Bad anxiety at night.

[Haziedoll]

For the last month or so I seem to be suffering from awful anxiety attacks at night. It's not something that is on my mind before I go to bed but once I am in bed I start feeling really tense and fearful with waves of sadness.

When I eventually get to sleep I have nightmares and keep waking up with a start or shouting out in my sleep.

Has anyone else had this? I don't know what's causing it.

Bump

Are things in your life generally more stressful at the moment? Even if it isn't on your mind going to bed your mind and your body know if things aren't going well....

Couple of suggestions:

Try taking a sleep herbal supplement with valerian or similar. These are quite good at helping with relaxing and turning your brain off a little so you can get to sleep and sleep more calmly. Always worth a shot as they won't do any harm.

Have a plan for what you're going to do when you start to feel anxious. My suggestion is to either get out of bed and go and do something. Make a cup of tea/hot chocolate, stick radio 4 or something similar on. Stay up for 20 minutes or so or until you feel calm again, then go back to bed. Or have a ipod or similar with some soothing podcasts on it and stick your headphones on in bed. I'm a fan of the '100 objects' series from the British Museum, but anything relatively calming will work. I find the words give me something to concentrate on rather than the thoughts whizzing round my brain.

If there are particular worries that are bothering you, try writing them down before you go to bed. Then they're out of your head and on the paper.

Thanks Lady.

I am stressed but to be honest, feeling stressed is how I feel, I'm rarely calm.

I have had a couple of panic attacks in the past and went through a period when I was about 9/10 years old when I had full-blown anxiety attacks every day with severe physical symptoms. This is a little different, I don't really have the physical symptoms it is just a fear, I'm terrified that the phone will ring with news that someone has died, I don't want to go to sleep in case I dream that someone has died and I'm generally terrified of the world. All the optimism I feel in the day has gone.

Over the last couple of years I have gone through periods of worry and then I have received bad news. I know its coincidental but when I'm laying in bed at night the rational side of my brain switches off. It doesn't help that it's winter, I'm lot more tense at this time of year anyway.

I would really like get blotto on wine but I know that's not the answer. I exercise in the evening which helps my body feel tired but I need to switch the mind off too.

I have had this after a period of RL stress though it is not so bad at the moment.
I cope by reading soothing books. Stuff that is undemanding but engaging. eg this series (tragic, I know ) or children's books - there is some amazing writing for kids out there at the moment, or favourites from childhood like The Borrowers.

When the attack comes on in the night I switch the light on and read for a bit.

I also find that re-reading a book about dealing with anxiety attacks helps as it helps me separate myself from the fear IYSWIM.

I know what you mean about imagining something bad might happen.... I find myself slipping into that sometimes.

Have you ever tried CBT? Either with a book/website (www.moodgym.com) or with a counsellor? it can be very effective when dealing with anxiety.

to be truthful I've been on citalopram the last 11 years or so to help take the general edge of my anxiety... My life isn't exactly easy as I live with a chronic illness, and I just need a little extra help - doesn't bother me at all.

It may not be suitable for you but it might be worth talking to your doctor about a low dose. Its prescribed on label for depression but commonly used 'off label' for anxiety...

oh Haziedoll, I have just noticed you wrote, 'I don't want to go to sleep in case I dream that someone has died'
I remember feeling like that - my dreams weren't about death, they were something else, but I remember how awful it was. When I did have those dreams they would cast a shadow over the whole day.
I hardly ever get them now.