Anxiety when trying to sleep during the day
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hi all,
I haven't written in few months, but I have been following everything "silently".
I have been doing so-so, still mostly falling asleep well, still waking up too early and using Valium 2 mg or 5 mg about every third or fourth night to feel normal for a while.
But this post isn't about early awakenings, it's about my strange but persistent inability to catch up on lost sleep during the day even when I have the chance. I know it isn't recommended anyway, but there are days when I would die for this ability. I am on a holiday now, and I had to fly at night, so I missed the chance to sleep, I had a "zero sleep" night.
I tried to take a nap on the train after we landed, I failed. Tried on the bus to the hotel, failed again. Finally , I took a Valium in my hotel room and tried to sleep, still nothing. I have to wait for the night where I will perferably get some much needed sleep.
I've come to realize that every time I give it a shot, sleep during the day, I start to feel anxious very quickly. This has been going on my whole life, though I can't pinpoint the cause. I am tired and wired, but not sleepy in the normal way as I am at night. At night I am calmer, I am sleepier, I yawn, none of this happens during the day. I am just a wired body put on pause waiting for nightfall.
Has anyone had this problem, at least for a little while, or heard of it? When you say , for instance, that you haven't slept in two or three or four days, do you mean literally or just that you missed the night sleep but got some shuteye here and there, which of course isn't enough, I understand.
I feel these consolidated blocks of my sleep, 6-7 hours a night, and then a missed night or a 2-3 hour night that I don't make up for will be the death of me. I feel power naps are really important for the brain. I already have MS and epilepsy, hundreds of lesions on my brain, and although they say there is no known cause , I blame this constantly insufficient sleep of mine.
Finally, I am thinking of asking my doctor for a real sleeping pill, like Ambien, strictly for cases like today when I miss a whole night and really need some sleep. Do you think a Z-drug might help to get me some sleep during the day or are those used strictly at night, before sleep?
Thanks for reading, and sweet dreams,
Eddy
0 likes, 6 replies
edgar30813
Posted
Oh, and please allow me to just add this - I have all varieties of sleeping problems, from sleep onset to sleep maintenance issues. But there is a clear difference from when I can't fall asleep at night or in the morning as opposed to when I try to nap in the day. Only when trying to sleep during the day do I get this instant anxiety!
When I sometimes can't sleep at night, well, I just can't, there is no reason that I can pinpoint. I just lay there but sleep doesn't come. Same in the morning when I wake too soon.
So why does daily sleep envoke this anxiety in me? Could it be a hormonal issue? I know that neither person on the forum can diagnose another, but if you just have any ideas I would appretiate it. Perhaps I should see a psychiatrist as well...
jacqueline93455 edgar30813
Posted
So, I too have had sleeping issues all my life. When I was a baby, my dad would have to drive me around in a car seat for me to actually fall asleep. I now have to sleep with a fan on to block out any noise or stillness. I hate when there is noise from people around me, but I also hate that there is the sound of stillness. It's weird, I know. As for epilepsy, I too have it. I was diagnosed with myoclonic epilepsy when I started having really bad anxiety/panic attacks. During this time my sleep schedule was completely off (which according to my neurologist, had a lot to do with why I was having myoclonic seizures) I also started drinking a lot in order to escape having panic attacks all day. I haven't had a seizure since I started maintaining a health lifestyle. As for my sleeping habits, I could never sleep at night.. ever! I would basically go on binges of not sleeping until my body would just crash because I couldn't physically stay awake anymore. If I did fall asleep at night, I would wake up after 3 hours having a full out anxiety attack. If I ever try to nap during the day, I wake up to racing heart and panic attacks as well. I started taking melatonin, which is a natural sleep aid. I also started drinking sleepy time tea at night and doing 10-15 minute guided meditation before bed. (Listened to them on Youtube.) I swear these have been lifesavers for me. Though, I still sleep with a fan or the noise of an air conditioner lol I definitely recommend melatonin, sleepy time tea, and meditation! Hope this helps!
edgar30813 jacqueline93455
Posted
Hey, Jacqueline, thank you for your quick reply.
It is so good to hear from somebody who has gone through similar issues and knows what you're going through. I must admit my post was partly just to vent, I hate days like these. I'm embarassed to say that as I traveled, I obsessively watched people around me fall in and out of sleep, while I felt like the only one who forgot how it's done. 5 hours of travelling by train, 3 by plane, 3 by bus and 4 hours of waiting at the airport and all that time people snored away , in unimaginable positions and on ridiculous places (one guy slept lying half on the floor, half on the chair) - my envy was through the roof!
Your situation sounds like it is (was) a lot tougher than mine. My 6-7 hours aren't enough for me to feel good, I feel tired already after 11 a.m. , but they are tolerable, especially compared to nights of no sleep like last night.
I also take melatonin on occasion, but only as additional help to Valium. I feel like it's extra security, though it's probably placebo. By itself, melatonin doesn't do much for me.
I'm glad to hear you've found something that works for you. I've been thinking about a white noise machine or something like that for a long time now , I think it's certainly worth giving a shot. I use ear plugs, but they're not enough to stop sudden noises, and my sleep certainly is light.
I agree with neurologists's views regarding epilepsy and insomnia, but in my opinion they talk a lot more about sleep deprivation as a risk for seizures , and too little about sleep deprivation as a cause of epilepsy. I mean, our brains never get the rest they need to recover from a hard day's work. Add all those days up and I'm surprised every insomniac doesn't develop epilepsy, or even MS like in my other case. Not that I wish it was like that, of course.
Your post helped a lot, believe me. A voice of understanding among hundreds of oblivious sleepers goes a long way. I hope I sleep better tonight (my apartment is right next to a highway, ugh).
About my Z-pill question, if anyone knows how they work for sleep during the day, please let me know.
edgar30813
Posted
Just as olan B in case white noise machines don't work.
jacqueline93455 edgar30813
Posted
I use this site to vent all the time, no worries! Lol as for a noise machine, I bet it would work wonders. Even if you just get a stand up fan and turn it on. I find it's really the only way I get any form of proper rest. I am also a vivid dreamer! Since I don't sleep very often, when I do, I will sleep for like 14 hours at a time. My body clearly needs it. I notice when I sleep during the night I constantly have dreams of spirits who I will see and talk to.. some nice, some evil. It wakes me up every time and I can remember every detail. The only time I have happy dreams are when I sleep during the day. As for a z-pill, I was prescribed them for severe insomnia. They worked for a while until my body got adjusted to them. I would see your doctor and see what they recommend. They have a better history of how your body reacts to things because everyone is different!
edgar30813 jacqueline93455
Posted
Heh , I guess everybody needs to vent from time to time, and forums are great venting machines.
I used to sleep more after a bad night, too. Not quite 14 hrs, but around 9. Now it's like my brain set a limit - maximum of 7 hrs no matter what. This night I managed to squeeze out 6.5 hours, which is solid, though one has to wonder if the brain managed to fully recover in such a short time, after previously being up for 36 hours straight. Being tired again today, my guess is no. Why didn't it get the recuperation it needed? Grrr.
But the important thing is that I slept.
Vivid dreams, huh? I usually don't remember mine. Doesn't that indicate something regarding REM cycles, like perhaps you haven't finished a cycle properly if you have a vivid dream? In any case, better good spirits than evil ones I guess.
Strange that you usually have good dreams on your afternoon naps, but still wake up with a racing heart. The sleeping mind is crazy.