Panic at night - hate the dark

[missanxious]

Does anyone else mainly have panic attacks at night and only feel better when the sun comes up? Like the vomit phobia is worse in the evenings? But during the day you hardly notice it? I keep getting the urge to runaway in the evenings just in case i get ill at home, id rather be ill outside than at home. I am really hating night time and find myself panicking soon as it is time to go to bed. Does anyone else have this?

[progeriac]

Yes, i totally get that way. being sick at night for some reason seems a lot more unexpected than getting sick in the daytime so it makes me loads more nervous. and it scares me because, what if i wake up in the morning feeling sick? thats the worst.

[missanxious]

Yes, I think too its because there is so little distraction at night! I almost want to go out for an early morning walk! Last night I panicked till 5am then I took some diazepam to stop the shaking and then ill eventyaully fell asleep and feel crap. All day, but now its night and I sense the panic coming again! I'm scared to ear and am getting ibs again! Hate living like this!

[ckempel]

I totally panic at night. I worry about myself getting it but worry more about my daughter getting it. I feel really bad about it too. It affects my relationship with her and I'm scared of being home alone at night and she might get sick. I have been diagnosed with OCD and this emetophobia is a part of it. Ugh!

[spilled_milk]

I panic more at night sometimes because I worry about waking up feeling sick. Right now I'm actually trying to figure out how to get to sleep tonight, and not wake up in the middle of the night panicking.

[missanxious]

If any of you can ask your dr for diazepam! Its just the best thing for helping. You sleep and stopping that panic attack! I find just 1mg is enough for me! If you don't sleep well then you feel even worse in the day! Lately I wake up anxious in the morning too, pounding heart and sweaty hands, thinking something bad will happen! I have to lie there for a bit and calm myself and then its okay! I am so determined to fight this phobia and anxiety! I have ocd too, self taught behavior and you wonder why! Why you can't just be normal!
Pm me too for facebook email etc!

[claire43]

You're lucky to find a dr in the uk to prescribe diazepam! Ive begged and pleaded with my drs for some sort of tranquilliser cos I found they have helped in the past but they refuse saying they are too addicitive and of no help long term. I do get the occasional 10mg diazepam from a friend and it does relax me but doesnt send me to sleep really.

[missanxious]

seriously? my goodness 10mg is so strong! Did you take that before you went to sleep? Beta-blockers are good as is valerian. You could just tell the dr that you were prescribed it before, that way they should give it to you. Only ask for 2mg though.

[Kristamayla]

When I was younger, I remember asking my father why people seem to get sick at night. His response was because that is when people settle down and aren't too busy to think about not feeling well. Makes sense. He was a doctor so I use to ask him millions of questions about getting sick. I hated night time and would always panic. LOVED when the sun came up.. all my anxiety would go away.

[missanxious]

Are you saying then that if you are busy at night or worry about it at night then it won't. Happen? Most ppl get sick during the night usually from having eaten or drunk too much or bad food. Food poisoning takes around 8hrs after eating. Certainly colds and flu are worse at night!

[claire43]

seriously? my goodness 10mg is so strong! Did you take that before you went to sleep? Beta-blockers are good as is valerian. You could just tell the dr that you were prescribed it before, that way they should give it to you. Only ask for 2mg though.

When I was in my early 20's I suffered with a very overactive thyroid which in turn caused rapid heartbeat, palpatations and sleeplessness so I was presecribed 10mg diazepam and beta blockers. Even though I stopped taking these about a year later when I had my thyroid gland removed I seem to have built up a tolerance. I hadnt taken any tranquillisers for over 20 years until quite recently and find that although they do relax me they rarely knock me out!! It was the same when I had an endoscopy 18 months ago - I asked for sedation and was given the usual dose of a strong sedative and yet I was wide awake and very aware of every awful second of the procedure

[Whatshername]

I think a lot of anxious people are worse off at night, i know i am. I don't like the dark anymore either. I don't know why, i think its because if i cant sleep i dont feel like its the middle of the night and i'm all alone in the dark.

[missanxious]

Do you all sleep alone? I share my bed and i find this makes me worse, think id rather sleep alone, but its not good for a relationship.You know when you sleep alone and feel anxious you can just turn the light on or tv, music etc but its more tricky when you share. Am thinking even making the bedroom more cosy may help, its nice to wake up, feel afe and then fall back to sleep.

