Will I ever sleep again?

[momof2]

Well, it's finally time to get up, funny thing is though I have never went
to sleep. Why oh Why does it have to be this way? I dread the night to come because my anxiety is so much worse then. If and when I do finally drift off to sleep (after many times of jerking awake with heart racing) all I do is dream over and over, then about every 1 1/2 to 2 hrs I wake up again, feeling dizzy and wobbly. I feel like that if i could JUST SLEEP I would do better. I'm afraid of taking anything for sleep, but then again it seems I'm afraid of most everything lately. Sorry to ramble, just talking sleep deprived words. [Sigh...]
Thanks for any advice,
Terri

[Barb]

Hi Terry

My heart goes out to you, because if i dont sleep at least 6 hours i just dont function. Have you tried doing a realaxation tape in bed and of course the breathing , i just fall asleep doing it, have some warm milk or camomile tea and a nice relaxing bath before bed and i also find a few drops of lavender on the pillow is very good, just a few things to try if you havent already, i hope it helps.

Take care

Barb xxx

[carlin]

Hi Terri,
Sorry you feel so tried and scared. I was exactly the same recently, the only thing that changed for me was i stopped being frightened of going to bed and not sleeping. I thought, oh well, so what! and when i used to wake with a jolt and a racing heart, i thought, ok, this feels dreadful, but it can't and won't hurt me. I would have the radio playing quietly near to me, if it was a really awful night, i would put cd on, with earphones, i started to not dread going to bed and then gradually things eased off a little, i also understand that you have children to attend to (i have 4, but they are older), i still have to get them up for work/college/school, and i am not one to rest during the day, but as i said as soon as i become less scared, things very slowly got better. you will get through this. take care and keep in touch. xxxx

[wobily_lin]

hi

i know how u feel babe. ive got that prob. i dont no y im scared to sleep r get so anxious when i try. ah but it seems to be part and parcel of this anxiety. if i cant sleep i have to get up. i need at least 8 hours sleep to function r im pulling my hair out and i get so irritable wen i dont get my sleep. i cant relax that is my prob.

ive tried baths and i use oils to try to help. sleep does come back. i was at that point last year but ive lost it again. someone pls find it for me. ha. i can relate to how you feel.

take care.x

lin x

[Meg]

Hello Terri

Sleep is vital to our well being but whan anxiuety is acute it is hard to sleep well.

I slept from 12 mn to just 01:30 for 3 weeks. A vetiver massage finally broke the cycle.

Nothing like a panic attack at 3:30 am (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2701)
Sudden nighttime attacks (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24)
Waking Up With A Panic Attack In The Night (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5211)
Bad Morning !!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5692)
Panic attacks during sleep. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5796)
It's Back! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5769)
Waking Startled at Night (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5951)
Panic Attacks....During Sleep (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6385)

fear of relaxing (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3762)
Visualisation Technique? (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=414)
Relaxation.. Questions? (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5396)

Sleep zzzzz (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5413)
insomnia, insomnia, insomnia etc.... (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6002)


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Trish]

Hi Terri

I know what its like, i don't think i've had a good sleep for the past 21 months. I too suffer these episodes of waking from a sleep with a start, heart racing and gasping for breath, and i don't have nightmares.
I don't suffer PA's during the day and apart from feeling really tired, i think i'm fine...........its so odd. My GP has put me on Dasulepin and i've been taking this since Monday, so no great results as yet.....but i live in hope that these will work, as other meds i've tried haven't!

I'm getting to the stage that i will try anything to be rid of these sleeping episodes, because like you the thought of bedtime fills me with dread, which of course doesn't help at all.

I am so pleased i found this site and i hope it will help you, like it has helped me knowing that people on here know what you are going through.
I wish you well, please feel free to pm me at anytime.

Best wishes
Trish

[tygwyn]

Hi

I'm so sorry to hear that you are struggling with your sleep at the moment. It is hard to believe at the moment I know but things will definitely improve for you. I have been battling with anxiety for almost three months now and the first couple of weeks were horrendous sleep wise. I was frightened of going to bed because I knew I wouldn't sleep and because I was frightened of it, I definitely did not sleep. I viscious circle that thankfully can be broken.

The first thing to do is to lose the fear - it sounds difficult I know but it can be done. At the end of the day your body will take its sleep when it needs it (in the end!). So what if your body shakes (it sill works), so what if you have palpitations (it shows you have a good strong heart), so what if your tummy churns (it does it when you're excited too and doesn't bother you). I'm not trying to be harsh here at all. I'm just telling you what I had to tell myself when I went to bed at night. I used to lie there on my tummy (so that I could feel my heart beating at its best!), and then smile and say "yep seems to be working ok"! LOL. Sometimes this worked - sometimes it didn't!

The other thing that I stopped doing was looking at the clock. Knowing that you've only slept for 20 mins and will probably stay awake for an hour or two won't help you at all. Turn the clock away and take sleep as and when it comes.

If you haven't already read anything by Claire Weekes I would certainly recommend that too - she explains all of these symptoms in laymans terms and takes the fear out of them.

I also read before I go to bed. This may be difficult for you at the moment though if you're not able to relax, but further down the line it might help.

Another thing I do is listen to a relaxation CD on headphones just before I drop off (sometimes I fall asleep listening to it now!).

The bottom line though is LOSE THE FEAR. As soon as you do that and take the attitude of "what will be will be" then things will get a lot easier and the sleep will come.

Take good care of yourself

Rach xxxx

"True acceptance means 'facing and relaxing' - it is submission" (Claire Weekes)