i had a few weeks where i was waking up at 3 am (or thereabouts) on a nightly basis. I'd be gasping for breath, reeling from the enormity of eternity, death, and God, and it would take some time before i could calm down sufficiently to move from my position. The worst thing about this is that you will be tired the next day and if you work or have school, it can become a real practical problem. Also, the exhaustion/anxiety cycle perpetuates itself, in that if you're anxious, you have trouble sleeping, and if you don't sleep well, then you're more likely to feel anxious the next day.
When this happened with me, the only thing i did was stay up and watch a movie or come to this very forum to calm down. The trick though, i think, is to get out of bed, and do something. If you have the luxury of living in antarctica this time of year, you can always go for a walk at that hour. For the rest of us, i would suggest TV, and realize that you have the option of calling in sick the next day.
The big thing with these attacks is that i becomes difficult to gain perspective. The reality is that your mind is just over anxious...and you just need a good night's sleep. Alas, we dpers tend to think of it as an apocolyptic event, certain to wreak insanity or death upon us. Try to realize it's just a physical result of having too much stress, and you'll do fine.
s.
p.s. as an obvious aside, drinking alcohol or caffeine contributes to this. while you're enduring this, it might be best to limit their intake.
When this happened with me, the only thing i did was stay up and watch a movie or come to this very forum to calm down. The trick though, i think, is to get out of bed, and do something. If you have the luxury of living in antarctica this time of year, you can always go for a walk at that hour. For the rest of us, i would suggest TV, and realize that you have the option of calling in sick the next day.
The big thing with these attacks is that i becomes difficult to gain perspective. The reality is that your mind is just over anxious...and you just need a good night's sleep. Alas, we dpers tend to think of it as an apocolyptic event, certain to wreak insanity or death upon us. Try to realize it's just a physical result of having too much stress, and you'll do fine.
s.
p.s. as an obvious aside, drinking alcohol or caffeine contributes to this. while you're enduring this, it might be best to limit their intake.
