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slept like crap last night...again.

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 11/14/2010 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
last night i was anxious, i tend to get more anxious at night, and it's also around the time my period is due. i went to bed around 10, woke up at 1, then again at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... then got 3 solid hours until 10am. it's so frustrating.

this question may be very touchy to some, but anyone who ever experienced trauma (of any kind), especially if it had happened in the middle of the night, do you often wake up around that time of night? I noticed that when I would wake with the panic attacks they were always around 3am give or take 5 minutes. I'm wondering if this is something I should focus on and talk with my therapist about in terms of my past and what i'm being treated for. Is it coincidence or does the time have some significance?

i knew how i felt before i went to bed, i had a "gut feeling" i was going to have a terrible nights sleep, i hoped i would sleep the night through, i relaxed before bed, took some xanax, did my breathing exercises, but still i awoke. My hubby said i 'hyped myself up for it' but i told him, it wasn't a fear of it happening, it was just a feeling it would.

today i feel off, sleepy, but i'm taking it easy and just trying to relax. hopefully tonight i'll have a better sleep and tomorrow i go to therapy so we'll see... thanks everyone
Posted 11/15/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
I think you may be on to something here. I'm sure you know that we have an internal clock. Even without looking at a clock you can usually guess approximately what time it is. Even if you don't set your alarm we still tend to want to wake up at the same time each day.

So if your traumatic experience happened right at or around 3AM - then sure I could see how your body on an unconscious level would be able to recognize that 3AM is approaching and begin to get anxious. It's like your body is saying, "It's almost 3AM I can't be asleep. That'll just make me vulnerable. I need to be alert and prepare to protect myself..."

I've had panic attacks in the middle of the night (though not at a consistent time), which also suggests to me that our bodies can stir up anxiety even when we're asleep.

Have you already talked to your therapist about the trauma? If not, this might be your body's way of saying that you should. If you've been talking about it lately it may be your body's way of saying "I know we have to get through this - but it's scary". Either way, working through a traumatic event is no walk in the park; but has the potential to make you much, much stronger, healthier, and freer. I wish you well!
Posted 11/15/2010 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
rm,

Good Eveining. I like the way you have worked through your issues and I agree you may have the answer to your insomnia.  I am wondering if you experience nightmares?  I do and this is scary for me as I hate the feeling of reliving the traumatic event. I wake up and sometimes can be in tears. 

You may often feel "too wired" to sleep. Your nightmares may be so alarming that you become fearful of sleep. You may associate darkness with danger. Being left alone with your own thoughts, without the distractions of your daytime activities, may prompt memories of the trauma which make it difficult to sleep. Coffee or alcohol may interfere with your sleep like never before. Persistent insomnia or awakenings during the night could also be a sign of developing depression.

Please do talk with your therapist as I know from my own experience how awful it feels not to be able to sleep at night when everyone around you is sleeping soundly.

Blessings,

Kitt

 

Posted 11/15/2010 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
I asked my therapist about this and she said that it could be what i said above, but more likely is has to do with the hormones of my period coming. She said personally, and she has other patients that, experience some insomnia around the time of their period. Also she advised me to maybe get myself some relaxation cds like 'sounds of the ocean' things like that so i can focus on the sounds and not my brain lol. i think *alot* before i go to bed, i can't stop my head sometimes and although the xanax helps me relax, it doesn't sedate me, also i don't really want to rely on that for sleep. maybe i can take a natural supplement or a bath before bed on particularly stressful evenings *shrugs* thanks guys for your input and thoughts :)
Posted 11/18/2010 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hey there. I can't say that I have personally suffered from any trauma but I can definitely relate to the night time panic/anxiety. That's always when mine is worse. I think doing your breathing exercises and everything else you listed is great. Sometimes when I wake up panic stricken I take a hot bath with Johnson & Johnson's Baby Bath (lavender scent/purple bottle) and that seems to calm me down. I hope this or something helps soon.

Pleasant dreams.
Posted 11/18/2010 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
It's funny that I should read this because me and my therapist discussed this very same thing yesterday. I have had chronic insomnia for nearly 7 years and it got to a point where I now rely on sleeping meds just so I can get a good nights rest. I never had a problem falling asleep but I would wake up several times a night and my head would just swirl with so many things. But I want off the sleeping meds and try to get back to my normal rhythm.

I have also been doing some very odd things in my sleep and very vivid dreams but these activities have picked up a lot in the past year - my poor husband gets the brunt it! So my therapist told me that if you have had a traumatic event, it could be your body's way of dealing with unresolved anxiety. I have had a very traumatic event last December (I was with my Gma, whom I loved very much, when she took her last breath) and since then my sleeping patterns have been messed up more then normal.

But I can share my secrets to deal with insomnia...I have went to almost every single website and have read multiple books on this when I first started the insomnia.

*avoid caffeine after 3pm or ealier
*have a fan running in your room for the white noise, it shuts off the sounds of the house and it gives you a soft sound to focus on
*take a warm shower 2 hours before bed, this will help relax you
*if you can drink milk, drink a warm glass of milk a half hour to an hour before bed
*go to bed and rise at the same time every day, even on the weekends
*stay off the computer at least one hour before bed - this stimulates the brain
*do not use your room for anything other then sleeping
*the scent of lavender can help soothe you, so you can spray your pillow cases with lavender spray or light a lavender candle in your room
*avoid watching action movies or shows on the tv, also don't read before bed - these can also stimulate the brain
*if you want natural help to soothe you to sleep, you can try Melatonin

I hope these help if you try them.
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