Anxiety when trying to go to sleep!!! - Anxiety and Depre...

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Anxiety when trying to go to sleep!!!

Stephanie89 profile image
12 Replies

Lately I been feeling these rush of anxiety as I’m trying to go to sleep I start feeling really shaken feeling like I can’t breathe with my heart pains

Idk how to shake this it’s such a scary feeling I just want to be able to go to sleep normally and I can’t sometimes it take me until 3 in the morning to start feeling ok to actually close my eyes

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Stephanie89 profile image
Stephanie89
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12 Replies
Iloveart7 profile image
Iloveart7

Sometimes guided meditations help me relax to sleep. Hope you get some rest!

Stephanie89 profile image
Stephanie89 in reply to Iloveart7

Thank you I’m going to try that

Lightattheend profile image
Lightattheend

Hello Stephanie89. I too have been dealing with this. I toss and turn for hours before I can fall asleep due to my anxiety. Calming water sounds used to help relax and put me to sleep but now I need some type of sleep aid.

Stephanie89 profile image
Stephanie89 in reply to Lightattheend

I tried the calming waters and even taking a bath or shower with lavender and now it’s not working anymore

X01WOOG profile image
X01WOOG

I cannot sleep because I have sinus problems, my nose is completely closed. I went to the doctor and she verified this and gave me an rx which keeps me awake in addition to not being able to breathe, drink water, go to bathroom all night. I already think of everything under the sun in bed and turn the tv on and off numerous times a night. I don't think I have more than an hour, may two hours a whole night of sleep. I have many issues with my body but still I tell myself so many people are much worse than I am. My mind never stops. My doctor give me anti depressants which I will not take. I need nerve pill, not pill which make me even more hyper.

quitter333 profile image
quitter333

Hi, I had the same, I'll write you my personal experience when I got the time ;) My quick suggestion - develop very disciplined daily regime, with key points 1. No screens 1 hour before sleep. Draw something, read .. anything that is creative in your mind of fingertips, but is not rushed (videogames while actually very good for imagination simply are too quick) 2. Stretch about 1 hour before sleep. Let all that sh**t in your ligaments move around a little.

3. Go to bed every single day at 23:00 for example (yeah, easier said than done I know) regardless of how you feel. If you can't sleep, take paper and write or read. Remember - anxiety is your subjective fear.. you are in a comfy bed and fed, you are ok. nothing in this world can hurt you, your job problems are not important to YOU.

4. Wake up same time every morning, for example 7:00.

5. ! Eat at same times! - especially breakfast 8:00 every day. breakfast is a major key point for your brain

6. Hydrate, have diet where there's a lot of protein and enough greens and carbs. let your body be filled with nutrients, so it doesnt experience insulin or sugar level drops every now and then (those can wake you up easily)

7. Read or watch materials that is educational. Yeah, i know again easier said than done, but you must push through "I don't really feel like it" and just watch a seminar or two every other day. Not a proponent of TED talks, but that's a very good start. You can find more complex things about decision making, business etc.

8. Exercise, feed your brain with oxygen.

9. love somebody or something. If you are a loving person, you already have fulfilled your role. Nothing and noone can harm you. Get a dog or a ferret that needs your love.

TL;DR - very disciplined daily regime is a basic key for success.

Once you get rolling with regime, you can start having off days as you will already feel great. You only need military discipline at the beginning, like 1 month +

Stephanie89 profile image
Stephanie89 in reply to quitter333

Thank you for this 🙂

I noticed sometimes I am on my phone right before bed and and I don’t actually calm down nor am I super relaxed before bed I just kinda look at time and just jump off into bed

I hate it cuz it’s feels like jolting to me but I am going to try all this and I hope it will help me to get on some sort of routine I really need my sleep especially if I start a new job I can not be waking up with headaches tired because I didn’t get any sleep I thought about trying melatonin but I haven’t yet

quitter333 profile image
quitter333 in reply to Stephanie89

I am trying to follow it all and actually doing it makes me feel like accomplishment. And the good thing is that discipline is actually a real life accomplishment.

Regarding 7. - educational stuff makes you think about the new insights rather than anxiety.

9. Yeah adopting few ferrets was best decision of my life lately. Had cats n dog for years but for last 5 years had no animals. People even girlfriend just cannot provide unbound love that animals express

deborah27 profile image
deborah27

i get that and i think i have figured it out. i don't experience this until i am trying to get to sleep in bed. sometimes it's like falling suddenly and i jump or a sudden surge of adrenalin that scares the life out of me or a sudden ping or bang sensation in my head or chest that equally scares me. my heart races through fear and i have to start all over again. i have realised that the tension in my body is already there before i go to bed and that lying down and my body trying to go to sleep, all the tension in my muscles is released. that is what all the pinging and jumping and the rest... is all about. it's like if you wound up something really tight and it starts to unravel when you set it down. i have started sitting for a while before i lie down and massaging my neck and shoulders with some body lotion and Biofreeze, this is cooling and eases any tension in my neck and shoulders. i do the same with my feet and lower legs. do this firmly but slowly. i tell myself it's fine and that any strange sensations are very simply muscle tension. it might be psychological, but i feel that things have improved for me.

anxiousgirl7 profile image
anxiousgirl7

I get this too!! It happens about once a week for me... I usually play on my phone or put a movie on to distract my mind. I end up falling asleep at some point. Feel better

I use to have the same issue. Do you drink coffee or caffeinated drinks? I was told drinking coffee can increase anxiety. So I ditched coffee and started drinking tea. My sleeping patterns have become more normal now.

There are lots of "sleep hygiene" things you can do as suggested by others here especially Quitter's. The main part of which is routine.

You've also had so much advice that you couldn't possibly do all of it. It does sound like the main feature of your anxiety is muscular tension and if you tackle that it might really help. One of the best techniques is "progressive muscular relaxation". If you Google this you can easily find some instructions on how to do it. If you Google "progressive muscular relaxation audio" you should be able to find and download an audio file which will talk you through the technique.

Another possibility is that you may have restless legs syndrome. (RLS) In this case you may find you get strange feelings in your legs and feel you have to move them. Then they may start to shake or twitch. It's a slight possibility, but worth investigating. RLS is a sleep disorder and can be severe. I take medication for it every day at the same time. If I forget to take it, I don't sleep, not at all!

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