waking up with a start in the middle of the night

Has anyone woken up with a start in the middle of the night ? Last night woke up during the night with a start and my heart was pounding and i felt really weird. Went back to sleep and it happened again but not quite as bad as the first time. Really scared me. My hubby slept in the spare room last night due to his snoring and was thinking maybe i wasn't settled with him not there. Maybe it was a bad dream and i didn't remember. I had a pretty good day with my anxiety so not sure what was going on. Maybe it was a panic attack.

Hello Rosebud,

I have also have this too on and off, it doesn't happen to me every night just ocassionally. I have been told that they are called night terrors and are associated with anxiety. You could look it up on the internet. They are very frightening. I wake up with a start and run from the room terrified, heart beating out of the chest and shaking all over. I can never remember anything in particular frightening me. It does make me a little scared to go to sleep afterwards and takes a while to get over it. I guess just another nasty symptom of anxiety. Doesn't always happen when i am anxious either, very strange. All the best an hope they go away.

Yes!! I had that, and I woke up with a reall tight throat... scared the heck outta me, but When you wake up again in the morn, its ok :) xxxxx

Hiya,

Yes I have had that, it happened to me a lot when I first got ill, but it has gone away thank goodness. Try not to worry about it.

Louise xx

I get nightmares a lot and I always seem to remember them too.
everyone dreams but most can't recall the dream, i think you may be having bad dreams.
I often wake up wit my heart pounding, sometimes it can be because I'm worried about something,

There have been a few threads about this, so I guess it's pretty common with anxiety...I get it every night :weep:

I tend to have problems going off to sleep, as soon as i lie down i feel like i cant breathe, it can take me hours some nites to fall asleep, i have had nites where when my hubbie gets up at 4.30 to go to work i have not even been to sleep, i have 4 pillows coz i cant lie flat, just another added problem to the anxiety in the day, feel so tired all the time.. x

I used to most nights but not since i have been on sleeping tablets, i still wake up but not with that start you talk off.

How do you find taking sleeping tabs, was offered them a while ago, but declined, but am finding i am so tired lately, i really feel i need something, only if its once or twice a week, just to have a good nites sleep!!:weep:

Hey There,
Ive been going through this too, I wake up with a start look at the clock to see the time... its been quite bad the last few weeks as im having problems with my eyes, there is nothing wrong with them I just go through phases of thinking there is something wrong with them, so I wake up in a start. and I start blinking and looking round the room to see if eyesight ok...which obviously it isnt always after being in a deep sleep..look at the time and wish it was morning than i start to panick a bit and sweat its really weird but its something im going through and hopefully it will take its course and than stop and ill be fine...hope its the same for you too..take care and try not to worry..it could be because your husband isnt next to you xx

Do you have any stomach conditions? IBS, food allergies or sensetivities? I've been having the same situation for a few years, waking up with heart pounding, stomach cramped, sweating and dry mouth and was eventually diagnosed with IBS. I was told that when the stomach becomes irritated it can cause the intestines to lock up or seize, throwing me into the "fight or flight" mode, with me waking up not realizing what was happening. I started keeping a log of when and what I ate in the evenings until I figured out the foods that were triggering my episodes, red pepper, spinach, beans, etc. Once I stopped having the offending foods for dinner the episodes all but stopped. I still get them on occasion, but I've learned a few tecniques that help depending on the conditions. Drinking a glass of water or massaging the lower abdomen will sometimes kick start my digestive tract, but usually I turn onto my side and pull my knees to my chest until my stomach starts churning and making noise, the episode usually subsides pretty quickly after. I hope this info helps someone, because this used to scare the heck out of me.