Fear of feeling tired/drowsy?

[Robert84]

I have noticed I panic mostly on a morning and on a night. The main trigger of a panic attack for me now is coming over tired. Experts warn that caffiene increases anxiety levels, but some nights i need several cups of coffee just to get to sleep.

I tend to come over tired sometimes very quickly. I guess it is common to feel tired and drained when you have been through a lot of anxiety. However when I think about being tired I become more tired and try to fight the tiredness. Sometimes the more I try to fight it the more tired I get. This can bring me into a panic attack.

I an clear of the reasons but I think its something to do with fear of dying in my sleep. I cannot bear to let my body control when I have to sleep and I have to feel like I have total mental control over it. I wouldnt say I suffer from tiredness most of the time and I noramally have 8 hours sleep a night, but if I feel drowsy before my regular bed time I panic and end up going to bed later than normal.

I think too when Im tired it makes the symtoms I get when I panic worse. Such as the blurred vision/ not being able to focuss my eyes and light headedness. When I'm alert I feel I have more control so feel reassured. When im tired I feel as if the tiredness is fighting against me. One time I was deprived of sleep and I stopped up for 2 days going out of one panic attack and into the next. I got someone to bring me a bottle of wine, drank that and crashed out for 14 hours sleep, woke up and felt fine.

Anyone else suffer from this?

[kaz79]

I feel like that too. The more tired I am, yhe more I try to fight it and end up getting very panicky.

[cattttt]

When I was really bad last year, I used to panic just as I was going off to sleep, still happens sometimes, or I go to sleep and wake up a few minutes later feeling anxious. Then it takes ages to get to sleep again.

[ajfwebb]

The fact that you are trying to control your body with your mind indicates that you are in conflict with and afraid of your bodily feelings, needs, desires. It will inevitably create tiredness. Your mind cannot win this fight. You need to let go and let yourself feel. You may need help to do this, particularly if you have been denying, suppressing and living in your head for a long time, as it will be scarey to really face things. I advise you to seek out a good body-orented therapist. Good luck.