Horrible panicky feelings when trying to get to sleep - anyone else had them?

[Pinkchampagne]

Have had this on & off for a while but seems to be happening a lot again atm. I will just be dropping off to sleep & then will feel all panicky like I am dying or something, then fully wake up with my heart pounding. Can happen a good few times a night & disturbs my sleep as I get scared of dropping off in case it happens again, so I can stay awake for hours.

Has anyone had similar or know of anything I can do to stop them happening as often?

I am far from being an expert but sounds like panic attacks. Is it possible that you are perhaps a little depressed? At times when I've been depressed (in the middle of post baby blues or ground down by fatigue) that has been one of the signs. As well as waking up in middle of night with heart pounding. Perhaps see your GP?

Don't feel depressed as such but am a little stressed atm. Also, I am a single mum & have this fear of something happening to me in the middle of the night when alone with my boys, so that may be behind it in some way.
If it continues I may see my gp as it is getting to the point that I fear bedtime in case it happens again, which in itself probably makes it more likely to happen again.

Sometimes depression doesn't manifest itself as sadness per se. But your mind tends to tell you at night when things aren't quite right. Probably not a bad idea to see your GP though. Always worth a chat with someone. And its self-perpetuating. You don't sleep, you worry about not sleeping, you don't sleep etc Hang in there .

Good grief, I could have written your post.

This happens to me regularly. I fall asleep and wake up an hour later feeling like I'm dying - really ill and weird and very low. Sometimes I am sweating and trembling. It's a horrible, horrible feeling.

With me it's linked with anxiety and depression. I also have a few minor things wrong with me physically (I'm hypothyroid and have Gilbert's sydrome) that play a part.

Hope you feel better soon.

I had those kind of attacks after I had dd (first child and no experience of children before) by CS. I was in hospital for 7 days and in a side room on my own. I use to jolt awake, fearing that my baby was dead or that I was never going to see dh again. It was horrible and very frightening. It only ever happened in the early hours of the morning. There was a lovely auxillary nurse who talked to me and give my cups of tea which helped.

It is truly awful and hope you can get some help from your gp.

Hey there, goodness, me too. Went through a stage in last couple of weeks of waking at 4.30, then 4, then 3.30, and not being able to get back to sleep, because as soon as I felt myself dropping off I'd get this sort of panic-adrenaline kick, which would wake me up. Also, I'm a single mother too - and am currently living at my sister's, and sharing a room with my 14-month-old - and doing a pretty demanding, stressful job four days a week - so when I woke up, I'd think 'bugger, must get back to sleep, or tomorrow will be a disaster' - and then, of course, I couldn't.

So ... I went to see the doc about it last week. 'Sleep tends to be connected to the rest of your life,' he said. 'Are you depressed at all? Tearful?' - at which, naturally, I burst into tears! Thing is, I don't feel depressed on a day-to-day level, but I guess I am pretty stressed out, and this was how it manifested itself. He prescribed counselling (which I'll begin next week) and 14 sleeping pills, to break the cycle of bad sleep. They're just diazepam, so don't send you into a deep sleep, but are basically anti-anxiety. For the last few nights, I've taken half a pill before going to sleep, and even when I've woken up, because I knew I could take another half-pill if necessary, I've just dropped straight back off! Planning on not taking any tonight to see how I go.

So ... in short, definitely worth seeing your doc, I reckon. It is deeply stressful, not being able to rely on your sleep!

I had these many years ago when I was at Uni, it was horrid. I didn't seek treatment (except self-medicated booze!) and they eventually stopped happening.

I've recently been diagnosed with depression and I had a panic attack like this last night. I put the light on and read a book until I fell asleep again, if I can distract myself then I'm ok.

Please do go to your Dr.

Thank you all - glad I am not alone here (although of course not glad that others suffer with this horrible thing - just pleased it isn't just me going mad!) I was putting off going to the doctors, thinking it wasn't enough to justify a doctors visit - but after reading your replies I think I will make an appointment. Strangly it doesn't happen as much if I have had a bit of alcohol for some reason, but of course I can't use that as an excuse to hit the bottle every night! Really hadn't considered depression though.

