Stress/not sleeping/first panic attack

[sherbetpips]

I have been under a great deal of stress at work which before now I have always been able to handle. This time round however I am not sleeping more than three hours a night as well as getting up at 6am and back home at 8pm. It all came to a head yesterday when I had a panic attack. It lasted a couple of hours but eventually the ambulance drivers managed to calm me down. My hands and feet were numb and my head and neck hurt like hell, they still do.
This morning I felt myself start to go again so did the breathing exercises. I now appear to be getting stressed about having another attack. I know I am stressed because I am so tired and am therefore blowing any problem completely out of proportion. I fall asleep because I am exhausted but then wake up within a couple of hours. So my question is what tips does anyone have for getting back to sleep when you wake up with heart pounding, etc. I have tried reading, doing yoga stretches, etc. please help.

I have a similar reaction to stress sometimes (including post-natally after DS3 was born when my sleep went completely to pot, I remember having runs of two nights of two hours sleep and being a total stress bunny as a result). I think what saved me more than anything was listening to Paul McKenna's 'I can make you sleep' on my ipod and reading the book that went with it. Also trying not to let it worry me (easy I know) that if I didn't sleep enough nobody was going to die, I'd cope, I'd be ok and probably sleep better eventually. The thing on the ipod worked really well for me though. I still use it now and then. Sorry you are struggling. Hope this helps.

Thanks will have a look on iTunes

Had another episode yesterday but I don't know why. I went running as I thought it would relieve some stress but as soon as I started breathing heavily and my heart rate got up I had a splitting pain n my head, hands and feet went numb again and I started hyperventilating. Same as my panic attack earlier in the week. Why would exercise cause that? Feel dreadful again today with a headache painkillers won't shift.

Have you been to see GP? I used to have panic attacks and was given some tablet to help. It did in the short term, but long term had to sort out the work problems that were causing me to be panickcy.
Had one at the weekend, first time in about 10 years. Was really scary but did manage to calm myself. Tried really hard to clear my mind and just focus on breathing (which is easier said than done sometimes).
Hope you feel better soon.

Am off to docs this afternoon, not really sure what to say to him though or to work. I don't feel able to go back to work yet but I won't have any choice as their is no cover (one of the reasons I am in this state). Meeting with boss tonight, having lots of awful negative thoughts, have never been like this before and want myself back!