What Does Anxiety at Night Feel Like For You?

At night my anxiety is like a gnawing feeling, like I’ve forgotten something or I’m screwing up in some way that I don’t see. When I’m alone with my thoughts it’s hard not to dwell on the negative ones. It’s a rush of ideas, fears, doubts, and emotions. It’s like my inner thoughts won’t shut up. I also have ADD so silencing my mind has always been difficult for me. Guided sleep meditation tracks are really the only thing that helps. It’s even worse when I’m in a relationship because all I do is worry about something I said or did and I can’t talk about it with them because they’re asleep. Sometimes I just end up watching tv until 3 in the morning trying to avoid having to sit with my thoughts. The worst was having a panic attack before bed because it takes me so long to calm down after I’ve had one. I’ve spent a lot of nights clutching a pillow and trying not to think about something traumatic that happened a few years ago. I’m a lot better now, but sleeping has always been hard for me


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avocado said:

Do you guys get bad dreams at night too, or is that just me? I've been having anxiety dreams like crazy lately.

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Weirdly enough I don't usually have nightmare I either don't dream or just remember snipits of my dream. I always wake up every few hrs so maybe that's why I'm not getting rem. My little sister suffers from Anxiety and has the same few nightmares every night.

Hi, I usually dream frequently. And at times I even know I’m dreaming. If I would just write down a couple sentences most of my dream will come right back to me. I almost never have nightmares but I will have stressful anxiety attacks also during my dreams because I can not do what I need to do like being able to work a kitchen and not even be able to get one order to a waitress. Due to very sore limbs I’m always having to turn on my opposite side which at times is near impossible without severe pain. It has gotten better since I went to get a deep tissue massage. It did more to calm my pains then anything else the doctors have tried! Sleep well tonight!

avocado said:

Yeah that is weird. I only get a few hours too, but I still get so many dreams. If I sleep well I don't get them. Do you feel like you can get anxiety from things that used to be familiar to you? Lately I've noticed that things that I would normally not get anxiety from, like watching youtube videos, playing video games, now give me anxiety.

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If I don't have to get up at a certain time, i sleep well with my meds. If i know i have to be up at a certain time i become so anxious that i won't get to sleep. even with my meds, that i lie there, bugeyed and desperately trying to sleep. It's terrible.

avocado said:

Yeah that is weird. I only get a few hours too, but I still get so many dreams. If I sleep well I don't get them. Do you feel like you can get anxiety from things that used to be familiar to you? Lately I've noticed that things that I would normally not get anxiety from, like watching youtube videos, playing video games, now give me anxiety.

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I got off all my meds for awhile and felt good for a few months then all my Mental illness came back 10 folds. Yeah even watching movies on the couch would give me anxiety things that never bothered me before would upset me. Like I use to love horror movies now all the blood makes me feel sick. So yeah Anxiety is a crazy thing and can male anything feel weird.

I Am The Worrier said:

If I don't have to get up at a certain time, i sleep well with my meds. If i know i have to be up at a certain time i become so anxious that i won't get to sleep. even with my meds, that i lie there, bugeyed and desperately trying to sleep. It's terrible.

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This is the main reason I can't work just knowing I have to be up at a certain time will make me worry the whole night.

ManaClash said:

This is the main reason I can't work just knowing I have to be up at a certain time will make me worry the whole night.

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I lost my job of 13 years partially over the sleep issue. I actually experienced burn-out. My counselor says it takes 2-3 years to fully recover. I was so sleep deprived I was hearing voices. Ativan did absolutely nothing for me.

I Am The Worrier said:

I lost my job of 13 years partially over the sleep issue. I actually experienced burn-out. My counselor says it takes 2-3 years to fully recover. I was so sleep deprived I was hearing voices. Ativan did absolutely nothing for me.

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What's burn out ? I'm taking new meds just sleeping alot and feel super tired all the time.

ManaClash said:

What's burn out ? I'm taking new meds just sleeping alot and feel super tired all the time.

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Burnout is job related, especially in the medical field. Depersonalization, lack of empathy, cynicism, and increased risks of substance abuse and suicide are hallmark symptoms. In my case, I couldn't feel love for my patients and was callous toward them, and then hated myself for it. I wanted to feel compassion, but i was dead inside. It's also called "Compassion Fatigue". You can Google it if you are interested. I still feel somewhat dead inside, and it's been a year since i went from work to the ER to the locked unit. I struggle with guilt for being so indifferent to the needs of dying people. I wanted so badly to care, and i would pray for GOD to give me love, but then I'd get to work and just be so angry. I never hurt anyone, but I'd be unkind or cynical if i became overwhelmed. Then i would hate myself. It was a vicious circle.

ManaClash said:

"When you can embrace anxiety and stay with situations and thoughts that make you anxious, you are retraining your brain to be less reactive to those false thoughts." I find this absolutely terrible advice if I let my thoughts fixate on fears and worries I would never get out of the loop of panic.

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I am not one to "embrace" my anxiety yet. Maybe someday. But when I can accept or detach from my worrying and fearful thoughts and let them pass without getting caught in or reacting to them, I do better and don't get so upset and down on myself. I can do better doing this with some kinds of anxious thoughts than others. For me it takes practice doing this and reminders to do so because I forget, but it is worth doing this for me. I have experimented and the 90 Second Rule or detaching by witnessing my anxiety at least reduces my anxiety. A nuanced view of the 90 Second Rule or witnessing my anxiety that helps me is at https://www.livingthemess.com/the-lifespan-of-an-emotion/