Could be sleep apnoea?

I've had this for years, but only get it rarely now because when it comes on I can say to myself, "This is sleep apnoea, it feels grim but it is harmless, it will pass..."

Poor you, I know how horrible it is, particularly when you're run down and in need of good sleep.

What is sleep apnoea? Never heard of it

My mum gets this Pinkchampagne - she is a complete insomniac and often sits up in a panic, feeling claustrophobic or smothered. She hasn't found the answer to this I'm afraid but I wanted you to know you're not alone.

It really is horrible - tell your mum she has my sympathies, Kbear

Sleep apnoea is basically your breath stopping while you're asleep. You're not usually aware of it besides waking up panicked, gasping for breath and wondering why on earth it's happened. Happens to me sometimes when I am just beginning to drift off.

I get sleep paralysis too, that's no fun either!

Just realised I made that sound pretty alarming... Your breath only stops for about 10 seconds, don't worry, it's not life-threatening, but worth checking out with your GP as lots of things can affect it - weight & alcohol intake being two common ones.

i also get them too but i suffer from panic/anxity too they are not nice

My weight is normal & I notice them more when I have no alcohol at all, but I think I sometimes do stop breathing for a few seconds with it sometimes so it could well be sleep apnoea. Might have to pay my GP a visit then as I think I am now in a cycle of panicking about it happening which then makes it more likely to happen.

ILS - I tend to suffer from panic & anxiety too. Used to have panic attacks in the day but now only get these horrible night panics. They are really horrible & for a few seconds I fear I am dying when they happen.

i have had them to, mind u i was going thr a very stressful time in life relative dying and child was being diagnosed with special needs.

they r very scary and its so hard to get to sleep.

my doc put me on anti dep

could u try a herbal sleeping tablet or calms if ur stressed, i would be wary going on anti depressents unless u think u need to

good luck

xxx

I really don't want to go on AD's - I don't feel depressed at all, but have stress. I have a multi agency meeting about my DS on Tuesday so am worried about that, then there has been extra put on me at work this week & I have my performance management next Thursday. All these things raise my stress level that little higher, but I wasn't sure whether this was linked to these sleep panics I keep getting.
I am surprised how many of you have said you also suffer these - I haven't come across anyone but myself who has this problem. Was thinking of trying kalms or something similar. Used to take them & Rescue Remedy for the panic attacks I started getting around the time of my separation but haven't used them for years.

I used to get these a lot at a time when I was feeling pretty stressed at work, losing my hair (!) and coming home with such achy legs that I could barely stand up to make tea.

I pursued the GP re. the hair loss and discovered that I was low in iron (not low enough to be 'anaemic' BTW - a dermatologist told me that you need an iron level of 75 and above for healthy hair growth), and I then read that iron deficiency can lead to palpitations.

Once I was on tablets, they went away. I suppose I can't say for sure it was the iron or a change in my stress levels that did it (it was a while ago), but worth getting it checked when you see a GP.

I would say panic attacks.

I had panic disorder for years and thankfully got through the worst of it through CBT and a range of ABs. I remember the whole sleeping, dying thing.

Even now I'm feeling ok and off everything, I have the scarey moments where I'm just drifting off to sleep but my whole body jerks up awake as I feel like I'm not breathing properly. It takes me ages to get to sleep as it happens again and again in a night.

I wouldn't think it's apneoa as most people with it don't realise it's happening (but check if you believe it is) my DH has apneoa and had no clue but people with panic attacks are so aware of their bodies.

Oh I certainly know it is happening that's for sure. It only lasts a few seconds but it is the scariest couple of seconds & I spring up in my bed with my heart racing - it's horrible.

Have had an ovaltine & no caffiene this evening so hoping that may help. I am getting nervous about bedtime now - this isn't good!