Avoiding Going To Sleep.... Anyone?? - Anxiety Message Board

lotusheart · 10-04-2005, 10:23 PM

Hi, Everyone-
I am having a problem that I am pretty sure is connected to anxiety. I dont go to bed. Even when I KNOW i need to and I am exhausted. Nihgt after night-- I then proceed to get up and go to work after maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep... which makes life awful on so many levels!

And you know what? I LOVE sleeping.. when left to sleep as long as my body will, I will sleep 9 hours and feel great when I get up. But I dont go to bed. I do things around the house (I live alone), get busy with stuff, surf the web, start projects too late, do girly bathroom stuff, etc.

As much as i know that the lack of sleep makes me feel miserable and overwhelmed, stressed, and even leads to me getting sick more frequently, I don't go to bed. As much as I PLAN to go to bed early almost EVERY night, I never do. Some of this could be tied to loneliness... when I have a boyfriend and I go to bed with him (or when I have lived with someone in the past), i still had the tendency to stay up way too late, but I was a LOT better than I am now.

This has also led to all sorts of negative feelings, like I can't do something so simple, like I sabotage myself every day, like I can't be a normal person. If anyone has any insight or information I would LOVE to hear it. It has been years of this, and I am (sorry for the pun) very tired of it. I want to change the pattern, and know that my quality of life depends on it. (OTC sleeping pills don't work, btw. I still stay up doing stuff until I am about to drop, then am a zombie the whole next day.)

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING/RESPONDING!

louane · 10-04-2005, 11:23 PM

i have done that my whole life,,, I have very bad axiety and panic attacks, but even before I started having them, I hated going to bed,, and like you when I would go to sleep and could do it, Icould sleep most of the day,
It dose make you feel worst, I wish I had an answer,,, I think its just a bad habit that we got into. I know mine has to do with fear,, I was always scared of the dark as a kid so I had trouble going to sleep..
then when my anxiety got bad, I was scared to go to sleep because I was afraid I would wake up having a panic attack.
Just so you know I know what you are going through,,,,
my mother in law, told me if I would get more active in the day, then I wouldnt have any troble going to sleep,,, i guess she thinks I am lazy,,who knows..
Ok Good luck
louane

YouKnowYou · 10-04-2005, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotusheart

Hi, Everyone-
I am having a problem that I am pretty sure is connected to anxiety. I dont go to bed. Even when I KNOW i need to and I am exhausted. Nihgt after night-- I then proceed to get up and go to work after maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep... which makes life awful on so many levels!

And you know what? I LOVE sleeping.. when left to sleep as long as my body will, I will sleep 9 hours and feel great when I get up. But I dont go to bed. I do things around the house (I live alone), get busy with stuff, surf the web, start projects too late, do girly bathroom stuff, etc.

As much as i know that the lack of sleep makes me feel miserable and overwhelmed, stressed, and even leads to me getting sick more frequently, I don't go to bed. As much as I PLAN to go to bed early almost EVERY night, I never do. Some of this could be tied to loneliness... when I have a boyfriend and I go to bed with him (or when I have lived with someone in the past), i still had the tendency to stay up way too late, but I was a LOT better than I am now.

This has also led to all sorts of negative feelings, like I can't do something so simple, like I sabotage myself every day, like I can't be a normal person. If anyone has any insight or information I would LOVE to hear it. It has been years of this, and I am (sorry for the pun) very tired of it. I want to change the pattern, and know that my quality of life depends on it. (OTC sleeping pills don't work, btw. I still stay up doing stuff until I am about to drop, then am a zombie the whole next day.)

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING/RESPONDING!

I have the same problem....This may sound abit morbid, but I think it comes down to doing things you want to do before you die. Now I'm not saying you are going to die, but because of anxiety and panic, when you are feeling good, you want to live! When you are enjoying life, its hard to feel like going to sleep, when in the back of your mind you might be thinking you are not going to wake up or might wake up feeling like crap.
I hope that made some sense, but its getting late and Im awake

"Its not that you can't sleep, but you try to hard"

littlen2005 · 10-05-2005, 03:03 AM

hi, same with me, i try very hard (too hard) to go to sleep, especially knowing that i have to be up at 6am for work.

i was told by my doctor that i should be more active throughout the day and that would get me to sleep in the night. (must think im lazy too)

i am quite scared of going to sleep though because i think i may die in my sleep, or have nightmares, or waking up having a panic attack etc. but i know i need sleep other wise in the day i will feel more anxious.

i hate this so much.

bladebeam · 10-05-2005, 07:07 AM

I think what was said earlier is right, Especially if you work or have places to be the following day, I think you try to do as much as you can in one night as you value your spare time. Thats what I think, I sit up watching tv well into the early hours and then have to get up for work about 7.Bah !