Does anyone have trouble sleeping? My problem with sleep is beginning to scare me. Whenever I begin to dose off I start feeling dizzy and then I immediately panic. Although I feel like I have some control over the anxiety I experience when I am awake, how can I control the anxiety that I experience when I fall asleep and feel dizzy?

well I don't feel like that but yes, I have trouble sleeping properly since I've had my middle-ear trouble 3 years ago. I sleep unconsciously for about 3hours and then it feels like I am half awake when I am dreaming. I suppose it must be to do with poor circulation in my head / the inflammation on the nerves of the ear - which I believe is very close to the part of the brain that triggers deep sleep?? hopefully that makes enough sense?

Hi mr,

I had that happening in spades when I was first ill with this nightmare. The thing I find with sleep and going to bed is that patterns develop very quickly and your mind soon starts to anticipate these events on going to bed. I used to dread going to bed because I knew I might be in for a very bad time.

To interrupt the cycle and stop this reaction I used meditiation before bed - by that I mean watching my breath and pushing my body into a slow regular breathing rhythm. It's also a good idea to stay off the PC and away from the TV one hour before bed. Reading a book was sometimes good for me too but not always. Finally when I just couldn't get the upper hand on it I took valium but not for than two nights in a row afterwhich I would have a break for a day or two. The idea is to never let any unnatural habits begin to take hold.

Remember that this sleep thing is temporary and it WILL go away but you must not be fearful of it. Don't let your mind run away with it thinking, "My god, I'll never be able to sleep properly again (I had that)". Accept where you are now and try some different techniques to reclaim some sleep. I found I had to be really proactive with it and force things once in a while so that it wouldn't take over my life.

Best...Scott :cool:

Oh my God, that is exactly what happened to me in the begginning aswell!

I as so scared when it happened I didnt know what to do! I genuinly thought I was dying or in a nightmare and it continued every night for two weeks. Then i started to do relaxation at night and it dissapeared!

Still do get it on and off though and when it happens I still get a good fright but i can kinda control it now tbh.