Waking up in a panic?!

[mz_rachel]

So lately I've been staying up so I sleep later than usual. My sleeping schedule is all messed up bc right now I'm not working anyway so I kinda stay up when I can etc. However, when I do take short naps as well I find that I wake up in a state of panic. Like I can't breathe. I'm constantly thinking about my breathing 24/7, it's my new obsession I suppose. Then my heart beats so fast. Is this anxiety? I mean I know my body would tell me otherwise but I'm fucking over it. I say that but I know I'm not a quitter, but I love sleep and now even that gets interrupted?! I don't know if I should take sleeping pills or what.... sigh. Any suggestions?

[Flameohotman]

Every time I take a nap I wake up with my heart pounding and a sudden wave of panic. This doesn't happen to me when I sleep at night, only if I were to take a nap during the day. I thought it was odd but now I'm just used to it and I only take naps when I absolutely have to.

[menagerie11]

It's easy to fall into poor sleep patterns when we don't have a schedule, and it sounds like perhaps that has happened to you. There is something called sleep hygiene (good sleeping habits) that you might want to check into. Regular sleeping and waking times are important for our bodies' rhythms. If you are waking up in a panic when you have a nap, it could be that your body/brain is uncertain about what is going on. If you wake up in a panic, you may be hyper-ventilating, which would cause your heart to beat faster. Try calm breathing (abdominal breathing) to slow down your breathing and your heart rate. There are some good videos on Youtube that walk you through calm breathing and relaxation exercises.

[mz_rachel in reply to menagerie11]

Thank you so much for your reply ❤️ I will try that!