Developing a fear of sleep

[Vita Bella]

Good evening,

It's another one of those nights where my mind is not welcoming sleep. This is a fairly recent development for me, I'd like to nip it in the bud so by all means if you have any tips please share.

I find myself scared of falling asleep. I'm tired, and I mean REALLY tired. I've had a long hard day and I want nothing more than to wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed, but that's just not going to happen. I lay there, my heart is racing, my eyelids are heavy and every time I start even a hint of drifting off - BOOM - It's like someone slaps me in the face and I'm alert as anything. The heart rate is still going, and the process repeats. I start to drift off and I very suddenly bring myself back. I've come to the conclusion that it's an irrational fear of not waking up again. That if I fall asleep that's it, I'm gone for good.

I've tried my breathing technique, which actually makes it worse. It often makes me feel sick and like my chest is burning (it normally works at all other times).

If and when I finally do fall asleep, I wake up constantly, and it takes me a while to get myself back to sleep, so overall I'm only getting a few hours sleep a night, and it's interrupted, so it feels like even less.

I was given some tablets by my doctor, Lorazepam, for 'emergencies'. I've yet to try one because I had a bad experience with Citalopram in the fact that it gave me massive panic attacks. I've been to scared to take meds since. However, Lorazepam apparently makes you sleepy, which I'm starting to think might be helpful. Has anyone had bad side effects with this? Is it likely that I will experience the rare side effects as I did with the Citalopram?

Vita x

[Catherine S]

Hi Vita, reading back through your previous posts you don't mention this particular fear so you're right when you say its fairly recent. There has recently been more than a few posts about this...do you think this is a fear that's developing by reading these, sort of projecting those fears onto yourself? Anxiety can be very suggestive.

[Dollie]

Hi Vita,

I too suffer with what you mention, the doctor gave me zopoclone which I believe is there to relax you and hopefully induce a natural sleep so you can get back to a normal pattern, if there is one!!!!!

I
Do however find that if the panic attacks are really bad it's best to have a book or pad to write your thoughts down on whilst your feeling them and I find I get into what I'm writing and this helps to reduce the panic so you can get back to sleep, it may take a couple of times before it starts to work but I have found it helps me. :) It may or may not work for you but I really wish you well in trying to find a solution and hopefully getting your sleep pattern back :hugs:

Dolly x

[MyNameIsTerry]

The Lorazepam has sedative effects and can be used in short term cases of insomnia. You can't take it long term because you become tolerant to it, hence you then suffer withdrawal coming off it. Zopiclone is the same.

I'm not sure your GP has fully understood the problem. It's no insomnia, you have anxiety about going to sleep. The Lorazepam will force you off to sleep if you need sleep (I remember that Zopiclone only makes you sleep for what you need, it just helps you drift off) but I won't do anything for these problems you are experiencing. Maybe he just wanted to give you a break? It's no attempt at a solution though.

Are you sure you are afraid of not waking? Or is it more due to a loss of control? The latter is something I have felt from time to time with my GAD because I was trying to control my existence e.g. manual breathing.

Maybe you need to learn to trust that your subconscious knows what it is doing as this is a basic function? Have you tried a thought diary so you can write down these negative thoughts and then add positive ones next to them to show what is likely to happen e.g. I'm afraid I won't wake up [NEG], I've been sleeping fine for X years [POS], I thought this yesterday but nothing happened and I'm fine [POS], etc. Or maybe a belief challenging worksheet?

[maddierose98]

I have severe anxiety and also experience a fear of sleep. I get tired and want to sleep but my mind just wants to have full control and tells itself something like it doesn't want to sleep and that I'll die in my sleep (I have breathing awareness and I'm scared that my body won't breathe my itself and I'll die). Breathing techniques don't help me at all, Infact they make it worse, but I have this weird ritual that helps. It's not ideal when I'm really sleepy I set an alarm in like 15 minutes so when I doze off it will wake me up. When it wakes me up my body is obviously fairly sleepy so I just turn it off and continue sleeping. Sometimes I just think about doing this and it helps.

As with the medications, not all side effects are the same. I've taken Zoloft and it made me feel like a zombie. I tried Lovan aswell ansd it just made me throw up a bit.

[Catherine84]

Hi Vita,

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having trouble with sleep. If it's of any reassurance to you, I also had a very bad experience with Citalopram last year (to the point where I was kicking and screaming on the floor in panic and wanted to end my life) and, as a result, I'm also very wary of meds. I have been taking Diazepam recently, which is from the same class of medication (the benzodiazepines) as Lorazepam. Rather than acting as an antidepressant, like the Citalopram, it acts as a central nervous system depressant, and should lessen your panic and anxious thoughts. I have been taking a very small dose of Diazepam just before bedtime, and it really helps. I get quite a good length of uninterrupted sleep, but unfortunately, I am having to come off it, as it is addictive, and can only be used short term. I would definitely recommend giving the Lorazepam a go if you feel like you need it, though. However, if you are using it every night, it might be time to find a more long-term solution. I've started Pregabalin, which is supposed to be good for anxiety, and can be taken longer term, so it would definitely be worth following up with your GP, or getting a second opinion.

Other, non-medication approaches that work for me are: having a cup of herbal tea just before bedtime (I drink the Clipper 'Night Time Infusion' tea, which has chamomile and valerian in it, along with orange, so it doesn't taste as vile as chamomile on its own!), taking a bath with some nice bubble bath with a relaxing scent, such as lavender, and listening to some relaxing music. I have had Classic FM on a very low volume as I've fallen asleep, and this works very well for me.

I have the same breathing anxiety as maddierose, and I appreciate how hard dropping off to sleep can be. I really hope you manage to find a solution soon :hugs:.

Catherine x