[Amanda.S]

my anxiety is the same way. i have had it for about 15 years now. i used to not sleep at all at night and convince myself i was going to vomit. i took xanex before and it seemed to help. i have been on zoloft for about 7 years now...HELPED TREMENDOUSLY. im in bed right now as we speak and getting sleepy with no anxiety. i can't believe i made it this far...but im confident it will continue to get better. Helpful tips: do things that make you comfortable. turn the lights on, play soothing music, watch a funny movie. dont pressure yourself to "sleep." calmly tell yourself, you can stay up all night if you wanted to. and eventually...you will drift off.

sending love to all. there is light on the horizon

[Amanda.S]

another helpful tip: have a buffer person. I can call my mother or my best friend at any hour if i REALLY am struggling. i live alone so sometimes i need them in the middle of the night. they are well aware of my problem and are always there to listen, even if they are half asleep. and i am VERY grateful. i usually fall back to sleep while talking to them. try to find a good friend or family member that will help.

[missanxious]

I had the same problem last night, find myself going to sleep later and later so that morning will come quicker, but i end up feeling wretched the following day. Normally my body would be run down but in this instance i am full of energy until the early hours. I think getting into these patterns are really bad. Without medication i don't know how to sleep well these days except when i have worked maybe. Thing is my vomit fear and nausea follows on to the morning. And i dread not being able to go out that day as i will have to stay in. I have started seeing a psychologist. Had my second session yesterday. We talked about the vicious anxiety model - what would you all say that your escapist behaviour is?

[roadtofreedom]

yeah im kind of like that, only for me my problem is mornings. they just feel nasty and i hate all breakfast foods.

[brandnew22]

I am kind of like that. But for me I am more worried about hearing someone else in my house (sister, nextdoor to me, and parents) getting sick. Every night I leave my TV on so I don't hear background noises so much in case someone gets sick... I know its probably not going to happen but it still freaks me out when I have the TV because I hear my sister cough or something, or a little bang from her putting something on the floor and I automatically think she is sick!

[missanxious]

I do that too! I think much of my trauma comes from my dad and my sister who were always getting sick! My dad was often drunk and then I would hear him in the night. I also sweat a bit when I hear the coughing and if someone runs to the loo etc and soon as people come out I would be there at the door saying - are you okay? Have you been sick? Used to drive my sister mad!

[brandnew22]

I do that too! I think much of my trauma comes from my dad and my sister who were always getting sick! My dad was often drunk and then I would hear him in the night. I also sweat a bit when I hear the coughing and if someone runs to the loo etc and soon as people come out I would be there at the door saying - are you okay? Have you been sick? Used to drive my sister mad!

That sounds just like me! I think mine comes from me and my mom having always been sick when I was younger.. That and, my cousins used to come over to my old house, years ago, and one of them always got migraine headaches (he was only about 10 years old and a bit younger) and when his mom had work and his step dad couldn't watch him his mom would send him to my house!!!!! Or when any of my cousins got sick and my aunt had to work and their step dad couldn't... again, they would get sent the sick kids to my house! (Who would do that!!) They would get sick at my house often and I believe that is what made me this way! Every time just before they came I would tell my mom to tell my aunt "NO, tell her/my aunt no!" and they still ended up coming.. until I began to FREAK OUT when they came.. slowly my aunt stopped asking!

I always used to ask my sis (3 years younger than me) whenever she had a cold or the flu I would be like "Are you okay? do you feel sick" and she would get so mad at me for asking! But she didn't understand where I was coming from.
My heart skips a beat then I listen for a minute when I hear someone cough or any strange sound. I have never had someone run to the washroom at my place though thankfully. I would die!
I love my TV! Thank you TV!

[missanxious]

That sounds awful, but just the sort of thing that would happen to me too . Like I said previously my dad and my sister. Were always throwing up! My sister would say that she dtank water too fast and threw up! I have to. Know the reason why someone has been sick I suppose to make sure I don't catch it, does throwing up bother yourself at all? I mean has it happened and were you okay?
Lots of people are sick with migraines. But report feeling better after they sick.
My mum would cough and hack loads all night but for some reason my mum gagging didn't worry me! Do you leave your tv on all night then?

[brandnew22]

Yeah it sucks, but you know how it is haha. I know just what you mean. I HAVE to know the reason why too. If someone has the flu, I'll wash my hands like crazy, I won't go near them for a long while and such. And yes, throwing up bugs me like crazy. If someone around me is V* i'll run away, quite literally. If my mom or soemthing is throwing up.. after she's done like later i'll ask her why and make sure she isn't sick-sick (with the flu or something...). Thankfully its usually womanly stuff or headache that causes hers! So usually I don't get as panicky with her as I would with anyone else.
Yeah, even if they're sick with a migraine and feel better after, i'll still be panicking because they threw up!
Yep, TV stays on all night (I know its terrible, but I can't sleep without it on when I am alone in my room hearing other people around me house!)

[sweetfantasy]

yeah i used to get insomnia because the most common time id get the flu was at night i suddenly wake up and be very ill..... so i got pretty scared of falling asleep ):