Oh my, that sounds familiar. It happens to me all the time. I always have anxiety at night. That is often when I get the feeling that I can't breathe, like an elephant is sitting on my chest. I can relate to waking with the sensation that there is something lurking just outside the window (or the living room, or the kitchen......and don't get me started on the back room....*shivers*).

I don't know if this is an out-and-out medical problem, or a combination of simple "creep-outs" that set off an anxiety attack. I come from a family that believes in "the paranormal" stuff, so I might not be the best person to answer this concern. But I do want you to know that I feel what you are going through. I can tell you what helps me get through such an attack: I usually get up and go into the living room, and turn on all the lights. I sit there, maybe look at a magazine until I calm down and can go back to sleep. Another possible solution would be to invest in one of those touch-lamps, the ones that get brighter the more times you touch them. You could keep one near your bed and turn it on as you need it (they usually are quite soft on their lowest setting, so you probably won't disturb anyone). Or you could keep it on continously by the window, so that you could see if anyone/thing crept in. It's really good for peace of mind.

I hope that some of these ideas could help you, as they've helped me. They might makes the nights a little easier. Please don't worry, you don't sound like any sort of freak--I have this stuff too, and no one has dubbed me "freak" yet! If other members of this board has any suggestions also, I encourage them to post. There may be several ways to tackle this problem.

All the best,

Ronni


Your shadow is laughing.