Attacks right before bed

[JordynPolynasian]

It is like this every night right before bed. I freak out thinking I'm going to v*. And even when I get to falling asleep, I'll jolt right up because I feel like I'm going to v*. It's so frustrating because it can keep me up for hours. Anyone else experience this as well? Any suggestions? I usually just suck on some peppermints. I also just stay awake for a while and watch TV or come on this site and read, but that just keeps me up longer..

[crd08]

Yes, 100%. I feel some degree of anxiety nightly. The worst is when you are about to fall asleep and you jolt awake in a panic. I'm usually sweating and my hearts racing. I do the same as you, suck on mints and watch tv till it passes. I have found cooling off helps. I get a glass of ice water, splash cold water on my face and sometimes stand outside for a few. Cool air and water really helps calm me down

[JordynPolynasian]

Thanks for your reply. I'll definitely have to try that out. It sucks having to do the same routine every night. I dread it.

[thecheesecake17]

Awwww!!! I have more peppermint friends!
Tonight I was a bit anxious even watching TV so I hid a piece of gum in my sock in case I got weird looks lol!!!!

Chat rooms help me and talking to people who also have fears like me..soo much easier to explain the fast typing and such.

If its real n though you should go get yourself checked out, I dunno how you guys stay sane when it's chronic

[horsewoman]

I do the peppermint thing too! I also chew gum, we just came back from vacation and I've chewed so much gum I've actually made my head sore! I can't get to sleep either because of anxiety... Just wish I could relax.. trying so hard to overcome the nervousness everyday is exhausting.

[CharlieCat666]

I get them, too.

I try to write for about an hour before heading to bed (and then reading until I fall asleep).

If I'm having an attack, I try to write through it. It actually helps a lot. I think on some level, at least for me personally, the anxiety is caused by worrying about whether or not I'll be able to get to sleep. And so by at least doing something that I view as productive during the attack, I can, like, rationalize the fact that I'm up all night.

Reading is super helpful, too. I've always got a couple books going; the one I'm really into and the super dry informative book. You can guess which one I pick up when I want to get tired.

[JordynPolynasian]

Hey cheesecake! Yeah, it definitely sucks. It doesn't happen every night, but it's just how everyone else has explained. It's just a nervousness that doesn't really go away.. It really sucks.... Just worrying all night until you're calm enough to sleep..

[JordynPolynasian]

Hey horsewoman! I know exactly what you mean! Sucking on peppermints and chewing gum all day is something that I've done. Is there anything that you enjoy doing that can preoccupy your mind until you're sleepy? Like Charlie said, they write or read. Watching TV or a movie seems to help me sometimes.

[JordynPolynasian]

Thanks Charlie for the reply! I like to hear what others do during these times to get over their anxiety. I can't imagine a boring book getting me through my attacks though! Do you just read them when you know that you're pretty well in for bed?

[andee]

Yes, I used to get that a lot. I would fall asleep, and about a 1/2 to 1 hour later I would wake up ALREADY panicking. How can you already be getting panic before you even totally wake up. Maybe it's a REM sleep thing or something. Then I would panic that I woke up because I'm sick and couldn't be sure it was just anxiety. What a pain. What I find helpful is magnesium before bed...it's a calming mineral that relaxes the body, muscles, etc. You could try some, maybe 100 or 200 mg.

[tinnie]

This happens to me as well. Sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's better, but either way it sucks. I can be feeling alright the whole day and then as I'm almost getting to bed I start having a stomach ache or not even an ache, but just a weird feeling. Or as people above me mentioned, the feeling when you're falling asleep and suddenly a wave of panic hits you and you're fully awake and freaking out. I haven't found a way to fight this yet. It usually goes away after a while and I try to persuade myself that it's nothing because it has happened before, but I also worry that this time it's not nothing and I won't be prepared if it comes to the worst.

Also the fact that I wear retainer at night doesn't help.

[jumperkar1]

I feel you and relate to this 100%. I get a stomach ache like every night and anxiety about it.

[Shubertgoddess]

This happens to me mostly when my IBS acts up or when I eat something with garlic in it (I'm allergic) and it makes me feel sick. I usually can't calm down and go to sleep until I feel totally fine, which is sometimes all night.. Like right now - we're in a hotel for a short trip (very close to home actually) and I'm up, unable to sleep because I'm about 90% certain I accidentally ate something with garlic in it at dinner tonight and I feel like ass. My IBS is acting up on top of it so that's not helping matters and I can't do any of the things I usually do at home to calm down/feel better since there isn't another room for me to go into and not wake up my DH. So I totally get you!!!!

Spmetimes it happens for no reason too, which a almost worse because you can't even rationalize it away. For as long as I have been having panic attacks (since I was about 12- I'm in my 30s now), I have noticed they almost always happen at night.... For whatever that's worth