When is it the worst?

[BeansMamaBear]

I fear the night. I always joke that I have a subconsciouses fear of the dark, but that is not the truth. I don't know if it is the stress of the day and ever growing fatigue beating me down that makes it so.. but my anxiety always seems to be the worst at night. I feel it creep up in the evenings. That is my favorite word to describe it.. creep.. because it is as if you can feel it doing just that. I don't want to lay down.. that is a big no no whenever my anxiety is attacking up and some where within my crazy mind I feel as if, I can just get to morning everything will be better, if  I can just get through the night. My health anxiety acts up worst at night. As though for some reason deep in my mind I feel like it is impossible to die during the day light. I do all I can to exhaust myself .. and I mean just that.. I drive myself to pure exhaustion so I know the minute my head hits that pillow I will be asleep. Everyday I feel like a reverse vampire, watching the sunlight getting dimmer and dimmer outside as my panic grows. My family thinks I am crazy..even though they themselves suffer from anxiety.. just not to the severity in which I do. I was wondering when YOUR anxiety acts up the worst.. or if any one elses even does act up more at certain times or I am the odd ball out in this one. Thank you so much and GOD Bless you all.

[TLF921]

I can't beleive how alike your anxiety is to mine. I wish I had answers for you. I to am looking for answers. The thing I hate the most is that I know how irrational it is and I feel so stupid.

[rls27]

My anxiety is typically worse at night. Mostly because you haven't got as many distractions around you while you are sitting on the couch or lying around in the same routine. If you've experienced some of your worst bouts of anxiety at night while at home, you may be associating the night with your anxiety on a more subconscious level.

During the day you might be working, at school, or doing random things that keep you distracted. Your mind is busier and occupied. Sitting at home in the evening you have more time to worry and obsess over the things that trigger your anxiety.

[WendyLady03]

I get my anxiety at night too. I think it's because I don't like the feeling of being alone. During the day I'm with people, or I'm out and about, or I at least have the TV on. At night, when I'm suppose to be going to bed.......it's just me. Just me and my thoughts, and I think that's what scares me. I have severe health anxiety too, so in the quiet at night I have nothing to do but think of, and worry about, everything. When the sun starts to go down my anxiety starts to amp up because I know that I'm getting closer to the time in which I have to go to bed.

What has helped me is getting a noise machine, so I have something to concentrate on besides my rambling thoughts. Sometimes if that doesn't work, I'll turn on the TV and set the sleep timer. I also only stay in bed for 15 minutes at a time. If I don't fall asleep within that time I get up and read a book, watch something boring on TV, or knit, then I try going to sleep again.

[Kall22]

HELLO EVERYONE..  I am a new b at this and like beansmamabear, I pretty much get my anxiety in the night. This started after I was laid off from work but I take Ativan and still have anxiety. Ativan 2mg is alot and I can't but help staying up 2 days at a time. I find that when I pray I do feel more relaxed and sleepy, but I am proud of you beansmamabear that you go hour by hour. That's excellent because you allow yourself to stay focused on the present moment. Where this is the infinite time. A place that goes beyond time. Keep it up.

[joyfulc]

My anxiety attacks started at the end of March and I have had one pretty much everyday. I had a horrible dream when I had my very first one and it scared me to death. I was so scared that it felt like something was taking control of me literally. I found a prayer and prayed really hard. I printed off the prayer and slept with it every night for two weeks. The prayer allowed me to finally start being able to sleep through the night and the nights weren't so hard to deal with but Yes, at first I too hated nights. Now for me it's more like Oh No, what am I going to wake up to. Am I going to wake up and have one immediately or will it come after I drop my kids off at school.

Sometimes I will have one from being abruptly woken up by my alarm clock. I guess the shock of the noise sets off the anxiety well I'll say more of panic. Then I'll say to myself, guess it's going to be another bad day and then the thought process starts all over again for me each day. All I have to do is think about being sick, or having the anxiety and what type of negative effect it will have on me.

So I would say that at first I hated the nights, now it's just more the days. I'm not on medication but am definitely looking into getting started on it.

I hope it gets easier for you, just know that you're not alone and I didn't think it would get easier from me at all and it did for the night time part.

I always tell people that I just take it hour by hour and am grateful for the hour that I feel totally normal : )

[lynn57]

My attacks were always worse in the evening.  I would feel like if I could make it past 8:00 pm, without getting nervous, I wouldn't have a panic attack.  It's a cycle.  Night time approaches, you get anxious about getting anxious and boom!  Mine would always start with a burning in my chest and down my arms.  I would actually sit on the couch waiting for the attack to start so I could spend an hour or so calming down before bedtime.  This was so stupid and thank God only sporadic.  I would have a week or so of this and then back to normal. Clonazepam takes this all away.  I also take Celexa.  The clonazepam is a longer acting benzo and doesn't let you get to the panic state.  Ativan and Xanax are usually taken as needed when the anxiety starts to build.  This doesn't break the cycle because you are still wondering when the next one is coming.  

[babygirlz212003]

i have recently developed a thing at night as well. As the sun goes down i begin to feel the anxiety rise. By the time i got to bed im usually really nervous. Last night i was feeling good i began to go to the bedroom and lay down all a sudden i though omg its dark out im going to panic and i can not avoid the dark. I had a instant full panic attack. I didnt know what to do and i grabbed my husband. i layed my head down through it and started to pray. As well as tell myself this is irrational. I brought the attacks on to myself so much that its comming natural now. i cant wait until morning when the sun is comming up. I ended up taking xanax during the attack to ease it. i was shaking so bad i began to think i was having convulsions. You are not alone.  I do not know how to rid this but if anyone does im beggin for help. Is this somthing i can overcome?

[Suzyq0826]

Mine is generally the opposite....When I first wake up in the morning, my anxiety hasn't quite decided which way it's going...while I sit and drink my coffee, it either disappears on its own, or it escalates and I take a Xanax and see how it goes. It's pretty rare that I have it in the evening. I think because my anxiety doesn't usually affect my sleep, that bedtime is an escape for me. Even if I have a really bad day, I can just go to bed and I don't have to think or worry about anything.
You said you have health anxiety....do you have a health problem or just afraid you might get one? Have you seen a doctor or had a physical lately?
I don't think you're an oddball...I think everyone is different.
Suzy

[Jikan]

Namaste,

You didn't mention whether or not you are on medication of any sort for your anxiety. Many of thes agents have a sedating effect which may not only relieve your anxiety, but help you sleep.

Without your history, I also can't tell if you have a history of nightmares or bad dreams which produce an aversion to sleep, in an attempt to avoid these dreams.

Sorry, that's the best I can suggest without knowing your history better, but I think you need to consult with a mental health provider who will be more equipped to evaluate the problem.

Hope you resolve this issue soon.

Michael