Insomnia and severe anxiety

[countrygirl]

Hoping someone can relate! I have always had bad anxiety since a young child mainly around health and sleeping. Two to Three times a year I suddenly can't sleep at all, whole nights wide awake and severe crippling anxiety. I have been okay for nearly a year but a few days ago out of the blue it hit one night - happy, went to bed and awake all night, this then triggers the severe anxiety ( thoughts like I will never ever sleep again and die, racing heart, shaking, crying and all the rest).
Have a lovely husband but he can't stay awake all night comforting me!
I finally after another 2 sleepless nights ( even nytol does not work when I am like this) saw GP today who has as in the past given me a weeks worth of diazepam and 2 weeks of sleeping pills. this has worked in the past after a week or so.
It feels like a switch in my brain goes for whatever reason ( always happens in autumn/winter) and I am a sleepless anxious wreck until one day the switch seems to go back again.
I am slightly worried about how I feel in the middle of the night as I am literally tearing my hair out in such an anxious state.
Can anyone offer any advice or relate to how I am feeling?

[Traceypo]

Try to accept the insomnia, get up and make a cuppa, watch something on catch up or read a book. Anything that takes you away from lying in bed wondering and worrying about why you can't sleep.
Everyone can have bad nights, not everyone to the extent you're describing but try to put it into context, it's a couple of horrible nights out of a year, it's happened to you before and you're doctor wasn't concerned. Yes it's awful not to sleep, it disrupts your routine and anxiety generally heightens when we are tired but it won't and hasn't caused you physical harm. The more you focus on it and fear it then the more power it will have over you.
Let's hope you get a good 8 hours soon.
Xxx

[Ronan23]

I agree with Tracey. Distraction is the best way to overcome it. I'd seriously recommend reading at night. Not only do you forget about anxiety while immersing yourself in a good book,especially a fiction book, but the process of reading is taxing on the brain,and you'll often find that you'll naturally fall asleep when reading a book. This has worked for me since I was like 10 so yeah, I'd recommend it

[Carnation]

Yes, I agree. The more you lie there stressing about getting to sleep, the less likely it is to happen.
Is it possible that you have become overtired? This can add to the problem.
Sometimes an underlying worry/problem can do this to you, even in your subconscious.
The excessive crying is actually doing you good. Believe it or not, it is releasing emotions out of you, rather than keeping them inside and causing you pain.
I also recommend that you get some good reading for bedtime and don't watch anything like the news before you go to bed. Make sure it is something light. x

[dizzy daisy]

Aww country girl I've had this happen to me to a few times. It's vile but as the others have said its only temporary and you've got through it before. I'd give the same advice as the others really - if you can't sleep just get up and do something, reading, watch a film etc and you'll drift off eventually.
Funny you should say about Autumn/ winter as I was speaking to some of our physiotherapists at work the other day as we have a massive spike in referrals for anxiety/ depression always at this time of year. The dark nights and cold weather has a lot to do with mood generally.
Also, I just want to say thank you for all the times you've helped me over the past year. Sending you a big hug xx

[countrygirl]

Thanks everyone. I was doing so much better so had stayed away from the board for a bit as it can sometimes be a trigger although i do love to help people when I can.

I just fell asleep for 45 mins and only woke up because I was coughing with my head in a funny position so at least I do know that I can sleep:).

I know it sounds totally daft but thats my main worry that I will never ever ever sleep again!

[robin321]

This happened to me last year. I went from waking up at 3am to 12am to not being able to sleep. I would get panic attacks as sleep time would get closer. I would go nights without sleeping at all, which would panic me more the next day. I thought I would never sleep normally again.

Finally after weeks and weeks of this, I just accepted it. I decided if I wasn't going to sleep, then fine, I would just lie and try to think of things I like. I would live my normal life and now dwell on it.

From then on, I slept every night. I still panic occasionally that I won't sleep, but I tell myself 'ok well at least I will lie here and relax'. I let the panic come and go, and eventually I fall asleep.

[countrygirl]

This is exactly what i need to do, this is what usually happens but it can take quite alot of sleepless nights for my mind to switch to what i call a so what mode. As soon as there is no panic then sleep comes back:wacko:

I never sleep well, wake every few hours but that does not bother me as long as I can get to sleep quickly, its when I don't go off quickly that the panic hits.

[Traceypo]

This happened to me last year. I went from waking up at 3am to 12am to not being able to sleep. I would get panic attacks as sleep time would get closer. I would go nights without sleeping at all, which would panic me more the next day. I thought I would never sleep normally again.

Finally after weeks and weeks of this, I just accepted it. I decided if I wasn't going to sleep, then fine, I would just lie and try to think of things I like. I would live my normal life and now dwell on it.

From then on, I slept every night. I still panic occasionally that I won't sleep, but I tell myself 'ok well at least I will lie here and relax'. I let the panic come and go, and eventually I fall asleep.

I had the same attitude, I used to fear sleep but then I would start about 7is saying to myself I'm going to have a lovely night sleep tonight', this would continue until I went to bed, wouldn't use Facebook or anything that might warrant a reply or make my mind churn at least an hour before bed. Then I learnt to see it for what it was, not sleeping, if you speak to others they'll all be able to tell you about 'bad night's. I had one last night, just dozed, don't know why - not anxiety as I'm no longer suffering, but I just didn't sleep well, but hey tonight is a new night and I'm fairly certain I'll sleep better.
Xxx

[ItchyOne]

I'm also having bad insomnia lately.
It started earlier this year. Funny the first trigger was a nightmare that woke me up in the middle of the night, I couldn't for the rest of that night. Insomnia then plagued me for like 3 months or so, then it kinda waned off.
But 3 months ago, it started all over again.
My mind feels active in the middle of the nights. The thought of not being able to sleep makes it worse. I fear I may have some form of neurological problems.
I tried seeking medical help, but doctors merely prescribe me sleeping pills and send me home. I don't want to take pills because of its side effects.
There are some good nights in between the bad ones and I mostly am able to get about 4 to 5 hours of so. But there are nights like tonight that I hardly get 3 hrs.
Sigh.. There doesn't seem to have an end in sight.

[Katiewest]

I have had this happen to me, in fact.. It's happening to me right now! For the past 3 weeks weeks I haven't been able to sleep, I also seem to get more anxious at night time. When these anxiety attacks started coming on I woke my family up telling them I needed a ambulance, telling them I was having a heart attack! It happens to me once a year, but I've learnt to deal with it and I'm on citalopram again after stopping it 1 month ago. I find watching YouTube really helps me & focusing song on my breathing! Try laying in your bed, and pretending there is a balloon in your tummy! Everytime you breath in your blowing the balloon up and when you breath out your taking the air back out of the balloon! Try not to worry too much about your anxiety because it will only get worse! Just remember your anxiety won't actually harm you.

[countrygirl]

Huge thanks everyone it really helps to read others experiences and how they handle it.

I did fall asleep when I went to bed but kept waking up after 15 mins and have had this before when I am like this so I did take one low dose zopiclone and woke as I normally would do after 3 hrs sleep but then did go back to sleep. I did as I was told on here:) and instead of worrying about going back to sleep I just lay there thinking I don't care its nice and comfy and lovely here.

Trying to take it one day/night at a time:wacko: