the my breath. Slowly breathing in noticing the cool air entering my nose and exhailing warm soothing air. Each time I breath out I softly count in my head 10, then 9 on the next breath down to 0. As thoughts come to mind, which they will I thank my brain for that though and bring my attention back to one of the things outline above.

After a few nights you find that you drifted off to sleep really well and that night time is not nearly as scary as anxiety had told you. Your bed is cosy and it is wonderful just to get in to, gently stretch those tired muscles and drift off to sleep.

Remember that anxiety is an expert in making us feel terrible. It starts telling you how terrible you will sleep tonight hours before you actually go to bed. Truth is that it just telling us a story. That all everyones minds do, tell stories. It's just which stories we believe that make the difference. We slept fine before anxiety so there is no reason why we can't sleep fine with it.

With a little practice you will get your night time back.

[Lunabell]

Well,I can relate. Of course my anxiety is constant. I have had severe panic attacks at night where I thought I wouldn't make it through the night. I put on a cartoon such as Family Guy or Fairly Odd Parents. Something that is funny and with nothing scary in it. Then,I put on my eye mask and fan. If it is a bad night I make some tea. I go to bed no later then 10pm. I try to be in bed by 9pm though. I also have a teddy bear that I spray with Lavender to soothe some of the anxiety.