Waking Up In Middle of Night with Racing Heart - Anxiety Message Board

Looly · 09-11-2008, 08:38 AM

I sometimes wake up with a racing heart. It could go to 120 bpm. Along with that my blood pressure elevates to high numbers. Stays that way for maybe an hour or two. Dr. says it's anxiety. Had EKG and ECHO. Normal Results!
Is this common with anxiety problem? If so, what do you do for it? It has been happening more frequently lately and I've had anxiety issues. Anyone relate to this? Very frightening to say the least.

shelly80 · 09-11-2008, 09:09 AM

This happens to me! All I know is sometimes (and this happened last night) if I wake up, or if I have had trouble falling asleep my heart rate jumps up to what I consider to be too fast of a resting rate. I'm having to assume its anxiety reltated.

I try not to use pills, but when I feel like it could escalate into an "attack" I take some xanax. I did last night around midnight and I ended up falling asleep. I wonder if this happens when we wake up and we are startled and then focus on our heartbeat right away.

Anyhow, I think that for anxiety sufferers this is not out of the ordinary.

Shelly

shirley07 · 09-11-2008, 12:14 PM

I was having this problem due to some anxiety about some female problems I was having but when I learned that all was well this went away. Are you really worried about some health issue or other problems at this time? I think I saw where Shelly was going to the Dr., so we still have these issues on our minds and we are trying to sleep and our thoughts won't let us. It is terrible I know that. Blessings

Looly · 09-11-2008, 03:44 PM

Lately I've been worried about many issues including health. I don't understand why during the day I don't have any problems, like heart racing, etc.. It only happens to me during the middle of my sleep. I fall asleep and maybe two hours later I awaken feeling lousy with nervous feeling and racing heart. So now I'm fixated on the heart issue. So if it's not one thing to worry about it's another.

Trixibel · 09-11-2008, 04:02 PM

I've got exactly the same problem at the moment. Either not being able to fall asleep in the first place or waking up with a racing heart and unable to get back to sleep. It's doubly worse for me because I already have a huge heart health anxiety (because my father had heart problems). At this stage I take half a xanax to help me get back to sleep but I'm also going on antidepressants because I think it could be anxiety related. I'm starting to dread going to bed at night in case 'it happens' (the racing heart etc). I hate it because my husband's a really light sleeper and I sometimes end up getting up and lying on the couch so as not to disturb him. I have generalised anxiety disorder as well and over the years I've had problems with sleeping on and off.