Not sure what’s happening

[Katt_s]

Hi

im not sure what I’m feeling but it’s really starting to freak me out. Recently I have experienced the feeling of just freaking out . I would lay in bed ready to go to sleep as I slowly fall asleep I feel like my breathing is going slower and my head feels like it’s racing. I then just suddenly wake up and get myself up and I freak out . I don’t even know what I’m freaking out about. I literally haven’t even closed my eyes for about 1 min and I feel it. I would reach for my phone as I need to see light . I stay up and I’m fine I then go back down and it happens again. As in sitting up both ears are hurting and my head a little. I have never had anxiety or panic attacks before so I’m really not understanding what’s going on.
mum just worried as I can barely get any sleep cause I get scared of what can happen . I feel nothing but fine throughout the day it’s only as I lay down to sleep . Has anyone experienced this ?

[Jolly_Chaplin]

Hello. Nice work for posting.

It sounds like your thoughts are troubling you. Try to isolate what it is you're worried about. (Use pen, paper if necessary). Could it be that you're worried you can't sleep? or, worried that you shouldn't feel anxious while trying to sleep? I've experienced racing thoughts while trying to sleep as well.

Sometimes what we worry about is worrying itself. For example, insomniacs might give themselves a harder time cause they're laying in bed thinking 'Why can't I sleep? I just want to relax.' instead of maybe getting up and doing something else (eg. reading). So the problem can sometimes create itself. It may still be an issue but you learn to adapt to it.

In your case, if you haven't experienced this before, I wouldn't worry about being an insomniac or anything like that. My brother used to have a similar thing happen. Insecurity. It can be to do with what you have been exposed to; any bad images or things that induce panic.

Make sure you're doing all the right things first. Here's a link. It's a good start for things you can do to help, and it's what I did when I couldn't sleep.

-Chris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxvNmOTrohw&ab_channel=AbrahamThePharmacist

[tranzcrybe]

Hi Katt.s,

Thank you for posting on the forums, and a very warm welcome to you.

First I would recommend you rule out any underlying physical symptoms by visiting you GP for tests (blood tests, ECG, the usual checks).

The constant is when you are lying down - you could experiment by raising your head (extra pillows, or physically raising that end of your bed) to see if symptoms change.

I would also investigate what you are ingesting or specific activities prior to going to bed that may be contributing to your condition (too much screen time, eating certain foods/drinks). Simply changing your night time routine (warm bath, glass of milk - the old fashioned remedies) may also make a difference (perhaps placing your phone out of reach??)

Hope this gives you some ideas to start with.

Regards,

t.

[Here_I_am]

Hi Katt.s.

I can relate to your experience. This is how I first learned that I was about to meet my anxiety; I had a significant amount of unresolved stress with work, and one night I went to bed after watching/dozing off whilst watching some Wimbledon, and about 10 minutes later I was jolted awake with the biggest adrenaline shot I have ever experienced! My mind was going 1183 miles an hour, and my heart was beating out of my chest. I think I went the entire night just on the verge of drifting off but my mind and body felt like they were running two different marathons in different directions.

This happened a few nights in a row, followed by a new 3:30am wake up time whether I wanted to or not! 🙂

After about a week, I was exhausted and went to my GP. I was very open and honest about what had been going on, and I found that the support I received was really welcomed and helpful. Things got better, and now I am aware of my anxiety and what it feels like.

It is still unpleasant at times, and certainly not a welcome addition to my middle age years, but it's something that I have to contend with.

I cannot recommend getting to a good GP highly enough. Just talking through what is going on is a great starting point; remember we're not going to GP's to tell them what's wrong with us, but rather to give them the information they need to help heal us. Just lay it out, and let what comes back be the next informed step.

I genuinely hope you find some peace of a night time in the coming days. When our sleep is affected, it can make everything else feel so much harder.

Hope to hear from you soon!