I had a random thought that sleep almost seems out of fashion in some circles. We live in a world with 24 hour everything where we're almost encouraged to just keep going and going. For me though sleep really has a place. Being over tired makes me more susceptible to attacks which means proper sleep and being able to relax is important. Does this always work? Yes and no.
It's possibly anxiety related, possibly not but I really struggle to switch off at the end of the day. My brain seems to live at 100 meters/second and I have a love for learning and obtaining information. Then again, look at me; I speak and read English and German fluently as well as basic Dutch. I taught myself how to fix basic computer issues. I can quote most of all 8 series of That 70s Show but if you ask me to turn off completely? If I'm honest, I'm not sure it would work.
When speaking to my doctor recently he asked me "do you worry?" On the whole I have many concerns about the world. Anyone who knows me will probably agree with me when I say that I give a damn. Some will say possibly too much and that I shouldn't try to right every wrong. The issue for any of us is to find a balance. (I seem to be saying that a lot recently) and I seem to be able to sleep knowing that people are suffering in the world. The real switching off issue for all of us occurs in our personal lives, the issues that we can't escape and this is where the overlap with the sleep issue comes with regards to my anxiety.
OK so none of you really need lessons from me as to why we need sleep but if we can't sleep because of anxiety or because we can't relax properly or for any other reason then it will really mess you up.
I generally have always managed to sleep well and have less episodes at night than during the day but when I have episodes at night it can become a bit of a cycle. I am over tired and can't switch off so I worry so I don't sleep so I get over tired.
When I can't sleep like this it can be really scary, possibly more so than during a day time episode. For me its because I know what I am meant to be doing (i.e. sleep) but can't do it. In a night time anxiety attack, the gambit ranges from really mild to feeling "if I shut my eyes then I won't be opening them again."
Now I hope you never experience that feeling but it has happened to me before. The annoying thing is that right now, I can reason it out; I am nearly 25 years old and bar something really out of the blue I will not die in my sleep but in that moment, reason doesn't apply. All you have is an impending sense of your own demise. That is all you feel.
As I said these night time attacks have happened to me before and I have my own coping mechanisms that I find helpful:
* Take your mind off it - I mentioned in a previous post that I cease to worry when my mind is on other things. Now obviously at 2am you don't want to put on Lord of the Rings and zone out but a short rest bite is good. You Tube has lots of stuff on it or I use my personal favourites www.thatguywiththeglasses.com, www.spoonyexperiment.com and www.cinemassacre.com
If the net is not accessible then maybe an episode of something on a dvd. Loads of American shows are 20 mins if you remove the ads so it's a good length of time to chill out in. Remember, you can't hyperventilate and laugh!
* Drink something soothing - NOT ALCOHOL! As wussy as it may sound to you guys, herbal teas work. Peppermint and camomile are really good for bad nerves. If you don't like tea then warm milk in the microwave for 2 mins and add honey. That or a cool glass of water. Don't chug it though, remember to sip slowly.
* Rescue Remedy - I actually think this stuff does work and it's available in Superdrug so it's easily available. It may be all in my head but I can feel myself calmer having taken it. I'll say this though, don't over use it. It'll lose it's effect and become a habit that every time you have an attack you'll reach for it which isn't good. Rescue Remedy is always my last resort when having an attack.
Now that's how I work and the best thing to do is to find what works for you. That said these ideas really have worked for me so I highly recommend them. Finding what works for you can take a while but it's really worth it.
These, as ever, are my foibles so I can't speak for anyone else and in terms of its frequency it's minor but the impact they have on me and my health is major. I need to work on my relaxation techniques and trust me, when my councilling starts it's the first thing I'll be mentioning but at least when my sleep suffers I have methods to counteract what is happening. It's all part of the process.
Sweet dreams everyone.
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i totally understand what you mean by this. Night anxieties are what i get more than daytime ones, or if i'm just overwhelmed by anything in particular - say, if i dont feel comfortable in a certain situation. a month and a half ago, i had night anxieties every night for more or less the entire month, and it got to the point that i was almost even afraid of going to sleep. i would finally fall asleep after my brain not being able to shut off for a few hours, laying there fidgeting and then being woken up suddenly by a night terror, resulting in me, yet again, not being able to fall asleep for a few hours. there were at least a few nights where i would just lie there in bed sobbing uncontrollably just wanting someone to make it stop. so i'd stumble up the stairs and hop into bed with my parents, hoping that someone else's presese would make it go away. but then i felt bad because i'd worried them so much, crying so hard and not being able to say what was bothering me.
ReplyDeletefinally after another few hours of trying to sleep, i'd hop in my car and go for a long drive, just feeling the need to get out (if only out of my head). when i get my anxieties, i just get insanely overwhelmed. like i've mentioned to you before, i get the overly insanely happy ones, which i love. nothing feels greater, it's like i'm on drugs or something. but when it's the other way, it's unbearable, often just crying for hours at night with no knowledge as to why and i can't stop.
going for a drive seemed to help that time, but i dont necessarily feel that it is very safe for me to be out on the road when i'm like that, as my mind isn't focused on driving. honestly, i have no idea what to do in this situation. sometimes i try watching some tv, but i'm always afraid of waking the others.
i haven't had an attack in a few months, to which i am grateful, and usually they are fairly spread out, but when i get attacks, i get them often and for a few weeks. kinda just makes me want to curl up in a ball and stay in bed until it stops. unfortunately that's not how the world works, and i've always been the type to suck it up and just get up and do the things that are expected of me, but i feel horrible the entire time, and often during the days following my night attacks, i get very jumpy and anxious as well. i have definitely very nearly just driven off on a random road trip on my own on my way to work instead of going in.
like i said, i just never know what to do. i feel so helpless and like running away will make me feel better. like i need to get out of my head so badly that getting away from everything and everyone i know is the only way to do that. it's so frustrating.