Sorry if this is off topic, but i just wanted to say that I think it is so wonderful that we are all here for eachother. We don't even know eachother in person, but we care so much for eachother. Its so sweet how everyone is trying to help others. U are all adorable! thank you for your advice and support. Angie, i hope you sleep better too! I try to listen to soft music as Vickers told you! It really helps. Meditate before u sleep! It helps you calm down. muahhhh hope u have sweet dreams tonight! ;)

sorry for taking so long. I have been swamped with incidentals. I want to let you know that all I did was to let it come. It was very uncomfortable. I had palpitations, sweats, nausea, GI problems, etc. I just laid in bed and did nothing. No TV or music. I did start reading a book, which made it less uncomfortable, but still recognizable. After a while, when the actual fear left after having gone through these, it didn't happen very much. Once in a while I will now have periods of what I call restlessness, which I believe is nothing more than an occasional sleepless night. It appears that teh fear of the "fear" is what drove these. After I realized that the heart palpitations would stop, and the sweaty feelings would stop, etc., I was not so afraid. I also cannot stress enough that the way I learn to control this is first and foremost stay cool temperature wise. It has gone a long way to helping me focus.

Kari, Thanks so much for the thoughtful, detailed response. It helps so much to know I'm not the only one who experiences these things. I guess I haven't been brave enough yet to "let it go". I am so fearful of the dreaded palpitations. I guess I have the irrational fear that the palpitations will lead to a deadly arythmia leading to death. I also hate that "I'm going to black out" feeling. I had been hoping that by using the relaxation breathing that I could teach myself not to fear the attacks because I could avert them. However, I seem to be getting more middle of the night attacks, so my strategy isn't working. Can I ask you a personal question? What do you do when you just let the attack come on? Clearly you had to deal with palpitations, racing heart, feeling faint. Did you just lie there in bed? Did you get up and walk around? Did you try to watch TV or distract yourself? What did you do? Also, how long did it last? Thanks again. I'm going to need as much info as I can get before I'm going to be able to let it just go without fighting back.

I had this for a period of time. It started at Christmas. I went bonkers, truly, when I was in the middle of sleep and woke up to what I thought was Christmas music playing loudly. I was so irritated. it was 2:00 a.m. I woke up my husband and insisted that he help me find the goof that forgot to turn off the outside music. He didn't hear it. We went outside, all over the house, checked stereos, etc. Honestly, it was just me. I remember being very panicky and anxious. What I was hearing was the P.A. system at my job that subconsciously kind of "burned" the music into me. I thought I was crazy. I did not sleep for almost 2 weeks as I was so afraid that I would go crazy. I would lay down and feel palpitations, sweaty, anxious, lightheaded. When day would come, I could sleep fine. However, I did not have the life that normally allowed that. I went to a neurologist to see if I was at risk for aneurysm. Of course, I was not. when he told me, I swore he didn't do the scan right. He finally convinced me that it was part of the panic/anxiety. The tough part came when the relaxation/meditation did not work. I finally broke down and bought 7 of the 30 pills in a sleep med that he prescribed (hate medications). I know that my sleep cycle had been interupted and I would have to get it back. I took 1/2 pill for the first 4 nights. I went to sleep, woke up relaxed not drowsy, and finally realized that if I was going to have any of these things happen in my sleep, they were going to happen anyway. Also neurologist said the more sleep I lost, the more "at risk" I was for these attacks to take hold. He also told me to try going through it, almost force it to come. He said what I already knew, they will only last for a short time and then you will be exhausted. As strange as it sounds, it works for me. I just let it come sometimes so that I can go to sleep. Hope this helps. There are a lot of us that understand this and have dealt with it. Wanted to post this in case like me, you were to wound up for relaxation techniques. I do use these too, but night seems to be the worst for me.

I can relate. While I can go to sleep, I often wake up around 4AM and it's a VERY RUDE awakening. Moments after I wake up, my heart will start to race and I feel the shakes come on. I haven't a clue what triggers it. I've been using the "Relaxation Response" which is basicly a breathing/meditation kind of thing. It's difficult to breathe slowly when your instinct is to take 100 breaths per minute. The key for me is that the breathing must come from the belly, not the chest. Breath from the diaphram. I can't tell you why, but it makes a big difference for me. This fends off the panic attack, but only reduces the anxiety so much. As such, it's no replacement for meds/therapy (for me anyway).

