[lost_lonely]

This is going to sound weird, but it's really bothering me. For the past several nights, I've been waking up at 3am in the middle night, out of a dead sleep in the grips of an awful anxiety attack! I'm shaky, sweaty and jumpy, have trouble catching my breath and paraniod that there is something lurking in the darkness outside my window, trying to bite it's way through the screen! Has this happening to anyone else before? I know I sound like a freak, but It's very frightening.

[Storm]

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.

[(JD)]

These are terrifying for sure! Mine were diagnosed as Night Terrors, a truly anxiety ridden nightmare that usually leaves me in a sweat and shaking but no memory of why.

(In fact, often I would wake in another room and find the bed and area torn apart or similar results...)

A good sleep medication might help for a few weeks to settle down.

Also, basic "common sense" things we should all do: or don't do:

don't watch scary movies right before bed
don't watch tv in bed
read only calming things right before bed
drink milk not alcohol or carbonated beverages before bed
don't think about all the bad stuff right before bed (which is why I get confused about ppl who journal at night???)

oh well.. hopes this helps?

<font color=blue> meditation is a true way to connect to the Source </font color=blue>

[ALi26]

You are in no way a freak. I have had this happen to me before b/c I had panic disorder and OCD. I think what works for me is to walk around and exhaust myself in order to sleep. You could take a seditive to calm down or distract yourself with self halp books,tapes, or call a friend. Hold your breath for ten seconds and then let the air out. Keep repeating this process in order to not breathe heavy and make the attack worse. Talk yourself out of it. Tell yourself you'll be ok.It is only temporary. I hope it helps. If not I'll think of more. Ali

[Shaymus]

I get these once in a blue moon. Ill be laying in bed and then my heart will just start pounding and if i close my eyes ill actually see a person coming into my room who wants to do me harm. Impending doom is right around the corner and the more i try to calm down the worse it gets. I just know im about to be injured in some way shape or form. I never knew what it was but i just hoped that it wouldnt happen very often.

[shakes]

Although a journal before bed sounds odd it can actual be quite helpful. While you are rehashing the bad parts of one's day, the good parts are being thought about too. Plus I have noticed with myself that if I can write down the bad things that have been happening it becomes a kind of sorting act on paper. I tend to feel a lot better once I can write it out.
Unfortunately meds can have a horrible tendency to intensify dreams at night. While I was on Prozac I used to wake up with nightmares most nights of the week. It can be a high price to pay in order to feel well during the day, but have these attacks at night.

I feel for you and hope for the best,
Jessica

<font color=blue> You are in this snowglobe. It is encovered in glass and secure. But one day someone comes and shakes the globe and the pieces go flying everywhere. Now they will eventually settle but they won't be the way they were before and they can never be that way again. </font color=blue>

[SeptemberMorn]

When I was a teenager, I obsessed quite often about someone breaking in during the night. One of my aunts suggested I get up and face my fears. A friend suggested that it was my fear of losing my fiancee who was overseas and manifested that way. Looking back, it could have easily been my anxiety beginning to rear it's ugly head. When it became full blown about 20 yrs ago, I'd wake up just like you do, but my fear was that I was dying.

The suggestions you've gotten are right on target. Working on my journal didn't help me because my depression was such that I couldn't think of anything positive. Feel yourself out, try it and see if it makes things better or worse.

Whenever I started a new med for depression/anxiety, I'd tend to have very intense and sometimes scary dreams. They eventually went away as my body got used to the new med.

Hang in there. You're not weird or a freak! Talk to your doctor.





<font color=blue>"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt" --Shakespeare</font color=blue>

[marst]

I really feel for you, I have those often-mine are often insect related. I'm OCD and in the middle of the night I will jump up, throw all of my covers off my bed and search for any kind of bugs. I always panic that my room is infested even though I'm a complete neat freak and haven't ever had a problem, i once even spent the night spraying down my room. I have other panic attacks at night some times not relating to anything, some about other fixations but i know how you feel and its awful. Well-i wish you the best!!

-Mary

[MusheleL]

hey everyone i'm new to this site, however i cannot sleep anymore!
i'm moving in with my boyfriend the end of this week and every time i sleep over i wake up around 3:30am sweating, shaking, and my head and thoughts are going a mile a minute!
So his grandparents both had passed and we are living in their old apartment, in fact in their bedroom! I'm not sure if this is why i'm waking up like a bat out of hell or what but it's really getting bad, i haven't slept in a few days. He tells me to just relax and try to sleep, but it is NO way that easy! I really do not know what to do! i want to move in with him but i'm scared this is going to keep happening?
Does anyone have ANY positive feedback for me about this matter? Will it go away? Will i be able to move in with him? please!!!!!!!!