Waking up at 4 or 5am and anxiety

[Sorrytodisturbyou0]

Anyone else seem to have a brain transplant in the middle of the night? I’m usually a good sleeper but for the past week most nights I’ve woken up at anything from 4 to 5am, tossed and turned, wondered if I need the loo, decide to go to the loo, get back in bed and BAM. Every single worry I’ve ever had and just huge shame and over analysis of things I’ve done in the past, running over work stuff in my mind, just brain (and heart) racing in general.

Logically I think this might be as my self care has been really off the last 10 days or so, I fell off the wagon with dry january and haven’t been exercising, I’ve just felt in a slump.

Do I hold the answer myself do you think - just better self care during the day and perhaps stop drinking again (I haven’t been drinking a lot and definitely not Xmas level!) or is there something else going on?

I literally feel like I’m losing my mind.

Oops tiredness tagged myself!

@Sorrytodisturbyou0

Do you feel anxious during the day *@Zoorhik* or just in the middle of the night?

If this persists I will consider speaking to my doctor but I feel a bit daft considering it only happens 2-3 hours a day. I’m even starting to feel better now after chatting it through on here. But the pounding heart, churning tummy, dry mouth and crazy crazy racing brain feel like classic anxiety signs.

Yes, I do feel anxious during the day but I distract myself with lots of walks and creative things to do. I work part time now and that has helped a lot. I used to have a stressful but well paid job but made the decision to take vol redundancy and have never looked back.

Ugh, I’m the same. The last time I went to the GP with this (fine during the day, horrible anxiety at night) I was prescribed anti anxiety meds (10mg of Citalopram). It worked, but I did want to take them indefinitely.
Now the symptoms are back again I wonder whether I should investigate peri menopause.

*didn’t

Hi OP. I get this. In fact I saw this tweet and screenshotted it. Mainly because 1. I know I'm not alone 2. It makes me LOL with its accuracy.

I learnt that allowing myself to disengage from my brain's mindless chatter is key. I shove in some headphones and listen to (don't watch) a comforting TV programme on my phone. Something you've probably watched before so you don't stay awake to watch but which drowns out your brains desperation to engage! Either that or a soothing/dull podcast! Works every time and within 5 minutes.

I'm 45 by the way. Been happening for a couple of years now.

I haven’t been to sleep yet! Anxiety is a bitch. Solidarity OP

Me too .....
I make myself some hot milk and don't try to get back to sleep for a while .
Horrible isn't it ....

[quote Sorrytodisturbyou0]@Nacreous yes I think I need to do this. I feel like I DONT have control of my diary but the reality is I do, if I plan it a week or so ahead before it fills up. Some people are just so rude and dump stuff in anyway, ignoring private appts, and it’s really hard to explain why I can’t attend yet another zoom, as where else can I be???!

I think I need to get back on the self care wagon (as opposed to the self neglect which is more accurate) and see if that makes a difference[/quote]
I have a very similar problem lunch at the moment is especially non sacred. My work know they need me and know I'm also at the edge of my ability to cope so I think being honest is more helpful than private appointments in my case.

I am also a big whitish noise fan after this year, I never used to bother but I like the headspace app for river noises etc.

Hi. it def could be linked to peri menopause. I have come to accept that alcohol is now just a no, and exercise is a must. I always feel worse when I drink and when I don't exercise. also you might want to try a magnesium supplement. .I always sleep worse when I forget mine. get out into the daylight as early as possible. As a quick stress reliever lie down with your feet up the wall, so your legs and bum are against the wall.

@DWPmisery1972 no sleep at all...I do feel for you. Are you able to nap during the day? I’m grateful for the hours I did get

@Malin52 oh wow that’s tweet is spot on! Sometimes it’s so important to find the humour...otherwise we just get more and more wound up

Right, coffee time.

Oh yes and when I am very anxious radio 4 or a local radio phone in on a headset.

This is me at the moment too.

Fall straight to sleep as exhausted, but then wake after 3-4hrs and just can't get back to sleep despite still feeling tired.

Alternatively I am awake all evening until it hits a point when it's too late to go to sleep so I have to stay up to get dc up for school.

Other symptoms make me think it could be perimenopause, but who knows?