Thank-you so much for the reply. It does comfort me to know that I am not alone in this. Thank-you vickers4 for taking the time to write out those relaxation techniques, I will definetly give them a try.

Hey Angie! I went through insomnia for a couple months and completely understand your panic about night time. I used to pace the floors and cry and beg God to let me sleep. It was so horrifying! I still have some sleepless nights but not as often as before. I was really proud of myself this last Sunday because I was up until midnight and had to get to up for work at 5:00 the next morning and I just could not get to sleep. But, I actually didn't panic about it! I got a little upset and a little anxious, but I didn't allow it to turn to panic. It was a victory for me. I kept telling myself, it's ok if you don't get any sleep tonight because you'll be so tired tomorrow you'll sleep better then. Positive self talk really is the key. I found some info in a magazine about insomnia that I wanted to share with you. Hopefully it will help you. I apologize that it's going to be a long one but the info is good. Before I put it in, I wanted to tell you to try drinking chamomile tea about half an hour before you go to bed. Taking a warm bath with candles helps. Listening to soothing music while in bed helps. I find that listening to those nature sounds cds really help me relax. I read once that "Our minds don't allow our bodies to fall asleep until we are at peace." Which is why doing these kinds of things help you relax so you can sleep. Anyway..... here's the info I found. I hope it helps! Hang in there - I promise this will eventually pass and you will sleep again! You are stronger than you feel and you can do it!! No matter how long it takes - it will pass. Here is the info: The solution can be simple and quick - a 10 minute prebedtime routine designed to put both your mind and body at ease. If you have a large bed, you can perform this routine right on top of the covers. Otherwise, pick a comfortable spot on the bedroom floor. Here's how to do it: Be a Child Again. Tension is centered most often in the neck, upper and lower back. Relaxing the spine is instrumental to a calmer state of body and mind, and a solid night of sleep. Yoga's "child pose" targets this area. Kneel near or on your bed and sit back with your rear on top of your heels. Bend forward until your chest is resting on your thighs and forehead is touching the be

Angie, I know exactly how you feel. Those are my two worst fears (heart stopping or brain anurysm). If I feel the slightest pain in my head, I think for sure it's an anurysm. Same thing w/ my chest...I always fear I'm going to have a heart attack or it will just stop. And I'm only 26 years old! I wish I could give you some advice on how to deal with it. The only thing that seems to calm me down temporarily is to tell myself " You've been thinking your heart would stop or your brain would explode for many years...and I'm still here!" I've tried breathing and different relaxations techniques, but it seems the more relaxed I am and the less going on in my head, the more I think of it (if that makes sense). Angie, I replied to let you know that you are not alone in this. Many people feel the same way as you, and I, in particular, experience the same exact fears. Perhaps that will be a bit of comfort in and of itself. Good luck. Kristyn

Angie, Welcome to the site and It is good to see that you are posting your questions and concerns. Have you taken a look at the Program and tests available? If you look to the left of the screen under "TOOLS" you will find many supportive tests. These tests are not diagnostic tools and are not a replacement or substitute for a physicians advice. The purpose of these tests is to prepare you with information that you can present to your physician. When you're finished the test, you can either print your Final Report or email it directly to your doctor. This may better help assess the situation. Have you tried relaxation techniques? What about breathing techniques? For tonight, prepare by reducing your anxiety level as much as you can. Try a hot bath, some soothing music or a warm beverage? Tomorrow do sign up for the Panic Diary where you can record your daily level of anxiety. You can also find how helpful it is to use breathing techniques to help you deal with your panic and anxiety. The Panic Program can help you understand more and may help you go about challenging your thoughts. Hope this helps, Josie ______________________________ The Panic Center Support Team.

I am a new member and experience panic attacks at night time. I am scared to go to sleep because I fear of having attacks. I maybe get 3 hours of sleep a night. My attacks have escalated to where I truly believe that either my heart will stop or that I will have a brain anurysem(not sure of the spelling) in my sleep. Just wondering if anybody else feels like that. Any coping techniques would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks for reading.