Anxiety when trying to sleep

I've been feeling pretty rough lately. I struggle to fall asleep because I start thinking that my heart rate has dropped too low. I also start thinking that I'm not breathing enough. It almost feels like I'm manually breathing and I have to consciously take a breath to get some air.

 

I've called an ambulance a few times in the past when I had severe air hunger. My oxygen levels always turned out to be fine even when I felt like I couldn't breathe. I got a chest X ray done a month ago and my doctor said everything is perfect.

 

I keep thinking something is physically wrong with me and that I'm going to die. I start thinking that I have something really wrong with my health and it's causing me to feel this way. My blood work always comes out fine as well except my cholesterol is a bit high probably due to my crappy diet at times when I eat for comfort.

 

Last month I had a week or so where I was laying in bed and able to fall asleep and STAY asleep with no issues. It felt amazing. That isn't normal for me at all. It was an amazing feeling. I hope that feeling comes back.

 

I deal with this breathing issue when I'm up and about as well but I guess because I'm distracted by things I'm doing it so doesn't affect me as much. Its a lot harder when I'm trying to sleep because it's easier to get trapped in my thoughts and start feeling the symptoms more.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

Last month I had a week or so where I was laying in bed and able to fall asleep and STAY asleep with no issues. It felt amazing. That isn't normal for me at all. It was an amazing feeling. I hope that feeling comes back.

 

It will.

 

The important thing to keep in mind is not to try too hard. If you're having a rough night trying to get to sleep. Then don't lay there suffering in the dark. Get up and do something. Accept that you'll fall asleep when you need to fall asleep and that trying to make yourself fall asleep is ultimately futile.

 

Sleep will occur. Not through effort, but through necessity. It will happen when you're not even trying.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

Last month I had a week or so where I was laying in bed and able to fall asleep and STAY asleep with no issues. It felt amazing. That isn't normal for me at all. It was an amazing feeling. I hope that feeling comes back.

 

It will.

 

The important thing to keep in mind is not to try too hard. If you're having a rough night trying to get to sleep. Then don't lay there suffering in the dark. Get up and do something. Accept that you'll fall asleep when you need to fall asleep and that trying to make yourself fall asleep is ultimately futile.

 

Sleep will occur. Not through effort, but through necessity. It will happen when you're not even trying.

 

I usually play games on my phone or watch videos until I just pass out. I learned a long time ago that tossing and turning won't help. It just sucks because sometimes im dead tired but the anxiety still makes it hard to sleep.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

 

I think you are in still post withdrawal phase and It will go with time. I too had it and it was worst time for me. Try to distract yourself as much as you can. I hope you get over this soon.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

 

I think you are in still post withdrawal phase and It will go with time. I too had it and it was worst time for me. Try to distract yourself as much as you can. I hope you get over this soon.

 

I also started dealing with non 24 as soon as I went into withdrawal at the beginning. I thought it was insomnia but I was able to fall asleep eventually. I just fall asleep later and later each day until I cycle around the clock. It's one of the things I'm worried about not healing from.

 

I know I'm not fully healed because I still get air hunger very often. I'm hoping the non 24 goes away along with the air hunger. I haven't met anyone who healed from a withdrawal-induced sleep disorder. It seems like recovering from insomnia is common though. Haven't heard anything about non 24.

I have had to deal with the exact same issue throughout my recovery.  It will VERY slowly get better.  I’ve learned not to measure progress in days or weeks tho.  If I compare month to month I can see good progress.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

 

I think you are in still post withdrawal phase and It will go with time. I too had it and it was worst time for me. Try to distract yourself as much as you can. I hope you get over this soon.

 

I also started dealing with non 24 as soon as I went into withdrawal at the beginning. I thought it was insomnia but I was able to fall asleep eventually. I just fall asleep later and later each day until I cycle around the clock. It's one of the things I'm worried about not healing from.

 

I know I'm not fully healed because I still get air hunger very often. I'm hoping the non 24 goes away along with the air hunger. I haven't met anyone who healed from a withdrawal-induced sleep disorder. It seems like recovering from insomnia is common though. Haven't heard anything about non 24.

 

What is non 24?

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

 

I think you are in still post withdrawal phase and It will go with time. I too had it and it was worst time for me. Try to distract yourself as much as you can. I hope you get over this soon.

 

I also started dealing with non 24 as soon as I went into withdrawal at the beginning. I thought it was insomnia but I was able to fall asleep eventually. I just fall asleep later and later each day until I cycle around the clock. It's one of the things I'm worried about not healing from.

 

I know I'm not fully healed because I still get air hunger very often. I'm hoping the non 24 goes away along with the air hunger. I haven't met anyone who healed from a withdrawal-induced sleep disorder. It seems like recovering from insomnia is common though. Haven't heard anything about non 24.

 

What is non 24?

 

Non 24 sleep wake disorder also known as free running disorder. It's a circadian rhythm disorder where your bodies biological clock becomes longer than 24 hours. You end up falling asleep later and later each day. It sucks. You can find more information about it on Google or YouTube.

I have gone through this exactly. But can you tell what medicine you had as I can't see your signature

 

I was on Klonopin from 2012 to the end of 2015. My highest dose was 3mg daily but I sometimes took 5mg because my doctor said I can take extra if I'm having a rough day. I crossed over to 60mg Valium and started tapering in 2015. I jumped in 2020 and have been off for about 17 months now.

 

I think you are in still post withdrawal phase and It will go with time. I too had it and it was worst time for me. Try to distract yourself as much as you can. I hope you get over this soon.

 

I also started dealing with non 24 as soon as I went into withdrawal at the beginning. I thought it was insomnia but I was able to fall asleep eventually. I just fall asleep later and later each day until I cycle around the clock. It's one of the things I'm worried about not healing from.

 

I know I'm not fully healed because I still get air hunger very often. I'm hoping the non 24 goes away along with the air hunger. I haven't met anyone who healed from a withdrawal-induced sleep disorder. It seems like recovering from insomnia is common though. Haven't heard anything about non 24.

 

What is non 24?

 

Non 24 sleep wake disorder also known as free running disorder. It's a circadian rhythm disorder where your bodies biological clock becomes longer than 24 hours. You end up falling asleep later and later each day. It sucks. You can find more information about it on Google or YouTube.

Oh ok thanks

I don't have non-24 but I do have one of the other circadian rhythm issues - DSPS.  Similarly though my time of falling asleep tends to get continuously get later each night.  This is going to sound lame, but have you tried getting up at the same time every day?  Once I finally started doing it after a million years of not wanting to, it did improve my condition.  Merely a suggestion.