Yeah me! I had a really bad episode of anxiety that led me to 2/3 am wakes up going on to then work a 12:5 hour day. My mind would click on and would whirl straight away. I had a melt down in the end.

Surprisingly enough through all the headspace, yoga and exercise I already do to combat the anxiety. I took kalms nighttime. I didn’t think they’d work. It’s valerian root basically which is know to help insomnia and anxiety.

It didn’t help me fall asleep but it did stop me waking up and if I did I went back to sleep. I couldn’t fault it. I feel it helped my anxiety a little too. I did speak to the doctor but I didn’t want medication as I felt it was a blip from working wards in the pandemic and some life events that had happened.

I’m not taking them and my sleep is still much better.

@Malin52 that is so accurate and pretty much my brain during insomnia episodes!

This is me!!! I've found my people. I wake up between 3-4 and stay awake usually for a couple of hours then sometimes I fall back to sleep and then oversleep, which makes me grumpy as am rushing around. My brain does not switch off. I the other end of forties (I'm in denial) i usually switch a tv show on I've watched lots to try and zone out or I've been trying the calm app and trying to meditate. I do find it very hard as my mind just never seems to be quiet but it does teach you to accept that and just let the thoughts pass. My mental health has been awful for years and I have sad too so January is a complete mess usually. I've found not listening to the news helps massively. I can't control the covid situation and I get very irate at the stupid decisions being made. I also draw or try and do something for me even if it's having one cup of tea in peace. A walk or exercise helps me immensely too. I have three children too, two of those have additional needs, one of them is very violent and that keeps me up a lot. I think it's the not knowing, as maybe I'm a bit of a control freak? I think I was just born a worrier...

Sorry not really, a 5 and 4 year old to home school and 6 cats to keep under control... thankfully I used my time wisely and blitzed the house so it’s spotless ready for them to wreck it today... good times

Also socially distanced hugs for everyone with the anxiety bug... it’s a fucker. I feel like I’m in prison but with access to Netflix. And cats sit on my head at random times of the night.

I used to get this. In my case it was alcohol causing it and it happened even after small amounts. This coincided with peri menopause starting. I had to give up booze completely. I am now sleeping full nights every night. If you don't drink this information won't be of any use to you but if anyone suffering does drink alcohol its worth cutting it out and seeing if it improves.
I never associated it with alcohol because I have drink for the best part of 30 years and this only started in the last 4 years of drinking.

I get this. I get my phone ready with headphones and something to listen to before I go to sleep so when it happens I can immediately pop the headphones in.

I also sometimes write my worries down in my notes app and find that really helpful, especially if they’re things I feel I need to remember.

I’m the same.

I have a Bluetooth sleep mask and listen to a boring podcast or the Calm app sleep stories.

I do have anxiety (diagnosed and medicated) but I can usually manage it during the day. Night time is when it gets me.

That said, I’m having slightly tough days at the moment, too. Cheers, Covid

At the 4am wake up in stick in earphones and listen to a hypnotherapy get to sleep thing. I have to keep finding new ones as after a while they seem less effective.

The best thing about lockdown is that I sleep so much better. Possibly because I'm going in to work a lot less, and there's generally a lot less pressure on me.

4am for me and bad dreams about something happening to my 18 month old Grandson while he’s in my care

Try exercising and limiting alcohol and if this doesn’t improve things by March get sertraline from your GP

Try mindfulness

You'd be young for peri menopause but it's not unknown.
Can you decide before you go to bed that you "address" worries in, say, a half hour slot at a given time?
So, acknowledge what is going around your head, but decide to indulge those worries at, say 8am, and allow 30 minutes. It's like opening a box, dealing with what's inside, then closing it again, knowing that it's dealt with.
This strategy is helpful in organising the thoughts, coming up with a plan, but can help to stop the chaotic ruminating at 3-4am.
Your mind knows that 8am is the time to deal with them and at 4am, you know that box is closed. Much like knowing you've got to put breakfast on the table, but recognising that this is not the time to do it.
If the anxiety is v persistent then a medication like Sertraline 50mg, once daily or Citalapram 20mg can be really helpful.
You can get v good CBT YouTube videos, which may help.
Cutting out alcohol again could also help, not just physiologically, but knowing you are making a healthy decision. Peace will return in your ruminating mind, I'm sure, as you generally have a good track record for sleep. Good luck