Weird thought patterns

[eric.walton]

Hey, been having something weird happening lately, and wondering if it has happened with anyone else here.... Not sure if it's anxiety related or not...

Lately when I go to bed, as soon as I close my eyes I start to have really strange thoughts and imagery go through my mind, and they seem extremely realistic. It gets really confusing sometimes, and so I'll open my eyes to get rid of it, and I'll instantly forget what it was I was just thinking about.

For example: I could be thinking about a car that has arms, that I'm conversing with, while at the same time doing a math problem, but I'm not really there, and everything is upside down - and it makes sense. I open my eyes, and I can't remember the car, the conversation, the math problem, or the fact that everything was upside down.

All I ever remember is that I was thinking of something really strange and bothersome.

Its gotten to the point where it keeps me up all night, and is becoming really concerning. Almost makes me feel like I'm going insane.... It even happens during the day if I close my eyes for a short period.

Anyone else have anything like this? I've been stressed a lot lately and been anxious..... Hoping that's all it is.....

[alankay]

Eric, are you very sleep deprived or would you say you might be(on top of being anxious)? If so that could be part, a big part of the problem. Also are you on any meds or have been diagnosed with anxiety as of yet any way?

[eric.walton]

Well, I try not to take any meds and just deal with my anxiety directly. I'm not a fan of taking medicine when I can avoid it.... I don't think I'm sleep deprived, though I've been waking up a lot throughout the night lately - sometimes up to 6 or 8 times. Usually waking up from extremely vivid dreams.

[alankay]

Eric, well you're not getting a good, normal pattern of REM sleep. Your sleep in broken(fragmented) and might be adding to the bad feelings you're having. Sleep derivation or even poor sleep can make you feel bad physically and mentally. I feel very irritable and impatient when my sleep is messed up. That's just me. Think about that and do some reading on symptoms of poor sleep and the importance of normal REM sleep. It's vital to the body and brain. Waking up 6-8 times during dreams(when REM sleep happens) will mess up that vital REM sleep. Just my thoughts.

[eric.walton]

Well if sleep is the problem, and not anxiety/stress, then what can I do to get myself to have continuous sleep throughout the night? I've checked all over but nothing seems to give me a straight answer......

[libertine]

Im not sure if this is exactly what you mean but this is something that happened to me a lot after my second anxiety attack and has happened every once in a while since then. When I would try and go to sleep I would get an image in my mind, it would seem like a normal and familiar image, then I would have some thought attached to that image, and then at some point I would get a sense of falling and fear and I would open my eyes and often jump up a little. I wouldnt really be able to remember the image, or why it was so terrifying, but it would happen again after I finally got the courage to close my eyes again, and I would usually just stay up till I was so exhausted I couldnt stay up anymore. I usually would wake up within a few hours then with really odd and terrifying dreams, but I would wake in a sort of dream like state, I dont really know how to explain it.

Basically I would have an image(I think it was just an image it might have been more than that but I barely remember) a feeling and some thoughts and It would all make sense when I had my eyes closed, but then I would get scared for some reason and open my eyes before Id actually go to sleep and I would vaguely remember what I was thinking about before I opened my eyes but I was terrified of it when I opened my eyes for some reason. Im sorry I dont have any advice to give that can help you, and I dont even know if what happens to me is exactly what you means happens to you, but I dunno knowing someone is going through something similar to me helps me not feel crazy. Im pretty sure what your feeling is because of anxiety or stress though, I remember reading somewhere something that always made me feel better after I had an anxiety attack or when I was dealing with anxiety and felt like I was going "crazy" and it was something about how if you really were crazy you wouldnt be able to realize it because that would just be your world, I wish I could remember the exact quote better but basically if you can think your going crazy thats sort of proof of your sanity, so im pretty sure its just anxiousness and/or stress :)

oh and actually, im not sure what other people think about using things like melatonin or lavender, but I know those help with sleep, and lavender with stress. I used to take melatonin to help with my inability to sleep but I would get REALLY vivid nightmares so I tryd to take it as little as possible, I know a lot of people get vivid dreams when the take it and they arent always nightmares but ive stayed away from it the past few months with all of my anxiety (one reason Im still up at 8am hah) but I have been using lavender, either as an incense or as a spray you can get for your pillows/sheets. The lavender has really helped with my anxiety when im going to sleep (some days at least which is better than none) just wish I wasnt sick right now so I could actually smell it aha!

hope this helps somewhat