Anxiety before sleep

[TheWagon]

Hello, all,

I've had difficulty getting a full night's rest for about a year now. Some nights my mind is racing before sleep, sometimes the fear of my anxiety and fear of other mental illnesses keeps me awake. But other nights I'll be watching a favorite show or reading a good book before catching a few Zzz's, and I'll finally be getting to the point where my eyes are heavy and my body and mind are about to turn off for the night, but when I shut off the laptop or put the book down for sleep, I find myself wide awake when I shut my eyes for actual sleep.

I'm wondering if anyone else experiences what I guess we might call "night anxiety before sleep." It's really frustrating because I know my lack of sleep/insomnia has only exacerbated my physical symptoms of anxiety over the past year. I used to only go day-to-day with shallow breathing from anxiety -- a concern in and of itself -- but when the insomnia started I began to experience much worse anxiety symptoms (racing thoughts, more fear of health anxiety, muscle twitches, throat and swallowing tightness). Has anyone gone a year with poor sleep? If so, how did you overcome your night anxiety before sleep, if at all?

Thank you.

[hanshan]

I take both mirtazapine and pregabalin which help with sleep, but one thing from your post caught my attention, that you are watching a movie or reading off a screen. Having a lit screen near your eyes close to bedtime has been linked with delayed melatonin (the natural sleep hormone) production. In susceptible people, it is recommended that you not look at a lit screen for at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. It is also recommended that you dim all lights during this time.

[apm]

I've been getting this too: my eyes are drooping but when I settle to sleep, it eludes me. I have been finding that I'm not getting that 'mind wandering' thing that I normally get just before I drop off. I am snatching some light sleep during the night, but not proper sleep (4 nights now).

I think this is normal: I had similar when I had panic attacks about 10 years ago.

There are meds you can take, and some are really good. But as Hanshan says, good sleep hygiene is important, especially no TV or screens for at least half ann hour before bed.

Good luck!