Trouble sleeping escalated

[Huewey]

So I've suffered with anxiety some years now, I'm currently 24. But recently, I just cannot sleep, and I have a fear of dieing and have recently started checking my pulse every two minutes throught the day! Its really annoying me and getting me down. Another symptom I'm getting a night, is really heavy legs. Then if I got to Stand up, the veins in my feet and ankles bulge ridiculously. I'm generally fit and Heathy, correct body weight, don't smoke etc (just passve) what is going on ?

[oh no_1]

hi
not sure what is going on, but sleep is a big problem i have, with me usually getting 2 hours max a night.
anxiety is a bummer isnt it and laying in bed when nothing else is going on is the worst for ruminating etc etc. trying allsorts at the min.

[sarah_lou]

hello im having a simular problem when i drift off to sleep i wake up out my sleep in a panic feel like my heart is thumping out my chest and then i start to hyperventilate and i struggle to breathe then im frightened to go to sleep i keep going to the doctors and they checked me over and they say everything is fine but i keep going back this is a up hill struggle everyday sarah x

[Huewey]

Seems like everyones in the same boat. Things ive tried with some success are, a banana before bed, a warm drink that contains B vitamins. Recently picked up some lemon balm and valerian tea, so il see how that goes. Fear of heart related death is just plaguing me though

[panickyme]

I can relate to you with the heart thing, that is my biggest fear also, constantly checking the pulse. (stinks) I can't help with the sleep thing though, I am one of those people who can bury their head in the sand, and sleeping is the only way I get away from the whole anxiety thing. I do however have nights were I jump out of sleep, panicking. :) I feel your pain.

[xtremx]

Hi all, I was like this for several months and it was as if sleep was a sentence something that scared me.
I would hate going to bed and trying as I would start to have a panic attack in bed before sleep and during sleep and it would make me awake.

But what I did was to try and get into a structure of doing things ie: I would have a mug of hot chocolate at the sametime everynight with out fail and then when i went to bed I would tap out the alphabet on my pillow in a gentle and steady motion and use this to help me (a)calm my mind give it something else to do (b)also give me a rythem to breath to as to not hyperventilate.

Now if not asleep I would go through the times table doing the same things (a)&(b), As at the end of the day it is teaching you train your mind to do something else than thing of panic and also it is helping with your breathing because of the slow gentle nature of how you are doing things.

It sounds strange but it worked for me.