Waking up in panic

[BlueEyesShining]

So this happens to me almost every day this week. My heartbeat wakes me up. I feel like it`s too irregular and strong. I cry everytime I wake up. I feel awful and I need to stay in bed for some time to realise that I`m going to be ok. But it feels like I`m dying. I`m afraid that there is something terribly wrong with me.

[catsandnaps]

I get this a lot, too. I wake up startled, in a panic with my heart racing. Then I ultimately get upset at myself for not being able to control it. It's a lousy feeling, for sure, and I cry, too. I find if I just lay there and try to fight it, it makes it worse. I usually try to turn a light on and grab a book to read. It works two ways -- one, it gets my mind out of myself, and two, it makes me tired enough to eventually fall back to sleep.

I don't know why this happens, but I'm fairly certain it's common with the anxiety crowd. You're not alone in this problem! I hope knowing you're not the only one can help in some sort of way!