Sleep anxiety

[Jules31]

Ok

I know one side of this is really funny but it really has knocked me for six and yes it is long

Since I was little I've often talked in my sleep and jumped out of bed in the night only to wake up without any problems.

Now and again I scream out in my sleep and scare the living daylights out of Dave and I've also been known over the last couple of years to dive out of bed quite dramatically. But it's not been bad for a while

Last night I had the worst experience of all. I could only have been asleep for about 20 minutes and I assume I was dreaming though I don't recall exactly what. Other than something or someone was trying to get me. In my dream I thought I was dying and I mean it really felt like it.. I don't know how it happened but I must have propelled myself out of bed at a rate of knots trying to run away. Somehow I must have an argument with the bed post or my rocking chair because I woke up in immense pain with Dave standing beside me. I think I was just pulling myself up from the floor. Both of my forearms were in agony as was my left leg. And well my heart was beating out of my chest faster than I would have thought possible. I was petrified and in tears.

Dave doesn't really know what happened other than he jumped up to stop me moving but he was still partly asleep and like a bloke went back to sleep straight afterwards.

I laid in bed for at least the next hour, wondering if I had actually fractured my left arm. All of it was throbbing down to the bone and my right one wasn't much better. I felt like I didn't know where I was or what had happened. Eventually I must have gone back to sleep.

This morning I hurt all over and have a great big lump down my arm and can feel a bruise coming out. It hurts down to the bone if I put pressue on it but I can move it. My other arm is grazed and bruised too, as if my left leg and right foot. My general anxiety feelings are worse too. I have a headache and keep going very faint.

Ok it sounds funny to tell but to be honest I'm now afraid of what happened. Because I'm scared I really am going to hurt myself in my sleep.

I'm not sure what I expect any of you to say because I'm sure none of you do this.

I know I've been very stressed at work this week, trying to get loads done and I have another hard day today but could that really make me act in this way.

My friend swears she's going to send me to Loughborough Uni to their sleep disorder centre so someone can do a study on me!

Any ideas what I can do.

Jules




Jules

[seh1980]

hello there Jules,

I'm afraid that I have never really experienced anything like that before. It sounds like you are having a type of panic attack in your sleep and reacting accordingly. Have you tried doing a relaxation tape just before you go to bed? I used to do them quite a bit and they really did put me in a very good frame of mind. Maybe this would help?

Sarah

[Meg]

Hi Jules ,

Night time panic and nightmares are the subconcious trying to filter stuff through ...

Are you working on a particularly yukky case at present ??

If you are extra stressed then move the chair and other obstacles for a few nights and put an extra duvet on the floor beside you and make the environment as safe as possible.

You could ring Loughborough and speak to the nurses on the unit and see whether they deal with these sorts of things- its usually insomnia and all wired up to a EEG machine or awful snoring and people who regularly stop breathing at night who get assessed.






Meg

It is impossible to get out of a problem by using the same kind of thinking that it took to get into it.
- Albert Einstein.

[Jules31]

I'm not working on anything particularly bad at the moment but just have been ultra busy as have had to clear workload for next week so I can have time off. Though sometimes it happens when I don't think I'm stressed.

I don't mind the nightmares. They aren't nice but it's the physical stuff that scares me.

I really don't want to get assessed but my friend,(who's a psychologist), thinks I would make a really good dissertion experiment for someone. Plus it would be really funny for people to watch. I would kinda like to see what I do in my sleep .

I think that she's fascinated that I often wake up saying I can see people in the bedroom or outside and can remember telling Dave about them. I know when it starts I'm awake but I see them so clearly that I know I'm awake some of the time. It doesn't freak me anymore and usually goes after about 20 minutes and I've read that hallucinating on waking and going to sleep is actually quite common. So guess I'm not that mad. My Dad used to do it too, though not as much. Though think he always stayed firmly in bed.

But seriously might think about putting some soft stuff on the floor tonight (last time I did it though, I slipped on the throw as its a wooden floor underneath).

Sarah, could give the tapes a try but thought I was relaxed last night, oh well.

And to think that sleep used to be my only solace.

Not sure what will happen when the bruises come out, sure people will think Dave has been beating me, he, he


I'd always read that when you dream you should be paralysed almost so the jumping around is really odd. I've had it happen a few times but it just seems to get worse and worse even though it is often months apart.




Jules

[Meg]

We had a thread recently just about this . I'll have a hunt .

Meg

[Jules31]

ok not sure if I contributed or not. Remember speaking to someone about something similar but not sure if it was on here.

Anyway I'm off home from work now. Came in early as had meeting this pm which has now been cancelled. I feel shattered and so am going to flop on the sofa for a bit.

Jules


Jules

[Meg]

SLEEP PARALYSIS

and no you didn't post on it ...

Meg

[jill]

Hi Jules

I myself suffer PA but have not had anything like that before, but my daughter who has been having anxiety since she was 3 has, she is now 11. Alot of the time in the past the night time was terryfing for her, most of the same symptoms as you. My heart goes out to you and your family you are all going through a horrible time write now. I wish i had the answers to all the questions but i do not. All i know is that when my daughter's anxiety levels dropped over the years, so did the night time terrors.
Seeking help is the wright thing to do.

Wishing you well

Jill xxxxx

May your troubles be less
and your blessings be more,
and nothing but happiness
come through your door....

[sarah]

Hiya Jules

Sorry you have got this to contend with as well as feeling bad at the moment.
I just have to contribute and tell you that you arent alone.

Im probably a nightmare to sleep next to.
In my sleep Ive even woken steve up and punched him in the face once (fortunately he thought it was amusing and retells it down the pub at every drunken opportunity).
I have bad nightmares at least 4 nights a week. Ive woken up with bruises and bumps a lot where ive torn out of bed in terror to get away from 'something' and crashed into the wardrobe and ive no idea what or how but I wake up halfway on the other side of the room either standing in a daze or in a heap on the floor.
I too talk in my sleep sometimes, mostly about absolute rubbish but apparently you can have quite a funny conversation with me??!!??

Steve finds all this hilarious but I have to say its not funny when it happens to you is it? And yes, typical man he just goes straight back to sleep!

I think you have definately just had some sort of nightmare and fell over and hurt yourself.
I dont think you really have anything to worry about unless it becomes a regular occurrence.

Hope you had a good rest this afternoon!!

love Sarah
xx

[sal]

Hi Jules

Not nice at all how you felt but thinking of how you are feeling at the moment and what you have had to face this last few weeks i can totally understand how you body and mind have reacted.

Scarey i know but deep down you havent had it easy so once you body relaxes your mind isnt going to let it after the stress you have. You have gone to sleep and subcounsiously worrying about it all still and that is how you reacted. Physical symptoms brought on by mentally feeling shot mate.

You do need your week of to chill out and have time for yourself. Here if you need to talk hon.





Love Sal xxxxx