Problem sleeping when I have anxiety. Does anybody else experience the same?

[Dynamito]

I've had anxiety again recently, mild panic attacks and with it it's got my brain running wild. I cannot even concentrate properly on my sleep. I struggle to get to sleep, and when I do I wake up every few hours. I am at a point where I dread the night times as I know I need to sleep, but I just struggle too. Does anybody else have the same issues or had the same issues?

[Fishmanpa]

Common anxiety symptom.

FMP

[NoraB]

I've had anxiety again recently, mild panic attacks and with it it's got my brain running wild. I cannot even concentrate properly on my sleep. I struggle to get to sleep, and when I do I wake up every few hours. I am at a point where I dread the night times as I know I need to sleep, but I just struggle too. Does anybody else have the same issues or had the same issues?

I developed long-term insomnia as part of my tussle with health anxiety. I've always had anxiety but sleep was never an issue for me - mainly because getting through the day knackered me too much!

Anyhoo, at my worst, I was having about 2 hours unrestful sleep in-between panic attacks. I could always fall asleep quickly enough but staying asleep was my issue and sometimes I'd be awake 30 minutes after falling asleep - and then it was rollercoaster time!

But I've also had it where my brain is too active for me to fall asleep, and that was last night as it happens..

If you think of it in a physical way - when we lie there at night trawling things over in our heads - we are releasing stress hormones (fight or flight) and how likely are we to be able to go to sleep when the body is primed to run or fight? The parasympathetic nervous system has been turned off by the anxiety and we need that to be able to sleep. There's medication, obviously, but I don't believe in medicating for sleep issues long-term. Best thing is to understand the issue, work with it, and keep things as natural as possible.

Obviously go through the dos and don'ts checklist to see if something you are doing/ingesting is contributing to the issue. Don't be using your mobile phone, or looking at any kind of screen before you want to go to sleep. Don't watch the news in the evening. Don't drink coffee after mid-day etc. Make sure your room is not too cold or too warm, and it's dark enough for melatonin to kick in - you know the stuff? Then you want to learn some relaxation techniques and learn how to 'park' your worries in order to allow sleep to come. Last night I did some deep breathing (which physically turns on the parasympathetic nervous response) and some visualisation. I have this lovely beach in Wales that I go to and I really get into the visualisation Or I visit my childhood home (which we left when I was 9) and I systematically go through each room - remembering as much detail as possible. I've yet to go through the whole house before I fall asleep! Or, I alternate thinking of fruits and places using the alphabet. E.G A = Australia B = Banana C = Canada - D = Date. It sounds simple enough but it distracts the brain from whatever it is I was worrying about. It causes a 'break' in the train of thought, you get me?

But the NUMBER ONE tip I can give anyone re insomnia is this: the more you worry about not being able to sleep, the more you won't be able to. Instead, you tell yourself that it doesn't matter if you sleep or not. If you wake up, fine. You can read a book, listen to some classical music, do some relaxation exercises or you can get up and do something to discharge some of the adrenalin.

Don't fear not going to sleep. This is temporary. Things will settle down with a little effort from you.

I've seen some of the most beautiful sunrises due to my insomnia, so I came to tell myself that it didn't matter if I didn't sleep because I would get to see those sunrises. Once I took away the fear, and worked with my body instead of against it, the sleep came and the panic attacks lessoned. Now I rarely have panic attacks, but when I do have them - they don't phase me. Also, I know how to settle myself if I'm anxious and I'm averaging 8 hours a night now..

[Catkins]

Whenever I'm anxious one of the first things to go is sleep.

What Nora has put is spot on. I actually could have done with reading her reply last night as a reminder as I've got into the bad habit of watching videos on FB before I go to sleep and last night I really bloody struggled to get to sleep. So tonight my book will be my friend (plus I do a guided meditation to help me relax).

Hence this morning I'm in a right twitter because I didn't get enough sleep!