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Does not sleeping well cause your anxiety to kick up more?


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Just curious if not sleeping well has an affect on your anxiety. I didn't sleep well last night, and am full of anxiety today. The Klonopin isn't even touching it.

 

Anybody else?

 

Denise  :smitten:

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Absolutely. For the longest time I was waking up at 3 a.m. and never went back to sleep. My anxiety was intense. Then, slowly, it became 4 a.m. -- same story. Now, I wake up about 5 a.m. and most days I manage to go back to sleep until about 6:30. I go to bed at 10 and am asleep by 10:30, so I'm coming in at 7.5 to 8 hours per night.

 

If I get less than 7, I feel like my brain doesn't fully "engage" and my anxiety is really high.

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The less sleep I get the worse I feel. I have had horrible upticks in WD (from almost to WD to noticeable WD) from a drop from 7 hours of sleep to 5 hours of sleep over a period of 2 or 3 days. Sleep makes a huge difference. I've napped when I was desperate just to give my brain any little extra sleep I could.
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My symptoms were worse when I was sleeping poorly too. IMO a lot of healing goes on while we sleep. I would say sleep, nap, meditate, etc. as much as possible while you're healing.
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My symptoms were worse when I was sleeping poorly too. IMO a lot of healing goes on while we sleep. I would say sleep, nap, meditate, etc. as much as possible while you're healing.

 

I have the hardest time with meditation. Way too many distractions. And, trying to get this brain slowed down enough is a miracle. The only time I slow down enough is when I say my prayers before bed. Then I am asleep. Well, at least for a few hours.

 

When it was still warm out, I would sit in the sun and calmly chill out. Too cold now!!

 

Napping brings on an anxiety attack for me. Plus, my phone rings at least 10 times a day. And, if I don't answer, then my family is showing up to see if I am alive.

 

No rest for the weary!!

 

Denise  :smitten:

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My symptoms were worse when I was sleeping poorly too. IMO a lot of healing goes on while we sleep. I would say sleep, nap, meditate, etc. as much as possible while you're healing.

 

I read something about toxins that build up in the brain while we are awake being cleaned out while we sleep. Link added below. I think that those toxins probably contribute to WD and hinder healing.

 

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/814070  - link on sleep toxins

 

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I have the hardest time with meditation. Way too many distractions. And, trying to get this brain slowed down enough is a miracle. The only time I slow down enough is when I say my prayers before bed. Then I am asleep. Well, at least for a few hours.

 

Just before sleep is one of the best times to teach yourself to meditate. The Silva mind control method (there's actually a book called 'silva mind control method') teaches how to use this time to your advantage so you can learn to meditate. Initially most people just fall asleep, which is fine, but over time they learn to hold the state and remain in a meditative state. The idea behind it is that before you go to sleep and just as you wake up you pass through alpha state (alpha brain waves) which is an ideal state to be in to acclimate yourself to meditating as it is the state most people are in during meditation. It's a trick of sorts that many years ago I tried and had much success using so much so that within a matter of a month I was able to initiate meditation at any time during the day and within a matter of minutes.

 

I just bought the book again so that I could relearn the technique as I don't remember exactly what it was. But it was key in my being able to meditate and within a few months I was able to enter a meditative state any time I chose. I actually used it pre surgery and did not need to be sedated (though they pushed it on me anyway) and I was able to stay calm in this meditative state in the pre op waiting area for 9 hours because they screwed up my arrival time, my surgery time and then the surgeon got very far behind.

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I have the hardest time with meditation. Way too many distractions. And, trying to get this brain slowed down enough is a miracle. The only time I slow down enough is when I say my prayers before bed. Then I am asleep. Well, at least for a few hours.

 

Just before sleep is one of the best times to teach yourself to meditate. The Silva mind control method (there's actually a book called 'silva mind control method') teaches how to use this time to your advantage so you can learn to meditate. Initially most people just fall asleep, which is fine, but over time they learn to hold the state and remain in a meditative state. The idea behind it is that before you go to sleep and just as you wake up you pass through alpha state (alpha brain waves) which is an ideal state to be in to acclimate yourself to meditating as it is the state most people are in during meditation. It's a trick of sorts that many years ago I tried and had much success using so much so that within a matter of a month I was able to initiate meditation at any time during the day and within a matter of minutes.

 

I just bought the book again so that I could relearn the technique as I don't remember exactly what it was. But it was key in my being able to meditate and within a few months I was able to enter a meditative state any time I chose. I actually used it pre surgery and did not need to be sedated (though they pushed it on me anyway) and I was able to stay calm in this meditative state in the pre op waiting area for 9 hours because they screwed up my arrival time, my surgery time and then the surgeon got very far behind.

 

I may have to check that out!

 

It might help me ease up on my smoking, which has gotten way out of hand.

 

Thanks!

 

Denise  :smitten:

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