larissa,
Welcome to the boards and thank you for sharing your experience with other members here. It is great to hear that you have already accessed the program and are beginning to reflect on your own symptoms.
Heightened levels of anxiety at night and difficulties falling asleep are common experiences among members here. Many report that they will wake up in the middle of the night, have trouble going back to sleep, or feel anxious about the amount of sleep that they are getting.
As you have mentioned in your posts, these feelings of anxiety often come to you later on at night. Perhaps start thinking about your own sleep schedule and what causes the panic for you. Do you find it helpful to talk to someone about these fears as they are happening or do you prefer to deal with these experiences on your own? What about making changes to your sleep schedule, is this something you would find helpful?
Make sure to limit your caffeine intake before bed and try some deep breathing or relaxation activities to help keep you calm. It may also be helpful to keep a journal of your sleep habits, how much sleep you got each night, etc. This would be a great way to review your patterns and pinpoint what can help you have a better sleep.
As you work through the program, pay particular attention to the 10 Questions under session 3: Challenging Negativity. These questions could be quite helpful in helping you confront your anxious thoughts. In addition, take a look at session 7 on Simulating Panic. In this session you can start to understand your panic beyond what you experience before you go to bed at night. Since it may not always be possible to work the program while you are experiencing anxiety, this can be a useful way to understand your own panic cycles.
Keep us posted on how things go for you larissa. We are here for you whenever you need us!
Sarah, Health Educator
