Anxiety stopping sleep

[giddy]

Hi everyone
I'm having huge problems sleeping, I feel fine until I switch the lights out and close my eyes and then my stomach starts churning and doesn't stop! Last night was the worst yet, I was up several times to the toilet and also dry retching. I got very little sleep maybe an hour.
It all started when my 21 year old cat died at home 3 weeks ago. I has a minor panic as he was dying and had trouble sleeping for the week after, however things are getting worse and not better. Last week just as I was dropping off the phone rang 3 times in a row, but no call was registered so that freaked me out a bit, then I realised it happened exactly 2 weeks after my cat died and at roughly the same time, so that freaked me out even more!
I now can't sleep at all for thinking about it, I know it's really silly but I keep thinking it was my cat making the phone ring and it's scaring me and all those irrational thoughts are flying around my head now. During the day my anxiety goes and I can rationalise with myself (I'm sure my cat could find a different way to contact me than the phone if he wanted to!!) but at night around the time he died it comes back and stops me sleeping.
I don't want this to escalate and am worried the anxiety will start to creep back into my daily life.
Thanks for reading.

[montys]

If it's the phone specifically that is obstructing your sleep, or rather the anticipation of a phone call, you should consider silencing it.

If you're sensitive to sounds in general, consider earplugs.

Personally, when a new trigger comes up, I initially just try to avoid it as much as possible. It's obviously not a long term solution, but it keeps me sane while I find ways to desensitize myself to it over time.

[giddy]

Thanks for replying. I don't think it's the phone as such that's causing the anxiety but more my thoughts around the weird ringing being something scary or even paranormal. I'm also worried in case the same thing happens this week too.
I did consider silencing the phone or unplugging it (it wasn't a mobile) but then what if it still rang? I thought about putting it in the car! But then what if something else odd happens. These thoughts drive me crazy at night, during the day I can rationalise them and realise it's my anxiety, but at night they become very real.
I'm hoping when nothing happens this Thursday the thoughts will go and sleep return or at least the churning stomach will stop.

[Sylver1975]

Hi Giddy,

My condolences on the loss of your cat. I have cats myself so I know how it feels to lose one.

Regarding the ringing phone, this sometimes happens to me, just as I'm dropping off to sleep I'll hear a knock on the door. But there's nobody at the door. It's actually called "exploding head syndrome" and it's just our body adjusting to sleep, if you think of your brain as a computer, it's shutting down but for some reason the sound part gets left on. It's similar to "hypnic Jerk" where, just as you're dropping off to sleep, you feel like you're falling and your body jerks. All pretty harmless and common enough.

I hope that reassures you somewhat. But, if (and I'm not saying it is real) your beloved cat was able to return to be with you in some way, would that be so bad? Maybe you should look at it that way and not in fear.

[beatroon]

Hi giddy,

Oh you poor thing. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your cat and the subsequent troubles with anxiety. I feel that it's of course no coincidence that your cat's passing away has triggered you to feel upset about things. It is a very sad event and grief and stress can do funny things to you.

I think what you're experiencing is a kind of magical thinking: believing that unrelated events are somehow connected, and feeling distressed by them. Of course, logical-you, your wise-mind, knows that the cat isn't trying to get in touch via the phone, but because you are stressed it's harder to let go of such sticky thoughts.

I think your plan to wait until Thursday and take account of the fact that nothing will happen is a sound one. Experience and time are the best way to prove that our anxieties aren't real.

I wish you more peace in the days to come, and once again, sorry about your cat.

[giddy]

Thanks so much for your replies.
I didn't sleep again last night - that's two nights in a row with no sleep at all, at least last night I didn't have the churning stomach.
I've bought some Nytol to try tonight if I can't sleep again. I don't really want to see the doctor because I don't want sleeping pills, but I guess if things don't improve I'll have to.
Take care