Scared to sleep

[jfletch]

I am so physically exhausted. But mentally I am afraid to sleep. I have woke up the past week with panic attacks and they usually keep me up for a couple hrs. My heart races, I feel like I am going to die, get the shakes, and the chills. And feel like I need to go to the e.r. I have been breathing and telling myself it will be ok. I am so frustrated and completely exhausted. :(

[Brad72]

I know what you are going though and have had many nights like that. What makes it worse is the fact that you have very little stimulus and therefore every sensation and feeling seems to be exacerbated.

I wrote myself a sleep plan and followed that till my sleeping became normal again. I would not have any tea or coffee after about 3pm, no computer in the evening, and if I woke I would not get out of bed and watch tv. Also make sure you cannot see the clock as it can really stress you seeing the time.

First I would try a breathing technique where you breath in through one nostril then out the other, then breath in through the other other nostril and repeat till I fall asleep. This technique uses both hemispheres of your brain and actually induces sleep. If that didn't work I would do a guided meditation on my ipod, which inevitably would lead to me falling asleep. The good part of the meditation is it nearly is as good as sleep. Another thing that helped was white noise, which for me was the fish tank water noise. I just focus on that and drift off to sleep.

Keep in mind also that usually when we feel like we are not sleeping were are actually just waking up frequently, looking at the clock and saying to ourselves "oh no I can't sleep" when in reality we are actually asleep for 20-30 minutes at a time but waking frequently for a minute or so.

Good luck with it.

[natuhhleee]

I know the feeling, I've had so many bad experiences with panic attacks in my bed/bedroom that just walking in there or sitting on my bed starts to make the anxiety stir up. I've been on the uncomfortable couch for a week to avoid it.

I usually go where my mind feels safe (couch for me) turn on the TV, and drink a bunch of sleepy time tea or chamomile tea. I am an activist for tea, seriously, I have extreme anxiety and the natural relaxants in them help me calm down.
Or I will clean if I can't sleep to distract myself.

[dazza]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned a hot bath before bed.

Your body reacts to the rise in temperature by slowing everything down. After some 10 / 15 mins in a hot bath you should feel really sleepy.

Brush teeth and do everything else you need to do before the bath so that when you get out you can get straight into bed.

Other considerations:

1/ Don't drink or eat any energy ingredients after 5pm
2/ Go for a 15 min jog or even just a power walk if you have time in the evening. If nothing else, the satisfactory feeling you have of doing some exercise helps calm
3/ Ensure your bedroom is properly aired. I like to keep a window open even during the winter months
I also have a fan on - the gentle whirring & breeze is calming I find
4/ Although some people like to play video games - I avoid because I find games stimulate me rather than calm
5/ Watch boring TV or read a boring book... LOL... sends me into a coma!
6/ Masturbation or sex... either relieves tension! :-D

[wynlowe]

Hot bath with Epsom salt?

[dazza]

Hot bath with Epsom salt?

Luvly jubbly! :-D

[buddaboy]

When my anxiety is and keeps me up, I put on jogging clothes and go run then take a hot bath, does the trick most of the time... Never done Epsom salt though